Recipe for Kielbasa in Crock Pot

Recipe for kielbasa in Crockpot with onions or sauerkraut is here. Easy way to cook sausage with beer in a slow cooker for a Polish dinner your whole family will love.

So my relatives came from Germany, my husbands from Poland so needless to say this dish is just in our blood. There are many variations of this dish that can be cooked like our Crockpot recipe or low and slow on the stove. Low carb packed with flavor. (post may contain affiliate links)

What is Kielbasa?

This is a type of Polish sausage. The word simply means “sausage” but outside of Poland, it generally refers to a specific style of link. This is typically made from pork, though it can also be made from beef, turkey, lamb, chicken, or veal. It is seasoned with a variety of spices, including garlic, marjoram, and pepper, and it is often smoked, giving it the distinct flavor you’re most used to.

Kielbasa and Sauerkraut in Slow Cooker

This time we made this with slices of yellow onions inside but you could make this as yet another version of our Sauerkraut Recipe with Meat dish. I mean we love ourselves some cabbage, any which way but with this you get a ton of smoky flavor without a lot of additional seasonings needed. You could add both really if you wanted a larger batch to share with your guests.

How Long to Cook Kielbasa in Crock Pot

I mean you are just warming everything up so it is up to you as to how tender you want the contents but 5-6 hours on low or 2-3 hours on high is usually about right if sliced. These links are already smoked and pre-cooked like hot dogs so you don’t need to worry much about the internal temperature before consuming.

Ingredients

1. 14 oz. kielbasa link, found at grocery store by hot dogs
2. 2 – 3 yellow onions sliced
3. I can of beer of your choosing

How to Cook Kielbasa and Onions

You literally just prep the 2 ingredients by slicing into equal thicknesses and throw those in. We are using a light lager beer here but broth could be substituted. You need a liquid to make the onions tender, give them more flavor and steam the meat hour after hour. That is it!!

Why is cooking with beer better than water?

I mean it is probably obvious but water has literally no flavor unless you add in a bouillon cube as well. It does have alcohol in it though so you could use an alternative. I’d choose broth if you don’t want that to add to the overall flavor of the dish.

Does the alcohol in beer cook off in slow cooker?

It can if cooked long enough. The longer you cook it, the more alcohol will evaporate but some may still remain. Even after 2-3 hours of cooking, a significant amount can still be present. It usually takes around 2.5 hours of simmering for 95% of the alcohol to evaporate.

Should you slice kielbasa before cooking?

Yes you definitely should for optimal results in texture and flavor. You wouldn’t want to cook or in this case put the whole link in the pot whole because it is harder to serve and you want the center to get warmed too which is hard to do thru the thick casing. Not as bad with Crockpot Brats in Beer since that casing is thinner and more permeable.

How to Make Slow Cooker Kielbasa Recipe

Slice sausage into 1″ thick pieces. If you were serving this as a side dish and wanted smaller bites you could cut those into fourths as well. It wouldn’t need as long to cook this way either.

Cut onions into thick slices if you want them to keep their shape better with the heat, thinner or if you want them to fall apart and just act as flavoring.

Layer onions, meat and could even add a bit of sweetness with the top layer being slow cooker caramelized onions with brown sugar if you wanted to add some wow.

Cook for about 5 hours or until tender to your liking and enjoy over mashed potatoes ideally in our house.

What is the German Style Crock Pot Dish with Kielbasa and Cabbage?

Some people call it Haluski, but that is actually Polish too, maybe you have heard it called that many times. If not using the traditional name it may just be said to be Crockpot Cabbage and Sausage, either one works and is beyond delicious!!

Storing Leftovers

Smoked sausage saves quite well actually. You will want it to cool completely and transfer into a freezer bag. Suck the air out and keep leftover kielbasa pieces in the fridge. When reheating you can add some bbq sauce and warm in the microwave for 1 minute or so OR make our kielbasa and pasta recipe.