How to Cook Kielbasa Sausage

Kielbasa is the Polish word for sausage. That means the sausage can be any type of Polish-made sausage and technically be "kiełbasa."

In the U.S., kielbasa is typically smoked and completely cooked before being packaged. This is similar to how American hot dogs are fully cooked when sold, as opposed to the fresh, raw sausage links, or "brats" cooked every Labor Day weekend.

Like hot dogs though, Kielbasa benefits from being heated and cooked again before eating.

Smoked Kielbasa is really flavorful but can be high in sodium. We like to cut it into cubes and brown them in a pan before cooking it with rice or quinoa. You can also stir browned cubes of kielbasa sausage into vegetable soups or a new take on a stir-fry.

Try our recipe for New Potatoes with Spicy Sausage. It calls for a spicy cured sausage called Linguica, but Kielbasa would be a great substitute.

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