I got a really strong craving for my One Pan Roasted Kielbasa and Cabbage Dinner the other day, but instead of making it the exact same way, I decided to change it up and make a fast skillet version. This super easy and incredibly tasty Kielbasa and Cabbage Skillet is as simple as smoke sausage, onion, cabbage and a nice tangy stone ground mustard vinaigrette. …Because kielbasa is always better when dipped in a nice stone ground mustard, right? So I formulated this vinaigrette as a way to get that nice mustardy flavor all throughout the entire Kielbasa and Cabbage Skillet.
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What is Kielbasa?
Kielbasa is a Polish sausage usually made with pork, or a mixture of pork and beef. Kielbasa can be either smoked or lightly smoked, and usually has a prominently garlic flavor. I love kielbasa for this recipe because it brings a lot of flavor to the cabbage, which doesn’t have much flavor on its own.
What Kind of Kielbasa Should I Use?
Kielbasa is traditionally made from pork, but if you have a kielbasa made with beef, turkey, or any combination of the three, that will work just as well. Since package sizes for kielbasa vary from brand to brand, you can use anywhere from 12oz. to 16 oz. for this skillet. The kielbasa I got at Kroger was a 14oz. link, so that’s what is listed in the ingredients, just know that there is wiggle room.
Variations
And if you aren’t all about the low-carb thing you can stretch this dish even further by adding some cooked wide egg noodles. I’d probably use about 8oz. for the size of this recipe.
Kielbasa and Cabbage Skillet
Servings 4Ingredients
Mustard Vinaigrette
- 1/4 cup olive oil ($0.52)
- 2 Tbsp red wine vinegar ($0.20)
- 1.5 Tbsp stone ground or whole grain mustard ($0.09)
- 1/4 tsp garlic powder ($0.02)
- 1/4 tsp salt ($0.02)
- Freshly Cracked Pepper ($0.05)
Kielbasa and Cabbage
- 1 Tbsp olive oil ($0.13)
- 14 oz. kielbasa ($2.49)
- 1 yellow onion ($0.32)
- 6 cups chopped cabbage (1 small head, 2.25 lbs) ($1.59)
- pinch salt and pepper ($0.05)
Instructions
- Prepare the vinaigrette by adding the olive oil, vinegar, mustard, garlic powder, salt, and some freshly cracked pepper to a bowl or jar. Whisk or shake the jar until the ingredients are combined, then set the vinaigrette aside.
- Slice the kielbasa into medallions or half-rounds and add them to a large skillet (12″ or larger) or a large, wide-bottomed pot, along with the olive oil. Sauté the sausage over medium heat until the pieces are well browned.
- While the sausage is browning, finely dice the onion. Once the sausage has fully browned, add the onions and continue to sauté until the onions are soft and transparent.
- While the onions are sautéing, chop the head of cabbage into 2-inch by 1/2-inch wide strips. Add the cabbage to the skillet or pot along with a pinch of salt and pepper. Continue to sauté until the cabbage is tender (check the thickest white pieces for tenderness). To help the cabbage soften, add a few tablespoons of water to create steam within the pot or skillet. Let the water evaporate as you sauté the cabbage.
- Once tender, drizzle the mustard vinaigrette over the skillet, starting with just half of the prepared amount. Stir to coat the kielbasa and cabbage in the vinaigrette, taste, and add more if needed. Serve warm.
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Nutrition
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How to Make Kielbasa and Cabbage Skillet – Step by Step Photos
To make the mustard vinaigrette, add 1/4 cup olive oil, 2 Tbsp red wine vinegar, 1.5 Tbsp stone ground mustard, 1/4 tsp garlic powder, 1/4 tsp salt, and some freshly cracked pepper to a bowl or jar.
Whisk or shake the jar until the ingredients are mixed (15-20 seconds of shaking). Set the dressing aside.
Slice 14oz. of kielbasa into rounds or half-rounds and add them to a very large skillet or wide-bottomed pot along with 1 Tbsp olive oil. Sauté over medium heat until the sausage is well browned. You really want that browning action to get the most flavor.
While the kielbasa is sautéing, dice the onion. Add the onion to the skillet once the kielbasa is browned and continue to sauté until the onions are soft and transparent. The moisture from the onions should help dissolve the browned bits from the bottom of the skillet.
While the onions are sautéing chop one small head into 2-inch by 1/2-inch strips (about 6 cups once chopped). Add the cabbage to the skillet along with a pinch of salt and pepper. Add a few tablespoons of water to help steam and soften the cabbage, and sauté until the cabbage has become tender. The water will evaporate as you sauté the cabbage. By this time your kitchen should be smelling REALLY good. If you want to add cooked egg noodles, add them once the cabbage has softened.
Finally, drizzle the mustard vinaigrette over top, starting with just half of the vinaigrette, and stir until everything is coated. Taste the cabbage and add more dressing if desired.
Serve warm! It’s also pretty good as leftovers. ;)
SO FREAKING GOOD.
Made this recipe to use use up some Savoy cabbage I had. Used stone ground Dijon style mustard and my grocery store had some smoked bratwurst which I used in addition to the kielbasa. So good, so easy!
Ooh, I eat this all the time with smoked sausage, and it’s honestly one of my favorite meals.
All I have to say is OMG. This will be a print and save. Nice job.
The only thing I will change is adding red potato…..This was sooo good!
Amy, I totally agree that some potatoes would round this out superbly. And then I realized I happened not to have any potatoes on hand. :( I’ll add them next time … and there WILL be a next time … because this was so darn good. The vinaigrette was superb. What a fabulous super-quick recipe!
YUM. I’m eating it right now. :D I forgot to buy red wine vinegar, so used apple cider vinegar instead, and it’s still very delicious.
I halved this recipe to have enough for tonight and tomorrow’s lunch… but it was so good that I’m taking a peanut butter sandwich for lunch tomorrow since the leftovers weren’t safe.
Perfect! Served with crisp apple slices. Wouldn’t change a thing.
Could you please clarify what you mean by “course ground mustard”? In my cupboard I have a bottle of “ground mustard” which is a yellow powder. Is that the ingredient you mean? Based on the comments above it looks like people use different types of prepared mustards such as standard yellow or Dijon. What do you suggest?
Yep, sorry about the confusion! It’s actually prepared mustard spread, not a powdered mustard, but the mustard grains are only coarsely ground. It’s also sometimes called “stone ground mustard.” Here is a link to a product online so you can see it: https://www.amazon.com/Grey-Poupon-Harvest-Coarse-Mustard/dp/B007EC5MG4
Very helpful! I just made with mustard seeds, but it was still delicious. Can’t wait to make again for my family!
Made this tonight as written. Mmm-m-good! I kept my plate lo-carb; threw some pasta in my skinny husband’s. It’s a keeper! Thanks !
Did you add cilantro? I love cilantro and I think I see some in the photo, but not the recipe.
I added some chopped parsley just to add color to the photos.
Love the mustard dressing. That makes the whole dish.
I used 1 Tablespoon of garlic powder, plus Adobo con pimiento, besides…because you cannot over- season with garlic, in my opinion. I also added bacon. It was soooooooo yummy.
I made this tonight. I used Turkey Kielbasa, and I used a little less olive oil in the skillet. Delicious, easy, and relatively light!
Made this last night and really enjoyed! My SO really loves cabbage; we feel that it is an underrated vegetable. It was the first time I made this recipe; I would definitely make again with some tweaks. First change: I used Field Roast Apple Sage Sausage to make it vegetarian. The sausage broke up out of its pretty rounds as I cooked the rest of the stuff, but it still tasted good. If I wanted to maintain the shape I’d probably take it out after browning and add it back in at the end. My SO added chicken to his bowl.
Second change: I used 2 tbsp olive oil + 2 tbsp water for the dressing rather than 1/4 cup olive oil. That seemed excessive to me. I used spicy brown mustard because I had some and it was delicious!
Third change: I added red pepper flakes and the spice really made it pop.
Future: Next time I make this I’ll use just 2 of the sausages and make it a 2 person meal. The cabbage makes it super filling but I don’t think this would be 4 servings for us as written. I’d use a full cabbage, onion, and 2 sausages and make it into 2 big servings, which is how we roll. In the future when I have fresh herbs growing I will probably add some parsley or something as I think a little bit would freshen it up.
I love the idea of adding red pepper. I tossed a little cayenne in my bowl, but red pepper would really hit the spot!
Delicious. The vinaigrette makes it.
I have been dithering between this and the beef and cabbage stir fry as two of our meals for this week. This won. I just put the frozen kielbasa in the fridge to defrost. I love the mustard with the cabbage. There’s a roasted cabbage with mustard vinaigrette on the Eating Well web site that reminds me of this. Tonight, burgers with all the fixings.
I read your blog on a daily basis and have made many of your recipes. Keep up the good work, er, cooking!