Cabbage, Potato and Kielbasa Skillet: An Easy One-Pan Dinner Recipe
This cabbage, potato and kielbasa skillet is what I make when I want a full dinner out of one pan and have zero interest in scrubbing a stack of dishes after. It’s stick-to-your-ribs food that doesn’t ask much of you: one skillet, about forty minutes, mostly hands-off once the potatoes are in.
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This is a budget-friendly recipe, with potatoes and cabbage doing most of the work. A bit of kielbasa or smoked sausage will give it plenty of flavor. Give the sausage time to brown before the cabbage goes in, because once the lid is on, everything steams and the potatoes stop crisping. The paprika is the one thing that pushes this from generic sausage-and-veg toward something that tastes Polish.
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Chef Jenn’s Take on Cabbage, Potato & Kielbasa Skillet
Most one-pan kielbasa dinners come out greasy. The cabbage goes limp in a puddle of sausage fat, the potatoes never get a crust, and the whole thing tastes like one note. The fix is in the order you cook things, not the ingredient list.
I brown the kielbasa first and pull it out of the pan. That does two things: it gives the sausage a real sear, and it leaves behind rendered fat to cook the onions and potatoes in. Then the potatoes get time alone to brown before anything else joins them. The cabbage goes in near the end, so it softens without turning to mush.
The paprika keeps it from tasting flat; use sweet smoked paprika or spicy if you like it with some heat. Don’t skip it!
What You’ll Love About Cabbage, Potato & Kielbasa Skillet
- It’s a complete dinner in one skillet, so you get a protein, a starch, and a vegetable without three pots to wash at the end.
- Browning the kielbasa first and cooking the potatoes in that rendered fat is the whole difference between this and a sad pile of steamed cabbage.
- I lean on the paprika here because plain cabbage and sausage can taste like nothing, and a little bit fixes that.
Ingredients
- Kielbasa – Any smoked Polish sausage works. Fresh (raw) kielbasa is fine too, just make sure it’s cooked through in the first step. Turkey sausage works if you want it lighter.
- Butter or oil – Either one. Butter browns the sausage faster; a neutral oil holds up better at higher heat.
- Onion – Yellow or white. Slice it thin so it softens in the time the potatoes take.
- Potatoes – Russets work but go softer and break down more.
- Green cabbage – Savoy works too and cooks a little faster. Skip the bagged coleslaw mix, it’s cut too fine and turns to mush.
- Garlic – Fresh cloves. Skip the jarred stuff here, it muddies the flavor.
- Paprika – Sweet or smoked both work. Smoked leans it more savory.
- Salt and black pepper – To taste.
- Parsley – For garnish. Skip it if you don’t have it, it’s cosmetic.
How to Make Cabbage, Potato & Kielbasa Skillet
Scroll down for the full recipe card with exact measurements and printable instructions.
Heat the butter or oil in a large skillet over medium heat, then add the sliced kielbasa in a single layer. Let it brown on both sides, about five minutes total. Remove and set aside so it doesn’t overcook while everything else builds.
Drop the sliced onion into the same skillet and let it soften for a few minutes in the rendered fat. Add the diced potatoes and cook, stirring now and then, until they pick up some golden color, about eight to ten minutes. Don’t rush this part; the browning is where the flavor comes from.
Stir in the garlic, then pile in the chopped cabbage along with the paprika. Season with salt and pepper. The pan will look crowded at first, but the cabbage cooks down fast.
Cover the skillet and cook over medium-low, stirring every few minutes, until the potatoes are fork-tender and the cabbage is soft, about twelve to fifteen minutes. If the pan looks dry before the potatoes are done, add a splash of water and keep the lid on.
Return the kielbasa to the pan and stir everything together. Cook uncovered for another two or three minutes to warm the sausage through and crisp the edges back up.
Scatter the parsley over the top and serve it straight from the skillet.
Make It A Meal
This skillet is already a full plate, but I round it out depending on the crowd. For something to soak up the buttery pan juices, I put out a basket of Honey Butter Cornbread Madeleines. When the table needs something sharp and cold to cut the richness of the sausage, I serve it with my Waldorf Salad or my Extra Garlicky Homemade Caesar Salad with Bacon Croutons. And if I want one more green vegetable going, I’ll add Blackstone Griddled Asparagus.
Storage
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to four days. Reheat in a skillet over medium heat to crisp the potatoes back up; the microwave works but softens everything. I don’t recommend freezing it, the cabbage and potatoes turn watery once thawed.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. Try it with Italian sausage or a nice garlic sausage, and make sure it’s cooked through during the first browning step before you set it aside.
Waxy potatoes like Yukon Gold hold their shape best. Russets work but break down more and turn softer.
Add it near the end and cook it covered just until soft, about twelve to fifteen minutes. Bagged coleslaw mix is cut too fine and goes to mush, so chop your own.
Cabbage, Potato & Kielbasa Skillet Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons butter or oil
- 14 ounces kielbasa sliced into ½-inch rounds
- 1 medium onion thinly sliced
- 3–4 medium potatoes diced into ½-inch cubes
- ½ medium green cabbage chopped (about 5–6 cups)
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 1 tablespoon fresh parsley chopped for garnish
Instructions
- Heat the butter or oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the kielbasa and brown on both sides, about 5 minutes. Remove and set aside.
- Sauté the onion in the same skillet until softened, about 3 minutes. Add the potatoes and cook, stirring occasionally, until lightly golden, 8–10 minutes.
- Stir in the garlic, cabbage and paprika. Season with salt and pepper.
- Cover and cook over medium-low, stirring occasionally, until the potatoes are tender and the cabbage is soft, 12–15 minutes. Add a splash of water if the pan gets dry.
- Return the kielbasa to the skillet and stir to combine. Cook uncovered 2–3 minutes more.
- Garnish with parsley and serve hot.
Video
Notes
Recipe Card Tips
- Pull the kielbasa after browning and cook the potatoes in the rendered fat. That fat is where the flavor is, and leaving the sausage in to crowd everything keeps the potatoes from searing.
- Give the potatoes the full eight to ten minutes to brown before the cabbage goes in. Once the lid is on and the cabbage releases water, the potatoes stop crisping and only soften.
- Salt the cabbage as it goes in. It pulls out water and helps the cabbage cook down faster in the covered pan.
Nutrition
A Note on Nutritional Information
Nutritional information for this recipe is provided as a courtesy and is calculated based on available online ingredient information. It is only an approximate value. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site cannot be guaranteed.