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Dirty Cabbage

This easy Dirty Cabbage recipe combines tender cabbage, savory ground beef, smoky sausage, peppers, and Cajun seasoning in one hearty skillet. It’s a flavor-packed Southern comfort food dinner that’s easy enough for busy weeknights.
Prep Time 25 minutes
Servings 6 Servings
Calories
Author Kathleen

Ingredients

  • 12 ounces andouille sausage, sliced into ¼-inch rounds
  • 1 pound 80/20 ground beef
  • 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
  • 1 green bell pepper, chopped
  • 1 red bell pepper, chopped
  • 2 ribs celery, chopped
  • 1 tablespoon fresh minced garlic
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 2 teaspoons Cajun seasoning
  • 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • ½ teaspoon dried thyme
  • ½ teaspoon black pepper
  • ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper, optional
  • 1 cup beef broth
  • 1 tablespoon beef flavored Better Than Bouillon
  • 1 medium head green cabbage, about 2 pounds, cored and cut into roughly 1½-inch pieces
  • ½ teaspoon table salt only as needed after tasting
  • 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
  • 3 green onions, thinly sliced, optional

Instructions

  • Really brown the sausage. Heat a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the andouille and cook until deeply browned on both sides, about 4–5 minutes. Transfer it to a plate, leaving the rendered fat behind.
  • Brown the beef. Add the ground beef and cook until well browned, breaking it into fairly small crumbles. Don't just cook it until gray—we want some browned edges.
    If there's an excessive amount of grease, spoon some off, but I'd deliberately leave about 2 tablespoons of fat in the pot.
  • Build the vegetable base. Add the onion, green pepper, red pepper, and celery. Cook over medium heat for about 4–5 minutes, until they begin to soften.
    Add the garlic and cook about 30 seconds.
  • Cook the tomato paste. Make a little clearing in the center and add the tomato paste. Cook it against the hot pan for about 1 minute before stirring it through everything.
  • Season. Add Worcestershire, Cajun seasoning, smoked paprika, garlic powder, thyme, black pepper, and cayenne. Stir for about 30 seconds.
  • Deglaze. Add the beef broth and Better Than Bouillion and scrape up all those browned bits making sure the BTB completely dissolves in the liquid.
  • Return Meats. Return the sausage and ground beef with accumulated juices.
  • Add the cabbage. Add the cabbage in 2–3 batches, stirring as it begins to collapse. Once you can fit it all in, cover and reduce the heat to medium-low.
    Cook about 12–15 minutes, stirring every few minutes.
  • Uncover. Then remove the lid and cook another 5–8 minutes, or until the cabbage is tender but hasn't turned to mush and the liquid has reduced into a rich coating rather than soup.
  • Finish. Stir in the apple cider vinegar. Taste before adding any salt. Add up to ½ teaspoon table salt if necessary.
  • Garnish. Sprinkle with green onions if we like them visually and flavor-wise.