Cabbage and noodles is one of those super simple, no-frills comfort foods. The flavors aren’t complex or even particularly special, it’s just straight up satisfying and comforting. A lot of people add a little smoked sausage to their cabbage and noodles to round out the meal, which got me thinking, “a handful of Cajun spices would probably be awesome in there too!” So if you want to take your cabbage and noodles up a level, try these Cajun Cabbage and Noodles. They’re still simple and satisfying, just with a little Cajun kick. ;)
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Are Cajun Cabbage and Noodles Spicy?
Yes. Absolutely yes. If you must, you can reduce the heat by reducing or eliminating the cayenne pepper in the homemade Cajun spic mix, but I wouldn’t suggest skipping the sprinkle of hot sauce on top at the end. That little sprinkle of vinegar flavor really makes everything pop.
Can I Use Store Bought Cajun Seasoning?
Yes, although many store bought Cajun seasoning blends contain a lot of salt, so you do risk over salting your dish. Instead, I made a hlaf batch of my own Cajun Seasoning Blend for this recipe.
What Kind of Hot Sauce Should I Use?
If you want to stick with the Cajun/Louisiana theme, I suggest Louisiana Brand hot sauce, Cajun Chef hot sauce, Crystal hot sauce, Slap Ya Mama hot sauce, or perhaps Zatarain’s hot sauce. Of course, Louisiana hot sauces aren’t always available outside of the region, so a simple Tabasco or your favorite hot sauce will still work if that’s what is available.
What Kind of Smoked Sausage is Best?
Andouille will give you the most Cajun flavor, but again, that isn’t always widely available. Any sausage with a good smoky flavor will do the trick! I’m going to go ahead and openly admit that I bought the Kroger brand smoked sausage for this because it was on sale for $2.50. Do what you gotta do.
Cajun Cabbage and Noodles
Servings 4 2 cups eachIngredients
Cajun Spice Mix
- 1 tsp smoked paprika ($0.10)
- 1/2 tsp dried oregano ($0.05)
- 1/2 tsp dried thyme ($0.05)
- 1/4 tsp garlic powder ($0.02)
- 1/4 tsp onion powder ($0.02)
- 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper ($0.01)
- 1/4 tsp salt ($0.02)
- freshly cracked pepper (about 1/4 tsp) ($0.03)
Cabbage and Noodles
- 1 Tbsp cooking oil ($0.04)
- 13 oz. smoked sausage* ($2.50)
- 6 cups shredded cabbage (1/2 of a 2.5 lb. head) ($0.95)
- 1/4 cup water ($0.00)
- 8 oz. wide egg noodles ($1.00)
- 2 Tbsp butter (or more to taste) ($0.36)
- 2 green onions, sliced ($0.11)
- hot sauce to taste ($0..25)
Instructions
- Combine the spices for the Cajun spice mix in a bowl, then set them aside. Finely shred the cabbage.
- Add the cooking oil to a large pot and heat over medium. Slice the smoked sausage, then add it to the pot. Stir and cook the sausage until it is well browned.
- While the sausage is browning, begin boiling a pot of water for the egg noodles. Once boiling, add the noodles, and continue to boil until they are tender. Drain the noodles in a colander.
- Add the shredded cabbage, Cajun spice mix, and water to the pot with the sausage. Stir to combine, then place a lid on top. Cook over medium, with the lid in place, stirring occasionally, for about 5-7 minutes, or until the cabbage is wilted.
- Once the cabbage is wilted, add the cooked and drained egg noodles and butter. Stir to combine and melt the butter. Once the butter is melted and coating the cabbage and noodles, taste the mixture and add more salt if needed.
- Add a sprinkle of sliced green onions and a splash of hot sauce to each bowl just before serving.
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Equipment
- Measuring Cups Spoons
- Chef’s Knife
- Dutch Oven
Notes
Nutrition
Have you tried this recipe?Mention @budgetbytes or tag #budgetbytes on Instagram!Scroll down for the step by step photos!
How to Make Cajun Cabbage and Noodles – Step by Step Photos
First, make the Cajun seasoning mix. Combine 1 tsp smoked paprika, 1/2 tsp dried oregano, 1/2 tsp dried thyme, 1/4 tsp garlic powder, 1/4 tsp onion powder, 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper, 1/4 tsp salt, and some freshly cracked black pepper. Set the spice mix aside.
Add 1 Tbsp cooking oil to a large pot and heat over medium. Slice 13 oz. smoked sausage, then add it to the pot. Stir and cook the sausage until it is well browned.
Begin heating a separate large pot of water for the noodles. Once the water is boiling, add 8 oz. wide egg noodles and continue to boil until tender. Drain the noodles in a colander. Also, shred about 6 cups of cabbage (this was half of a 2.5 lb. head of cabbage). If you’re still building your knife skills or think you may need extra time for this step, you can do this before you begin the recipe instead of as your food cooks.
Once the sausage is browned, add the shredded cabbage, 1/4 cup water, and the Cajun spice mix to the pot. Stir everything to combine, then place a lid on top.
Continue to cook the cabbage with the lid on, stirring occasionally, until the cabbage has wilted (about 5-7 minutes).
Add the cooked and drained noodles to the pot along with 2 Tbsp (or more) butter. Stir until everything is combined and coated in melted butter. #butterlove
Finally, make sure to give everything a taste and add a little extra salt if needed. Sprinkle green onions over top and make sure to add a splash of hot sauce to each bowl before serving!
Spicy!! 🙌
I don’t think my husband realized he was eating cabbage when he asked me to put this in the regular rotation. LOL This was simple to make and made a lot! Leftovers heat up great. I added a chopped yellow bell pepper that was about to go bad and it added a pop of color. I also upped the cabbage to 8 cups. We got closer to 6 servings (that is with a 12″ dinner plate loaded). The spice in the recipe itself is a little mild, but it’s simple to jazz it up with your favorite Cajun hot sauce. Recommend!
I love how such simple ingredients make such a delicious, filling meal. I added a bell bepper I had in my fridge that needed to be used but other than that matched the recipe. So delicious.
Such a simple idea! Hit the spot and made lots of leftovers. I saved time by using a cajun spice mix. Definitely would recommend bulking up the cabbage if that’s your vibe (maybe 8 cups). I made this with some frozen Italian sausage (only ended up using ~9OZ) I had on hand and it still turned out great- albeit a little noodle heavy (which is fine).
Just made it. So easy and fast. I bought a coleslaw bag so saved time chopping cabbage. Used margarine as I didn’t have butter. Used brandt kolbasa. Also used half the called for cayenne as I’m feeding toddlers. Will make again. Would use more cabbage next time.
I love this recipe so much! It’s easy and tastes great. I use premade Creole seasoning and season to taste. Personally I like more cabbage in mine (closer to 8 cups), and I also add some sauteed onion and garlic along with the cabbage for extra flavor. I’m vegetarian so I usually use vegan sausage or chicken.
Thanks for an awesome recipe. Made this twice now, whole family loves it. And it’s so easy. I used Mccormick Perfect Pinch Cajun Seasoning, since I have a huge bottle of it.
Perfect level of heat and flavor. Simple and delicious!
Just made this (am eating it *right now!*) and it’s a total win for me. 10/10 I’m adding this one as a regular in my work-from-home lunch rotation. So fast and easy and flavorful!
I added a tofu scramble to this and it added a lot of protein and āmeatā to this meal! Good for stretching it out as a vegetarian too. Scrambled eggs might be a little too overpowering taste wise, Iām not sure!
This was great, and very easy to make! I don’t cook cabbage very often, so it was the perfect antidote to my vegetable boredom. I loved how the textures of the noodles and cabbage pieces went together, and the spice level was perfect.
This was excellent. I bet this would make a great soup. Hint hint. But, all in all it was so good we had no leftovers. š©
This recipes works excellently with soyrizo! It looks a little different, (the veggie sausage doesn’t have a casing) but the flavors are on point!
What a great idea!Ā
This was so delicious!!! Then you for a great recipe!!
So delicious!!! We’ve made this a few times now, with vegetarian-friendly meat options, and it’s so incredibly tasty! Thank you!
Hi Beth & BB Team!
Would using red cabbage drastically change this meal? (Other than color?)
Thanks!
I don’t think it will change the flavor too-too much, but like you said, it will probably end up a fairly unappetizing greyish-purple color. :P
I make this recipe all the time. I typically use Trader Joe’s egg fettucine pasta (in the refrigerated section next to the tofu) for my gluten free roommate (which make it a little more expensive per serving), and it is AMAZING. Hardest part of the recipe is not eating the leftovers!
This is so yummy! I had to talk my husband out of eating all four serving tonight! Thanks for the recipe!Ā
It’s hard to leave a review because I’m still busy scarfing seconds! The hardest part was (as always) trying to make shredded cabbage from whole cabbage using nothing but a knife – advice: consult youtube! These fried cabbage recipes are slowly but surely making me a believer (before, my only recipe association was very pathetic bitter, sloppy cabbage in the diet soup our family used to eat…ugh!). The fat from the butter/sausage and the kick from the cajun spices makes this one a *really* enjoyable comfort meal on a day where it’s hailing ice pellets outside (and going to the store is out of the question). Adding the noodles is an extra comfort angle that makes it even better <3 I dare you to not love this dish!! :D
Can I use pre-cooked sausage? Not a fan of handling raw meat. Thanks :)
Yes you could do that!
I don’t know if people easily see replies to these comments after the fact, but it’s worth mentioning that smoked sausage already is precooked, so you wouldn’t have to touch any raw animal products anyway. =D
Will do Amanda!
Really good! I went overboard with the butter though. Oops! Still tastes great. Well be making this again!
Soooo good and super easy!! Added some shrimp I had in the freezer, it was delicious. Definitely going in my regular rotation of dinner recipes.Ā
Wow, this was so easy and so good. The whole family liked it – one said too spicy, one said not spicy enough but both had seconds lol. It was super quick using bagged coleslaw, very tasty, pleased everyone, and so inexpensive. Winner!
So delicious, even with turkey sausage and skipping the oil and butter to avoid some extra calories. Definitely putting this in our meal rotation.
Tastes very good. I loved it. Will definitely make it again. Thanks for sharing.
Terrific recipe! Ā Made with no modifications and it was tasty! Ā Great for a weeknight meal. Thank you!
I struggle to find ways to enjoy green cabbage, but I loved this recipe!
We make this enough that I ran it through a recipe calorie calculator. Verywell Fit calculates it to be 654 calories per serving, for 4 servings.
Thanks for sharing Brita!
Just a note for anyone else who obsessively reads the comments: cabbage freezes reasonably well, particularly if you prefer it tender. I shred the whole head at one go, using half in a recipe & put the other half in the freezer. I’ve used frozen cabbage in Beth’s stir fried beef & cabbage recipe, as well as in braised cabbage, to great success.Ā
Fantastic and super easy meal, I’d recommend doubling the amount of paprika, cayenne, and garlic powder.
My family loved this! I had a bad of pre-shredded cabbage and added the juice from half a lemon and it was delicious, quick, and easy. Next time I think Iāll use tri color rotini for looks. Thanks for the great recipe!
Awesome! My three year old just gave it the big thumbs up. This will be a regular meal for the two of us. :)
I like the comment about using the coleslaw mix as a shortcut – will give that a go next time!
This is so good! I never would have thought to add pasta to cabbage. To all those wondering if it works for meal prep – it absolutely does. I add extra hot sauce to keep it moist (but I love spicy).
I just finished eating this practically every day for the week! I completed the recipe without the noodles. Then throughtout the week I’ve had it with noodles, with potato, and as is with a runny egg on top.
It made a super quick and yummy breakfast. Heat up the sausage/cabbage while making a sunny side up or over easy egg and done.
This is my new favorite Budget Bytes recipe! It is easy, fast, filling, and inexpensive – I could easily make 2 batches for under $10. I used beef smoked sausage and added some beef bouillon to the water when I cooked the noodles, and it was really delicious.
Honestly, I just had a half a head of cabbage to use up. Ā This is so good! Ā Cajun isn’t usually the direction I go when cooking at home, but this really is delicious. Ā I did add a small diced onion and some minced garlic to the sausage as it cooked, and only used half the sausage. Ā Otherwise followed the recipe exactly. Ā Absolutely wonderful. Ā I’ll certainly make it again, and might add a diced bell pepper next time! Ā Love this blog :)
What size pots did you use? Hard to tell from the top-down pics.
This is a 6-quart Dutch oven. :)
So good!! I didnāt like this spice blend on the Blackened Shrimp Tacos but it was great here. The cabbage almost disappeared (in a good way) so I forgot I was eating vegetables.
Just to make the quantities match what I could buy in store (no leftovers), I used 12oz noodles, 1 large cabbage, and 28oz kielbasa and adjusted spices accordingly. Turned out great. So glad Beth has introduced me to cabbage recipes, I never used to eat it before.
I was also a little skeptical but had everything on hand so it was worth a try. WOW! Loved it. I tweaked it just a tad bit. I cooked onions first then added green onion sausage. Oh my gumbo, definitely a keeper recipe. The hubby even raves about it. Thanks for sharing. Love your blog.Ā
I’ve never considered cabbage a comfort food… esp. when afterwards I’m often uncomfortably flatulent :P
Loved the concept of your blog- affordable eating!! Well done
I have all the ingredients for this!! I’ll report back after dinner tomorrow š
I’ll admit that I was a little skeptical of this recipe because it seemed a little strange to combine cabbage and noodles. But y’all, this was AMAZING. My family absolutely raved about it! This will definitely have an honored spot in the regular meal rotation!
I had no idea what I was making for dinner tonight, so I said, “Let’s see what Beth is doing”. I swear you must peek in my refrigerator – I had a half of a head of cabbage and all the other ingredients for this meal. I only had a few slices of leftover chorizo sausage in my freezer, so I used what I had. It was DELICIOUS! I did reduce the amount of cayenne pepper, and it had just enough kick. I will absolutely be making this again. Thank you!
Can I meal prep this?
Yep! I really like the leftovers of this one. It does get a little more dry as the noodles absorb moisture in the fridge, but I still find it quite delicious.
Beth, love your blog, and I know Louisiana misses you! Just a little thing — Tabasco IS a Louisiana hot sauce — made here among the salt domes on Avery Island. I know you were referring to its relative availability in the known world (LA! We’re everywhere!!) but just had to put a cent and a half in for Iberia Parish industry.
Thanks for the clarification! :D
Thank you, Beth!!! We are vegans, could I use smoked paprika, along with the paprika to give it a smoky flavor?
Yes, that would definitely give it that smoky flavor! Make sure to use a rich fat, though. The fat in this dish (both from the sausage and butter) really give it body. Coconut oil would be good.
Can this be made without the sausage as a vegetarian option ? Ā Will it still be flavorful? Ā
This wonderful recipe just ups the flavor of Beth’s traditional Halusky recipe which is buttered noodles with sauteed cabbage. While that is delicious on its own, you might take this opportunity to try out some of the plant based bacon and sausage substitutes available in your supermaket. While ordinary smoked sausage is often on sale in my local supermarkets, I’m going to use some Andouille sitting in my freezer–don’t think I will need additional spice! That cabbage I picked up last week for $.19 a lb didn’t get used with corned beef. How fortuitous!
I’m going to try I with the beyond meat spicy sausage for a vegan version!
I would definitely try to find a vegetarian sausage option for this. The smoked sausage really rounds out the flavor and makes the dish a lot more filling.
This is fantastic! (I’m currently eating it). The spice definitely builds as you eat it, so it’s not for people who don’t like/tolerate spice well.
Even with it being a quick and easy recipe I used a short cut and used a bag of shredded cabbage&carrots (like what you would make coleslaw out of). Cheaper than buying a head of cabbage and now I don’t have to figure out how to use the other half a head before it goes bad.
This one’s a keeper!