Scrumptious cabbage smothered with garlic, spices, bacon, sausage and potatoes. This healthy side dish only takes 30 minutes to prepare and is gluten-free, low carb, whole 30 and paleo-compliant.
We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites, at no extra cost to you.
Print RecipeJump to:
I always love to bring my smothered cabbage or Jamaican steamed cabbage which we absolutely love along to potlucks. I also love to serve it on holidays as it is so simple to make and therefore helps me save on time during these busy periods. It can be made ahead, making it perfect for meal prep and weeknight dinners. It is also quite filling and keeps you fuller for longer; actually, you can have it as a meal on its own.
why you will love this recipe
- delicious - extremely flavorful and comforting, just the way smothered cabbage with bacon should be!
- affordable - as an ingredient, cabbage is very cost-friendly. It is easy to feed a whole family with one cabbage head, and sometimes even have leftovers.
- quick - very simple and fast to make. You basically need to do very little once you have your ingredients in the pan or pot. If you like to make it quicker, you can even use your pressure cooker or the Instant Pot!
- perfect for those on special diets - this is a nutritious recipe that fits into almost all clean eating diets.
- versatile - substitute the bacon and smoked sausage for your favorite meat or poultry, or leave them out altogether.
ingredients
Here are the ingredients you will require to make this smothered cabbage with sausage recipe. This is a summary, a printable recipe card with full measurements has been provided at the bottom of this page.
- cabbage - I use regular white cabbage but savoy cabbage will do just fine. If you prefer to use savoy cabbage, just know you may not always find it in the market (try to find savoy cabbage any time between September and April).
- red or yellow onion - one large onion adds flavor and sweetness to the dish. This can be substituted with shallots or spring onion.
- thick slices of bacon - alternatively, you can use turkey bacon. Just make sure to slice it into equal-sized strips or cubes.
- olive oil - this can be substituted for butter, avocado oil, or clarified butter.
- potatoes - cut into one-inch cubes.
- cooked smoked sausage - smoked turkey sausage can also be used.
- cloves of garlic - alternatively, use one tablespoon of ground garlic.
- creole or cajun seasoning
- caraway seeds (optional).
- salt - add more or less if you prefer.
- apple cider vinegar.
- chicken stock - preferably low-sodium.
how to make smothered cabbage with sausage
Here is a summary of how to make smothered cabbage with sausage and bacon.
Allow a large skillet or pan to heat under medium heat for about 2 minutes. Toast the caraway seeds (optional) until fragrant then set aside.
To the pan, add the bacon and fry until crisp. Remove the cooked bacon using a slotted spoon and set it aside on a paper-lined plate.
In the same pan, add the smoked sausage, and cook until the sausage has the desired amount of brown. Stir in the onions and cook for a further 2-3 minutes, or until the onion has softened.
Stir in the potatoes, garlic, cajun or creole seasoning, caraway seeds (optional), cabbage, apple cider vinegar, olive oil, chicken stock, and salt.
Cover and simmer until the potatoes and cabbage are cooked, stirring from time to time. Add half of the previously fried bacon and allow the cabbage to cook for a further 10 minutes, or until the pan juices evaporate and the cabbage starts to brown. Check for salt and adjust the seasoning, garnish with the remaining bacon and serve.
serving suggestions
Serve your smothered cabbage with any kind of baked or grilled meat, oven-baked chicken or fish, mashed potatoes, honey cornbread, black eyed peas or some Instant Pot rice.
recipe variations
The best thing about this smothered cabbage recipe is that you can vary it as you like to use your favorite ingredients.
- No meat option - make this dish with no meat by leaving out the sausage and bacon. Make it vegan by omitting meat and using vegetable stock instead of chicken stock.
- Onion - use spring onion instead of yellow onion.
- Change your protein type - omit the sausage and use smoked turkey or ground beef instead.
- Garnish - use chopped parsley, cilantro or your favorite chopped herb to garnish.
freezing and refrigeration
This recipe is great for meal prep, as the cabbage can be preserved in the fridge or frozen. Store in the fridge or freezer as follows:-
- In the refrigerator - allow it to cool then store in a properly labeled airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days.
- Freezing - you can perfectly freeze this dish (bear in mind cabbage changes its taste once it has been frozen and reheated).
useful recipe tips
- Add more water to your dish, if not tender enough.
- Do not shy away when using fat. Cabbage contains fat-soluble vitamins whose absorption in the body is maximized when taken together with fat.
- Add brown sugar (coconut sugar for paleo or keto brown sugar substitute), if you like your smothered cabbage sweeter. Bear in mind that cabbage gets sweeter during cooking.
- The caraway seeds add flavor as well as help the stomach to better handle the cabbage, during digestion. Feel free to leave this out if you do not like caraway. You can either toast them before frying the bacon or simply stir them in with the rest of the ingredients.
- Finely chopped cabbage will require less time to cook (about 10 minutes less) than larger chunks.
- Add an extra tablespoon of vinegar or lemon juice, if you like your cabbage to have more of a bite.
more delicious recipes to try
Great news, you have made it this far which means you probably made or are making this smothered cabbage with sausage recipe! It would go a long way if you could leave a ⭐rating on the recipe card or comment in the comments section below.
Feel free to follow me on my social channels! Tag me @weeatatlast (formerly paleolowcarbkate) on Instagram, pin it on Pinterest, or like my Facebook for the latest updates! Don't forget to subscribe to my YouTube channel or Newsletter for regular recipe notifications!
📖 Recipe
Smothered Cabbage
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 3lb (approx. 1.5kgs) white cabbage (or savoy cabbage)
- 1 large onion (yellow or red)
- 2-3 thick slices bacon (or turkey bacon, cut to equal size cubes or stripes)
- 3 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 cups potatoes (cut into one-inch cubes)
- ½ lb cooked smoked sausage (approx. 250g)
- 4 cloves garlic
- 1 tablespoon creole seasoning (or cajun seasoning)
- 1 teaspoon caraway seeds (optional)
- ¾ teaspoon salt (more or less according to preference)
- 2 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 cup chicken stock (preferably low-sodium)
Instructions
- Allow a large skillet or pan to heat under medium heat for about 2 minutes. Toast the caraway seeds (optional) until fragrant then set aside.
- To the pan, add the bacon and fry until crisp. Remove the cooked bacon using a slotted spoon and set it aside on a paper-lined plate.
- In the same pan, add the smoked sausage, and onion. Cook for a further 2-3 minutes, or until the onion is softened and the sausage starts to brown.
- Stir in the potatoes, garlic, creole seasoning, garlic, caraway seeds (optional) and salt.
- Add the cabbage, apple cider vinegar, olive oil and chicken stock.
- Cover the skillet or pan and allow to cook for 20 minutes, or until the potatoes and cabbage are cooked, stirring from time to time. Add some more water if the cabbage still feels tough (¼ cup at a time, to prevent your smothered cabbage from getting soggy).
- Increase the heat to high and remove the cover. Add half of the previously fried bacon and allow the cabbage to cook for a further 10 minutes, or until the pan juices evaporate and the cabbage starts to brown.
- Check for salt and adjust the seasoning appropriately. Garnish with the remaining bacon and serve.
- Serve your smothered cabbage with any kind of baked or grilled meat, chicken or fish (or, with mashed potatoes, bread or rice dishes as a vegan option).
Notes
- Add more water to your dish, if not tender enough.
- Do not shy away when using fat. Cabbage contains fat-soluble vitamins whose absorption in the body is maximized when taken together with fat.
- Add brown sugar (coconut sugar for paleo or keto brown sugar substitute), if you like your smothered cabbage sweeter. Bear in mind that cabbage gets sweeter during cooking.
- The caraway seeds add flavor as well as help the stomach to better handle the cabbage, during digestion. Feel free to leave this out if you do not like caraway. You can either toast them before frying the bacon or simply stir them in with the rest of the ingredients.
- Finely chopped cabbage will require less time to cook (about 10 minutes less) than larger chunks.
- Add an extra tablespoon of vinegar or lemon juice, if you like your cabbage to have more of a bite.
Jill
A delicious and complete meal. We all enjoyed this cabbage. Thank you for the recipe!
Beth
Yum! My family and I loved this recipe! Such a great and easy dinner recipe! Going to make this again soon!
Kate Hahnel
Thank you. So glad you enjoyed it.
Julia
Now this looks so good! Caraway seeds go so well with cabbage and sausage so glad to see them in a recipe.
Kate Hahnel
I agree. They help with tummy problems too! The combination with cabbage and sausage is very flavorful.
Dannii
I love cabbage, but I usually just boil it. I am definitely going to be trying this.
Kate Hahnel
this method is equally easy. Give it a try and let me know what you think.