Healthy and satisfying keto low carb fried cabbage and knockwurst is a quick weeknight dinner or an easy meal to prep for grab-and-go lunches.

This recipe is a one-pan meal, which makes dinner super easy. I’ve prepared a free eBook of one-pan meals for you — be sure to get your copy below!

With only six ingredients, fried cabbage and knockwurst may just become your new favorite comfort meal.

In the previous post, I shared the cabbage and noodles recipe that was passed down from my grandma. My family affectionately called her “Nanny”. Everything in Nanny’s kitchen was made with love.⁠

Now that I’m following a low carb way of eating, I like to make this recipe without the noodles.

But the other day I wanted to try turning it into a heartier, low carb easy keto main dish.

I opened my fridge to see what I had that could compliment the cabbage. There I found some beautiful plump beef knockwurst. Perfect.

Knockwurst and cabbage stir fry was the way to go. The ultimate keto food.

Within thirty minutes, I had a pan of the most delicious fried cabbage and knockwurst. Nanny would have been proud.

And it’s made all in one skillet so clean up is super easy too.

Is cabbage good for you?

You bet it is. In addition to being a good source of potassium, folate, and vitamin K, it can also boost your body’s natural defenses against disease. Read more here.

I think Nanny knew it was good for her family so she made it often.

Is cabbage keto?

It sure is a versatile vegetable to add to your keto meal plans!

Whether you cook it as I do in this recipe or enjoy it raw like in this keto coleslaw, cabbage is definitely one of the keto friendly vegetables.

There’s only 2.3 grams of net carbs per cup in shredded raw green cabbage. When it’s cooked it has 5.4 grams of net carbs because a cup serving size has more cabbage by weight, since it shrinks and loses some water content during cooking. Read more here and here.

Note that a cup of chopped red cabbage has 3.7 grams of net carbs. And when it’s cooked, a cup has 6.5 grams of net carbs. Read more here and here.

Let me show you how easy it is to make.

Instructions with step by step images

*Free printable recipe card is available at the end of the post.

Slice your onion into thin strips and set aside. Next, slice your cabbage into thin strips. I like to use the slicing blade of my food processor to do this. Zip, zip, and it’s done.

In a deep skillet, caramelize your onion in butter. This will take about ten minutes to get a nice caramelization over a medium heat. Season with salt, pepper, and garlic powder.

Ooh, look at that nice caramelization in the bottom of the skillet. Scrape that up with your spatula and mix it in.

That’s where the flavor is. It will come into our sauce and make it very scrumptious.

Then add your cabbage slices. It might look like they’re overflowing, but you can cover the pan for a minute or two, and they’ll cook down pretty quickly.

Mix the sweet onion and cabbage continuing to sauté.

Now add your chicken broth.

At this point, you could serve your fried cabbage as a tasty side dish.

Or add your sliced fully-cooked knockwurst for your main meal.

Once the cabbage and onion mixture is completely cooked down and browned on all the edges, turn the flame off. Garnish with parsley and serve warm right from the skillet.

Pro tips and recipe notes

How to core your cabbage: First, remove the thick outer leaves of your cabbage. Then, with a chef’s knife, cut your cabbage in half lengthwise, all the way through the core. Next, you’ll need to remove the triangular core. To do this, cut into the core at an angle where the stem meets the leaves of the cabbage and remove it. Now you’re ready to slice it.
Store the extra half: You can wrap the unused half tightly in plastic wrap or in a plastic bag, making sure to push all the air out. Store it in your fridge in the crisper drawer.
Don’t have a food processor or just don’t feel like taking it out? This mandoline also works for slicing thin strips. Or just slice your onion and cabbage by hand with a sharp chef’s knife into thin strips.
Today I stirred my cabbage together with knockwurst. You can go with sausage, kielbasa, bacon, hot dogs, or even chicken. It’s up to you.
I love the buttery garlic flavor of this recipe. Feel free to add your favorite spices. Will you add paprika, curry, chili, cumin, saffron? Make it your own.
You can store your cabbage stir fry in the fridge for up to 4-5 days. Just heat in the microwave or a hot skillet.

There’s nothing fancy about this dish. It’s kind of rustic and homey. Pure comfort food. And did I mention that it’s easy too?

I can’t wait for you to try this recipe. And if you have any questions, please reach out to me in the comments or shoot me an email, and I’ll respond ASAP.

More healthy cabbage recipes

The tastiest low carb stuffed cabbage: this is one of my most popular recipes. If you haven’t made it yet, I show you how with step by step images in this recipe.

How to make super-nutritious sauerkraut: You’re going to love this sauerkraut. There’s nothing like the taste of homemade.

Baby bok choy with sweet and tangy sauce: Bok Choy is a type of Chinese cabbage. It’s one of the most nutrient-dense foods you can eat.⁠

Zoodle soup with mini meatballs: In this recipe, you’ll chop up baby bok choy and toss it in the soup. Yum.

Surówka: This is a a Polish sauerkraut, carrot and apple salad that’s healthy and delicious.

Watch how to make it!

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