There is no elegant way to get excited about a cabbage, so I will not fake it. Fried Cabbage with Sausage and Bacon is cheap, fast, and good enough that nobody guesses it started as the saddest thing in the crisper drawer. Cheap, fast, and gone before the leftovers stand a chance.
Cabbage has a reputation problem. It is the vegetable of diets, of sad boiled dinners, of that smell in apartment hallways. I am here to fix its image.
Cook it down in rendered bacon fat with smoked sausage and a splash of vinegar and cabbage stops being a punishment and becomes the reason you go back for seconds. This is what I make when the fridge is nearly empty but I still want dinner to feel like a choice. It is also a one skillet situation, which my dishwasher and I both deeply appreciate.
Why You’ll Keep Making This
- It is basically free. A head of cabbage costs less than a coffee and feeds 6.
- One skillet. Everything happens in one pan, so there is almost nothing to wash.
- The bacon fat is the entire plan. You cook the cabbage in it. This is not the moment for nonstick spray.
- It reheats like a champion. Honestly better the next day, which is rare and should be celebrated.
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Bacon. Chopped, and we are keeping every drop of the fat. The fat is not a byproduct, it is the point.
- Smoked sausage. Kielbasa, andouille, whatever you love. Sliced into coins. Onion. One, chopped. Nothing fancy.
- Garlic. Three cloves. In a dish this bold, three counts as restraint.
- Green cabbage. One medium head, chopped. It looks like way too much. It is not. Trust it.
- Salt, pepper, paprika. The backbone.
- Red pepper flakes. Optional, for people who enjoy a little chaos.
- Apple cider vinegar. Goes in at the end and wakes the whole thing up.
How To Make Fried Cabbage with Sausage and Bacon
Start with the bacon. Cook it over medium heat until crispy, then fish it out with a slotted spoon and leave every drop of fat behind. That fat is the whole foundation, so we are not wasting it. Brown the sausage coins in it for 4 to 5 minutes and set them aside with the bacon.
The onion goes in next, right into all that flavor, about 4 to 5 minutes until soft. Then the garlic for 30 seconds, and keep an eye on it, because garlic turns bitter the moment you look away.
Now the cabbage, which is going to look like you badly misjudged how much pan you own. Pile it in anyway, stir to coat it in the fat, and trust that it cooks down fast. Season with the salt, pepper, paprika, and the red pepper flakes if you want heat, then let it go for 10 to 15 minutes. Stir occasionally, not constantly. You want it tender and a little golden at the edges, and it cannot get there if you keep poking at it.
Once it is, bring the bacon and sausage back to the party. Drizzle in the apple cider vinegar, give it 2 more minutes, then taste and fix the seasoning if it needs it. Serve warm, ideally before someone wanders in asking what smells so good.
A Few Things Worth Knowing
- Do not drain the bacon fat. I know your instincts. Ignore them.
- The cabbage will look like way too much for the pan. It is not. It cooks down to about a quarter of its size, so use your biggest pan.
- Do not skip the vinegar. Two minutes at the end is what keeps a rich dish from feeling heavy.
- Let the cabbage sit undisturbed between stirs. That’ is’s how you get color instead of steam.
Make It Yours
- Swap the sausage. Kielbasa, andouille, chorizo, or leftover ham all work.
- Add a starch. A handful of cooked potatoes or some egg noodles turns this from side to full dinner.
- Bring more heat. Extra red pepper flakes or a little hot sauce at the end.
- Use red cabbage. Same dish, more dramatic color, slightly sweeter.
Try These Recipes Next
- Sheet Pan Sausage and Cabbage
- Beef and Cabbage Soup
- Dill Pickle Soup
- Potato, Rosemary & Cheddar Quiche
- Corned Beef And Cabbage
Fried Cabbage with Sausage and Bacon
Ingredients
- 6 slices bacon, chopped
- 12 ounces smoked sausage, sliced (about 3 cups)
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 medium green cabbage, chopped (about 8 cups)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes, optional
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
Instructions
- In a large skillet or Dutch oven, cook the 6 slices chopped bacon over medium heat until crispy. Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon and set aside, leaving the fat in the pan.
- Add the 12 ounces sliced smoked sausage to the pan and cook for 4 to 5 minutes until browned. Remove and set aside with the bacon.
- In the same pan, add the chopped onion and cook for 4 to 5 minutes until softened. Stir in the 3 cloves minced garlic and cook for 30 seconds.
- Add the chopped cabbage to the pan. It will look like a lot, but it will cook down. Stir to coat the cabbage in the bacon fat. Season with 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon black pepper, 1 teaspoon paprika, and ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes if using.
- Cook for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the cabbage is tender and slightly caramelized.
- Return the cooked bacon and sausage to the pan and stir to combine. Drizzle in 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar and cook for another 2 minutes.
- Taste and adjust seasoning if needed, then serve warm.
Recipe Notes
- Keep all the bacon fat in the pan. It is both the cooking fat and the flavor.
- Cabbage cooks down to roughly a quarter of its raw volume. Use a large skillet or Dutch oven.
- The apple cider vinegar at the end is not optional in spirit. It cuts the richness.
- Leftovers keep in the fridge for 4 days and reheat best in a hot pan.
Nutrition Information
Frequently Asked Questions
Smoked sausage or kielbasa is the classic, but andouille, chorizo, or even leftover ham all work. Use what you like and what is already in the fridge.
Yes, and it is one of those rare dishes that is better the next day. Keep it in the fridge up to 4 days and reheat in a hot skillet, not the microwave if you can help it.
Somewhere in between, leaning tender. You want it cooked down and caramelized at the edges, not raw and not mushy. 10 to 15 minutes gets you there.
You can, but you lose the bacon fat that makes it what it is. Use olive oil or butter and a plant based sausage, then lean harder on the paprika and vinegar.
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