How to Cook Polish Sausage at Home

Can you remember the last time you had a juicy bite of Polish sausage? Was it last month or maybe last year? Perhaps you have never learned how to cook Polish sausage.

If it has been a long time since you have made them or if you haven't tried to cook them before, maybe you should think about making some this week.

There are lots of different ways to prepare these link sausages. All of the various options are easy to make at home. You can slice them up and add them to a soup or stew, or you can serve them as the main dish along with a couple of vegetables.

If you've never tried cooking Polish sausage, read on. We're going to tell you the easiest ways to prepare them. Let's get started.

Traditional Polish Sausage

Traditional-Polish-Kielbasa

Polish sausage, otherwise known as Polish Kielbasa or simply Kielbasa in Poland, is a thick, link sausage traditionally made with pork. You can also find beef or turkey kielbasa in some locations. Most often, what you will find in American stores are smoked Polish sausages, although uncooked sausages are out there if you look for them.

Here's a list of a few ways to prepare Polish sausage:

  • Boiled Polish Sausages
  • Baked Polish Sausages
  • Grilled Kielbasa
  • Fried Kielbasa
  • Poach Them
  • Cook Them in the Microwave
  • Cook Them in a Slow Cooker
  • Broil Them

One of the best ways to cook polish kielbasa is to boil them.

We will explain a few of the other methods too, so you can decide the one you would like to make, or maybe make them in a new way that you haven't tried before.

How to Boil Polish Sausages

Before I start with the process, here are a few things you will need to boil kielbasa:

Required Supplies & Tools


  • 2-4 Pounds of Polish Sausage - Kielbasa
  • Large Pot and Lid
  • Large Frying Pan
  • Chef's Knife
  • Kitchen Shears
  • Kitchen Tongs
  • Meat Thermometer
  • Spices and Seasonings of your choice; Onion, Garlic, Peppercorns, a Bay Leaf, Mustard Seeds & Marjoram
  • Cutting Board

Start by filling the large pot with just enough water to cover the kielbasa. Over medium-high heat, bring the water and seasonings, 1 teaspoon marjoram, several peppercorns and a small bay leaf, to a boil. Add the onion, cut into quarters, and sausages.

Once it begins to a boil, reduce the heat. Cover the pan with a lid and let them simmer for about 30 - 45 minutes.

You should check the pot a few times to make sure the meat is still covered with water. Add more water, if necessary.

Use the meat thermometer to be sure they have reached an internal temperature of 165°F.

  • Quick Tip: Use caution when cutting or piercing a Polish sausage that has just been removed from boiling water. The juices could squirt out and possibly burn your skin. Allowing them to cool for a minute or two before you begin cutting will help to avoid this problem.

Remove the sausages to a plate using your kitchen tongs. If you will be cutting the meat to add to soups or will be serving them whole, you will first want to remove the casings.

After washing your hands, and putting a kielbasa on the cutting board, cut off one end of the casing with the kitchen shears. Hold onto the end that is still closed and push or squeeze the Polish sausage out.

This is how to boil polish kielbasa sausage. Boiling this kind of sausage is the most typical way of cooking them. But, not everyone likes the taste and texture of a boiled sausage.

Here are a few other ways you can cook Polish sausage:

How to Make Broiled Kielbasa

How-to-Broil-Polish-Kielbasa-Sausage

Required Supplies & Tools


  • 1-2 Pounds of Polish Sausages
  • Broiler Pan
  • Sharp Knife

In order to make broiled kielbasa, use the knife to cut each sausage into slices that are between 4-5 inches long. Slice each piece in half, lengthwise. Lay each piece meat-side down on the broiler pan.

Place the pan into a pre-heated broiler or on the top rack of your oven, turned to the “Broiler” setting. Allow them to cook for 5 minutes. Remove the pan to turn the meat skin-side up and return the pan to the oven to broil for another 5 minutes.

Take the meat from the oven and serve it up with your favorite side dishes.

Polish Sausage Hot Dogs Recipe

Required Ingredients & Supplies


  • 8 Polish Sausages
  • 8 Hot Dog Buns
  • Large Frying Pan
  • 2 Large Yellow Onions, Peeled and Thinly Sliced
  • 1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
  • Salt and Pepper
  • Mustard and Ketchup

Drizzle the olive oil into the frying pan set over medium heat, then add the onion slices. After they have softened a little, add a bit of salt and pepper, and any other spices you would like.

Add the kielbasa. Stir it often until the onions are golden brown and the meat is completely cooked, which will take around 25 minutes.

Cover the pan and turn the heat down to low. Keep the polish sausage warm until you're ready to eat.

Fill the hot dog buns with the Polish sausage and onions. Spread some mustard or ketchup on top of the sausages.

  • Quick Tip: In most cases, you should try to avoid piercing or slicing the kielbasa prior to serving. Much of the juices will run out of the casing resulting in a drier sausage and a lot less of that good taste.

Poaching Polish Sausages

For The Chicken


  • 2 Pounds of Polish Sausages
  • A Large Pot
  • 2 Cans of Beer
  • 4 Cloves Garlic, Chopped
  • 1 Small White Onion, Thinly Sliced
  • 1 Teaspoon Salt
  • 1 Teaspoon Peppercorn
  • 1 Stick Unsalted Butter (½ Cup)

In a large pot, mix all of the ingredients, except the Polish sausage, and bring them to a boil. Next, place the sausages into the pot and let the liquid return to a boil.

Turn the heat down to low and let it simmer for 15 minutes. All of those spices will permeate the meat, making it a lot of great taste.

Final Thoughts

How-to-Poach-Kielbasa

So, these are some of the ways you can cook kielbasa or Polish sausage. They will give you a hearty, satisfying meal. You can usually have dinner on the table in about an hour or less.

If you are looking for some side dishes to accompany this kind of sausage, here are some recommendations: 

  • Sauerkraut
  • Coleslaw
  • Mashed Potatoes or Any Kind of Potato Dish
  • Baked Beans
  • Cabbage Based Dishes
  • Crusty Bread

If you weren't sure of how to cook polish sausage, we really hope this has given you the information you need to get started.

If you have made kielbasa in the past, this article may give you some new ideas. If you want, you can try and cook some other great sausages at home:

About Kendrick

Kendrick is an outdoor cooking enthusiast, living in Kansas. He loves to share his passion about outdoor cooking with everyone on various Social Media platforms (Read More)

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