Southern smothered cabbage is what happens when a head of cabbage meets a pound of smoked sausage and a good pat of butter. Just one pot and you can have it on the table in 45 minutes!
Try my Cajun potato soup or Texas cowboy stew next!
I wouldn't ordinarily think of a head of cabbage as dinner, but with a pound of smoked sausage in the pot, it can definitely become one.
This Southern smothered cabbage recipe can be a complete dinner or a side and it's delicious either way.
Everything goes under a lid with a small amount of liquid and cooks down slowly until it's sweet and tender. It's smoky, buttery, and so, so tasty.
Why you'll love this Southern smothered cabbage
- You only need one pot and nine simple ingredients
- The sausage remains crispy instead of going soft because we're lifting it from the pot and adding it back at the end.
- Leftovers reheat beautifully so you can make a double batch!
What you'll need
Smoked sausage - A whole pound, sliced into rounds. Kielbasa is my default, but andouille brings more heat if that's where you're headed.
Neutral oil - This goes in after the sausage comes out, not before. The sausage browns in a completely dry pan.
Onion - One medium, diced. It melts into the cabbage until you can barely see it, which is rather the point.
Garlic - Four cloves, finely chopped.
Cajun seasoning - Use your favorite blend here and watch out for the salt.
Cabbage - One head, sliced. Green cabbage is what I use here. Savoy works too and goes tender a little faster.
Chicken broth - Only half a cup. This is smothered cabbage, not boiled.
Butter - To make everything well…buttery and glossy.
Pro tip
Put the sliced sausage into a completely dry pan and then cook the rest in the rendered fat for extra flavor.
How to make Southern smothered cabbage
This is a quick overview with step-by-step photos. See the recipe card below for full ingredients and instructions.
Heat a large pot over medium heat with no oil in it. Add the sliced smoked sausage and cook for 5-6 minutes until browned on both sides. Remove to a plate and leave the rendered fat in the pot.
Add the neutral oil to the same pot. Add the diced onion and cook for 4-5 minutes until soft.
Stir in the garlic and Cajun seasoning and cook for 1 minute until fragrant. Add the sliced cabbage, then pour in the chicken broth, butter, and season with salt and pepper.
Cover and cook for 15-18 minutes, stirring every few minutes, until the cabbage is tender but still holding its shape.
Uncover and return the sausage to the pot. Cook for 2-3 minutes until the sausage is heated through. Taste, adjust the seasoning and serve.
Substitutions and variations
- You can add bacon to this if you like. Fry four chopped slices of bacon first, lift them out, brown the sausage in the bacon fat and skip the oil entirely. Scatter the bacon over at the end with the sausage.
- Add some potatoes to transform this into a one-pot full dinner. Two diced Yukon Golds, in with the cabbage and an extra 10 minutes of cooking.
- To make this spicy, add a pinch of cayenne or a few dashes of hot sauce at the end.
Helpful tips
- Season at the very end, never at the start. Between the smoked sausage and the Cajun seasoning, there's a lot of salt already in that pot.
- Slice the cabbage into ribbons roughly half an inch wide so it doesn't take very long to cook.
- Half a cup of broth is really enough. The cabbage releases a surprising amount of its own liquid once the lid goes on.
What to serve with smothered cabbage
- Easy cheesy cornbread for mopping the buttery juices out of the bottom of the bowl.
- Plain steamed white rice, which is how this gets served across most of Louisiana.
- Juicy air fryer bone-in pork chops if you're treating the cabbage as a side rather than the main event.
Leftovers and storage
- Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
- Reheat in a pan over medium heat for about 5 minutes, or in the microwave in short bursts, stirring between each one.
- Freeze for up to 2 months and thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating.
More recipes you'll love
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Southern Smothered Cabbage
Ingredients
- 1 pound smoked sausage sliced
- 2 tablespoons neutral oil
- 1 medium onion diced
- 4 garlic cloves finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon Cajun seasoning
- 1 head cabbage sliced
- ½ cup chicken broth
- 2 tablespoons butter
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Heat a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat with no oil in it. Add the sliced smoked sausage and cook for 5-6 minutes until browned on both sides. Remove to a plate and leave the rendered fat in the pot.1 pound smoked sausage
- Add the neutral oil to the same pot. Add the diced onion and cook for 4-5 minutes until soft, stirring and scraping the browned bits off the bottom.2 tablespoons neutral oil1 medium onion
- Stir in the garlic and Cajun seasoning and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.4 garlic cloves1 tablespoon Cajun seasoning
- Add the sliced cabbage, then pour in the chicken broth, butter, and season with salt and pepper.1 head cabbage½ cup chicken broth2 tablespoons butterSalt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
- Cover and cook for 15-18 minutes, stirring every few minutes, until the cabbage is tender but still holding its shape. Add a splash more broth if the pot looks dry.
- Uncover and return the sausage to the pot. Cook for 2-3 minutes until the sausage is heated through. Taste, adjust the seasoning and serve.
Notes
- Taste before you add salt. Smoked sausage and Cajun seasoning blends are both heavily salted, and the amount varies a lot between brands.
- Use the widest pot you have. Cabbage cooks down far better with room to move.
- Serves 4 as a main course or 6 as a side dish.
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