Make a delicious one-pan stovetop kielbasa and sauerkraut recipe for dinner in less than 30 minutes! Combining Polish sausage and sauerkraut with buttery onions and garlic makes for a simple skillet dinner everyone will love. It's a Whole Lotta Yum!
✅ Get our FREE healthy meal prep printables + meal plan! 🥑
Jump to:
Stovetop Kielbasa and Sauerkraut Recipe
My grandmother was Polish, so we grew up eating a lot of kielbasa as a kid. She would often serve a creamy kielbasa and sauerkraut made with sour cream and grainy mustard or serve it like this recipe without the sour cream stirred in. Or eating smoked kielbasa on a bun with kraut was always a childhood favorite.
What we love about this kielbasa and sauerkraut stovetop recipe is that is so quick and simple! We sometimes add brown sugar for sweetness and cook up diced apples along with the buttered onions and garlic. Caraway seeds add a nice touch too.
If you have kids, they will love this recipe if you add in the apples and stir in a bit of brown sugar or other sweetener! Perhaps rinse the kraut too since it makes it milder tasting.
Looking for more unique kielbasa recipes for dinner? Try our air fryer kielbasa and veggies recipe and our Cajun slow cooker kielbasa and peppers.
Why you’ll love this Kielbasa and Kraut
- Our smoked sausage kielbasa and sauerkraut stovetop recipe is perfect for those nights when you need a simple and quick dinner.
- It's an inexpensive budget-friendly meal.
- The Polish sausage and sauerkraut dish is easy to customize by adding in extras like sauteed apples, brown sugar, and caraway seeds.
- Our stovetop skillet kielbasa and sauerkraut recipe is low carb, gluten-free, and dairy free.
Stovetop Kielbasa and Sauerkraut Ingredients
- Pork kielbasa smoked sausage - This is also called Polish sausage or Polska kielbasa. Turkey kielbasa works great too. Or even other types of meat like spicy sausage or even Italian sausage.
- butter
- olive oil
- yellow onion - red onion, white onion, or sweet onions are great to offset the sauerkraut flavor. We sliced the onions but it would be perfectly fine to dice onions instead.
- garlic cloves - minced
- sauerkraut - We bought shelf stable kraut on the shelf, you can also use fresh sauerkraut. Sauerkraut does have a sour yet pleasant taste, if it's too strong for you, it can be rinsed and well-dried before adding it to the pan.
- fine sea salt
- ground black pepper
- brown sugar (optional)
Sauerkraut and Kielbasa variations
- To make a creamy mustard version, mix in ½-1 cup of sour cream and 1 tablespoon of mustard when you add the sauerkraut to the pan.
- Sliced cabbage can be used instead of sauerkraut, cook the cabbage with the onions instead of as a separate step.
- Add in other fruits and vegetables like chopped sweet apples or Granny smith apples, cooked diced potatoes, bell peppers, or mushrooms when you saute the onions.
- Dill or caraway seeds are popular Polish herbs and can be added for extra flavor.
- Drain the sauerkraut and add in ½ cup of beer or apple juice for a change of flavor.
- Mix in a little brown sugar to add a touch of sweetness.
How to Cook Kielbasa and Sauerkraut (Stovetop)
Making this stovetop kielbasa and sauerkraut recipe is quite simple, just saute the sliced smoked sausage, cook the sliced onions and garlic in butter, then add the drained sauerkraut.
And once you know how to cook kielbasa on the stove you can make this dish anytime you need a quick and easy, savory dinner option.
Step 1: Prep the ingredients. Slice the smoked kielbasa into ½-inch pieces. Slice the onions and mince the garlic.
Step 2: Heat a skillet over medium heat, and melt the butter and oil. Once the pan is heated, add the kielbasa and saute it for 7-9 minutes, until the pieces have browned and are cooked to golden brown. Remove them from the pan and set aside.
Step 3: Turn the pan down to medium-low and cook the sliced onion until softened and golden brown, which will take about 10 minutes. Do not let the onion burn. Add the minced garlic cloves and cook the mixture for 1 more minute.
Step 4: Add the drained sauerkraut to the skillet, along with the sea salt and black pepper. Add the smoked sausage back to the pan, and cook the kielbasa and sauerkraut for 6-8 more minutes until the sauerkraut mixture is warm and the smoked sausage is heated through.
Serve with Dijon mustard or spicy brown mustard, fresh herbs like parsley or dill, sour cream, potatoes, egg noodles, or pierogies for a Polish-style meal, or serve the kielbasa and sauerkraut recipe in a bun. Enjoy!
Sauerkraut and Kielbasa Recipe Tips
- If you want to lessen the sour taste of tangy sauerkraut you can rinse the brine off before adding it to the pan.
- If you're using a non-stick skillet, adding the butter and the olive oil to the pan can be skipped but still add a great flavor to the dish.
- For best results, refrain from stirring your sausage too frequently. Frequent stirring prevents it from browning thoroughly.
- To keep your sausage warm while you are heating the kraut, place them on a plate loosely covered with foil.
- Leftover kielbasa is great served on a bun with Dijon mustard or stuffed into a flatbread or pita bread.
- Our kielbasa and sauerkraut recipe can also be cooked in a slow cooker on low heat for 4 hours or high heat for 2 hours. You can also bake it in a casserole dish on 350 F for 30+ minutes until heated through.
How to serve Kielbasa and Kraut
You can serve your Polish sausage and sauerkraut with a variety of side dishes and options including these popular options:
- mustard
- sour cream
- roasted potatoes
- mashed potatoes
- egg noodles
- pieorgies
- in a bun
- with rye bread
- a fresh salad
What is traditionally served with kielbasa?
Being that pork kielbasa is a Polish meat, the side dishes traditionally served with it is Polish and Eastern European influenced dishes. Popular sides include:
- Sauerkraut
- Cabbage
- Pierogi
- Potatoes
- Mustard
- Rye bread
Kielbasa and Sauerkraut Storage
Store: Leftovers be stored in the fridge for up to 5 days. Sauerkraut can actually last for weeks in the fridge, but with the addition of sausage, it shortens the span to 5 days.
Freeze: The cooked dish can be frozen for up to 2 months.
Reheat: To reheat the sausage and sauerkraut recipe, add the contents to a saucepan or skillet or medium heat and cook it until heated through.
Polish Sausage and Sauerkraut FAQs
This kielbasa and sauerkraut recipe is actually a Polish-inspired dish. Kielbasa sausage is also known as Polska Kielbasa in Poland that's a meat sausage typically made of pork that is commonly served gets with sauerkraut or cabbage.
Yes most high quality brands of kielbasa sausage are keto-friendly. For best results, always be sure to check the labels of the sausage you buy and opt for quality brands that are made without fillers.
It is optional and a personal choice whether or not to rinse sauerkraut before using it in a recipe, the liquid in a sauerkraut jar is a salty vinegar brine that adds an extra sour taste to whatever recipe you’re serving the sauerkraut with. When adding sauerkraut to a recipe we often rinse the sauerkraut but when adding it to something like a hot dog, we do not. Some sauerkraut brands are more potent than others so that’s also a factor on wether or not you should rinse the sauerkraut.
Sauerkraut can be eaten hot or cold, it’s a personal choice and it depends on the recipe that you’re making. For instance, with our kielbasa and sauerkraut crock pot recipe, the sauerkraut is hot. But when it was served as a topping with our baked bratwurst recipe, it was at room temperature. Many people prefer to eat fresh sauerkraut cold since it has many health benefits and probiotics that get killed off during the cooking process.
The main difference between sauerkraut and Polish sauerkraut is the addition of other ingredients like vegetables, plus other seasonings. Traditional sauerkraut is made simply by fermenting shredded cabbage with salt, while Polish sauerkraut often includes the addition of other vegetables like carrots, onions, and apples, as well as spices like caraway seeds and juniper berries. Polish sauerkraut typically has a different preparation and fermentation method than classic store-bought sauerkraut.
Kielbasa sausage is typically made from pork meat, but it can also be made with beef, chicken, or a combination of meats. The specific part of the pig used to make kielbasa can vary depending on the manufacturer or if you’re making it yourself. In general, kielbasa sausage is made with a mixture of lean pork shoulder and fattier cuts of pork like pork belly or the back fat.
More Kielbasa Recipes
If you loved our Polish sausage and sauerkraut then you'll want to check out even more kielbasa sausage recipes!
Be sure to join our healthy recipes email list to get lots of meal prep ideas, plus free meal planning printables. We're here to make meal time simple!
✅ Get our FREE healthy meal prep printables + meal plan! 🥑
📖 Recipe
Sauerkraut and Kielbasa (Stovetop Recipe)
Ingredients
- 1 package Polish kielbasa 13.5 oz, sliced into ½" pieces
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 medium onion sliced
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- 2 cups sauerkraut undrained (see note below)
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
Instructions
- Heat a skillet over medium heat, and melt the butter and oil. Saute the kielbasa pieces for 7-9 minutes until browned and cooked through. Remove the Polish kielbasa from the pan and set it aside.
- Turn the pan down to medium low and brown the sliced onion until softened and browned, which will take about 10 minutes. Do not let the onion burn. Add the minced garlic cloves and cook the mixture for 1 more minute.
- Add the sauerkraut to the skillet, along with the sea salt and black pepper. Add the sausage back to the pan, and cook the kielbasa and sauerkraut for 6-8 more minutes until the sauerkraut is warm and the sausage heated through.
- Enjoy!
Notes
- To make a creamy mustard version, mix in ½-1 cup of sour cream and 1 tablespoon of mustard when you add the sauerkraut to the pan.
- Sliced cabbage can be used instead of sauerkraut, cook the cabbage with the onions instead of as a separate step. Add chopped apple, cooked potatoes, bell peppers, or mushroooms when you saute the onions.
- Dill or caraway seeds are popular Polish herbs and can be added for extra flavor.
- Mix in 1 Tbsp+ of brown sugar to add a touch of sweetness.
Steve says
I made the creamy sauce to go with it. I added two tablespoons of stone ground mustard. This recipe is a go-to for me, now.
AnneMarie says
Used bagged coleslaw, added chopped granny smith apple, A bit of dijon mustard and brown sugar.
Delicious
WholeLottaYum says
That sounds amazing AnneMarie!