Cajun Smothered Cabbage With Chicken and Sausage

Deep, deep spirit-hugging comfort food, my Cajun smothered cabbage with chicken and sausage is grain free, gluten free, low carb, keto and Paleo yum-deliciousness, y'all. The caramelized Cajun trinity, marinated chicken thighs, spicy south Louisiana sausage, and oh soooo tender cabbage cook down in a natural gravy that chases the cares of the day far, far and away. Yep and yay..

Disclosure: A Sprinkling of Cayenne is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. 

Cajun Smothered Cabbage With Chicken and Sausage is My All-Grown-Up Spin on My Childhood Favorite. Yep.

When I was a kid, I had one major mission in mind throughout every weekly trip to the grocery store with my mom. While other kids were crying for candy, I was sitting in the front of the buggy, impatiently waiting for a peek of my own personal temper tantrum thrower: the humble head of cabbage.

Although my early memories of this are a bit hazy, my mom says that I screamed, kicked, and cried for cabbage every time that I saw one in the store. Yep. High-maintenance grocery store kid me knew what would happen when cabbage met my mom's skilled kitchen hands.

She would slice-shred the raw cabbage to perfection. Then, she would cook it down with browned onion and pickled pork. Here, it would magically become one big pot of yum-deliciousness. One that would make me straight beside myself until my own piping hot bowl of Cajun smothered cabbage was on the dinner table.

Oh, the memories, y'all...I could linger in them forever. But, now I'm the one making the Cajun smothered cabbage. So, I do it my all-grown-up way. I'm allergic to pork. So, I add chicken thighs and my favorite chicken sausage instead. These additions make this low carb Cajun smothered cabbage a one-pot wonderland of many of my favorite flavors and textures.

How to Make Cajun Smothered Cabbage With Chicken and Sausage Just in Time for Your Next Cruciferous Vegetable Craving

I started my Cajun smothered cabbage with chicken and sausage by browning the Cajun trinity of onion, bell pepper and celery in butter. (But, you can also use ghee or your favorite cooking oil for the Paleo version.)

Then, I added garlic, all-night-long marinated chicken thighs, and cut-up chicken sausage to the pot.

As you can see, the escaping juices from the cooked Cajun marinated chicken mixed right into the butter. This made an out-of-this-world gravy that eliminates the need for any additional water or broth. And, it also injects each bite of the Cajun smothered cabbage with chicken and sausage with a deep, rich flavor that lets you know you are indeed eating something south Louisiana special. Yep.

Next, I added the shred-sliced cabbage to the pot in batches. Then, I let each batch cook down into the trinity and chicken base a few minutes. This process allowed each piece of raw cabbage to take on the flavors of the caramelized veggies and meats as it cooked.

Once all of the raw cabbage was incorporated into the base veggies and meat, I adjusted the seasonings. Finally, I let the whole thing simmer for about 30 minutes. And then it was time to savor each rich, earthy delicious bite.

The soft, sweet Cajun smothered cabbage melts right in your mouth. And the marinated chicken thighs and sausage add meaty texture and flavor-injected zest into every spoonful. And the natural gravy, y'all...There are almost no words to describe its intense depth of flavor and velvety consistency. Y'all just have to blissfully taste it to fully experience it!

Share with those who'll hug you for making them an oh soooo sophisticated spin on this beloved, rustic dish. And see y'all on the yum side...

Cajun Smothered Cabbage With Chicken and Sausage

Cajun Smothered Cabbage With Chicken and Sausage. A traditional south Louisiana dish that's keto, Paleo, grain free, gluten free and low carb. 

Print Pin Rate

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Cajun

Keyword: cajun smothered cabbage, cajun smothered cabbage with chicken and sausage

Prep Time: 1 day day

Cook Time: 45 minutes minutes

Total Time: 1 day day 30 minutes minutes

Servings: 4

Author: Lyn Corinne Liner | A Sprinkling of Cayenne

Ingredients

• 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs

For the Cajun chicken thigh marinade

• 1 ½ cups grain free chicken broth
• 1 tablespoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
• 1 tablespoon parsley flakes
• 1 tablespoon gluten free Worcestershire sauce or coconut aminos
• 1 tablespoon paprika

For the Cajun Smothered Cabbage with Chicken and Sausage

• 4 tablespoons butter, ghee or oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 green bell pepper, chopped
• 4 celery ribs, chopped
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 12 ounces Manda green onion chicken sausage
• 2 heads cabbage, shredded
• salt, black pepper, and cayenne pepper to taste
• 1 teaspoon Louisiana hot sauce
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1 teaspoon parsley flakes

Instructions

• Marinate the chicken with the broth, Worcestershire, hot sauce, garlic powder, paprika and parsley flakes overnight for best results. 
• Discard marinade. Cut chicken thighs into small, bite-sized pieces. 
• Brown the Cajun trinity of onion, bell pepper, and celery in the butter, ghee or oil. 
• Add the chicken thighs and sausage. Cook for about 5 minutes, or until the chicken is just cooked through.  
• Add SP&C to taste along with the paprika, hot sauce and parsley flakes. Stir until well-incorporated.
• Add the shredded cabbage in batches. Cook each batch for about 5 minutes, or until the cabbage starts to wilt and incorporate into the trinity/meat base. 
• Cook for an additional 30 minutes, or until the cabbage is very soft. Adjust seasonings before serving. 

Notes

If you don't marinate the chicken thighs before hand, add ½ to ¾ cup chicken broth to the trinity/meat mixture, right before you add the first batch of shredded raw cabbage. 

Click here to follow on Instagram @asprinklingofcayenne

The information shown is an estimate provided by a third-party, online computer-generated nutrition calculator, not a registered dietitian or certified nutritionist. Actual nutritional content will vary based upon brands used, measuring methods and individual portion sizes, along with other factors.

See our full nutrition disclaimer here.