19 Best Kielbasa and Smoked Sausage Recipes (2024)

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Lizz Schumer

19 Best Kielbasa and Smoked Sausage Recipes (1)

Lizz Schumer

A journalist, writer, and author, Lizz Schumer has 10+ years of experience covering food and drink for a wide variety of well-known print and online publications.

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Updated on 09/24/20

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19 Best Kielbasa and Smoked Sausage Recipes (2)

Kielbasa—also known as Polish sausage—has a slightly sweet, slightly spicy, all-umami flavor that works great in any recipe that calls for sausage. Use kielbasa as an entree itself or in casseroles, soups, stews, sandwiches, and appetizers.

Thinly sliced and fried, the smoked sausage also makes a delicious breakfast meat to serve with eggs, French toast or pancakes. You can also add it to your favorite breakfast casserole instead of sausage links or patties. Swap it in for recipes that call for Andouille, chorizo, or any other smoked or fully-cooked sausage.

What Is Kielbasa?

  • 01 of 19

    Cauliflower and Sausage Roast

    19 Best Kielbasa and Smoked Sausage Recipes (4)

    With cheddar cheese, Cajun seasoning, and onion, this cauliflower and sausage roast would taste great with either kielbasa or andouille sausage. It makes a great one-dish meal for a hearty supper.

  • 02 of 19

    Slow Cooker Polish Sausage and Cabbage Soup

    This Polish sausage soup uses browned kielbasa, onion, and cabbage, along with cubed potatoes and broth for a stick-to-your-ribs soup. Add some caraway seeds if you like the flavor, as well as optional tomatoes.

  • 03 of 19

    Kale and White Bean Soup With Sausage

    19 Best Kielbasa and Smoked Sausage Recipes (6)

    Use ​spicy sausage or kielbasa in this tasty soup that combines creamy white beans and plenty of nutritious veggies. Serve the soup with freshly baked cornbread or biscuits to make it a whole meal that works great for a weekend lunch or dinner anytime.

  • 04 of 19

    Easy Sausage Bake With Sauerkraut and Apples

    19 Best Kielbasa and Smoked Sausage Recipes (7)

    This traditional meal brings out the spices in kielbasa with some simple accoutrements. Sauerkraut and apples complement the meat nicely, giving it a sweet and sour tang. Best of all, it takes so little time to put together, it makes a great weeknight supper.

    Continue to 5 of 19 below.

  • 05 of 19

    Crock Pot Sausage Stew

    19 Best Kielbasa and Smoked Sausage Recipes (8)

    This creamy, slow cooker sausage stew is as versatile as your imagination. It tastes great with kielbasa or other smoked sausage, but you can also use hot Italian sausage or Andouille if you like a little more kick. Try it for a set-it-and-forget-it supper.

  • 06 of 19

    Slow Cooker Lentil Soup with Smoked Sausage and Tomatoes

    19 Best Kielbasa and Smoked Sausage Recipes (9)

    Adding sliced sausage to classic lentil soup makes this a hearty, stick-to-your-ribs main dish soup. Mix up the vegetables to suit what you have in the fridge. Good options include carrots, onions, celery, tomatoes, and spinach, kale, or Swiss chard.

  • 07 of 19

    Sweet and Sour Kielbasa

    19 Best Kielbasa and Smoked Sausage Recipes (10)

    This budget-friendly ​kielbasa recipe includes pineapple, onions, and bell pepper chunks cooked in a tangy vinegar, soy sauce, and brown sugar sauce that has Asian inflections. Serve it over rice as a main meal or with toothpicks as a snack or appetizer.

  • 08 of 19

    Slow Cooker Kielbasa Sausage in Beer and Mustard Sauce

    19 Best Kielbasa and Smoked Sausage Recipes (11)

    Crack open a cold one for this easy smoked sausage dish that uses beer and mustard for a finger-lickin' sauce. It's a tasty busy-day dish to serve with potatoes to round things out. It also works as an appetizer, as long as you slice the kielbasa small enough to make it a suitable finger food.

    Continue to 9 of 19 below.

  • Chicken Bog

    19 Best Kielbasa and Smoked Sausage Recipes (12)

    Smoked sausage adds tons of flavor to this hearty Southern stew that hails from South Carolina. Tender chicken, rice, and sausage come together in a flavorful herb-scented broth for a classic dish. Toss a few veggies in the chicken bog for a complete meal or serve with salad or coleslaw.

  • 10 of 19

    Roasted Potato and Sausage Dinner

    19 Best Kielbasa and Smoked Sausage Recipes (13)

    Use small potatoes like red-skinned or new potatoes to get the right texture in this roasted potato and sausage meal. Add cubed sweet potatoes, butternut squash, or other root vegetables for autumnal flare, or sub in cauliflower for some of the potatoes for a lower-carb dish.

  • 11 of 19

    Sausage and Cabbage Stew with Beans and Tomatoes

    19 Best Kielbasa and Smoked Sausage Recipes (14)

    Cabbage, beans, apple juice, and tomatoes give this sweet-tart sausage stew lots of flavor, and the recipe leave plenty of room for interpretation. Add diced carrots, celery, potatoes, or other root vegetables to bulk it up further, or mix up the spice profile for a different taste.

  • 12 of 19

    Polish American Breakfast Skillet

    19 Best Kielbasa and Smoked Sausage Recipes (15)

    Polish sausage, eggs, bell pepper, and potatoes come together for a slightly spicy, super filling breakfast that would also make a great breakfast-for-dinner dish.

    Continue to 13 of 19 below.

  • 13 of 19

    Purple Hull Peas and Sausage

    19 Best Kielbasa and Smoked Sausage Recipes (16)

    For a Southern-accented dish, use purple hull peas and a smoked sausage like kielbasa. You can eat both the peas and the pod, but we shell the peas for this recipe. If you can't find purple hull peas, use black-eyed peas instead for a similar flavor and texture.

  • 14 of 19

    Kale and White Bean Soup with Sausage

    19 Best Kielbasa and Smoked Sausage Recipes (17)

    Kale gives this simple sausage and white bean soup lovely textural contrast, plus an extra hit of nutrition. If you don't care for kale, you can also use swiss chard, spinach, or other sturdy leafy greens. Serve with crusty bread or cornbread.

  • 15 of 19

    Slow Cooker Sausage Beef Chili

    19 Best Kielbasa and Smoked Sausage Recipes (18)

    Make this meat-lovers chili with any smoked sausage you have, including smoked Polish sausage, kielbasa, or andouille. Adjust the chili spices to adapt to the spiciness of your sausage, and the preferences of your dinner guests. Top it with guacamole, sour cream, diced green onion, and shredded cheddar cheese.

  • 16 of 19

    Polish Kielbasa Sausage

    19 Best Kielbasa and Smoked Sausage Recipes (19)

    For a fun weekend project, try making your own traditional Polish Biala Kielbasa. Adjust the levels of salt, garlic, and pepper to suit your tastes but make sure you fry up and taste a test patty before stuffing so you know what you're getting into.

    Continue to 17 of 19 below.

  • 17 of 19

    Sweet and Spicy Kielbasa

    19 Best Kielbasa and Smoked Sausage Recipes (20)

    If you like sweet and sour co*cktail meatballs, you'll love this smoked sausage slow cooker recipe. It uses only four ingredients that you may already have in stock, so you can also pull it together quickly and easily.

  • 18 of 19

    Savory Chicken and Sausage Stew

    19 Best Kielbasa and Smoked Sausage Recipes (21)

    Use a cut-up stew chicken or chicken parts and kielbasa or other smoked sausage for this versatile and delicious stew. It freezes well, so don't worry about the large batch. Add other vegetables if you have some going over in the crisper, too.

  • 19 of 19

    Sausage and Potato Soup

    19 Best Kielbasa and Smoked Sausage Recipes (22)

    The heat of the smoked sausage will give this creamy potato soup its spiciness, so choose your adventure accordingly. If you use andouille sausage, it will have more kick, but if you go for kielbasa or another smoked sausage, it will come out a bit milder. Don't forget the crusty bread to soak up the broth.

Classic German Recipes Everyone Should Know

19 Best Kielbasa and Smoked Sausage Recipes (2024)

FAQs

What is the best way to cook smoked kielbasa? ›

Preheat the oven to 375 to 425 degrees F. You can roast the kielbasa in one big piece or cut it up any way you like. Place it on a greased baking sheet and roast until it's browned and heated all the way through, anywhere from 15 to 30 minutes depending on the temperature and the size of your pieces.

What is the difference between smoked sausage and kielbasa? ›

Kielbasa is a famous type of lightly pork or pork and beef smoked sausage that hails from Poland. In comparison to traditional sausage, kielbasa usually has a distinctive garlic taste along with other flavorings like smoke, cloves, pimentos and marjoram.

What is the best way to eat kielbasa? ›

Kielbasa is best served on a plate or in a roll with mustard, horseradish, or sauerkraut, but can also be combined with other ingredients in stews, soups, casseroles, and sauces.

What is kielbasa traditionally served with? ›

Cooked kielbasa is traditionally accompanied by sauerkraut or fried onions. Polish kielbasa comes in more than 100 varieties.

Do you take the casing off kielbasa before cooking? ›

While most sausage lovers will cook a sausage in its casing, there are times when the casings can be removed. Removing a sausage casing gives you access to the deliciousness inside, allowing you to use the filling for other recipe ideas.

Should you boil kielbasa before frying it? ›

Fresh Kielbasa
  1. BOIL: Place it in a pot of cold water; once the water starts to boil cook it for only 10 minutes on Medium heat. Turn it off and let it sit for another 5 minutes. ...
  2. GRILL: ...
  3. Fry: Put it in a pan with a little water (about an inch) on the bottom, cook on Medium, covered. ...
  4. Bake: Pre-heat over to 375 degrees.

How do Polish people eat kielbasa? ›

Kiełbasa Chrzanowa (Horseradish Sausage) - a pork smoked sausage that offers an unforgettable taste & aroma with its addition of celery and horseradish. Krakowska Kiełbasa - this is one of Poland's best-sellers, made from lean pork meat and smoked, baked or boiled and dried. It usually is eaten cold in thin slices.

Which is healthier bacon or kielbasa? ›

Overall, bacon is lower in calories and saturated fat and by trimming visible fat you can lower this again, so from a nutritional stand bacon wins.

Is kielbasa healthier than hot dogs? ›

But even better: by choosing a serving of turkey kielbasa, you'll ingest just 5 grams of fat (1.5 grams of saturated fat) versus the bunless hotdog or hamburger, which deliver 9 grams of fat and 3.5-4 grams of saturated fat.

Should you poke holes in kielbasa? ›

Sure, some recipes suggest that you poke or score the casings, because it might prevent the sausages from bursting at the ends, while helping the interior cook slightly faster and more evenly. However, you should skip that step and simply cook the sausages at the right temperature for the proper amount of time.

Can you overcook kielbasa? ›

It will take you an average of anything between 20–25 minutes, which is not a relatively long cooking time. Overcooking or overheating the sausage past 160 °F will make the fat in the meat melt and evaporate, leaving the sausage less juicy or dry.

Do you eat the casing on kielbasa? ›

They are often made from the intestines of pigs, sheep, or cattle, and are cleaned and processed to remove any impurities before use. Natural casings are edible and safe to consume, as long as they are prepared and cooked properly.

What flavors go well with kielbasa? ›

Try pairing this sausage with citrus, vinegar, yogurt, kimchi, tamarind, or any other sour ingredient you love. You'll love how the sour flavors in this Sourdough Stuffing With Kielbasa, Pine Nuts, and Currants recipe taste with our all-natural kielbasa! Kielbasa adds a hearty, protein-heavy kick to a savory stuffing.

What pairs well with smoked sausage? ›

Smoked Sausage Meal Ideas
  • Southern Baked Beans. The sweet flavor of baked beans pairs perfectly with smoked sausage. ...
  • Potato Salad. Homemade potato salad is just what you need to mellow out a barbecue or picnic featuring smoked Premio Hot Italian Sausage. ...
  • Roasted Vegetables.

What is the white stuff in kielbasa package? ›

Just like cheese (camembert, brie or Roquefort), there's no need to add anything, as this is nature's work. The white powder that sits on the casing of a dry sausage isn't flour, or bacteria, or saltpeter! It is a fungus, but not any fungus! We're talking about penicillium.

How to cook smoked Polska kielbasa? ›

Cut the sausage rope into bun-length pieces, and grill for 4-6 minutes on each side. When they reach an internal temp of 145°F, they're hot enough to eat! Place them on a roll with brown mustard, tangy sauerkraut, and diced onions. Perfect for a summer dinner!

Is smoked kielbasa ready to eat? ›

Smoked sausage is fully cooked, so you can eat it as is. In other words, you don't need to cook smoked sausage for it to be safe for consumption, though you can if you prefer your sausage warmed up.

What is the best way to cook smoked sausage? ›

GRILL: Place on 325°F grill for 15 minutes. Turn over and continue heating for an additional 10 minutes, or until internal temperature is 165°F. OVEN: Place on a sheet pan in a 325°F oven for 20 minutes. Turn over and continue heating for an additional 10 minutes, or until internal temperature is 165°F.

How do you heat up fully cooked kielbasa? ›

Our Kiolbassa Smoked Sausages are already FULLY-COOKED so they only need warming – easy meal prep! Grill: Preheat grill to medium heat. Place sausage links over direct heat. Grill 6-8 minutes turning frequently to prevent burning.

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