This easy Dirty Cabbage recipe is loaded with ground beef, Cajun sausage, cabbage, Rotel, and Cajun seasoning. It all comes together in one pan for a hearty dinner with not much effort!
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Dirty Cabbage: What You Need to Know
If you love a ton of Cajun flavor for not a lot of work (kind of like these Swamp Potatoes or my Red Beans and Rice), you're in for a treat today!
You might have seen dirty cabbage all over social media lately...this is my take on it. It's this hearty one-pan dinner I make with ground beef, Cajun sausage, chopped cabbage, Rotel, and lots of great seasoning.
You're going to get a smoky, savory, kind of spicy, and filling dinner!
Feeds 8 (great for a crowd)
Leftovers are better the next day
Lots of veggies in one dish
This is one of those recipes that takes a pretty basic head of cabbage and turns it into a dinner everyone actually wants to eat. Hope you enjoy!
What Is Dirty Cabbage?
Dirty cabbage is a Southern and Cajun-inspired skillet dish made with cabbage, seasoned meat, vegetables, and tons of bold seasoning. There are a few different versions out there. Some use only ground beef, some use sausage, and others add broth or different kinds of tomatoes.
For this version, I use both ground beef and Cajun sausage, along with Rotel and Cajun seasoning. That gives you lots of flavor without needing to add a separate broth.
It's kind of the cabbage version of dirty rice. Instead of rice being the star of the dish, chopped cabbage cooks down with all of the meat, vegetables, and seasonings.
Ingredient Notes
(See recipe card at the bottom of this post for exact ingredient measurements.)
- Butter: This gets the sausage browning started and helps create a flavorful base in the skillet.
- Andouille or Cajun sausage: Either one works well here. Andouille will usually give you a smokier, slightly spicier flavor.
- Ground beef: I use this with the sausage to make the dish hearty enough for a meal.
- Onion: Dice it fairly small (think smaller than a Skittle) so it cooks down with the other veggies.
- Red bell pepper: This adds a little sweetness and color. Green bell peppers work too - they just won't be on the sweeter side.
- Celery: Onion, bell pepper, and celery give you that classic Cajun-style vegetable base.
- Garlic: Add this after the other vegetables have had a few minutes to soften so it doesn't burn.
- Green cabbage: You'll need one small head (about 7 cups of chopped cabbage). It's going to look like a ton of food when you add it to the skillet, but cabbage cooks down quite a bit.
- Rotel tomatoes and green chilies: These add tomatoes, a little heat, and just enough liquid to help everything cook together.
- Tomato paste: Gives the sauce a richer tomato flavor without making the dish too soupy.
- Brown sugar: This isn't enough to make the cabbage sweet, I promise! It balances out the acidity from the tomatoes and some of the heat from the Cajun seasoning.
- Cajun seasoning: This is where a lot of the flavor comes from. Keep in mind - different brands can vary quite a bit in both salt and spice level. I prefer Tony Chachere's for this (as referenced by the Sam's Club-size bottle in the photo 😂).
Additions & Substitutions
- Use smoked sausage: Swap the andouille for regular smoked sausage for a milder version.
- Use green bell pepper: You can replace the red bell pepper with green if that's what you have.
- Make it spicier: Use hot Rotel or a spicier Cajun sausage.
- Make it milder: Stick with regular Rotel and a mild smoked sausage.
- Serve it over rice: Spoon the finished cabbage over cooked white rice or cornbread if you want to stretch the meal.
- Add extra heat at the table: Hot sauce is easier to control than making the whole pan overly spicy.
How to Make Dirty Cabbage
This recipe works best in a large skillet or Dutch oven. You'll need more room than you think when you first add the cabbage.
- Brown the sausage. Melt the butter in a large skillet or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the chopped andouille or Cajun sausage and let it brown for about 3 to 4 minutes per side. Remove the sausage from the pan, but leave the grease behind.
- Cook the ground beef and vegetables. Add the ground beef to the reserved sausage grease and cook until browned. Add the onion, bell pepper, and celery and cook for another 5 to 6 minutes, until they start to soften. Stir in the garlic and cook for about another minute.
- Add the seasonings and tomatoes. Stir in the Rotel, tomato paste, brown sugar, and Cajun seasoning. Mix everything really well so the seasonings are distributed throughout.
- Add the cabbage. Return the browned sausage to the pan, then add the chopped cabbage. Let everything cook for another 3 to 4 minutes. (It's ok if you can't add all of the cabbage at once; wait until what's in the pan cooks down some before adding the rest if needed.)
- Cover and simmer. Turn the heat to low and cover the pan. Let the dirty cabbage simmer for about 25 to 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the cabbage is tender and has cooked down.
Don't Skip Browning the Sausage!
This is probably the most important part of the recipe. Technically, you can throw the sausage into the skillet with everything else and let it heat through, but you're going to miss a lot of great flavor.
Browning the sausage first gives you those little browned bits and seasoned drippings in the bottom of the pan. Then the ground beef and vegetables cook right in that instead of starting in a completely clean skillet. It's a small step that makes a huge difference in the finished dish!
How to Keep Dirty Cabbage from Getting Watery
Cabbage is going to naturally release water as it cooks, so some liquid in the pan is totally normal. That's one reason I don't add broth to this recipe - the Rotel gives you enough moisture to get everything going, then the cabbage releases more as it softens.
A few things help keep the finished dish from turning soupy:
- Give the cabbage a few minutes to cook uncovered before adding the remaining ingredients.
- Don't add extra broth or water unless you absolutely need it (think "the food is scorching in the pan").
- Keep the cabbage at a simmer while it's covered rather than letting it barely warm through. You want tiny occasional bubbles in the pot.
- If you end up with more liquid than you want once the cabbage is tender, remove the lid and let it simmer for a few more minutes.
You don't need the pan totally dry. A little bit of that seasoned liquid is so good spooned over the finished cabbage.
Storage & Leftovers
Storage: Let the dirty cabbage cool, then transfer leftovers to an airtight container and refrigerate them. I would use refrigerated leftovers within 3 to 4 days.
Reheating: For individual servings, the microwave is the easiest way to go. Heat it in short intervals (30ish seconds or so) and stir halfway through so the beef and sausage heat evenly.
For a larger portion, put the cabbage back in a skillet over low to medium-low heat and stir occasionally until everything is hot.
Freezing: You can freeze this, but the texture of the cabbage will be softer after freezing and thawing. If you're mainly worried about saving leftovers, I'd refrigerate them instead.
If you do freeze it, let the dirty cabbage cool completely and transfer it to a freezer-safe container. Thaw it in the refrigerator before reheating.
Leslie's Helpful Tips & Tricks
- Get everything chopped before you start cooking. Once the sausage is browned, this recipe moves pretty fast until everything goes in the pot. Having the cabbage and veggies ready makes it way easier.
- Cut the cabbage into roughly 1-inch pieces. If some pieces are huge and others are tiny, you'll end up with a mix of crunchy and mushy cabbage.
- If all of the cabbage won't fit at first, don't force it. Add what you can, let it wilt for a couple of minutes, then stir in the rest. A whole head takes up a ton of room before it cooks down.
- Don't drain the Rotel. That liquid helps the cabbage steam and simmer without needing any added broth.
- Hold off on extra salt until the end. Cajun sausage and seasoning can both be pretty salty, especially if you're using Tony Chachere's. Taste the finished dish first, then add more if it actually needs it.
- Start checking the cabbage before the full cooking time is up. You want it tender but still holding its shape. Once it's mushy, there's really no fixing it.
FAQs
More One-Pot Meals
I hope you love this Cajun-inspired dinner! If you give it a try, let us know what you think in the comments. And don't forget to follow along for the latest and greatest from Lamberts Lately!
Dirty Cabbage with Ground Beef and Sausage
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 lb andouille or Cajun sausage (chopped)
- 1 lb ground beef
- 1 medium onion (finely diced)
- 1 red bell pepper (finely diced)
- 1 cup chopped celery
- 2 cloves garlic (minced)
- 1 small green cabbage (chopped)
- 10.5 oz rotel tomatoes & green chilies (undrained)
- 2 tablespoon tomato paste
- 2 tablespoon brown sugar
- 2 tablespoon cajun seasoning
Instructions
- Brown the sausage. Melt butter in a large skillet or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add chopped andouille or Cajun sausage and brown for 3-4 minutes per side. Remove the sausage from the pan and set aside, leaving the grease in the skillet.
- Cook the beef and vegetables. Add ground beef to the reserved sausage grease and cook until browned. If there is a large amount of excess grease, drain some of it, leaving a little in the pan for flavor. Add onion, bell pepper, and celery and cook for 5-6 minutes, until they start to soften. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute.
- Add tomatoes and seasonings. Stir in the undrained Rotel, tomato paste, brown sugar, and Cajun seasoning. Mix well so everything is evenly coated.
- Add the cabbage & sausage. Return the sausage to the skillet and add the chopped cabbage. Cook uncovered for 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally. If all of the cabbage won't fit at once, let the first batch wilt a little bit before adding the rest.
- Cover and simmer. Reduce heat to low and cover the skillet. Simmer for 25-30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the cabbage is tender but still holds its shape.
- Finish and serve. If there is more liquid in the pan than you'd like, remove the lid and simmer for a few additional minutes. Taste before adding any extra salt, then serve as-is or over rice.
Notes
- Don't drain the Rotel. The liquid helps the cabbage cook without needing added broth.
- Cajun sausage and Cajun seasoning can both be salty, so wait until the end before adding any extra salt.
- Cajun seasoning brands can vary a lot in heat and saltiness. I use Tony Chachere's.
- For a milder version, use regular Rotel and mild smoked sausage. For more heat, use Hot Rotel or spicy andouille.
- Cut the cabbage into roughly even 1-inch pieces so it cooks at the same rate.
- Start checking the cabbage toward the end of the cooking time. You want it tender, not falling apart.
- Leftovers can be refrigerated in an airtight container for 3-4 days.
- The finished dish can be frozen, but the cabbage will be softer after thawing and reheating.
Nutrition Facts
Leslie Lambert is a lifestyle writer and content creator specializing in home organization, family recipes, and intentional living. With 17 years of experience in blogging and digital storytelling, she helps busy women create calm, purposeful homes they love.
