Dirty cabbage is what happens when you take the idea behind Louisiana dirty rice and swap the rice for a whole head of cabbage. You brown some sausage and ground beef, cook down the holy trinity, hit it with Cajun spice, and let the cabbage soak all of that up. It’s cheap, it’s one pan, and it tastes a lot more exciting than a pile of cabbage has any right to, and this dirty cabbage recipe gets it on the table in 40 minutes. For more weeknight ideas, have a look at our main course recipes.
It’s been all over social media lately, and most of the recipes floating around are close to each other. Where they fall down is the cabbage itself. Dump it all in at once and you end up with either a soggy, watery pan or half-raw chunks. The fix is easy and it’s the main thing this version does differently.
Cook’s note: Leave the sausage alone for the first two minutes in the pan. It needs that contact to build a dark crust, and that crust is what ends up flavoring the cabbage.
RECIPE
Dirty Cabbage with Sausage
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 12 oz andouille sausage sliced into half-moons (or any smoked sausage)
- 1 lb ground beef 85/15
- 1 medium yellow onion diced
- 1 green bell pepper diced
- 2 stalks celery diced
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon Cajun or Creole seasoning use salt-free if you can, see notes
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 medium head green cabbage about 2 1/2 lb, cored and cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1/2 cup chicken stock
- 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
- 3 green onions sliced
- salt and hot sauce to taste
Method
- Heat the oil in a large, deep skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the sausage and brown for 4 to 5 minutes, until the edges are dark. Move it to a plate, leaving the fat in the pan.
- Add the ground beef to the same pan. Break it up and cook until browned and a little crispy in spots, about 6 minutes. Spoon off all but about 2 tablespoons of fat.
- Add the onion, bell pepper and celery. Cook for 4 minutes, until softened. Stir in the garlic, tomato paste, Cajun seasoning, smoked paprika and thyme and cook for 1 minute, until the tomato paste darkens.
- Add about two thirds of the cabbage and the stock. Stir, scraping up the browned bits, then cover and cook for 6 minutes.
- Add the rest of the cabbage and the sausage. Cook uncovered for another 5 to 7 minutes, stirring now and then, until the first batch is soft and the second batch is tender but still has some bite.
- Stir in the vinegar, taste, and add salt only if needed. Top with green onions and serve with hot sauce.
Nutrition
Notes
Private Notes
Tried this recipe?
Let us know how it was!What Makes Cabbage “Dirty”?
In Cajun and Creole cooking, “dirty” doesn’t mean messy. It refers to the color and depth you get from browned meat and spices. Classic dirty rice gets its name from chicken livers and ground meat that tint the rice brown. Dirty cabbage borrows the same flavor base: browned meat, onion, bell pepper, celery and a good dose of seasoning. The cabbage picks up all of it, which is why the browning step matters so much. Pale meat means pale, boring cabbage.
The Two-Stage Cabbage Trick
A medium head of cabbage is a lot of volume, and it cooks unevenly when it’s all piled in. So it goes in two rounds:
- First two thirds, covered. This part steams in the stock and gets fully soft and silky, and it absorbs most of the seasoning.
- Last third, uncovered. This goes in a few minutes later so it stays tender-crisp. Some pieces even catch a bit of color on the bottom of the pan.
You end up with two textures in the same bite, and no pool of liquid at the bottom of the pan. If you only change one thing about how you make any dirty cabbage recipe, change this.
Choosing the Sausage
- Andouille is the traditional choice. It’s smoky and spicy and it carries the whole dish.
- Kielbasa or any smoked sausage works if you want it milder, especially for kids. Add a pinch of cayenne to make up for it.
- Turkey or chicken sausage cuts the fat a fair bit. Brown it well since it has less fat to caramelize with.
- Skip the ground beef and use 1 1/2 pounds of sausage if you want it simpler. Or swap the beef for ground pork, which is closer to classic dirty rice.
Watch the Salt
Between the sausage, the stock and a salty Cajun blend, this dish can go from well-seasoned to too salty very fast, and no one seems to mention it. Check the label on your seasoning. If salt is listed first, cut the amount to 2 teaspoons and add smoked paprika, garlic powder and a little cayenne to make up the flavor. Use low-sodium stock. Then taste at the very end before adding a single grain of salt. Most of the time it doesn’t need any.
Is Dirty Cabbage Low Carb or Keto?
Yes, it’s a naturally low-carb meal. Each serving comes out to roughly 19 grams of carbs and 7 grams of fiber, so around 12 grams of net carbs, with about 26 grams of protein. For strict keto, leave out the tomato paste and check that your sausage doesn’t have added sugar or corn syrup. Those small amounts add up.
What to Serve With This Dirty Cabbage Recipe
- White rice if you’re not counting carbs. It makes it stretch to 8 people easily.
- Cornbread, which is the Southern move. This Mexican sweet corn bread goes really well with the spice.
- Cauliflower rice to keep it low carb, or roasted spaghetti squash like in this keto Boursin spaghetti squash.
- A fried egg on top, which sounds odd and is excellent.
Variations Worth Trying
- Dirty cabbage and rice: stir in 2 cups of cooked rice with the last batch of cabbage. It becomes a full dinner in one pan.
- Shrimp: add a pound of peeled shrimp for the last 4 minutes, sort of a cabbage jambalaya.
- Smothered style: add a can of diced tomatoes with the stock and simmer covered for 20 minutes for a softer, stewy version.
- Bacon: start by crisping 4 slices of chopped bacon and cook everything in the bacon fat.
Storage, Reheating and Meal Prep
Dirty cabbage honestly tastes better the next day, once the spices have settled into the cabbage. Keep it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Reheat it in a skillet over medium heat so any extra liquid cooks off. The microwave works too, just drain the container first. It freezes for 2 months, but the cabbage turns quite soft, so frozen leftovers are best spooned over rice. For more easy weeknight dinners, the one pot lasagna soup and this crockpot loaded potato soup are both simple wins.
Dirty Cabbage FAQs
Can I use bagged coleslaw mix? You can, and it saves chopping. It cooks much faster, so add it all at once and cook for only 5 to 6 minutes.
Why is my cabbage watery? Too much cabbage covered for too long, or the pan was too small. Finish it uncovered over higher heat for a few minutes.
Can I use red cabbage? It works, but it turns the whole dish a purple-gray color. Tastes fine, looks a bit strange.
How spicy is it? Medium with andouille and regular Cajun seasoning. For mild, use kielbasa and a salt-free, mild Creole blend.
