Fried Cabbage with Smoked Beef Sausage (One Pot)
This is Southern comfort food in one pot: tender-crisp cabbage cooked down with smoky beef sausage, sweet peppers, and onion, then pulled together with Creole seasoning and a generous finish of butter. The sausage gets browned first so the pot picks up all that smoky flavor, then the vegetables and cabbage cook right in it. A touch of brown sugar rounds out the spice, and the whole thing comes together in about 15 minutes on the stove.
I say it plainly in the video: "yes, I mean one stick of butter... it was delicious, trust me on that one." That whole stick melts into the half cup of water with the Creole seasoning and Worcestershire — the difference between boiled cabbage and cabbage you go back for.
The habit worth stealing is how the sausage gets handled: brown the cubes first, set them aside, and let the garlic, vegetables, and cabbage cook in the pot the browning left behind — the sausage comes back at the end with its color intact. The real work is knife work; once the cabbage hits the pot, you're about 15 minutes from eating.
Watch me make it — video from my YouTube channel
The recipe
Fried Cabbage with Smoked Beef Sausage (One Pot)
Ingredients
- 1 whole cabbage, halved and sliced into quarter strips
- red bell peppers, diced small
- green bell peppers, diced small
- white onion, diced small
- smoked beef sausage, cut into 3/4-inch cubes
- minced garlic
- Creole seasoning, to taste
- salt, to taste
- Worcestershire sauce, to taste
- garlic powder, to taste
- brown sugar, to taste
- 1/2 cup water (or chicken broth)
- 1 stick butter
How to Make It
- Wash the cabbage well.
- Cut the cabbage in half, then slice it into quarter strips and set aside.
- Dice the red bell peppers, green bell peppers, and white onion into small (1/8- to 1/4-inch) pieces and set aside.
- Cut the smoked beef sausage into 3/4-inch cubes, slightly thicker than the vegetables.
- Heat a pot or large pan until hot.
- Brown the sausage cubes until they take on color, then remove them to the side.
- Add the minced garlic to the pot.
- Return the diced vegetables to the pot and saute for about 3 to 4 minutes.
- Add the cabbage on top.
- Season with Creole seasoning, salt, Worcestershire sauce, garlic powder, and brown sugar.
- Add 1/2 cup water (or chicken broth) and the stick of butter.
- Return the browned sausage to the pot.
- Cook for about 15 minutes for tender-crisp cabbage, or up to 20 minutes if you like it softer.
Curtis's Tips
- Cut the sausage a little thicker than the vegetables, about the size of a nickel.
- Brown the sausage first and set it aside, then add it back at the end so it keeps its color and the pot picks up that smoky flavor.
- Don't skimp on the butter; a full stick is what makes this rich and savory.
- Cook time controls the texture: about 15 minutes keeps the cabbage crisp, while 20 minutes makes it softer.
- A little brown sugar balances the Creole seasoning and brings the whole dish together.
Why this works
One hot pot, in a strict order: the sausage browns first and comes out, the garlic goes in, the diced peppers and onion get their 3 to 4 minutes, and the cabbage lands on top of all of it — so the smoky flavor the sausage leaves behind ends up in every layer. The finish does the rest: brown sugar to balance the Creole seasoning, and a full stick of butter melting into the half cup of water to make the pot rich and savory. From there, texture is decided by the clock: around 15 minutes keeps the cabbage tender-crisp, closer to 20 turns it soft.
FAQ
Do you really use a whole stick of butter?
Yes — a full stick, and I meant it when I said it in the video. In it goes with the half cup of water, right after the seasonings.
How do I keep the cabbage from going soggy?
Cook time is the dial: about 15 minutes leaves it tender-crisp, up to 20 takes it softer. I like mine crisp, not soggy, so I stay closer to 15.
Can I skip browning the sausage separately?
You can — I mention that option in the video. My way is to cook everything separately and combine it back in the same pot, so the sausage keeps its color and the vegetables cook in that smoky flavor.
How much Creole seasoning should I use?
To taste — it goes on with the salt, garlic powder, and Worcestershire once the cabbage is in the pot. The brown sugar that follows does the balancing, rounding off the spice and tying the dish together.
Estimated nutrition, per serving (recipe makes about 6 servings): ~410 calories · 10 g protein · 34 g fat · 17 g carbs. Computed from the ingredient list using standard reference values — an estimate, not a lab analysis; your exact brands and portions will vary.
