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I first made this one-pan Cabbage and Sausage Skillet for St. Patrick’s Day dinner at a friend’s, but it’s so easy, budget-friendly, and tasty, we’ve taken to making it year-round!

One pan Cabbage and Sausage recipe with rice and parsley in a skillet

Why You’ll Love this Cabbage and Sausage Recipe

  • Simple Ingredients. This easy recipe is only seven ingredients (nine if you are a stickler and count salt and pepper).
  • Fast and Easy. It’s almost completely hands-off (leaving time to pour yourself a Whiskey Smash). If a special project like Corned Beef and Cabbage isn’t in the cards, no biggie! This recipe gives you a similar vibe.
  • One Pan. Because food tastes better the fewer dishes you have to wash. It’s why I love all of these one-pot meals!
  • Wallet-Friendly. Cabbage is one of the most affordable kinds of produce and is incredibly nutritious. Recipes like Sautéed Cabbage, Cabbage Soup, and Cabbage Rolls stretch your dollar.
a skillet of Cabbage and Sausage with Rice and tomatoes

5 Star Review

“Made this recipe and it was OUTRAGEOUSLY good! Thanks, Erin for a great healthy meal.”

— Loucinda —

Cook with Cabbage More Often

Although potatoes are the vegetable most quickly associated with Irish fare (as evidenced by Slow Cooker Sausage, Cabbage and Potatoes), I’m going to argue that cabbage deserves a turn.

Most of the year, this vegetable is doomed to be shoved into the bottom bin at the grocery store, somewhere between the trendier kale and cauliflower.

On a good day, cabbage can aspire to be smothered with mayo and dubbed Healthy Coleslaw or pickled and renamed sauerkraut.

Rarely do we enjoy cabbage as simply “cabbage,” with the exception of St. Patrick’s Day.

In tonight’s one-pan cabbage and sausage skillet, the cabbage adds a light bite beside smoked turkey sausage and tender brown rice. (Serve this dish up beside some freshly baked Irish Soda Bread and call it dinner.)

A head of green cabbage of a white towel

How to Make This Sausage and Cabbage Recipe

Making this one-pan sausage and cabbage recipe is as simple as sautéing these two ingredients together with onion, adding brown rice and fire-roasted tomatoes, then covering the pan.

Twenty minutes later, dinner is served!


The Ingredients

  • Cabbage. If you’re not a believer in cabbage yet, perhaps its heavy dose of vitamin K, vitamin C, and folate will convince you otherwise (so you can make this Cabbage Roll Soup next).
  • Smoked Turkey Sausage. Adds tons of hearty, meaty flavor to the dish while keeping it lean without excess fat or cholesterol.
  • Onion. For an extra layer of flavor that adds both zip and sweetness.
  • Fire-Roasted Tomatoes. For extra moisture, flavor, and powerful antioxidants, such as lycopene (they’re also key to this Stuffed Pepper Casserole).
  • Instant Brown Rice. Keep the cooking time of this dish lightening fast while adding extra protein, fiber, iron, and vitamin B6 to the dish.
  • Chicken Stock. Adds so much extra flavor to the rice compared to plain ol’ water. I keep things on the healthy side by choosing a quality low-sodium variety.
A quick skillet dinner for St. Patrick's Day with cabbage, sausage, and rice

The Directions

  1. Brown the Sausage. Remove and set aside.
  2. Saute the cabbage and onions with salt, and pepper until softened.
  3. Add some chicken stock, cover, and simmer for 10 minutes.
  4. Add the remaining chicken stock, canned tomatoes, and rice. Bring to a boil, then cover and simmer for 5 minutes.
  5. Stir in the sausage, cover, and remove from the heat. Let stand 5 minutes, until the liquid is absorbed and the rice is tender. ENJOY!

Storage Tips

  • To Store. Place leftovers in an airtight storage container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
  • To Reheat. Gently rewarm leftovers in a large skillet over medium-low heat until hot. You can also reheat this dish in the microwave.
One Pan Cabbage and Sausage recipe with rice with Irish beer in the background

.

Cabbage and Sausage Skillet

4.84 from 36 votes
A hearty and healthy cabbage and sausage recipe with brown rice and a flavorful tomato sauce. A fast and easy one-pan skillet recipe.

Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 30 minutes
Total: 40 minutes

Servings: 4 –6 servings

Ingredients
  


Instructions
 

  • Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large nonstick skillet on medium-high heat. Add the sausage slices and cook for a few minutes on each side, until brown. Remove to a plate, blot with paper towels if needed, and set aside.
  • With a paper towel, carefully wipe out the skillet. Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil on medium-high. Add the cabbage, onion, salt, and pepper and cook until the onion begins to soften and brown, about 5 minutes.
  • Add 1 cup of the chicken stock, cover, and reduce the heat. Simmer for 10 minutes, then add the remaining 1/4 cup chicken stock, canned tomatoes in their juices, and rice, stirring well. Bring to a boil, stir again, then cover and simmer on low heat for 5 minutes.
  • Stir in the reserved sausage slices, mixing well, then re-cover and remove from the heat. Let stand 5 minutes, until most of the remaining liquid is absorbed and the rice is tender. Serve warm.

Notes

  • TO STORE: Place leftovers in an airtight storage container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
  • TO REHEAT: Gently rewarm leftovers in a large skillet over medium-low heat until hot. You can also reheat this dish in the microwave.

Nutrition

Serving: 1(of 4)Calories: 403kcalCarbohydrates: 36gProtein: 21gFat: 20gSaturated Fat: 5gPolyunsaturated Fat: 3gMonounsaturated Fat: 10gCholesterol: 53mgPotassium: 487mgFiber: 5gSugar: 10gVitamin A: 667IUVitamin C: 75mgCalcium: 110mgIron: 12mg

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Frequently Asked Questions

Can I Make This Sausage and Cabbage Recipe Vegan?

Sure! While I have only ever made this recipe as it is written, I think you could turn it into a delicious vegan St. Patrick’s day recipe by opting for vegetable stock and swapping the turkey sausage for your favorite vegan-style sausages.

Can I Make This Recipe without Instant Brown Rice?

I have not made this dish with long grain rice before however many readers have done so with success. I suggest cooking the rice separately (see How to Cook Brown Rice), and then stirring the cooked rice into the other ingredients at the end.

Can I Make This Sausage and Cabbage Recipe Without Tomatoes?

I’m afraid the tomatoes are pretty important in this recipe because they add both liquid and flavor. I can’t think of another veggie that would provide the same function. If you decide to experiment and find one that works, I’d love to hear what you used!

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Erin Clarke

Hi, I'm Erin Clarke, and I'm fearlessly dedicated to making healthy food that's affordable, easy-to-make, and best of all DELISH. I'm the author and recipe developer here at wellplated.com and of The Well Plated Cookbook. I adore both sweets and veggies, and I am on a mission to save you time and dishes. WELCOME!

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Recipe Rating





36 Comments

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  1. Tasted really good, love the flavor!  Question, mine was very liquidy when I was done, what did I do wrong?4 stars

    1. Hi Lauren! I’m so glad the flavor turned out, but sorry that it was liquidy. My guess is that it might just be a difference in the brands of rice we purchased or the heat of the skillet. If that happens again, sometimes you can crank up the heat and cook off some of the liquid. Regardless, I hope that it still turned out to be a great dinner for you!

  2. Love this dish! It was great just throwing everything into one skillet. The flavors are great! After adding 1 cup chicken stock, I could tell that the dish was a little liquid-y so I did not add the addition 1/4 cup of stock. I also added a little cooked white rice I had in the refrigerator to absorb the excess liquid. Overall great dish!5 stars

    1. Philene, I’m so happy to hear that you enjoyed it! Thanks for taking time to leave your review. It truly means a lot!

  3. I made this today using turkey kielbasa. I did not have the fire roasted tomatoes so I used diced tomatoes with garlic and added crushed hot peppers. It was delicious!5 stars

    1. I’m so happy to hear that you enjoyed this recipe! Thank you so much for trying it and letting me know. Have a great day!

  4. Any advice about how to adapt this recipe to use non-instant brown rice instead of instant rice? Should I just let it sit longer after I remove it from the heat? Thanks for posting – we love cabbage and I’m excited to try it a new way. Greetings from Madison!

    1. Hi Alyson! I’ve never made this with regular long grain brown rice, but I think that you would need to simmer the rice in the liquid for considerably longer (up to 45 minutes depending upon your rice), and you would likely need more liquid too. I’m worried the cabbage would become soggy after simmer for this much time. One idea is to cook the cabbage separately, then stir it together with the rice at the end, along with the sausage. I’m sorry I can’t give you more specifics—it’s just hard for me to say exactly, as I’ve never made the recipe this way!

  5. I’m coming to this recipe very late because we were out of the country until a few days ago.  This one would be good all year round, and it’s especially on my list for later this summer for cooking at the beach where my kitchen is a microwave and an electric skillet.  Maybe by then I’ll be able to deal with the tomatoes (I am thoroughly sick of them right now).  Just out of curiosity, is there anything you can think of that I could substitute for the tomatoes?  I’d love some ideas.

    By the way, for me, cabbage is a year ’round veggie.  I do make coleslaw, though without mayonnaise, but I also love it steamed with a little butter.  Yum!

    1. Hi Susan! I’m afraid the tomatoes are pretty important in this recipe because they add both liquid and flavor. I can’t think of another veggie that would provide the same function. If you do find one that works though, I’d love to hear what you used! (And I’m a fan of no-mayo coleslaw too!)

  6. My niece went grocery shopping for lettuce and brought back cabbage! Hmm, green right? So I tried the cabbage, sausage & rice skillet recipe. Doubled for 8 people. Everybody loved it and teenage nephews went back for thirds! Great recipe! 5 stars

    1. Connie, it sounds like a happy accident! I am so happy to hear you all enjoyed this so much. Thanks for trying the recipe and leaving this kind review!

  7. Had a head of cabbage from a CSA share.  My husband said he’s not a big fan, but I can make anything taste good.  He was a fan tonight!  I probably used less sausage and I only had regular canned tomatoes, but still very very good.5 stars

    1. YAY Sarah! I’m so glad to hear the recipe was a hit. :) Thanks so much for giving it a try and reporting back!

  8. It was delicious! I also put thinly sliced zucchini and yellow squash that I had in the fridge. Used long cooking white rice as I did not have brown rice or instant brown rice. It may not be the Irish dish it was intended to be, but it definitely is a meal that will be made again in this house.5 stars

    1. Tammy, I am so so happy it is a repeat recipe for you. Thanks for leaving this review and sharing your adaptations too!

  9. I definitely tried this back in march! My husband and I loved it and I was so happy it was easy to make! I’m making it again tonight. Thanks for posting this one! ❤️5 stars

  10. Made this today. Cabbage and rice seemed an odd combo to me but it turned out great! I didn’t have instant rice so I cooked up some brown rice in the instant pot and added it at the end. My final product was a little juicy but I prefer it that way.
    Easy & yummy–I’ll definitely make this again!5 stars

  11. This is delicious! Made it for St Patty’s day earlier this week, and making again tonight to use up the rest of the cabbage :D thanks for another tasty meal!5 stars

  12. Amazing! I did make a couple of modifications to make it vegan by swapping the sausage with a plant-based version and used vegetable stock. Even my non-vegan spouse loved it! A definite 5-star!!5 stars

  13. This is a very tasty dish and easy to make. The recipe steps were laid out perfectly in order with the ingredients. There was no jumping around trying to figure out when/where to put the salt in. This recipe is a keeper!!! Loved it.5 stars

  14. Looks great! Definitely plan on trying. I just was wondering if you could give an accurate sodium amount on the recipe, please?

    1. Hi Laura! I stopped including sodium info because it can vary so much depending upon what products you used, and I found a lot of conflicting info online, so ultimately I didn’t feel comfortable publishing it because sometimes it wasn’t even in the ballpark. If you’d like to calculate it yourself, there are lots of free tools online (myfitnesspal.com is popular). I hope that helps!

  15. Made this recipe and it was OUTRAGEOUSLY good! Passed it along to my sisters! Thanks Erin for a great healthy meal.5 stars

  16. This is a winner. I used mild Italian sausage and jasmine rice because that’s what we had on hand. I just adjusted the liquids and cook times. This was delicious.5 stars

  17. could you please list the sodium content of your recipes for those of us who are watching our salt intake. thanks.4 stars

    1. Hi Diane! I stopped including sodium info because it can vary so much depending upon what products you used, and I found a lot of conflicting info online, so ultimately I didn’t feel comfortable publishing it because sometimes it wasn’t even in the ballpark. If you’d like to calculate it yourself, there are lots of free tools online (myfitnesspal.com is popular). I hope that helps!