Tuesday night around 6 PM is the worst time of my week. I'm usually exhausted, the kitchen is a mess from breakfast, and my motivation to cook is entirely gone. I used to just fry three eggs and call it dinner when I felt like this. But I desperately needed some vegetables.
I threw half a head of leftover cabbage and a package of smoked sausage into my largest skillet. I genuinely expected it to be boring. I was wrong.
The butter and the rendered fat from the smoked sausage mix together in the pan to create this rich, incredible sauce that coats every single piece of cabbage. You only have to wash one pan.
I did completely burn the garlic the first time I made this because I walked away to answer an email. Don't do that. Garlic cooks in 30 seconds. Aside from my email distraction, this keto one pot recipe is nearly impossible to mess up.
Why You'll Actually Make This
🧽Zero CleanupOne cutting board, one knife, one big skillet. You won't spend half your evening doing dishes.
🧅Cheap IngredientsI spent about $6 total on the sausage and the cabbage. It fed me for three days.
🔥Reheats PerfectlyUnlike most keto meals that get weird in the microwave, this actually tastes better the next day.
🥘 Keto One-Pot Sausage & Cabbage — Full Recipe
Smoked sausage · buttery cabbage · garlic · zero sink full of dishes
✅ Recipe copied! Paste it anywhere you like.
KETO ONE-POT SAUSAGE & CABBAGE SKILLET
By Nora Quinn | healthyinsight101.blogspot.com
⏱ Prep: 5 min | 🔥 Cook: 20 min | 🍽 Serves: 4 | ⚡ Net Carbs: 5g
NUTRITION (per serving):
Calories: 380 | Fat: 31g | Protein: 16g | Total Carbs: 8g | Net Carbs: 5g
INGREDIENTS:
• 14 oz (400g) smoked sausage (kielbasa or similar), sliced into rounds
• 1/2 large head of green cabbage, cored and chopped roughly
• 3 tbsp butter
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/4 cup chicken broth (or water)
• 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
• Salt & black pepper to taste
INSTRUCTIONS:
1. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the sliced sausage and cook for 5-7 minutes until the edges are nicely browned.
2. Remove the sausage from the pan and set it aside on a plate. Leave the grease in the pan. (If you are extremely lazy, you can leave the sausage in the pan, but it might get a bit soft later).
3. Turn the heat down to medium. Add the butter to the pan to melt with the sausage grease.
4. Toss in the chopped cabbage. Stir it around so it gets coated in all that fat. Let it cook for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until it starts to soften and shrink down.
5. Add the minced garlic and smoked paprika. Stir for exactly 30 seconds. Do not walk away here or the garlic will burn.
6. Pour in the chicken broth to deglaze the pan (scrape up any brown bits stuck to the bottom).
7. Dump the sausage back into the pan. Stir everything together and cook for 2 more minutes until heated through.
8. Season with salt and heavy black pepper. Serve hot.
PRO TIPS:
* Don't slice the cabbage too thick. Thin slices cook faster and absorb more flavor.
* Check your sausage label. Some brands sneak in a lot of sugar and carbs.
* A dash of hot sauce on top right before eating changes the whole dynamic.
⏱Prep5 min
🔥Cook20 min
⏰Total25 min
🍽Serves4
🍳StovetopMed-High
📊 Nutrition Per Serving
380Calories
31gFat
16gProtein
8gTotal Carbs
5gNet Carbs 🥘
🧾 Ingredients
14 oz (400g) smoked sausage (check the label for hidden carbs)
1/2 large head green cabbage, chopped
3 tbsp real butter
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup chicken broth (water works fine too)
1/2 tsp smoked paprika
Salt & heavy black pepper to taste
👩🍳 Instructions
1
Brown the sausage. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the sliced sausage and cook for 5-7 minutes until the edges are crispy and browned.
2
Set aside. Remove the sausage from the pan to a plate. Leave the grease in the pan. I skipped this step once to save time, and the sausage ended up rubbery. Just take it out for a few minutes.
3
Cook the cabbage. Turn the heat down to medium. Add the butter to melt with the leftover sausage grease. Toss in the chopped cabbage. Stir it well so it gets coated in the fat. Let it cook for about 10 minutes until it softens.
4
Don't burn the garlic. Add the minced garlic and smoked paprika. Stir for exactly 30 seconds. Seriously, do not check your phone right now.
5
Deglaze. Pour in the chicken broth and scrape up all those delicious brown bits stuck to the bottom of the pan.
6
Combine and serve. Dump the sausage back in. Stir it all together for about 2 minutes to heat it back up. Add salt and pepper, then eat immediately.
💡 Pro Tip: Chop the cabbage fairly thin. If you leave massive chunks in there, you'll be standing at the stove for 25 minutes waiting for them to soften up.
❓ Questions I Get (Mostly From My Mum)
"Isn't that a lot of grease?"
Honestly, yes. But you're on keto. The combination of butter and the fat rendered from the smoked sausage is what actually flavors the cabbage. Without it, you're just eating wet, sad leaves.
"Can I use ground beef instead?"
You absolutely can. Brown the beef first, drain a little bit of the fat if it's swimming in it, and then proceed with the recipe exactly the same way.
"Can I freeze this?"
I really wouldn't. Cabbage turns into absolute mush when you freeze and thaw it. It lasts nicely in the fridge for up to 4 days, though.
The Mistake That Ruins The Texture
Most people just chop a cabbage in half and hack away at it until it's in massive squares. I used to do this. The problem is that the thick ribs of the cabbage take three times as long to cook as the thin leafy parts.
Take two extra minutes on the cutting board to slice it thin. If you don't, you end up with mushy leaves and crunchy ribs in the same bite, which is weird and unpleasant.
⚠️ Watch The Sausage Labels: Not all smoked sausages are created equal. I accidentally bought a "maple glazed" kielbasa once that had 8 grams of sugar per serving. Always flip the package over and check the carbs before you buy it.
🥘 🥘 🥘
📌 Save This Recipe!
Pin it to your Keto Dinner board — it's the perfect backup plan for nights when you absolutely don't want to cook.
I'm eating the leftovers straight out of a Tupperware container while writing this. It's almost better cold. Try it on a busy weeknight and let me know if it saved you from ordering takeout. 💚
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