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This recipe for Kielbasa Kapusta is my family’s traditional Polish Kapusta recipe made in a slow cooker!
My dad is 100% Polish, and he has been talking about his grandmother’s and mother’s Kielbasa Kapusta for decades! When my Polish grandmother passed away when I was 17, I inherited a couple of her cookbooks and her recipe tin.
That recipe tin has produced fabulous gems over the years. To surprise my dad on a recent trip back home, I decided to make our family Kielbasa Kapusta recipe for him, but with my twist!
I kept all of the ingredients and quantities the same, but decided to cook the Kielbasa Kapusta in the crockpot! It’s way more convenient for my lifestyle, and I know so many of you will find this cooking method helpful, too!
Another change I made was to cut the kielbasa pieces smaller. This method enhanced the flavor of the dish by releasing more of the kielbasa juices, AND it allowed more surface area for the kielbasa to soak up the Kapusta juices! Is your mouth watering yet?!
While the Kielbasa Kapusta was cooking, my dad snuck into the kitchen more than once with a huge, nostalgic grin on his face saying, “This smells familiar,” and “Ooohhhh weeeee, is it dinner time yet?”
While I never tasted my grandmother’s version, my dad thought I pulled off a near match. I am SO glad I found and tried this recipe, which gave my dad and me another link to our family heritage, and produced a heartwarming treat we can pass forward to generations to come!
Kielbasa Kapusta Recipe Questions Answered:
What is kielbasa?
Kielbasa is a staple in any Polish home. It is a type of sausage. In the USA, it is best known as any kind of meat that is U-shaped with a coarse texture.
What do you serve with kielbasa kapusta?
Kapusta means cabbage, so when serving this recipe of cabbage and Kielbasa (sausage), potatoes are a great option. These crispy smashed potatoes are seriously one of my all-time favorite potato recipes. For a classic choice, check out these creamy buttermilk mashed potatoes. But if you are like me and need more cheese in your life, you will want to make these 3-cheese potatoes Au gratin! If you’re going to make it a complete Polish meal, then serve this along with my Polish Beet Soup.
How do you make Kielbasa Kapusta?
- First, melt the butter and bacon drippings until foaming stops in a large skillet for a couple of minutes.
- Next, add onions and cook, occasionally stirring, for about 8 minutes.
- Then, drain the sauerkraut at least twice, ensuring it is well-drained before putting it in the crockpot.
- Next, add the onions, salt, pepper, brown sugar, water, and kielbasa in the crockpot. Stir everything before you cover it and cook on high for 1 hour.
- Finally, reduce to low and cook for an additional 6 hours, stirring occasionally. Serve and enjoy!
Cook’s Note – Kielbasa Kapusta:
- My dad distinctively remembers his mom using bacon drippings that she would keep in the refrigerator for this recipe. If you don’t have any on hand, then substitute two additional tablespoons of butter (for a total of 4 tablespoons) for the bacon drippings.
- I like to serve this dish with mashed potatoes (this recipe is SO good!). After all, potatoes, kielbasa, and cabbage are the holy trinity of Polish cuisine!
- The Kielbasa Kapusta is even MORE flavorful the next day! I know hard to believe, right?!
- My family likes to eat leftovers between toasted Kaiser rolls with grainy mustard.
Cook’s Tools + Products – Kielbasa Kapusta:
- Large Skillet
- Slow Cooker (this is my 3rd slow cooker and the last one I’ll ever own, I love it so!)
- Bacon Drippings
Here’s my family’s traditional Polish kapusta recipe:
Kielbasa Kapusta - slow cooker recipe!
Ingredients
- 2 Tablespoons butter
- 2 Tablespoons bacon drippings
- 2 ½ cups sweet yellow onions finely chopped
- 2 32 ounce cans sauerkraut
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ½ cup light brown sugar
- 1 ¾ cups water
- 3 pounds kielbasa cut into 2-inch slices
Instructions
- In a large skillet over medium heat melt butter and bacon drippings until foaming subsides, about 2-3 minutes. Add onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until onions are translucent and edges begin to brown, about 8-10 minutes.
- While onions cook rinse and drain sauerkraut at least twice. Make sure sauerkraut is well drained and add it to slow cooker along with onions, salt, pepper, brown sugar, water, and kielbasa. Give everything a good stir and cover. Cook on high for 1 hour, then reduce to low and cook for an additional 6 hours, stirring occasionally. Serve.
Video
Nutrition
This post first appeared on Food Folks and Fun on May 12, 2016. I have since updated the pictures and added a recipe video. The original images are below.
Marie Czarnecki says
My Grandparents both sides come from Warsaw, Poland. I am proud.
Jeannie Hensley says
I am not polish, however this sounds absolutely incredible. It is however a lot of food. Can I freeze this?
Jillian says
You can! It will keep in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Marcia Wallace says
My Mother was the only one born here. The rest of my aunts and uncles came over on the boat from Poland. If I live to be a hundred
I’ll never understand why anyone would use sauerkraut and not
rinse it first. Even drained well, why would you want to eat some-
thing full of vinegar? If you keep adding sugar, you end up with
a dessert.
M says
Real sauerkraut or in polish kiszona kapusta is NEVER EVER made with vinegar or sugar the same way kiszone ogórki/pickled cucumbers. I don’t know why you americans think you should add vinegar you ONLY use water salt,garlic,dill and horseradish that’s ALL with vinegar it is not sauerkraut it is abomination LOL
scott weeks says
Homemade sauerkraut doesn’t use vinegar. I personally don’t rinse mine.
Dawn says
I love this recipe! I’m making it for the second time tonight! It is very simple and has the perfect ratio of flavors.
Jillian says
Dawn, I’m so glad! It’s one of my favorite comfort foods. Thanks for stopping by! 🙂
LaVerna McMahon says
My mother used to make this and as easy as it looked to make it was never close to hers.Now I can make it with ease!
Janel says
Excellent meal. I cut back the sugar to about half of what it called for. I dont prefer sweet. Otherwise excellent meal
Jillian says
Glad this worked for you!
Bernice says
Do you use smoked or fresh kielbasa? Forgive if this is a dumb question, but although I’ve eaten a few good versions, I’ve never made this dish.
Jillian says
Hi Bernice,
I used smoked kielbasa.
Tracey says
Thank you from the bottom of my heart I thought I would never find my grandmothers recipe I can’t wait to make this
Jillian says
You’re so welcome, enjoy!
Ashley says
I am planning on making this but wanted to half the recipe, as I don’t need to make so much. Do you know how that would affect the cooking time? Thanks! I’m excited to cook and serve this!
Jillian says
The cooking time will be the same.
Jane says
I can’t wait to try this. I am going to have to “Jane it” a bit, I always add caraway seeds to my kraut and might throw in some apple slices too. I didn’t like kraut growing up although my dad was all German and we had it a lot. While living in Norway, I learned to eat it with brown sugar and caraway seeds, and apples, and the same with red cabbage which I also never enjoyed growing up. Thanks to the folks in Norway, I have changed. Thanks for the recipe, and I think instead of mashed potatoes, red ones may go in the mix to make it easier.
Ray Brunka says
As a small kid I was the one who would have to shred three bags of cabbage into a larg wooden barrel. I would salt between layers and pound with larg mallot. This gave us sourcrout for the next year. We are Polish on both sides and eat Polish meals year long. I’m 82 and just made the crout and sausage last week and my sister had to dig up her recipties . Pardon my spelling. Polish cooking is the best and I make at least one a week. I cook for myself now and it sends me back in time. Thanks mom for teaching me cooking at early age.
Charlene says
Fantastic! That bit of sugar makes it perfectly balanced- not sweet, not sour, just let’s all flavors come through. I gave it an hour less than the recipe and it was fully done, very tender.
Belinda says
Having a German background I grew up with sour in the sauerkraut, so the first time I had sauerkraut with my husbands family (Mom’s side Polish), well, it was a shocker! We’re not talking a rinse, we’re talking SWEEEEET. And having gone on about how much I love it and having taken a healthy portion, it took my all to get through it. After we married I eventually had to host my first Xmas with his family and I had my job cut out for me. Christmas is Polish dinner, no matter who hosts it. I could not bring myself to fix the SK “their” way, but I knew fixing it my wasn’t going to work either. Then I came across your recipe. OMG, talk about a game changer. They. Were. Wowed. And since that dinner 5 years ago, I’ve been responsible for the Kielbasa Kapusta. Many thanks!
Jillian says
Belinda, your comment made my day! I am thrilled that this recipe has made such memories for you and your family! Thanks for stopping by and sharing! 🙂
Donna Sklar says
I was raised with polish food. Never put brown sugar in it. Can’t wait to try it. My mom’s stuffed cabbage was very similar but no garlic in the meat, just onion and rice, salt and pepper and egg. Can’t wait to try that also. Thanks for your recipes. I’m 85 yrs. old, but still willling to try something different.
Ron says
When I read the recipe I was knocked over , it is exactly as my moms. however, she never wrote down any of her recipes that she got from Babcia. but I did.. this way I can pass it on. I make mine in a large fry pan. Although I leave out the sugar.. It still is very tasty..
Anna says
This was delicious!! Gave my family another way to love sauerkraut! Even my 17 month old daughter ate it all up! So glad I tried this, will definitely make again!
Danyel says
This was amazing! A family of 20 who stated they were not fans of kielbasa were scrapping the pot for more. It was a fight to the finish I should have made more lol.
Jillian says
Haha, amazing! So glad this recipe was a hit! 🙂
Gerald G Gosine says
I have made this several times with great success and rave reviews from family. However, you make no mention of fresh or smoked kielbasa. I have made it with smoked lielbasa, but prefer fressh. Can you use fressh kielbasa?
Jillian says
You can absolutely use fresh kielbasa!
Penandra says
Instead of the brown sugar, my Gramma chopped up an apple and mixed in with sauerkraut and onions. Still one of my favorites, but now I do it in my instant pot! I don’t smell it cook for as long this seems to be a good thing! It IS delicious the next day!
Peggy says
Thoroughly enjoyed this meal! We are not Polish, but have Irish, German, Hungarian backgrounds. Never did the sweet sauerkraut before. Easy to make and it melts in your mouth! Thanks! His will be a staple in our house from now on.