You’ll feel the luck of the Irish when you tuck into this hearty and savory Slow Cooker Sausage, Cabbage, and Potatoes recipe.
Email Me the Recipe!
From time to time, we'll send you the best of Well Plated. Already registered? Log in here.
I shed a tear the day I changed my last name.
My little weep was not because I had to make a dreaded trip to the DMV or because I had taken on a married name that rhymed with my first name.
My single issue with my married name: it was not Irish.
I grew up a loud and proud Irish girl thanks to my dad and grandfather (even though I’m actually 75% German).
So it was a bit of an identity crisis when I adopted a new last name that didn’t have a shred of Gaelic pride.
It shouldn’t surprise you then that on March 17th, you can find me baking Irish soda bread, sipping a Whiskey Smash, and eating this Irish slow cooker sausage, cabbage, and potatoes.
Yes, I really am that cliché.
5 Star Review
“My whole family LOVES this! So many complementary flavors. Yum!”
— Lynne —
Irish cuisine does not enjoy the warm repute of some of the country’s more celebrated exports (i.e. Guinness especially for these Guinness Brownies).
Irish food is hearty, starchy, and generally designed to fuel farmers to withstand long days in soggy fields.
Key ingredients in Irish cuisine include potatoes, sausages, more potatoes, cabbage (hello, Cabbage Steaks), and did I mention potatoes?
To celebrate St. Paddy’s, I took these traditional ingredients, added some sweetly sautéed onions, dried oregano, and punchy roasted red peppers, popped it all into the slow cooker, and let it work its magic.
The resulting recipe is a hearty and satisfying dish that’s perfectly festive for St. Patrick’s Day (like this Crockpot Beef Stew) but easy enough to whip up and enjoy any night you’re looking for some good old-fashioned comfort food.
How to Make Slow Cooker Sausage, Cabbage, and Potatoes
With juicy smoked turkey sausage, tender potatoes, cabbage, and zippy roasted red peppers, this simple Irish dinner recipe is full of comforting flavors that come to life right in your slow cooker.
For another yummy crockpot recipe with potatoes, check out this Crockpot Potato Soup.
No crockpot? Try this One Pan Cabbage and Sausage Skillet with Rice instead.
The Ingredients
- Smoked Sausage. I keep things lean and mean with smoked turkey sausage (a.k.a. turkey kielbasa). Cooked properly, I find that it’s just as juicy as pork or beef varieties but with considerably less fat and cholesterol.
- Cabbage. This recipe calls for a whole head of cabbage to go in the slow cooker. It will look like a lot initially but it cooks down considerably as it wilts (just like in this SautĂ©ed Cabbage). Packed with vitamin K, vitamin C, and folate, cabbage is one vegetable that, I feel, doesn’t get enough love.
- Potatoes. My favorite type of potatoes for slow cooker sausage and cabbage with potatoes are Yukon gold potatoes. When cooked they become incredibly soft, buttery, and creamy (they also make the best Homemade Scalloped Potatoes).
- Onions + Garlic. Add the perfect balance of sweetness and bite to the dish.
- Roasted Red Peppers. For a little contrast color, zip, and added flavor that compliments the spices of the sausage. (Here’s how I make Roasted Red Peppers from scratch.)
- Oregano. A sprinkling of earthy dried oregano adds aromatic herb flavor to round out the recipe.
Tip!
You can jazz this recipe up further with other complimentary fresh or dried herbs you enjoy. Parsley, rosemary, thyme, or sage would all be wonderful additions to this dish.
The Directions
- Saute the onions in melted butter until softened. Add the garlic, then cook until fragrant.
- Add potatoes, sausage, salt, oregano, and pepper and cook until the sausage begins to brown.
- Transfer to a slow cooker, add the water and cover with a lid. Cook on LOW for 6-8 hours.
- During the final 30 minutes, add in the cabbage and red bell peppers.
- Cook until the cabbage has wilted, then serve warm. ENJOY!
Storage Tips
- To Store. Leftovers can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
- To Reheat. Warm in the microwave for 1 to 2 minutes until heated through.
- To Freeze. Store leftover slow cooker sausage and cabbage in the freezer for up to 3 months. Defrost overnight in the fridge before warming.
What to Serve with Slow Cooker Sausage and Cabbage
Recommended Tools to Make this Recipe
- Slow Cooker. For this recipe, I like using a programmable slow cooker so I can set it and forget it.
- Dutch Oven. Or a deep heavy skillet is needed for the initial sauting of the sausage, potatoes, and onions.
- Chef’s Knife. This is perhaps the best investment you can make if you are someone who does a lot of chopping in the kitchen.
The Best Slow Cooker
Sed posuere consectetur est at lobortis. Aenean eu leo quam. Pellentesque ornare sem lacinia quam venenatis vestibulum.
Forget about the pot of gold, I want a slow cooker full of this crockpot sausage, potatoes, and cabbage at the end of my next rainbow.
Frequently Asked Questions
I have never tried making this sausage, potatoes, and cabbage recipe in a pressure cooker before so I, unfortunately, cannot offer any tips for adapting this recipe for the Instant Pot.
Yes. It can be difficult to find authentic Irish sausages (or bangers) in the United States unless you’re lucky enough to live near an Irish market (in which case, go for it!). Polish kielbasa is an accessible alternative that still tastes great.
I have never made this slow cooker sausage recipe with sauerkraut before however, I imagine you could swap a small portion of the cabbage for sauerkraut—it would have more of a German flair and will be more vinegary and the cabbage more mushy, since sauerkraut is already soft. If you decide to experiment, I’d love to hear about your results.
Now that’s the spirit! Yes, you can swap the water in this recipe for a dark beer, amber beer, or lager.
Slow Cooker Sausage, Cabbage, and Potatoes
email me the recipe!
From time to time, we’ll send you the best of Well Plated. Already registered? Log in here.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 yellow onion large, chopped
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 5 Yukon gold potatoes small/medium, cut into 3/4 inch pieces
- 12 ounces smoked turkey sausage such as kielbasa
- 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 ½ teaspoons dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- ÂĽ cup water
- 5 cups cabbage chopped, about 1 large head
- 1 cup chopped roasted red bell peppers from a jar
Instructions
- In a large pot over medium, melt butter with olive oil. Once the butter has melted, add onions and saute until they begin to soften and turn translucent; about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 additional minute.
- Add potatoes, sausage, salt, oregano, and pepper. Stir and cook until sausage begins to brown, about 5 minutes.
- Transfer the entire pot to a 5-quart or larger slow cooker and cover with 1/4 cup water.
- Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours. For the last 30 minutes of cooking, stir in the cabbage and red bell peppers.
- Once the cabbage and peppers are tender, serve warm. Ideally, beside a pint of Guinness.
Notes
- TO STORE: Leftovers can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
- TO REHEAT: Warm in the microwave for 1 to 2 minutes until heated through.
- TO FREEZE: Store leftover slow cooker sausage and cabbage in the freezer for up to 3 months. Defrost overnight in the fridge before warming.
Nutrition
Join today and start saving your favorite recipes
Create an account to easily save your favorite recipes and access FREE meal plans.
Sign Me UpRelated Recipes
If you’re a fan of cooking meals in a crockpot, you’ll love these other slow cooker recipes:
I added 1/2 a beer instead, doubled the meat because I was feeding 7 ppl. I added 1/2 the cabbage early and the other 1/2 at last minute. It was a huge hit. Everyone loved it – my daughter had three helpings! It was a little salty for my taste so next time I might cut down on the salt but that might just be because my turkey sausage had tons of salt in it. Thanks!
Hi Laura! I am so excited that you enjoyed this recipe, and I love that you used beer instead of water. What a fun idea, and that is even more Irish! Thank you so much for taking time to let me know how it turned out. Have a wonderful weekend!
This hearty recipe was perfect for our St. Paddy’s dinner and so easy and yummy, we’ll be making it again!
I am so happy to hear that Lorie, thanks for sharing and HAPPY ST. PATRICK’S DAY!
Once again, whole family LOVES this! So many complimentary flavors. Yum!
I’m so happy that you enjoyed it, Lynne! Thank you for sharing this kind review!
Wow! The luck of the Irish was with me when this recipe showed up in my inbox. I made this for dinner and it was outstanding. I don’t think my husband and I will be waiting for 2023 St Patrick’s Day for a repeat…it is too good to wait a year before making it again! I also made the Irish soda bread that was linked above and that didn’t disappoint either. Such an amazing dinner! Thank you!
Hi Kellie! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!
I’m curious… can you skip the sautee step? I’m thinking of assembling this in the morning before leaving for work and this would make prep quicker.
Hi Lara! You probably could, I just love the extra step in sautĂ©ing the veggies. It helps bring out the flavors and gives it great texture. If you end up skipping the step, I’d love to know how it goes!
can you use bratwurst?
Hi Tara! I haven’t tested this with bratwurst but it likely could. I’d keep in mind that kielbasa typically already comes smoked or precook and bratwurt does not so it might change the timing on how long it cooks. If you decide to experiment, let me know how it goes!
This sounds great! Can you just add all of the ingredients in at the same time and cook it all together? Was just wondering why you need to add them at the end
Hi Dianna, it would over cook the cabbage and bell peppers, so I don’t recommend putting them in with the recipe of the ingredients. Enjoy!
I made this tonight for dinner, it was very good. I did ad butter and some salt and pepper before serving.
Great to hear! Thank you Troy!