Smoked sausage and cabbage recipe can all be done at the same time for a great dinner on your Traeger. Use an electric or pellet smoker for deliciousness. We started this journey creating a lot of electric smoker recipes but you can use any version you have.
We made Traeger smoked sausage and cabbage the other night and it came out so tasty! With just a few seasonings and olive oil you too can make this easy smoker recipe that’s inexpensive and everyone loves. (affiliate links present)
Smoked Cabbage Recipe
This was one of the first things we made, as a dinner that was cheap. Of course meat was a given and done first off but the we started thinking of our favorite side dishes and out of the box items next. My grandmother was in love with this crispy green vegetable and cooked it often.
Of course she didn’t have a Traeger back in her day but I bet she would’ve gotten into it if she had. Adding meat in with this otherwise bland veggie adds a lot of flavor indeed. Kielbasa is easiest as we used here but venison sausage would be wonderful too if you’re looking for more ideas.
To get your meats absolutely perfect we have this printable meat smoking chart to refer to so each and every time it will be fork tender.
- Recently we upgraded to this Traeger pellet smoker and grill and love it.
- We started with an electric smoker that was a Charbroil which worked well to start with.
- I like applewood pellets, we always have those on hand and make almost everything.
You’ll first want to pick your favorite precooked sausage link. Johnsonville kielbasa works great, or choose andouille for a kick of heat! This duo is great with baked cabbage steaks too.
Traeger Cabbage and Sausage Recipe
I don’t know about you but the older I got the more simple cabbage recipes I fell in love with. My grandma cooked fried cabbage all of the time but it was a no go for me until I was in my 40’s.
Maybe my tastebuds improved because the same went for mushrooms. Now I love them and can’t get enough! Call it maturity or old age. lol
These are the main two ingredients. Of course if you opted to just cook one or the other, have at it. Smoking sausage (or brats) and this vegetable at the same time is a game changer for us so dinner is done all at the same time.
There are a few options when it comes to how you cut cabbage. The smaller the pieces the shorter the cook time will be in order to get it tender. I don’t like it limp so I quartered it and it remained a bit firm on the inner layers.
- If you want it a bit softer I would recommend that you cut those quarters in half.
- 8 equal pieces will create tender leaves but not super soft like buttered cabbage if you will.
- Any smaller than that would yield really soft pieces, decide for yourself.
How Long to Cook Sausage and Cabbage in a Smoker
Timing is set for a quartered cabbage head though so keep that in mind when making it. 1 hour 20-30 minutes is for this large but if cut into large bite size pieces it would take half that time.
Now keep in mind that the smaller you cut the head the more tender it will get. Leave in quarters like we did here and it will warm and the top layers will soften but the middle will remain firmer.
Ingredients
- Head of cabbage – small to medium size, quartered or cut into 8 pcs.
- Sausage link like kielbasa – pre-cooked and sliced into dials
- Old Bay seasoning I love
- Garlic salt adds flavor
- Onion powder is optional
- Olive oil will keep it moist
- Could add sliced onions inside too
- 9×13″ aluminum pan
- Aluminum foil
This is what you will need. Simple, and the seasonings are really up to you. Add salt and pepper too if you like.
Is smoked sausage cooked or raw?
You can use any type of meat you want, I like using these links that are precooked though. If yours start out raw you’ll need to make sure the internal temperature reaches a safe range before consuming and they will take much longer.
We think this sausage recipe is a great duo for sure! With onions and garlic if you want to add that, it is very versatile, cheap, easy and delicious.
I like good ol’ kielbasa or Italian sausages. If you love bangers and mash you could use bratwursts. Chorizo is great if you want some spice and breakfast sausage is great in the morning.
That depends on whether they are raw to start, or precooked. If you slice them as we did with our sausage and cabbage recipe they take less time.
Smoked brats left whole directly on the grates take about 3 hours flipping every 45 minutes at about 250 degrees F. Of course you can pan fry them both over medium heat stirring occasionally if you chop the cabbage into 1.5″ squares. Sliced sausage works best for this method but I explore you to try it in your smoker next time!
How to cook cabbage and sausage on a smoker at 275
This is how you would make it at home and try it yourself! Preheat smoker to 275 degrees F. Take top layer off cabbage and slice bottom core piece off.
Then cut into 4 or 8 equal pieces as you see below, or diced into bite size pieces. Smaller will make it more tender. Then slice your sausage into 1/2″ thick dials. Use a fork to mix together olive oil and seasonings together.
Place chunks of cabbage and sliced sausage into an aluminum pans (add sliced onions now too if you want). Pour olive oil seasoning sauce on cabbage. Cover and cook. Put pan on grate and smoke for 20 minutes, flip cabbage on other side, cook for another 20 minutes, flip cabbage, remove foil and continue cooking for about another 40 minutes until tender.
Cook time will depend on how browned you want your meat and how tender you want your cabbage. Serve smoked sausage, onion and cabbage immediately for best results.
Looking for more sausage recipes? Of course you can dice some up small and throw it into a pot of stewed cabbage on the stovetop, Instant Pot sausage and peppers is even faster and a really cheap meal with spaghetti sauce. It’s great served on hoagie rolls for lunch.
- We also make an Instant Pot sausage and rice dish that is killer! NO need to cook stirring at all because it all cooks together without any effort from you.
- A cabbage recipe we make in our dutch oven is with corned beef brisket and that is out of this world.
Or try some air fryer cabbage some time. Jump to recipe and get started.
Smoked Sausage and Cabbage
Equipment
- 1 smoker
- 1 aluminum pan
Ingredients
- 1 link sausage, precooked link
- 1 head cabbage
- 4 tbsp olive oil
- 1/2 tsp old bay
- 1/2 tsp onion powder
- 1/2 tsp garlic salt
- 1/2 onion, sliced, optional
Instructions
- Preheat smoker to 275 degrees
- Slice sausage into 1" thick dials and cut cabbage into quarters or 8 equal pieces (more, smaller pieces will yield more tender cabbage)
- Put wedges into 9×13" aluminum pan with sausage surrounding them. (if adding onions sprinkle those in now too)
- In a bowl whisk together olive oil and seasonings. Pour on top of cabbage and cover pan with foil.
- Cook for 20 minutes, then lift foil and rotate cabbage to other flat side, cook for another 20 minutes, then remove foil and cook for 40 more minutes uncovered. (note: this timing is for quartered cabbage, if you cut it smaller it may take less time)
- Check and see if it's as tender inside and browned on outside as you'd like it to be, remove and enjoy immediately for best taste and texture.
Video
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
