Sausage, Cabbage and Onions are a classic combination of flavors. This Sausage and Cabbage Dinner is quick and easy to prepare and a hearty, satisfying meal. It’s especially nice on a chilly night. My kids love it!
[New updated photos and post.]
Everyone has a go-to meal – a meal that is fast, easy to fix, and economical.
This is my go-to meal. Sausage and Cabbage Dinner!
And while it isn’t pretty to look at, it is hearty and satisfying, and my kids love it!
Cabbage is a great vegetable. It’s firm texture holds up well to dressings making it perfect for salads like coleslaw. And, it does not disintegrate when cooked down in soups and stews like other greens can. It’s large leaves are perfect for wrapping morsels of meat and it’s “cabbagy” flavor becomes sweet after cooking.
I love to fry cabbage in a pan. It cooks down quickly and it’s sweet flavor is great with smokey and salty meats like bacon, ham, or sausage. I like pairing it with Italian sausage and onions for a quick week night meal.
You’ll like the length of the ingredient list for this recipe: 5 ingredients plus salt and pepper. Sometimes, I add a little green apple depending on how I am feeling.
In any case, cabbage, bacon, and onions are a classic combination, and one I think your family will enjoy, too.
This Easy Sausage and Cabbage Dinner serves is 6.5 net carbs per serving.
Easy Sausage and Cabbage Dinner
Ingredients
- 1 pound Italian sausage links (about 5 links)
- 1 pound cabbage, thinly sliced
- 4 strips raw bacon
- 2 ounces onion, sliced thinly (about 1/2 cup)
- 1 clove garlic, chopped
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
Preparation:
- Grill the sausage or slice to cook in the skillet (see note). I grill because it adds great flavor and releases some of the fat.
- Cut the cabbage in half (from top to bottom) and then into quarters. Cut out the core of the cabbage on each quarter. Cut the cabbage quarters into thin strips as if you were making coleslaw.
Method:
- Chop the bacon into small pieces. Cook the bacon in a frying pan until crispy. Add the onion and garlic to the bacon and saute until softened. Add the sliced cabbage and saute until it is wilted and cooked down. It will take a while and you may have to add the cabbage in batches.
- While the cabbage is cooking, slice the grilled sausage. When the cabbage is just about cooked through, add the sausage to warm it through. Add salt and pepper to your taste.
- Makes 4 servings.
- NOTE: If you are not grilling the sausage, slice it and cook it in the pan first. Remove it from the pan and pour out any accumulated oil. Proceed with the rest of the recipe.
Notes
Nutrition
Very YUMMY & easy to make & great on carbs!!
This recipe lives up to the hype!!! It will become a regular menu item!!!
I just made this it was easy and the taste was great will be adding this to my meals
When cooking the cabbage what do I use cook the cabbage in is the back grease or butter or oil?
Hi Orna. Cook the cabbage in the bacon grease. If you don’t eat bacon, add 1-2 tablespoons of oil or butter. -Kim
I made it tonight for dinner. Great flavor and really fast!! I added a little more bacon, who doesn’t love more bacon. Even my 11 year old eat it up! Thanks
I’m so glad, Laura. -Kim
What type of Italian sausage would you recommend? Sweet, mild, or hot?
You can use your favorite, Joanna. I generally buy mild or sweet. -Kim
I went a step further and used prepared sauerkraut…nice tang…was delish!
Love it.I live alone so I freeze and eat .Easy and economical
Super easy and delicious! I fried the sausage in the pan then at the end, dropped the shredded cabbage in the pan covered with a lid and occasional mixing. It’s a cabbage lovers dream ;)
We have this for dinner frequently. It’s such a easy recipe. We don’t add the bacon every time, as it seems the sausage, grilled in the pan, has enough fat. Thanks for a reminder to make this yummy recipe of yours Kimberly!
Hi Aunt Donna! Thank you for leaving such a nice comment on my blog. I’m glad you like the recipe. Much love to you and Ned! -Kim
It’s good but mine does not look like the photo. The cabbage is dark and almost looks like sautéed onions now that it’s been cooked in the bacon grease.
Hi Amanda. The difference in appearance could be from using different cabbage varieties, cooking times, heat or frying pan. I photographed this with strong natural light coming in from the back. I also use professional photo editing software that lets me lighten photos, deepen shadows or lighten them to make food easier to see. Any of these things could result in the differences between yours and mine. Any food under regular kitchen lights is going to be darker and look less appealing. -Kim
I made this last night for dinner on a whim really as I had all the ingredients on hand (which rarely happens) and it was absolutely delicious!! My husband is diabetic and my daughter just adores good food and both of them loved this dish. I had a side of egg noodles for those not counting carbs. Thank you so much – I am marking your site in my “favorites” :)
I’m happy you all enjoyed it, Sheree! Be well. -Kim
Sheree, there is a recipe I tried before I found out I had surgery problems that added the pre cooked egg noodles & 1 can of drained peas into the above recipe & taste so good.. maybe try added it to your portion & mix well so coated in the seasoning & sausages.. enjoy!
Do you think this can be made ahead of time and then freeze for later?
Hi Jen. I have never tried freezing cooked cabbage, so I’m not sure what the texture would be like. However, my mother has frozen Halupki and it thawed fine. -Kim
This was really good! I used italian chicken sausage and just used a splash if white wind to steam it up a bit to soften the cabbage. Even my non cabbage eaters liked it!!
I just cooked sausage cabbage skillet and it was awesome!! Absolutely delicious! You nailed it with this one! Thank you so much!
This has been in my weekly Keto meal rotation since I began! Love to add red pepper flakes for a little kick. It’s quick, filling and a little extra bacon grease is always welcome for extra bacon-y flavor! Thanks for all you do!
This recipe was delicious and so easy to make! The only changes I made was buying the all ready chopped cabbage, plus held the salt!!! Absolutely will make again! This is a keeper!
Thanks for the recipe! Annie O
I made this recipe with extra garlic and a couple of tablespoons of cider vinegar added at the end to brighten it up. Delicious!
I really love this recipe. Can you explain how the carbs come out to -12.5. I put it in My food on the app Total Keto Diet I fill in the catagories it comes out as -12.5 for carbs. I do not understand how they come to that.
Hi Mary. I currently use Fatsecret.com to calculate nutritional information. I enter the weights (ounces and/or grams) of the raw ingredients I use and the serving size. You must be careful in choosing the foods because some bacon and sausage brands use more sugar in their curing process than others. Also, different cabbages may have more sugar than an other. To make things even more complicated is the fact that all nutritional calculators use different algorithms to average and count. I much prefer fatsecret.com desktop than any mobile app. I find the apps just aren’t as accurate. -Kim
Fantastic recipe. Followed it exactly except I added some mushrooms with the onions. Boyfriend loved it as well so definitely keeping it in rotation.
I love how you made this recipe your own by adding mushrooms, Danyele. I will have to try that the next time I make it! -Kim
This is a terrific recipe! I made some minor adjustments because of the ingredients I had on hand. I augmented my 1/2 small head of Napa Cabbage with 1/2 small head of red cabbage, added a few additional cloves of garlic, a handful of sliced leeks, a chopped apple, and added a big spash of balsamic vinegar at the end. If you’re not going low-carb/keto, a nice side dish with this is polenta (which I make in an Instantpot and is super easy – 1 cup polenta whisked into 4 cups water, cook on high pressure for 20 minutes and release pressure naturally, then whisk again). Thanks for posting the recipe!
Thanks for sharing your adjustments and ideas, Peg. YES! Adding an apple is just delicious – my kids love that. I miss polenta, Mom made it all the time. I think they would be beautiful together. Thanks so much! -Kim
Hi Kim,
What is the measurement for one serving?
Thanks
Hi Shay. I didn’t measure how many cups were to a serving, but since the recipe serves 4, I just visually divide it. -Kim
What side dish would you recommend serving with this? I feel like this would satisfy ME fully as a meal but my husband and little boy, not so much. I don’t think their bellies would be full at all. Maybe a salad?? Or cauliflower mash?
Hi Kelli. You could always add more sausage to bulk it up without adding too many carbs or you could serve dessert after dinner. A simple cheesecake could be filling. I’m having a hard time coming up with an additional side. I’m lazy and would probably serve a salad to start the meal. I’m sorry I couldn’t be more help. -Kim
what is the saturated fat in the cabbage sausage dish?
Hi Colleen. The amount of saturated fat will vary depending on the type of sausage used and whether or not you use regular bacon or turkey bacon. The saturated fat for regular Italian sausage and using bacon is 5.6 grams. -Kim
So happy to find such a simple recipe for keto that I love
Made this tonight and I am so excited with the way it turned out. I took pics I wish I could post them!! I use a very big electric skillet makes it so much easier to move the cabbage around. Also use a bit of avacodo oil in the beginning.
Lauri, I love that you use a big electric skillet. My mom had one and used it all the time. I’d love to see your pictures. Post one on my Facebook page under Visitor Posts. I would love to see it! Did you grill your sausages first or cook in the pan? My favorite way is to grill first. Thanks for taking the time to leave a comment and rate the recipe. Have a super day. -Kim
Easy to make and very yummy
I love this. It’s so delicious. I am completely dairy free and want to go on this keto plan. Any suggestions? Blessing
Hi Diane. Being dairy-free is not as fun, but it is do-able. We were dairy-free for a year in hopes of helping my daughter who is on the Spectrum. Use coconut milk instead of cream. I know you can make cheesecakes from tofu (I did when I was a vegetarian) and also from soaked cashews (raw vegan cheesecake). I have made the cashew cheesecakes for my daughter, but they have more carbs! Make frittatas instead of quiches. Eat good clean food and you will be sated and adding valuable nutrients to your diet. Seasonings, herbs, vinegars, and oils will be your friend. Let me know if you have any questions and write me an email if you have any questions. -Kim
Quick. Easy. Delicious. What could be better? Thanks!
Do you happen to know what the Saturated fat and sugar would be?
Hi Molly. The numbers are going to be different depending on what kind of sausage and bacon you use. Here is what Fatsecret.com says: Saturated fat: 5.6 g per serving, Sugars: 3.9 g. -Kim
I made this last night and had leftovers for lunch. So delicious and satisfying! The only change I made was to add more garlic. My husband and I both enjoyed it very much. I will definitely make this again. Thanks so much for an easy, yummy low carb meal!
Great, Marika. I’m so glad you liked it! -Kim
I use 1lb of ground beef. Love this dish. I cook it on Saturday and it lasts the whole weekend, too. Also cheap to make..
I love your easy and delisious recipes! We add red onions ,potatoes and bacon.
Thank you, Sandi. I bet the potatoes and bacon make it extra good! -Kim
I love your easy and delisious recipes!
Made this tonight and it was so delicious i have 3 teen age boys and a husband that all have different taste buds but all of them loved it. My husband and i are on the Keto lifestyle and it was a nice change. I also added saluted mushrooms it was a perfect fit so good.
I love that you added mushrooms, Christine. So happy that the whole family liked the recipe. Have a great week! -Kim
This recipe is delicious. The only adjustment we mad was adding 1/4tsp. red pepper flakes. Nice heat for the adult pallet. Next time I’m going to add some fresh basil and cut back on the red pepper flakes. Bacon for the score! Great recipe.
I’m glad you liked it, Sandy. Red pepper flakes is perfect! -Kim
Also at what part of the process do you add the garlic?
With the onions, Laura. I have added it to the instructions. -Kim
I see the recipe calls for onion but in the photo it’s a spring onion/leek (depending where your from)
What type of onion is best?
Hi Laura. This is an old post back when I was still learning about styling food. I only used the scallion to garnish the recipe. I used a white or yellow onion in the recipe. Sorry for the confusion. This needs a new photo. We still eat this because it’s tasty and fast. Enjoy your day. -Kim
What should I use for a side
We just eat it as is, Stephanie, but maybe you could serve with green beans? -Kim
Mmm steamed broccolini sounds delicious..
Is it 1lb of italian sausage? It looks like it says 6 lbs but that would be like 2000 calories per serving for 6 people.
Hi Tyler. Yes! It is 1 pound! This recipe was a victim of my changing recipe cards on the blog. It wreaked havoc on the recipes by re-arranging some of my wording. I am so sorry! Thank you for bringing it to my attention. I have fixed it. Enjoy the rest of your week. -Kim
You’re the best!
We made this for dinner the other night. Super easy and very delicious.
It’s one of our go-to meals. Glad you liked the recipe. -Kim