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.
I add cooked noodles and it’s delicious! Similar to a lazy pierogi but with a vinaigrette instead of a cream sauce!!!
I love this recipe, but I loved it even more when I doubled the amount of vinaigrette which I recomment to everyone!
What is a good side to go with this? Surprisingly, my picky husband loves this.
Since you already have the meat and vegetables in the skillet, I’d probably go for something simple like Seasoned Rice. :)
We used unsweetened applesauce. Terrific compliment!
Love this recipe! We put it on top of mashed potatoes or cauliflower mashed potatoes and it is sooooo good!!
I made this last night for dinner and it was delicious, I will definitely be making this again. The flavors were well balanced.
Made this tonight, great recipe that comes together from pantry staples and things that keep. This is going to be a solid weeknight, low carb dinner for me. Great on lifting days as half a polish/kielbasa is ~40g of protein.
I stumbled on this recipe today, and happened to have all of the ingredients on hand. I bought some nice cheese kielbasa from my local meat market. It was a super fast weeknight meal to put together. The vinaigrette is a very nice accompaniment to this dish. Will definitely keep this in my rotation.
Making this tonight – for the millionth time! My family loves this recipe, esp. when we use sausages from a local Polish meat market. Thanks so much for this recipe!
The first time I made this it took too long for the cabbage to cook. Now I boil the cabbage for a minute before frying it in the pan.
I just made this tonight and it was delicious! My husband, who isn’t “a big fan” of cabbage, really enjoyed it too. Beth, what did you garnish your dish with at the very end? Your photos have a green herb (parsley maybe?) sprinkled over the final product. Thanks for the great recipe! I will definitely be making it again :)
That’s definitely Italian parsley!
This is absolutely delicious! I added 1/4 cup of maple syrup to the dressing because a patient brought me some. I made some roasties (cut up Idahoes, evoo, seasoning, 450F for 30 mins) on the side. I can’t believe something so simple is so satisfying and so GOOD. Thank you for all you do!
Just made it as well! Used sherry vinegar and dijon and honey for the dressing and used celery seed instead of garlic powder just because I didn’t have the other stuff. Thanks for the recipe!
What brand of kielbasa do you use?
Unfortunately I don’t know. Haha, I never really look, I just get whatever is available at the store. :)
Really great, simple weeknight dinner recipe. Will probably make again with a higher ratio of vinegar and mustard to olive oil, in order to make it more macro friendly. I made the recipe as-is with turkey kielbasa and my husband and i both really enjoyed it. We will probably make the dressing lighter in the future.
Oh there you go! Let us know how it goes.
Unbelievably delicious!
Vinaigrette was a bit tangy when first made it, so added a touch of honey. By time everything was done, it was so good. Definitely a keeper
This was a HUGE hit!