Slow Cooker Kielbasa and Sauerkraut with Beer & Brown Sugar
This slow cooker kielbasa and sauerkraut is flavorful and made with just the addition of beer and brown sugar – easy, delicious and perfect for parties!
Two major disclaimers right off the bat:
#1: I have never been a fan of kielbasa.
#2: I am even less of a fan of sauerkraut.
Yet, I am hopelessly in love with this recipe. It doesn’t make logical sense. And yet, the stars somehow aligned. Could it be that beer and brown sugar make all the difference? (Spoiler alert: yes, yes it could.)
Years ago, my husband and I went to his friend’s house for a 4th of July cookout. He mentioned there was kielbasa and sauerkraut (which I typically pass right over), and as a footnote said that they were cooked in beer and brown sugar. My ears shot up faster than a dog who hears a bread bag being rustled (or a peanut butter jar open, or a banana being peeled, AHEM). I had to try it, even though I still kind of thought I wouldn’t really be crazy about it. Forget being crazy about it, or even liking it, I loved it. Afterward, I was sorry that I had filled up on so many side dishes because I was dying for another sandwich but was too full.
A few months later, we were STILL talking about that darn kielbasa and sauerkraut, and since it was now football season (perfect for crock pot meals), we got the recipe from his friend to make ourselves. We have since made it, seriously, COUNTLESS times. I’ve lost track.
This recipe honestly couldn’t be any easier to make – less than 10 minutes to get everything into your slow cooker, and then let it do the work. As with most things like this, the longer you let it cook the better it will taste. The kielbasa becomes so tender that it melts in your mouth, and the sauerkraut takes on a caramelized, sweet flavor – delicious! If you’re a kielbasa and/or sauerkraut-averse person, take it from one of your brethren – you NEED to give this a shot!
This is perfect for football game days, your upcoming Super Bowl party, New Year’s (your pork/sauerkraut is covered!), or any other gathering. Serve it with an easy crock pot mac and cheese on the side and enjoy!
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Four years ago: Cheesy Pull-Apart Bread
Watch the Kielbasa and Sauerkraut Video:
Slow Cooker Kielbasa and Sauerkraut
Ingredients
- 12 ounces (340.2 ml) beer
- 1 cup (220 g) brown sugar
- 3 pounds (1.36 kg) polish kielbasa
- 32 ounces (907.19 g) sauerkraut, drained
Instructions
- Combine the beer and brown sugar in a small saucepan over medium heat, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the sugar melts and the mixture is slightly thickened; set aside.
- Cut the kielbasa into links and place in a slow cooker. Cover with the drained sauerkraut. Pour the beer and brown sugar mixture over top. Cook on high for 4 to 6 hours, or on low for 8 to 10 hours.
- Serve on its own or on your favorite sandwich roll.
Notes
- The beer can be from a can or bottle, and you can use whatever you usually drink or keep on hand. I’ve made this with everything from Miller Lite to Lebatt, Guinness, Heineken, you name it! They all work just fine.
- The brown sugar can be light or dark.
- The sauerkraut can be from a can, jar or bag – just make sure you drain it well.
Did you make this recipe?
Leave a review below, then snap a picture and tag @thebrowneyedbaker on Instagram so I can see it!
This recipe was originally published on October 14, 2011.
I know this recipe isn’t recent but it sure as hell is timeless. I hope you don’t mind that I’ve included it in my recipe round-up post coming out tomorrow. Stop by and check it out. Lots of Love, LB
Made this recently and it is wonderful! Made exactly as recipe stated, but I did wash and drain the sauerkraut. I’m not a huge sauerkraut fan, but this is really delicious and so simple to make. A keeper for sure.
I made this tonight with a couple of small changes because I didn’t start it until about 2:30, and I didn’t want to stay up until midnight.
Ingredient adjustments:
– Sliced kielbasa instead of cutting it in links
– Replaced beer with hard cider (dry) because (gasp) I only had one Guinness and my hubby wanted it.
– Added about a 1/2 cup of unsweetened apple sauce (added to cider/brown sugar mix), because I like apples & cabbage, and figured it might be nice with the cider.
– Drained and rinsed the saurkraut, drained again
First, I combined the apple sauce, cider and brown sugar until it was a simmering liquid.
Then, I added the sliced kielbasa and cooked the entire mixture down until the kielbasa was cooked through. After that, I removed only the kielbasa and put it in the bottom of the crock pot.
Next, I added the sauerkraut to the simmering liquid and let it all get to a strong simmer / low boil. At that point, I added that to the crockpot. as well, covered it up, put it on high, and let it cook for about 3-4 hours.
Results were very good!
Are you sure it takes a whole cup of brown sugar? I made this last night, and it was waaaaaaaay too sweet. It also looked nothing like the picture. I think it would be great if the sugar was about 1/3 c instead of a whole one.
Yes, 1 cup of brown sugar + 1 (12-ounce) bottle of beer. I’ve made this at least 10 times, and it seems to come out the same every single time. I’ve never had an issue with it being sweet – everything just sort of caramelizes.
This recipe was very good, just like the poster I wasn’t a fan of kraut or kielbasa but after making this today I am sold….Thank You for sharing the Recipe!
We always love sauerkraut and pork coming from Pittsburgh it is a tradition for us to have on New Years. So we tried this recipie but added our port roast the the kraut and kilbassi in the crockpot and with a steam po of mashed potatoes there is nothing better than this recipie yummmmmm is all we can say
This looks really good…even though it is breakfast time as I type this, I would eat some right now :) I’m adding this to my recipe list to make for the month….
-m
I just made this for the first time for New Year’s day and it was amazing. I never liked kraut before. But I do now. Even my two year old ate it.
It’s our New Year’s tradition now also!!
Absolutely fabulous!!! Thank you for sharing! I made this today and it is going to be our New Years tradition!
Made this for the second time tonight and my husband and I both really enjoyed it (him especially!). The first time I made it as written and it was a little sweet for our tastes, but still good. This time I halved the amount of brown sugar and it was perfect. More of a hint of sweetness to balance out to sauerkraut and beer than a really sweet flavor. I’ll definitely be making this again, so easy to put together and leftovers are good too! Thanks for sharing!
Forgot to mention, I am going to cut the kielbasa into small pieces instead of links. It will be smoked from the Polish butcher in Greenpoint, Brooklyn, NY
I am going to try this recipe on Dec. 8, 2012 for my sons birthday along with his friends, a bunch of drunken volunteer firemen. This will be his 30th anniversart of his birth ansd it is a surprise party being thrown by his wife.
Hi there, had been looking for something like this and came across your recipe. I used Eckrich Polish Sausage , had the bagged kraut and used a Sam Adams Boston Lager. Anyway, I am a poor planner and have an electric pressure cooker. I boiled the sugar and beer as stated above then tossed in the kraut and frozen cut pieces of sausage. Brought to pressure and cooked for 20 minutes and it was amazing!!! Served it with some sweet potato fries. My picky 13 year old devoured it, my husband inhaled 2 servings and said he could definitely “polish” off the rest. Thank you for giving me a super easy meal that was a home run in flavor, am thinking the next time to try a little caraway and a dab of mustard to give a little more depth?
Thank you very much for the recipe! We found it to be waaaaay to sweet for our tastes, but it a great recipe that we are willing to “tweak” to suit us. We’re going to decrease the sugar by more than half, keep in some of the sauerkraut juice or add some apple cider vinegar, plus some caraway seed and maybe use a dark beer. The kielbasa does get super tender, this was a nice weeknight dinner, can’t wait to try again w/the revisions! :-)
I just made this today and it was amazingly delicious! I used jalapeno kielbasa to add a little extra kick and decided to use Blue Moon Wheat Ale. I cut my pieces in half so the meat wouldn’t be so think and it would soak up more of the flavor. It cooked for about 4 hours on high and was perfect. I will certainly be making this a lot in the future. The only problem I’ve encountered is I can’t stop going back for leftovers!
I tried this recipe over the weekend for a little get together. Everyone LOVED it. It’s a keeper for sure. Wow – the keilbasa just melts in your mouth and everyone loved the flavor. Thanks for an easy great-tasting recipe!
I really don’t care for kielbasa but can’t help but buy it when it’s BOGO. I’ve tried many different recipes trying to find something, anything I could do with it and make it worth my while. Never would I have thought a recipe that had two other ingredients I don’t care for, being beer and sauerkraut, would come together and end up being a meal that I really enjoyed. The husband was impressed with how tender the kielbasa was from the slow cooker. Very easy to make is an added plus!
Has anyone tried freezing leftovers? Does it work?
Oh my goodness, thank you for posting this! It was delicious! And now I have another blog to follow. =)
http://allthingsjennifer.wordpress.com/2012/09/04/beer-and-brown-sugar-kielbasa-sauerkraut/
Seriously, man, what is your problem? Give it a rest!
I have heard nothing but good compliments on this. Not everybody likes the same things. I have had flops before in my cooking but this was delicious.
I made this many times and it turned out so good! It is to bad that it did not work out for some people.
Love this!!!! I also chopped about 1/2 sweet onion and mixed it into the Kraut… It is so simple… and soooo good…
This was fantastic! I made this the other night for my Daughter and family because her husband and my 2 grandsons love Polish sausage. I added 2 # of country style spareribs and used the bagged sauerkraut with light beer and light brown sugar. They loved it and only enough left for a small lunch. This is a keeper and I will make it again but now will try it with chicken and possibly beef. Love your recipes
Made this for the superbowl and it was a HUGE HIT!!!!! My husband who is not a fan of kraut loved it. Everyone at the party raved and said it was a keeper!
Are we using raw kielbasa?
Hi Erin, By definition I think most kielbasa is like hot dogs – not “raw” meat, but cold and just needs to be heated. It’s the kielbasa you purchase in the case where the hot dogs and bacon are.
I’ve made this a couple of times, but have shared the recipe MANY times. I love it and my little boys loved the sweetness of the sauce with the kielbasa. Thanks for the great recipe!
O.K…….. Made this, and used Ginger Ale in place of the beer. It was excellent. We loved it :-)
Let me also preface by saying, sauerkraut is NOT something you would ever find in my house, or on my plate, so I’m not even sure what made me want to try this dish (except the brown sugar….i will eat anything that contains brown sugar!), but with some hesitation (and alot of incense burning in the kitchen to combat the overpowering sauerkrat aroma) I figured why not, it’s a simple recipe with few ingredients thrown in a crock pot that I don’t have to pay any attention to for hours…that’s my kind of dish! And….it was amazing!! Even my 80-something, totally OCD mother (who will rarely touch anything that hasn’t been consistently on her table for the past 60 years) thought it was delicious and asked for seconds! No typical sauerkraut taste, the kielbasa was fall apart tender and sweet…I added some Maine Maple Mustard on the rolls which was the perfect compliment (for those who like their food on the sweet side). This will definitely become a regular on the menu rotation! The only thing I would change next time is the amount of sauerkraut…I bought two 16oz bags and had at least an entire bag-worth leftover since most of us weren’t huge sauerkraut fans and only added a small amount to our sandwiches; I believe one would be more than sufficient unless you’re eating it as a side dish to the meal. Excellent!!
No Beer am a Celiac,so I eat gluten free. what can I sub. for the Beer?
Hi Michelle, I know they have gluten-free beers out on the market now, I would look for one of those. Otherwise, maybe ginger ale or root beer? (I’m not sure how either of those would taste or if they are gluten free, but they are the first suggestions that come to mind.)