Slow Cooker Cabbage and Sausage Recipe You’ll Crave All Year
on Sep 06, 2023, Updated Jan 28, 2025
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Enjoy this warm and comforting Crockpot Sausage and Cabbage Recipe! It’s a quick and easy recipe and totally delicious. Slow cooking is a great way to get a healthy meal on the table on busy days and this is one of our favorite slow cooker recipes.
We try to eat seaonsally for our health as well as the planet. We grow what we can in our garden and love fresh cabbage which is an easy early spring or fall garden crop. As long as you can keep cabbage worms at bay, it doesn’t take a lot of effort. I highly recommend growing cabbage in your garden.
However, if you don’t garden, cabbage is also very economical to buy. And since it’s also a relatively clean vegetable in terms of pesticide residue, I buy conventional cabbage when it’s at rock-bottom prices.
If you’re interested in seasonal eating, this recipe is good for both spring seasonal eating and fall seasonal eating.
Growing our own veggies is one way I keep our grocery budget down. Another way I keep a low grocery budget is to use the EWG’s Dirty Dozen/Clean 15 list to prioritize my organic purchases. I’ll buy conventional fruit and vegetables if they’re on the Clean 15 list, but organics for the items on the Dirty Dozen list.
I like cabbage a lot, and I like it even better since it’s on the Clean 15 List and often very cheap. I’ve found that cabbage hits rock-bottom prices in March around St. Patrick’s Day when it’s in season as a spring crop. However, it’s also in season in the fall which makes this a great recipe for seasonal fall eating as well. One of my favorite slow cooker recipes is this quick and easy crockpot cabbage and sausage!
Mouthwatering Family Dinner: Cabbage and Sausage Crockpot Recipe Revealed
I’ve been making this recipe for Sausage and Cabbage in my crockpot for a long time. I found the original recipe on southernfood.com but I can’t find the original source anymore – and I’ve since adapted the recipe to fit my family’s needs.
It’s easy and delicious and perfect for busy days because you can just throw the ingredients in the slow cooker and forget about them. Here’s how to get this great recipe on your table too!
Ingredients
First, gather the following ingredients:
- 1 small head cabbage, coarsely shredded
- 1 large onion, coarsely chopped
- 1 1/2 pounds organic kielbasa, sliced sausage
- 1 cup water, can sub chicken broth if desired
- 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 2-3 large potatoes, diced
- 2-3 large carrots, diced
- Redmonds REAL Salt
- Freshly ground pepper
How do I prepare cabbage for the crockpot?
Now, get everything ready. It’s easy to prepare cabbage for cooking. Simply rinse the cabbage, remove the outer leaves, and chop it into bite-sized pieces for even cooking.
Do I need to peel the potatoes or carrots?
Peeling potatoes and carrots is a personal decision. Because I grow organic potatoes in my garden, and a lot of nutrients are found in potato skins, I don’t always peel them. You do what you think tastes best!
What type of sausage works best for this dish?
Smoked sausage or kielbasa is commonly used because of its robust flavor, but you can use your favorite sausage variety. We love the garlic kielbasa available at Costco.
Is Slow Cooker Cabbage and Sausage Gluten-Free?
This recipe can absolutely be made gluten-free, but there are a couple things to double check. First, make sure that the sausage you use is gluten-free. Most unprocessed meats like sausage are naturally gluten-free, but some processed sausages may contain gluten-containing additives, so check the label.
None of the spices called for in this recipe contain gluten, but if you switch any up, make sure to check the labels. Some spice blends may contain gluten.
If you choose to add broth, make sure it’s gluten-free. Many store-bought broths are available in gluten-free versions.
Is this Crock Pot Recipe Low-Carb?
Cabbage is naturally low in carbohydrates, so it’s a good choice for a low-carb recipe. But some of the other ingredients might not be. If you want to make sure this is a great low carb recipe, double check the following:
Opt for a low-carb sausage or kielbasa. Check the label for any added sugars or fillers.
Be mindful of the amount of starchy vegetables such as potatoes or carrots, as they can increase the carb content. If low carb is important to you, consider using loewe-carb veggies like cauliflower or turnips instead.
What are some side dishes that pair well with cabbage and sausage?
Lots of side dishes go well with this cabbage and sausage recipe. Here are a few of our favorites:
Crusty Homemade Sourdough Bread
Quick & Easy Greek Style Cucumber Salad
For dessert, try simple and delicious fresh fruit in waffle cones.
Can I freeze the leftovers?
Yes, this dish actually freezes well. Cooked cabbage and cooked potatoes are fine to freeze, but you don’t generally want to freeze them if they aren’t cooked. Store in an airtight container and thaw in the refrigerator before reheating.
To freeze, portion into individual or family-sized portions in air-tight containers, let cool completely, then put in the freezer. It should keep well for 2-3 months.
Crockpot Sausage and Cabbage
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 small head cabbage, coarsely shredded
- 1 large onion, coarsely chopped
- 1 1/2 pounds sliced organic kielbasa sausage
- 1 cup water
- 1 TBS dijon mustard
- 1 TBS apple cider vinegar
- 2-3 large potatoes, diced
- 2-3 large carrots, diced
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Prep potatoes, carrots, and cabbage. Slice sausage.
- Layer the cabbage, onion, potatoes, carrots, and sausage in a 5 or 6 qt. slow cooker.
- Whisk together water, mustard, and vinegar. Then pour over the other ingredient in the slow cooker.
- Cover and cook on low for 6- 8 (My slow cooker cooks it faster than that – it's usually ready after only 4-6 hours instead so prepare to adjust the time depending on your slow cooker.)
Notes
Nutrition
More recipes for chilly evenings you may like
Old Fashioned Chicken Noodle Soup for the Instant Pot
German Frikadellen Recipe with Pan Fried Potatoes
Beef with Rigatoni for the Instant Pot
15 Healthy Freezer Friendly Recipes
Ooooo…that looks really good:-)
We'll make eggrolls and freeze them! I buy the wrappers and then add cabbage, carrots, onion, sausage, soy sauce and whatever else I have. (Freeze on cookie sheet and then bag them up.) They are best fried, but we usually bake them. I'll have to try the crockpot recipe — looks yummy!
Eggrolls! What a great idea! Do you just dump or do you have a recipe you start from, Sara? I've never made eggrolls before. Might have to give it a shot. Thanks!
Sometimes I follow the recipe on the back of the eggroll wrapper package — and sometimes I just dump 🙂 Also…mu shu pork is delish!
I'm not a fan of cabbage, and neither is my hubby… but that crock pot recipe in interesting. I am saving the recipe and maybe I'll try it next year. How much of it ends up being cabbage once it's cooked?
The cabbage cooks way down. You can add more of the other ingredients to have a better combo, if you want. I think it's worth trying at least once! I usually go heavier on the cabbage than then sausage, but my family would prefer it the other way around.
Do you eat this as a single dish? What (if anything) do you eat with it? Is it soupy? Looks so delicious.
Anon- it is pretty good! I generally serve a salad and bread with it. Depending on how many (if any) potatoesI add to the mix, I might also make fried potatoes. I think any type of potatoes go very nicely with it. I sometimes just take the easy way out and cook them in the crockpot with everything else. It's not too soupy, but the cabbage does cook down and become a little watery.
This looks sooo good! Its a good thing I’m eating lunch right now or I’d be hungry!!!
o do my own freezer bag meals on the weekend for the work week. Could you throw all ingredients in a ziplock freezer bag. Freeze and dump in crock pot?
Hi Charli,
I have never tried to freeze cabbage so I’m not sure how it would work. I’m afraid that cabbage would get very watery. Also, potatoes don’t freeze all that well either – they sometimes turn black after thawing. If you try it though, come back and let me know!
Frozen cabbage is great for doing cabbage rolls or when you want soft malleable cabbage to work with. Doing so, allows you to skip the whole par-boiling process!! At least for cabbage rolls, it’s great in the crock pot. I’ve also shredded it and made cabbage roll casserole in the slow cooker and it was fine. I definitely wouldn’t overcook it though because it would become mushy.
I am prepping everything right now to make your recipe, and can’t wait to see how it turns out! We’re using honey garlic smoked sausage
How many people does this feed?
Hi Leslie, It feeds my family of 6 with a few leftovers. 🙂
I am making this recipe today. Pretty much the same ingredients but I added some bacon, celery and chopped tomatoes(we are fixing to leave for 2 weeks, so I am trying to use stuff up). I also started off cooking the chopped bacon and then browned the chopped onions in the grease. Then I also browned the sausage , then about 1/2 of the cabbage. I kinds layered everything, but as it started cookin, I stirred all together, smells SO yummy – ca’t wait to ear tonight. Thanks for a “guide” recipe to start with!
Your original post was quite a while back, so don’t know if you will even get this message. I also took some photos but do not see where/how to post them.
My husband wanted the sausage done separately and I have leftover mashed potatoes. I mixed the cabbage, onion, and carrot in my crockpot. I put 1 cup of chicken broth with 3T melted bacon fat, 1T apple cider vinegar, and salt and pepper in with it. It smells wonderful. I usually don’t change recipes and comment, however this recipe inspired me. We have a great sausage to use that we didn’t want it’s flavour affected. We’ll put the cabbage … over our potatoes.
Sounds delicious! I’m glad you were inspired. 🙂
The first time I made this, the carrots turned out a little mushy so, I started leaving the crock pot on the “warm” setting and cooking for 10-12 hours, turns out perfect every time! Just wanted to share, in case you’re like us and like a little more bite to your veggies!