Fried Cabbage and Sausage
This Fried Cabbage and Sausage recipe is a quick and easy to make Keto one-pan dinner that’s perfect for busy weeknights. Tender ribbons of cabbage are sautéed with savory smoked sausage giving it incredible flavor.
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❤️ Why You’ll Love This Fried Cabbage and Smoked Sausage Recipe
- Easy one-pot meal that’s ready in 30 minutes
- Hearty, filling and loaded with flavor from the smoky sausage
- Budget-friendly requiring just a few simple ingredients
- Healthy and nutritious
Cabbage seems to be an unsung hero of the low carb world. With its versatility, you can create so many wonderful and nutritious meals with it. This recipe for Egg Roll in a Bowl and this Fried Cabbage with Bacon are hugely popular, Keto and low-carb friendly AND only take minutes to prepare.
Though this fried Cabbage with Sausage dish is great to serve any time of year, St. Patrick’s Day is right around the corner, which inspired me to come up with a new and delicious recipe to help celebrate the holiday! This recipe nailed it! Not only is it easy, but it also tastes AH-mazing!
Sliced smoked sausage is pan seared in a little bacon grease until browned and slightly caramelized. Sweet sauteed onions and tender cabbage are then added creating the most perfect companions to the smoky flavors in the sausage.
Whether you are serving this for a St. Patrick’s Day feast or for a simple weeknight dinner, you will simply love all this dish has to offer; simple, easy, affordable and DELISH! If you happen to have some ham, try this Fried Cabbage with Ham recipes, it’s so tasty!
🛒 Ingredients for Fried Cabbage with Sausage
- Smoked sausage
- Cabbage
- Onion
- Garlic
- Butter
- Bacon grease
- Apple cider vinegar
- Smoked paprika
- Salt
- Ground black pepper
- Optional: red pepper flakes
*Exact measurements are listed in the recipe card below.
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🔪 How to Make Keto Fried Cabbage
Heat a large skillet to medium heat and add in half of the bacon grease.
Sauté the sausage for a few minutes, until it starts to get some color, then remove and set aside. In the same skillet (do not wipe it out), add in the rest of the bacon grease and onion, salt and pepper, then sauté for a few minutes or until they just start to caramelize.
This will bring out a little sweetness that goes perfectly in this dish.
Add the garlic in the center and sauté for about 20 seconds, do not let it start to brown or it will become bitter.
Stir in the butter and smoked paprika and allow it to toast for about a minute, then add in the apple cider vinegar.
Pour in the cabbage, toss and sauté for 10-12 minutes or until tender.
Add the sausage back in and the (optional) red pepper flakes, cook for a few minutes until the sausage is heated through and serve.
☑️ Storage Instructions
You can store leftovers in the fridge for up to about 4 days in an airtight container.
This dish can also be frozen, which makes it a great meal prep option! Just place leftovers in a sealed, airtight and freezer-safe container. Label the outside of the container with the date you cooked and place it in the freezer for up to three months.
To thaw, just place in the fridge overnight, then reheat in a skillet until warmed through.
💡 Tips for Buying and Storing Cabbage
- Look for compact heads that are heavy for their size.
- The outer leaves should be crisp and deeply colored with few, if any, blemishes.
- You’ll want to avoid heads of cabbage that have wilted or yellowing outer leaves. Check the stem of the cabbage for cracks or other signs of aging.
- When you get the cabbage home, place it vegetable crisper in the fridge. Even if it was not refrigerated with you bought it. Cabbage will stay fresh for up to two weeks when kept cool.
🔄 Substitutions and Additions
- If you don’t like smoked sausage, you can really use just about any sausage that you like instead.
- If you don’t like sausage at all, you can make this same recipe with beef, chicken or even shrimp. Cooking times will vary, depending on what you use, but the flavors will still be amazing.
- Add some Mexican flair and use chorizo sausage, add in some poblano peppers and garnish with fresh cilantro. Delish!
- For a little extra heat, add in some chopped jalapeño pepper. Just be sure to remove the ribs and seeds, so the heat won’t be too intense.
- If you don’t want to use bacon grease, you can just use olive oil. You won’t have that smokey bacon flavor though, but it will still taste great.
- If you don’t have apple cider vinegar, you can use red wine vinegar instead.
Is Cabbage OK for Keto Diet?
Absolutely! Cabbage is a great veggie for Keto. Because it has a mild flavor, cabbage is even used as a pasta substitute in some Keto lasagna recipes.
How Many Carbs are in Fried Cabbage?
There are approximately 6.5 total grams of carbs in a one cup size portion of fried cabbage. The fiber in cabbages comes in around 2.5 grams making the net carb count only 4 grams.
How Long Do You Cook Cabbage For?
One of the great things about this fried cabbage recipe is, you cook the sausage separately, which means you can cook the cabbage just the way you like it.
Pan searing cabbage for 10-12 minutes on medium-high heat will leave the cabbage slightly al-dente. If you like it super tender and soft, cook it a little longer, or until it reaches the texture you prefer.
What Do You Eat with Fried Cabbage?
The sausage in the recipe is perfect with fried cabbage. But it is so versatile you can add it to just about any type of protein you’d like.
What Kind of Meat Goes with Fried Cabbage?
Serve fried cabbage alongside a pan seared Filet, grilled Chicken, hamburger steak, Salmon, or other types of sausage like andouille or Italian sausage. It truly will go with just about anything you want to serve it with.
🍽️ More Keto Cabbage Recipes
- Fried Cabbage and Sausage
- Slow Cooker Cabbage
- Cabbage Soup with Sausage
- Fried Cabbage with Bacon
- Cabbage Roll Casserole
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Fried Cabbage and Sausage
Ingredients
- 14 ounces smoked sausage, sliced
- 1 medium head of green cabbage, shredded
- 1/2 cup yellow onion, diced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2 tablespoons bacon grease, divided
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- Optional red pepper flakes
Instructions
- Heat a large skillet to medium heat and add in half of the bacon grease.
- Sauté the sausage for a few minutes, until it starts to get some color, then remove and set aside. In the same skillet (do not wipe it out), add in the rest of the bacon grease and onion, salt and pepper, then sauté for a few minutes or until they just start to caramelize. This will bring out a little sweetness that goes perfectly in this dish.
- Add the garlic in the center and sauté for about 20 seconds, do not let it start to brown or it will become bitter.
- Stir in the butter and smoked paprika and allow it to toast for about a minute, then add in the apple cider vinegar.
- Pour in the cabbage, toss and sauté for 10-12 minutes or until tender.
- Add the sausage back in and the (optional) red pepper flakes, cook for a few minutes until the sausage is heated through and serve.
*Make sure to scroll up and read the post for substitutions, additions and helpful tips for making this recipe.
*Nutritional data is provided as a courtesy and is accurate to the best of my knowledge. You can verify it using the nutrition calculator of your choice. All data is based on net carbs, without sugar alcohol: Swerve, Erythritol, Monk Fruit or Allulose.
© Copyright for Keto Cooking Christian LLC. Please use the share buttons to share on social media, but please do not copy/paste the recipe.
Rate this Recipe
I made this for dinner for my hubby and me tonight and we both loved it! Such robust flavors and so hearty. Thank you so much!
That’s so great to hear and I’m glad it was a hit with you and hubby!
Can this recipe work in a slow cooker?
Sure and I actually have one that is similar, that you can check out: Slow Cooker Cabbage
why the apple cider vinegar?
It adds a nice hint of tang that’s pretty classic in this dish.
very good! I use cabbage in casseroles in stead of pasta all the time.
Awesome, it’s a great sub for pasta and it’s filling too! I’m glad you enjoyed it!
Yum!
My picky eaters loved it. I enjoyed making this dish and having it turn out so delicious was wonderful treat! Thank for post it.
That means so much, especially coming from someone with picky eaters to please! I’m so glad it turned out delicious and that everyone enjoyed it. Thanks for giving the recipe a try and for taking the time to leave such a kind comment!
What if you don’t have bacon grease?
Thank you,
Robin
You can use olive oil.
This is now replacing my old family recipe using the same main ingredients. I used to make a dish from childhood containing cabbage, smoked sausage, onions, potatoes and green beans (cut style) but it was almost more of a soup, it was filling but bland. This pops with flavor and that is without the potatoes that I don’t east anymore!
I am so happy you enjoyed it! I love the flavors in this dish also.
Very good!!
Thank you! I’m so happy you enjoyed it.
Delicious
I’m so glad you enjoyed it.
Delicious! My picky teens even ate it. I call that a WIN!
That is definitely a win! I love this dish so much, also. It has so much flavor. I’m glad you enjoyed it.
This dish was so tasty!! It was perfect on a cool evening. I love one pot meals!
Thank you so much.
My husband enjoyed this Fried Cabbage and Sausage.
That’s awesome. So happy to hear that.
Just like what my grandma made.
Wow. Thank you so much.
My family loves fried cabbage, but until tonight we had it only with bacon. We loved the addition of sausage. Thank you so much for sharing this yummy recipe!
You are so welcome. It’s awesome to hear you enjoyed it.
Found this on Pinterest- turned out delicious. Loved that it was one pot
I love a one-pot meal too. So happy you found it.
Just what I needed: healthy, easy and fast. Thank you!
You are so welcome. I’m thrilled you enjoyed it. 😊
The best fried cabbage & smoked sausage I’ve ever eaten. Will definitely be making this again soon.
That’s awesome. Thank you so much for sharing.
recipe is really easy and it was great!
We love fried cabbage but this was really wonderful. used Johnsonville Kielbasa.
Super good! Thanks for sharing the recipe.
God Bless!
That’s so awesome to hear. Thanks for letting me know how much you loved it.
Easy to make and the flavor was delish
I’m so happy you enjoyed it.
Very easy to make n oh so good!! I used beef sausage n turned out delicious
Using beef sausage is a great idea.
Made this with chicken sausage I had on hand and it was such an easy and delicious dinner. Great idea, love a quick skillet meal like this!
Thank you. Easy cleanup for the win!
This fried cabbage dish reminds me of one my mom used to make but with the addition of sausage, yours is a complete meal. It came out totally delicious!
I love hearing this. I am so happy you enjoyed it.
I made this fried cabbage and sausage recipe yesterday, and it was a delightful combination of flavors and textures! It was a hearty and satisfying one-pot meal! I highly recommend trying this recipe.
Thank you so much. One-pot meals are so great for busy weekdays. I am happy you enjoyed it.
I really like this dish. It’s simple, flavorful, hearty, and savory—it has everything you could want in a one-pot meal.
Thank you so much. I think everyone needs this easy and delicious recipe in their menu lineup.
This was such a tasty dish! I loved how easy it was to make in one pan. We gobbled it right up.
I love hearing this! Thank you.
Great cabbage dish.
It really is such a great recipe. I am so glad you enjoyed it.
Very quick and tasty dish! I didn’t use bacon grease bc my sausage had enough grease to cook it. I used an 8 oz. package of shredded cabbage, loved using the apple cider vinegar, but don’t think I’ll use the red pepper next time! Thanks for sharing your recipe!
So happy you enjoyed it.
Ooowee outstanding dish!
Thank you so much. ☺️
This cabbage is savory and delicious! I could eat this every day!
Thanks so much, I’m happy you loved it!
Literally my new obsession for dinner!
I did add cayenne, onion powder, garlic powder, some salt and pepper in addition to the paprika the recipe calls for.
Those sound like great additions and truth be told, it’s one of mine too. It’s so easy and satisfying!
I don’t eat bacon so I just used oil and I put my own seasoning in it and it was really good thanks for this recipe first time cooking cabbage 🥬 as well
You are so welcome and I’m thrilled that you enjoyed it!
Quick meal to throw together. It needs more seasoning that what is listed. Other than that it tasted great.
I felt like the seasoning was pretty spot on, but I’m glad you enjoyed it.
I made this recipe from my cabbage I grew all winter. I did add some crumbled bacon to the recipe.
How wonderful, bacon does make everything even better!
My family loved this dish. I doubled the recipe and added a couple of tablespoons of brown sugar when I was cooking the cabbage. This is what my hubby calls ‘A Keeper’.
That’s great! I am so happy to hear you enjoyed it…and your hubby too.
I put extra vinegar and a can of Rotel in.
Sounds delish.
I made this last week, hubby and I loved it. I’m making it again tonight.
Thank you
That’s so awesome to hear. I am glad you enjoyed it.
Made this tonight. Needed quick meal w what I had in fridge. Delish as is but will definitely try additions from the comments.
This is keto ??? Yum
That’s awesome. It’s a great soup just as it is, but it’s always fun to add your own spin on it.
I’m allergic to onions I took out the onions but added a half a pound of bacon turned out delicious!
I’m thrilled you enjoyed it! Makes my day to read reviews like this one.
I’m allergic to onions I took out the onions but added a half a pound of bacon turned out delicious!
This was a great recipe to throw together quickly on a busy week night.So flavorful and easy to get on the table quickly. It received rave reviews from everyone and I’m looking forward to the leftovers for lunch tomorrow! Thanks for another great recipe!
That’s awesome to hear, thank you for sharing. It’s always a great thing when some of the best recipes turn out to be easy to make. Leftovers will be even better today!
I made this with turkey keilbasa and unrefined coconut oil and it was delish. Husband asked for it to become part of the regular rotation.
I love hearing this! Thank you for sharing. 😊
I have made this twice and my husband loves it!
Sharon
That’s awesome! Easy meals that are husband-approved are always a win/win!
I have made this twice already! love it! I use spicy Italian sausage! YUM!
Thanks so much! I love this recipe too…easy and delicious!
I used sausage and chicken breast. Very Delicious
Yummo! Great combo.
I always use a can of dice tomatoes so delicious 😋
Awesome!
I’m hungry already
I hope you enjoy!
Loved this! It’s a keeper. Didn’t have white cabbage so used red. Used plenty of pepper flakes. My mouth is watering thinking about the leftovers in the fridge. Yum!!
I bet the red cabbage was really tasty in this recipe. So happy you enjoyed it!
I made this and it was delish!
I love hearing this! I am so glad you enjoyed it.
Can’t wait to try this today!
Yay! I hope you enjoy it. The flavors are so great.
I added 1/2 lb cooked bacon. I also added Julienne cut red bell pepper and a touch of Cajun seasoning. Delicious!
Sounds perfect! I am so happy that you enjoyed it.