After a long day at work or an afternoon of playing in the snow this easy dinner will warm you to your very soul!
Table of Contents
🗝️ Key takeaways
- Crockpot kielbasa, sauerkraut, and potatoes is a family favorite comfort food that uses just seven budget-friendly, simple ingredients.
- Doubling this easy crockpot recipe feeds a large group, so it’s a perfect meal for busy weeknight dinners and potlucks on cold winter days.
- Slow-cooker kielbasa leftovers are even better the next day. Prep once, enjoy it twice!
The combination of smoked kielbasa sausage, tangy sauerkraut, and soft potatoes is a classic meal—and for good reason!
This crock pot kielbasa sausage recipe satisfies a crowd and is so easy to throw together, you'll love to enjoy it all winter long.
🧾 Ingredients
This is an overview of the ingredients. You'll find the full measurements and instructions in the green recipe card (printable) at the bottom of the page.
📖 Variations
- Use your favorite homemade sauerkraut recipe instead of storebought (just make sure you include all the juices.)
- If you prefer, feel free to use turkey kielbasa, smoked chicken sausage, or smoked beef sausage.
- Using light beer, chicken broth, apple juice, or apple cider instead of water is a delicious way to add more great flavor to this
slow cooker sauerkraut sausage recipe. - Mix in a teaspoon of caraway seeds or fennel seeds to enhance the unique sauerkraut flavor.
- Season with black pepper or red pepper flakes for a slight kick.
- Add three large, peeled/chopped carrots with the onions and potatoes if you have some to use up or want to make the meal stretch.
- Add a few garlic cloves or a teaspoon of garlic powder to amp up the garlicky flavor of the Polish sausage.
- Some people like to add a bit of Dijon mustard to round out the flavors.
🔪 Instructions
This is an overview of the instructions. Full instructions are in the green recipe card at the bottom of the page.
- Slice the onions and cut the kielbasa into bite-sized chunks.
- Add the sauerkraut to the bottom of your
slow cooker . - Add the onions, potatoes, and sausage on top of the sauerkraut.
- Mix in the bay leaves and water and sprinkle with brown sugar.
🥫 How to store leftovers
Cool leftover kielbasa and sauerkraut to room temperature before storing. (That's actually something you should do when storing any hot food.)
Then, refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for three or four days.
Freeze kielbasa sauerkraut with potatoes for up to three months. Thaw overnight in the fridge and reheat in the microwave for a few minutes or on the stovetop over low heat.
💭 Things to know
Expert Tip: You can either cook kielbasa sauerkraut with potatoes on low heat for 6-8 hours or on high for 3-4 hours depending on your schedule.
- Cut the kielbasa and potatoes into smaller chunks so they aren’t a choking hazard if you have little kids.
- You know the kielbasa sauerkraut is done when the potatoes are soft but not mushy. Periodically pierce a potato chunk with a fork to check.
- If you use beer instead of water, make sure you use light beer like a lager. IPAs, porters, and stouts are too strong for this recipe.
- Stir the sauerkraut mixture occasionally since the liquid settles at the bottom of the crockpot during the slow cooking process. Mix it well before serving, too.
- Sauerkraut and Polish sausage are both salty, so don’t add any extra salt to your
slow cooker ! People can salt their own servings if they want. - Don’t drain or rinse the sauerkraut because you need all the moisture and flavor of those tangy juices.
- Don’t forget to remove the bay leaves from your crock pot before serving—no one likes a mouthful of crunchy bay leaf!
- Slow cooker kielbasa is a great recipe for y’all with dietary restrictions—it’s gluten-free and dairy-free!
👩🍳 FAQs
Although all kielbasa is smoked sausage, not all smoked sausage is kielbasa. Kielbasa is a famous type of smoked Polish sausage made of all pork or a mixture of pork and beef.
You want to use thin-skinned, firmer potatoes in crockpot kielbasa with sauerkraut. This recipe calls for Yukon gold potatoes, but red potatoes work great, too. I don't like Russet potatoes in this recipe.
Nope, only if you want to. The skin is tender and soft, so I say, why make yourself do extra work?
📚 Related recipes
- Baked Corn Beef and Cabbage is one of the easiest one-pot recipes made in a Dutch oven—don’t wait until St. Patrick’s Day to try it!
- Real comfort food that’s quick, easy, and budget-friendly, Southern Fried Cabbage with Bacon is a classic Southern side dish.
- Also called Polish Galumpkis, Slow Cooker Cabbage Rolls are filled with rice and beef and simmered in a crock pot with a rich tomato sauce.
🍽️ Serve with...
If you have some extra time, make my No-Knead Beer Bread. This whole wheat, rustic loaf makes
Finish everything off with Authentic Texas-Czech Kolaches for an easy, European-themed sweet treat. Famous in western Texas, these kolaches put a Southern twist on the classic Czech pastry.
You'll find over 73 side dishes for kielbasa in this article.
📞 The last word
Hearty, simple meals without much prep are my favorite! This is such a perfect comfort food for cold weather.
You won't need much else. I like slices of rye bread with it but it's not necessary.
If you click on the number of servings in the recipe card you can adjust the measurements up or down for the exact number of servings you need.
If you love this recipe please comment below and give it 5 stars! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
📖 Recipe
Crockpot Kielbasa Sauerkraut and Potatoes
Print Pin Recipe Save Recipe Rate RecipeIngredients
- 32 ounces sauerkraut
- 1-½ pounds baby gold potatoes, or other thin skinned variety
- 1 large onion, slice and cut into "half-moons"
- 12 ounces kielbasa, or beef smoked sausage
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar, packed
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 cup water, or beer, white wine, chicken stock, etc
Instructions
- Wash the potatoes well.
- Peel the onion and slice; cut slices in half.
- Cut the kielbasa sausage into chunks.
- Place sauerkraut on the bottom of the crockpot.
- Add the onions, then the potatoes, then the sausage.
- Sprinkle with brown sugar.
- Add bay leaves and 1 cup of water ( or other liquid)
- Cover and cook on high for 4 hours or until potatoes are tender. You can also cook on low for 6-8 hours.
- Stir and serve.
Notes
-
- Cut the kielbasa and potatoes into smaller chunks so they aren’t a choking hazard if you have little kids.
-
- If you use beer instead of water, make sure you use light beer like a lager. IPAs, porters, and stouts are too strong for this recipe.
-
- Sauerkraut and Polish sausage are both salty, so don’t add any extra salt to your slow cooker! People can salt their own servings if they want.
-
- Don’t drain or rinse the sauerkraut because you need all the moisture and flavor of those tangy juices.
-
- Slow cooker kielbasa is a great recipe for y’all with dietary restrictions—it’s gluten-free and dairy-free!
Nutrition Facts
Nutrition information is estimated as a courtesy. If using for medical purposes, please verify information using your own nutritional calculator. Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
This recipe has been tested several times. If you choose to use other ingredients, or change the technique in some way, the results may not be the same.
Heather Schoenling says
Absolutely delicious!! Made this tonight (Supper Bowl Sunday), and my husband and I love it. I used a Corona Extra we had in the fridge for the liquid. The house smelled so good all day, we couldn't wait to eat!