Meat · Cured & processed meats

Kielbasa (smoked Polish sausage)

Polish smoked sausage, usually fully cooked; garlicky and savoury, sliced into stews, grills and bigos.

Also called: polish sausage, kiełbasa, smoked sausage

Around the world: kiełbasa (pl)

A kind of pork sausage

10 recipes with it

Photo: Kapsuglan, via Wikimedia Commons (CC-BY-SA-4.0)

What it is

Kiełbasa is the Polish word for sausage, but abroad it usually means a horseshoe-shaped, smoked pork (or pork-and-beef) sausage seasoned with garlic and marjoram. Most supermarket kielbasa is fully cooked and only needs heating, unlike fresh pork sausages. Biała (white) kiełbasa is a fresh, unsmoked variety.

How it’s used

Bigos (hunter's stew) and żurek soup
Grilled or pan-fried with onions and peppers
Sliced into bean soups and cabbage dishes
Sheet-pan dinners with potatoes

Characteristics

Taste: Smoky, garlicky and savoury.
Texture: Firm and juicy with a snap.
When cooked: Browns quickly; cut into coins or score before grilling.
Sold as: smoked
Cooking uses: Commonly cooked, Suitable for grilling, Suitable for frying, Suitable for boiling
Common in: Polish, Ukrainian, American, German, Czech

Storage

Refrigerated. Keep refrigerated; use within about a week of opening, or freeze.

Diet, allergens and safety

No major allergens in typical versions. May contain Mustard, Sulphites — check the label.

Vegetarian
Vegan
Dairy-free
Egg-free
Gluten-free
Nut-free
Soy-free
Caffeine-free

Check the label: smoked kielbasa is usually ready-cooked, but fresh (biała) kielbasa is raw and must be cooked to 71 °C (160 °F).
Processed meat, high in salt; may contain mustard and sulphites.