Instant Pot Cabbage and Sausage (3-Ingredients)
For a quick and flavorful main dish, try this Instant Pot Cabbage & Sausage recipe. You only need three ingredients and two minutes cooking time for a hearty and flavorful meal. This recipe is low-carb, paleo, gluten-free, and keto-friendly.
Sometimes we all need dishes that are beyond simple (like almost zero-effort!), but are still delicious kind of simple.
It’s no secret that cabbage and sausage are a tasty pair, but it turns out when you throw them into the Instant Pot with broth, you get a satisfying meal. I love to do this on a busy weeknight.
All you need for this recipe are cabbage, sausage, and vegetable broth.
You can add sliced carrots, onion, broccoli, fennel bulb, red peppers, medium potatoes, or cauliflower to pack in more veggies if you like. Just be sure to dice them or cut them somewhat small so they cook all the way through.
If you want to add more meat, you can cut up ham and throw it in as well.
You will love this easy pressure cooker cabbage and sausage dish! It’s easy and customizable.
Why You Need This Recipe
- Napa cabbage, green cabbage, or red cabbage cooked with sausage makes a super flavorful dish that’s low in carbs and keto-friendly too!
- You only need 3 ingredients and 2 minutes cooking time, making this dish a 20-minute meal. It’s hard to beat that! It takes longer to pick up takeout than it does to make this healthy Instant Pot meal.
- This dish is packed with cabbage which adds fiber, nutrition, and flavor. It’s especially high in Vitamin C and Vitamin K. You can add more veggies too! Just cut them into small pieces and throw them in at the same time as the broth.
Key Ingredients
Pre-cooked sausage – You can use fresh sausage but you will need to sauté it and slice it first.
If you buy it pre-cooked the pressure cooker will do most of the work for you while it cooks the cabbage. I like to use Kielbasa smoked sausage, but you can also use any type of sausage including Italian sausage, polish kielbasa, or chicken sausage.
Cabbage – Any cabbage will do here. Just be sure to roughly chop a head of cabbage into large chunks and remove the core which is edible but unpleasantly tough.
Vegetable broth – Vegetable broth is a great way to pack in flavor to soups and stews. I like to stock up whenever it goes on sale. The cabbage leaves will soak up all the flavor as they cook.
You can use chicken broth, beef stock, or chicken stock too, if you prefer.
See my recipe for Instant Pot Vegetable Broth if you want to make your own.
Please see the recipe card at the end of this post for the exact ingredients and measurements.
Recipe Steps
Step One
Add the broth to your 6-quart Instant Pot, and along with your sliced sausage and chopped cabbage.
If you’re new to using the Instant Pot, see my guide on how to use the Instant Pot Duo.
You don’t need to worry about cutting the cabbage uniformly, as it will get cooked down.
Please see the recipe card at the end of this post for the exact ingredients and measurements.
Step Two
Lock on the lid and set the cooking time to 2 minutes at high pressure.
When the cooking time is up, use the quick release and then carefully remove the lid.
Step Three
Use a spatula to stir the ingredients and transfer to a serving bowl. Serve your cabbage stew hot.
I know you are going to love this cabbage recipe! It’s an easy recipe that has so much flavor. Feel free to add black pepper, cayenne pepper, or red pepper flakes if you want more spiciness.
This Instant Pot sausage recipe is a tasty meal that the whole family will enjoy.
Store any leftovers in a tightly-sealed airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Reheat before serving.
Recipe Tips & Substitutions
- Peel and chop all of your veggies first so everything comes together quickly. You can do this ahead of time to cut back on prep time. Or, you can use your frozen cabbage from my post on how to freeze cabbage!
- Use gluten-free sausages to make this dish gluten-free or chicken sausage to lighten it up.
- You can choose your favorite sausage to use, including chicken, pork, beef, or even plant-based.
- Use canned beans and pre-cooked sausage for a quick one-pot meal. Beans are a great way to add plant-based protein.
- The total time to make this recipe is about 20 minutes which includes the time needed to prep and bring the pot up to pressure.
Recipe FAQs
If you prefer to use uncooked sausage, then you will need to sauté it first in the Instant Pot with about a tablespoon of oil. Cook it for at least 5-7 minutes, or until is is almost cooked through.
You can use any cabbage you like best. Each kind has slight flavor differences but will cook up perfectly in the pressure cooker. Green cabbage is the most popular for its sweet yet mild flavor.
Yes! Just add all the ingredients to the bottom of the pot and cook for 4-6 hours on high, or until the cabbage has softened. You can also use a Dutch oven on the stovetop or in the oven, if you prefer.
More Easy Instant Pot Recipes You Might Like
- Instant Pot Cabbage
- Instant Pot Potato Soup
- Instant Pot Turkey & Sweet Potato Chili
- Instant Pot Sweet and Sour Pork
- Instant Pot Cabbage Vegetable Soup
Or, check out my entire index of healthy Instant Pot recipes.
Don’t Miss These Instant Pot Resources!
Instant Pot Cabbage & Sausage
For a quick and flavorful main dish, try this Instant Pot Cabbage & Sausage recipe. You only need three ingredients and two minutes cooking time for a hearty and flavorful meal. Low-carb, gluten-free, and keto-friendly.
- Total Time: 22 minutes
- Yield: 4 1x
Ingredients
- 10 ounces pre-cooked Italian or Polish sausage, sliced (about 4 pieces)
- 1 head of cabbage, roughly chopped
- 4 cups reduced-sodium vegetable or chicken broth
Instructions
- Add the broth to your 6-quart or 8-quart Instant Pot, and along with your sliced sausage and chopped cabbage. You don’t need to worry about cutting the cabbage uniformly, as if will get cooked down.
- Lock on the lid and set the cooking time to 2 minutes at high pressure. When the cooking time is up, use the quick-release and then carefully remove the lid.
- Use a spatula to stir the ingredients and transfer to a serving bowl. Serve hot.
Equipment
Buy Now → Notes
- Store any leftovers in a tightly-sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Reheat before serving.
- You can use any type of cabbage in this recipe, including Napa cabbage, green cabbage, or red cabbage.
- You can also use almost any type of sausage, including beef, pork, or plant-based.
- If you prefer to use uncooked sausage, then you will need to sauté it first in the Instant Pot with about a tablespoon of oil. Cook it for at least 5-7 minutes, or until is is almost cooked through.
- The total cooking time includes 10 minutes for the pot to come up to pressure.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 2 minutes
- Category: Main dish
- Method: Instant Pot pressure cooker
- Cuisine: German-inspired
- Diet: Gluten Free
Nutrition
- Serving Size:
- Calories: 333
- Sugar: 11.4 g
- Sodium: 1275.4 mg
- Fat: 20.6 g
- Saturated Fat: 7.1 g
- Carbohydrates: 23.3 g
- Fiber: 6 g
- Protein: 16.5 g
- Cholesterol: 54 mg
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About the Author: Carrie Forrest is the author of the best-selling Instant Pot-authorized cookbook, The Healthy Meal Prep Instant Pot Cookbook. She has a master’s degree in public health with a specialty in nutrition and receives nearly 10 million annual visitors to her site. Send Carrie a message through her contact form.
Yum! Our Bohemian family holiday meal is kielbasa & sauerkraut cooked for hours to combine flavors & tender sausage, in a large Nesco. I will be trying your recipe out on hubby this week! I know this will become a favorite! I’ll be sharing this recipe with those that use pressure cooker! Thanks!! We’ll be enjoying holiday type meal this week!
My favorite IP meal!
So happy to hear that, Donna!
It was very easy and very tasty!
Awesome, thanks Jean! So glad you liked it!
Love this recipe for a quick and easy weeknight meal!