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You’ll feel the luck of the Irish when you tuck into this hearty and savory Slow Cooker Sausage, Cabbage, and Potatoes recipe.

a bowl of Irish sausage, cabbage, and potatoes with Irish soda bread and Guinness

I shed a tear the day I changed my last name.

My little weep was not because I had to make a dreaded trip to the DMV or because I had taken on a married name that rhymed with my first name.

My single issue with my married name: it was not Irish.

I grew up a loud and proud Irish girl thanks to my dad and grandfather (even though I’m actually 75% German).

So it was a bit of an identity crisis when I adopted a new last name that didn’t have a shred of Gaelic pride.

It shouldn’t surprise you then that on March 17th, you can find me baking Irish soda bread, sipping a Whiskey Smash, and eating this Irish slow cooker sausage, cabbage, and potatoes.

Yes, I really am that cliché.

Cabbage, sausage and potatoes recipe in a slow cooker

5 Star Review

“My whole family LOVES this! So many complementary flavors. Yum!”

— Lynne —

Irish cuisine does not enjoy the warm repute of some of the country’s more celebrated exports (i.e. Guinness especially for these Guinness Brownies).

Irish food is hearty, starchy, and generally designed to fuel farmers to withstand long days in soggy fields.

Key ingredients in Irish cuisine include potatoes, sausages, more potatoes, cabbage (hello, Cabbage Steaks), and did I mention potatoes?

To celebrate St. Paddy’s, I took these traditional ingredients, added some sweetly sautéed onions, dried oregano, and punchy roasted red peppers, popped it all into the slow cooker, and let it work its magic.

The resulting recipe is a hearty and satisfying dish that’s perfectly festive for St. Patrick’s Day (like this Crockpot Beef Stew) but easy enough to whip up and enjoy any night you’re looking for some good old-fashioned comfort food.

Slow cooker cabbage and sausage in a bowl with potatoes

How to Make Slow Cooker Sausage, Cabbage, and Potatoes

With juicy smoked turkey sausage, tender potatoes, cabbage, and zippy roasted red peppers, this simple Irish dinner recipe is full of comforting flavors that come to life right in your slow cooker.

For another yummy crockpot recipe with potatoes, check out this Crockpot Potato Soup.

No crockpot? Try this One Pan Cabbage and Sausage Skillet with Rice instead.


The Ingredients

  • Smoked Sausage. I keep things lean and mean with smoked turkey sausage (a.k.a. turkey kielbasa). Cooked properly, I find that it’s just as juicy as pork or beef varieties but with considerably less fat and cholesterol.

Substitution Tip

If you can’t find smoked turkey sausage, you can of course swap it for a different variety of smoked sausage of your choice.

  • Cabbage. This recipe calls for a whole head of cabbage to go in the slow cooker. It will look like a lot initially but it cooks down considerably as it wilts (just like in this Sautéed Cabbage). Packed with vitamin K, vitamin C, and folate, cabbage is one vegetable that, I feel, doesn’t get enough love.
  • Potatoes. My favorite type of potatoes for slow cooker sausage and cabbage with potatoes are Yukon gold potatoes. When cooked they become incredibly soft, buttery, and creamy (they also make the best Homemade Scalloped Potatoes).

Market Swap

Baby red potatoes, russet potatoes, or fingerling potatoes are good slow cooker substitutes if you don’t have Yukon gold potatoes on hand.

  • Onions + Garlic. Add the perfect balance of sweetness and bite to the dish.
  • Roasted Red Peppers. For a little contrast color, zip, and added flavor that compliments the spices of the sausage. (Here’s how I make Roasted Red Peppers from scratch.)
  • Oregano. A sprinkling of earthy dried oregano adds aromatic herb flavor to round out the recipe.

Tip!

You can jazz this recipe up further with other complimentary fresh or dried herbs you enjoy. Parsley, rosemary, thyme, or sage would all be wonderful additions to this dish.

two bowls of sausage, cabbage, and potatoes with roasted red peppers and a side of Irish soda bread

The Directions

  1. Saute the onions in melted butter until softened. Add the garlic, then cook until fragrant.
Sautéing sausage and potatoes in a dutch oven before transferring to a slow cooker
  1. Add potatoes, sausage, salt, oregano, and pepper and cook until the sausage begins to brown.
a crockpot sausage, cabbage, and potatoes meal for St. Patrick's day
  1. Transfer to a slow cooker, add the water and cover with a lid. Cook on LOW for 6-8 hours.
Adding cabbage and roasted red peppers to a slow cooker full of Irish sausage and potatoes
  1. During the final 30 minutes, add in the cabbage and red bell peppers.
a crockpot with a sausage, cabbage, and potatoes for St. Paddy's Day
  1. Cook until the cabbage has wilted, then serve warm. ENJOY!

Dietary Note

Good news! This recipe, as it is written, is entirely gluten-free. While most kielbasa and smoked sausages are produced gluten free, I always suggest double checking your labels if purchasing from a brand that you have not enjoyed previously.

Storage Tips

  • To Store. Leftovers can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
  • To Reheat. Warm in the microwave for 1 to 2 minutes until heated through.
  • To Freeze. Store leftover slow cooker sausage and cabbage in the freezer for up to 3 months. Defrost overnight in the fridge before warming.

What to Serve with Slow Cooker Sausage and Cabbage

A bowl of slow cooker Irish potatoes, turkey sausage, and cabbage

Recommended Tools to Make this Recipe

  • Slow Cooker. For this recipe, I like using a programmable slow cooker so I can set it and forget it.
  • Dutch Oven. Or a deep heavy skillet is needed for the initial sauting of the sausage, potatoes, and onions.
  • Chef’s Knife. This is perhaps the best investment you can make if you are someone who does a lot of chopping in the kitchen.

The Best Slow Cooker

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two bowls of sausage, cabbage, and potatoes with roasted red peppers and a side of Irish soda bread

Forget about the pot of gold, I want a slow cooker full of this crockpot sausage, potatoes, and cabbage at the end of my next rainbow.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I Make Irish Sausage and Cabbage in an Instant Pot?

I have never tried making this sausage, potatoes, and cabbage recipe in a pressure cooker before so I, unfortunately, cannot offer any tips for adapting this recipe for the Instant Pot.

Is Kielbasa Polish?

Yes. It can be difficult to find authentic Irish sausages (or bangers) in the United States unless you’re lucky enough to live near an Irish market (in which case, go for it!). Polish kielbasa is an accessible alternative that still tastes great.

Could I Make Slow Cooker Sausage with Sauerkraut?

I have never made this slow cooker sausage recipe with sauerkraut before however, I imagine you could swap a small portion of the cabbage for sauerkraut—it would have more of a German flair and will be more vinegary and the cabbage more mushy, since sauerkraut is already soft. If you decide to experiment, I’d love to hear about your results.

Can I Add Beer?

Now that’s the spirit! Yes, you can swap the water in this recipe for a dark beer, amber beer, or lager.

Slow Cooker Sausage, Cabbage, and Potatoes

4.91 from 10 votes
This slow cooker sausage, cabbage, and potatoes meal is the perfect recipe to serve on St. Patrick's Day or anytime you need a cozy dinner.

Prep: 15 minutes
Cook: 6 hours
Total: 6 hours 15 minutes

Servings: 4 people

Ingredients
  

  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 yellow onion large, chopped
  • 4 cloves garlic minced
  • 5 Yukon gold potatoes small/medium, cut into 3/4 inch pieces
  • 12 ounces smoked turkey sausage such as kielbasa
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
  • 1 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1/4 cup water
  • 5 cups cabbage chopped, about 1 large head
  • 1 cup chopped roasted red bell peppers from a jar

Instructions
 

  • In a large pot over medium, melt butter with olive oil. Once the butter has melted, add onions and saute until they begin to soften and turn translucent; about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 additional minute.
  • Add potatoes, sausage, salt, oregano, and pepper. Stir and cook until sausage begins to brown, about 5 minutes.
  • Transfer the entire pot to a 5-quart or larger slow cooker and cover with 1/4 cup water.
  • Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours. For the last 30 minutes of cooking, stir in the cabbage and red bell peppers.
  • Once the cabbage and peppers are tender, serve warm. Ideally, beside a pint of Guinness.

Notes

  • TO STORE: Leftovers can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
  • TO REHEAT: Warm in the microwave for 1 to 2 minutes until heated through.
  • TO FREEZE: Store leftover slow cooker sausage and cabbage in the freezer for up to 3 months. Defrost overnight in the fridge before warming.

Nutrition

Serving: 1(of 4)Calories: 461kcalCarbohydrates: 53gProtein: 19gFat: 21gSaturated Fat: 8gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 9gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 60mgPotassium: 1347mgFiber: 9gSugar: 9gVitamin A: 586IUVitamin C: 120mgCalcium: 124mgIron: 11mg

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Erin Clarke

Hi, I'm Erin Clarke, and I'm fearlessly dedicated to making healthy food that's affordable, easy-to-make, and best of all DELISH. I'm the author and recipe developer here at wellplated.com and of The Well Plated Cookbook. I adore both sweets and veggies, and I am on a mission to save you time and dishes. WELCOME!

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14 Comments

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  1. I added 1/2 a beer instead, doubled the meat because I was feeding 7 ppl. I added 1/2 the cabbage early and the other 1/2 at last minute. It was a huge hit. Everyone loved it – my daughter had three helpings! It was a little salty for my taste so next time I might cut down on the salt but that might just be because my turkey sausage had tons of salt in it. Thanks!5 stars

    1. Hi Laura! I am so excited that you enjoyed this recipe, and I love that you used beer instead of water. What a fun idea, and that is even more Irish! Thank you so much for taking time to let me know how it turned out. Have a wonderful weekend!

  2. This hearty recipe was perfect for our St. Paddy’s dinner and so easy and yummy, we’ll be making it again!5 stars

  3. Wow! The luck of the Irish was with me when this recipe showed up in my inbox. I made this for dinner and it was outstanding. I don’t think my husband and I will be waiting for 2023 St Patrick’s Day for a repeat…it is too good to wait a year before making it again! I also made the Irish soda bread that was linked above and that didn’t disappoint either. Such an amazing dinner! Thank you!5 stars

  4. I’m curious… can you skip the sautee step? I’m thinking of assembling this in the morning before leaving for work and this would make prep quicker.

    1. Hi Lara! You probably could, I just love the extra step in sautéing the veggies. It helps bring out the flavors and gives it great texture. If you end up skipping the step, I’d love to know how it goes!

    1. Hi Tara! I haven’t tested this with bratwurst but it likely could. I’d keep in mind that kielbasa typically already comes smoked or precook and bratwurt does not so it might change the timing on how long it cooks. If you decide to experiment, let me know how it goes!

  5. This sounds great! Can you just add all of the ingredients in at the same time and cook it all together? Was just wondering why you need to add them at the end

    1. Hi Dianna, it would over cook the cabbage and bell peppers, so I don’t recommend putting them in with the recipe of the ingredients. Enjoy!