Instant Pot Cabbage and Kielbasa is a delicious easy recipe that has so much flavor with only a handful of ingredients and little prep time. This is perfect old-fashioned comfort food that you can serve as a main dish or as a side dish. Make this cabbage recipe in the electric pressure cooker and enjoy an easy one-pot dinner. This is also a low carb Instant Pot recipe.
Instant Pot Cabbage and Kielbasa
This is part of a collection of easy Instant Pot recipes with simple ingredients and great flavor. This Instant Pot Kielbasa and cabbage recipe is very good! So is my Instant Pot Cabbage Soup recipe.
Today's recipe features buttery cabbage with smoky kielbasa sausage. Cooking this recipe in the pressure cooker is a great way to make a one-pot meal.
Are you a cabbage fan? I sure am, never too much cabbage! For instance, this recipe for soft, flavorful Instant Pot Buttered Cabbage that is pressure cooked to become a soft and tasty side dish.
What is in This Pressure Cooker Cabbage and Sausage Recipe?
There are only seven ingredients, not counting the salt and pepper.
• Polish Kielbasa (I use turkey kielbasa)
• Vegetable Broth
• Green Cabbage
• Sweet Onion
• Garlic
• Butter
• Caraway Seeds, Salt & Black Pepper
How to Make Instant Pot Sausage and Cabbage
This is such an easy Instapot recipe to make.
Gather all of the ingredients together before you begin.
1) Chop the whole head of cabbage into 2-inch bite-sized pieces. Cut the kielbasa sausage into ½-inch rounds. Chop the onion into 1-inch pieces.
2) Turn on the Sauté setting. When the pot is hot, add the butter and the sausage pieces in a layer, if possible.
3) Brown the sausage on both sides, just enough to get some color, as kielbasa is an already cooked smoked sausage.
4) Add the chopped onion and stir well. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion starts to soften.
5) Add a splash of the broth and use a wooden spoon to scrape up the browned bits off of the bottom of the Instant Pot (deglazing the bottom of the pot).
6) Add the caraway seeds, salt, and pepper. Stir well.
7) Add in the garlic using a garlic press (or use minced garlic) and stir well. Cook, stirring, about 30 seconds, being careful not to burn the garlic.
8) Pour in the remaining broth and stir.
9) Turn off the Sauté setting and then add the cabbage and stir.
10) Close the lid and set the steam release knob to the Sealing position, if not self-sealing.
11) Press the Pressure Cook/Manual button or dial, then the +/- button or dial to select 3 minutes (5 minutes for softer cabbage). High Pressure. The pot will take a couple of minutes or so to come to pressure.
12) When the cook time has finished, immediately turn the steam release knob to the Venting position to Quick Release the steam/pressure. When the pin in the lid drops back down, open the lid.
13) Stir the contents of the pot and dish up the cabbage and sausage using a slotted spoon. There will be liquid left in the pot (it's very tasty!).
More Cabbage Recipes
Try my Instant Pot Kielbasa, Cabbage, Potato Soup, or Instant Pot Kalua Pork (Kalua Pig) and use lots of cabbage as it goes so well in it!
Instant Pot German Red Cabbage
Instant Pot Braised Cabbage and Apples
Instant Pot Unstuffed Cabbage Rolls
Instant Pot Cabbage Side Dish
Instant Pot Stuffed Cabbage Rolls
Substitutions and Additions to This Cabbage & Kielbasa Recipe
Additions:
There are many variations to this tasty meal, add as many as you want!
• Small Red Potatoes
• Chopped Fennel Bulb
• Red Pepper Flakes
• Cayenne Pepper and/or Hot Sauce
• Different Types of Broth: Chicken Broth or Chicken Stock, Beef Broth or Beef Stock, or even a cup of Water.
Substitutions:
• A Tablespoon of Olive Oil in place of Butter
• In place of the kielbasa sausage: Italian Sausage, small Ground Turkey Sausage Patties (be sure to fully cook raw sausage, if using).
• Use 1 teaspoon Garlic Powder if you don't have fresh garlic.
More Great Instant Pot Recipes to Try
Instant Pot Cuban Black Beans
Instant Pot Easy Tomato Soup
Instant Pot Potato Soup
Instant Pot Green Beans with Potatoes and Bacon
Storage of the Leftovers
Store leftover Instant Pot Cabbage and Kielbasa in an airtight container or other tightly-sealed container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
If you make this easy meal in your Instapot, please let me know. You can leave a comment with a star rating below.

Instant Pot Cabbage and Kielbasa is a delicious one-pot meal. Buttery cabbage cooked with smoky kielbasa sausage. Easy and tasty!
- 2 Tablespoons Butter
- 13 ounces Polska Kielbasa Smoked Sausage (I use Turkey)
- 1 Sweet Onion, chopped
- 1 teaspoon Caraway Seeds
- ½ teaspoon Coarse Salt
- ½ teaspoon Black Pepper
- 3 cloves Garlic
- ¾ cup Vegetable Broth
- 1 medium head Green Cabbage
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Gather all of the ingredients together.
Chop the whole head of cabbage into 2-inch bite-sized pieces. Cut the kielbasa sausage into ½-inch rounds. Chop the onion into 1-inch pieces.
-
Turn on the Sauté setting. When the pot is hot, add the butter and the sausage pieces in a layer, if possible.
-
Brown the sausage on both sides, just enough to get some color, as kielbasa is a cooked smoked sausage.
-
Add the chopped onion and stir well. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion starts to soften.
-
Add in the garlic using a garlic press (or use minced garlic) and stir well. Cook, stirring, about 30 seconds, being careful not to burn the garlic.
-
Add the caraway seeds, salt, and pepper. Stir well.
-
Add a splash of the broth and use a wooden spoon to scrape up the browned bits off of the bottom of the Instant Pot (deglazing the bottom of the pot).
-
Pour in the remaining broth and stir.
-
Turn off the Sauté setting and then add the cabbage and stir.
-
Close the lid and set the steam release knob to the Sealing position, if not self-sealing.
-
Press the Pressure Cook/Manual button or dial, then the +/- button or dial to select 3 minutes (5 minutes for softer cabbage). High Pressure. The pot will take a couple of minutes or so to come to pressure.
-
When the cook time has finished, immediately turn the steam release knob to the Venting position to Quick Release the steam/pressure. When the pin in the lid drops back down, open the lid.
-
Stir the contents of the pot and dish up the cabbage and sausage using a slotted spoon. There will be liquid left in the pot (it's very tasty!).
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Serve hot.
You can add other vegetables such as fennel, carrots, etc.
Use any broth you like, or water.
Debbie
Delicious! I loved it.