Crock Pot Pork and Sauerkraut is a traditional German recipe made by my mom. This pork ribs and sauerkraut recipe has fall apart tender meat, and is so comforting! This slow cooker pork and sauerkraut recipe has great flavor, and is a nice family meal!
Crock Pot Pork and Sauerkraut
Growing up with my mom was a trip around the world! She made recipes from many different cultures. I definitely got my love of cooking anything and everything from her! German inspired recipes were a favorite at our house.
Pork and sauerkraut made in the crock pot is a very common dish, and there are many versions floating around.
This is an inherently simple meal, so no need to buy any fancy ingredients. Caraway seeds are the most exotic ingredient (though they are not exotic) in this pork ribs and sauerkraut.
If this recipe veers a bit from the very traditional recipe, you can blame that on mom having lived in other parts of the world besides Germany! She took her influences and made recipes taste better!
One Pro Tip: Please don’t skip browning the pork ribs! The browning gives the meat such a wonderful depth of flavor.
I tested this recipe twice without browning the meat. It was just okay, and my hubby and I agreed that it was missing something. It doesn’t take that long to brown the Country Style Ribs, so I hope you will not skip this step!
Classic Slow Cooker Beef Stew
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Crock Pot Pork and Sauerkraut is a traditional German recipe made by my mom. This slow cooker pork and sauerkraut recipe has great flavor, and is a nice family meal!
- 2 Tbsp Olive Oil
- 3 lbs Country Style Boneless Ribs
- 1 tsp Kosher Salt
- 1/2 tsp Pepper
- 1 Yellow Onion, thick sliced
- 3 cloves Garlic, pressed or finely minced
- 1 Apple, diced large
- 1 (24 oz) jar Good German Sauerkraut
- 1 Tbsp Caraway Seeds
- 1/2 cup Apple Juice
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Heat a 12" skillet over med-high heat. When hot, add the olive oil, then all of the ribs. Let them brown on one side for 4 minutes or long enough to get some color. Salt and pepper the ribs.
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Flip the ribs over and do the same on that side.
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Add the ribs and juices from the skillet to a 6 qt or larger slow cooker.
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Add the sliced onion and the garlic over the top of the ribs.
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Sprinkle the caraway seeds over the ribs/onion.
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Drain 1/2 of the sauerkraut juice and set aside. Dump the sauerkraut and remaining juice over the meat/onions.
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Add the apple and then the apple juice.
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Cook on Low for 8 hours or High for 4 hours, or until the ribs are fall apart tender.
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Taste for salt and tartness. Use the remaining sauerkraut liquid only if you want the results to be more tart in flavor.
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Serve hot.
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JT
This is so great! I had searched all over to find a recipe reminiscent of slow-cooked ribs with sauerkraut and caraway seeds that was a hallmark of my youth my mom used to make. This pretty much nails my memory of that dish, despite the addition of the apple and apple juice, which was not in the version we had, but adds a wonderful layer of flavor here. We’re Polish and I can’t speak to the provenance of the recipe that was used when I was a kid, but this certainly does align with Eastern European roots as well as German/Western European ones. I’ve cooked this twice now using ~ 5lbs of bone-in ribs cooked on low at 8-10 hours and no other modifications.
Also, just to respond to Gail’s note on using bagged sauerkraut vs. canned – any probiotics either has will be killed off in the cooking process so it doesn’t really matter what type you use, from that standpoint.
Gail
If you want the health benefits of the sauerkraut use bagged found in the refrigerator section rather than canned as the canning process kills the probiotics. What a great recipe to use fresh sauerkraut with! Thank you for sharing!
Tyrone Broussard
My wife served this recipe to me soon after married, 42 yrs! It is my favorite. I love this so much. It is a hardy dish with tons of flavor and easy to make.
David Combs
A new spin for me on an age old recipe. We enjoyed it very much. The onion and the apples gave us new flavors to saver. Thanks
Rose
I am making this exact recipe tonight, was my Moms. The only thing different is she added brown sugar. Have you ever added that to your recipe?
Sandy
Yes, I add a couple tablespoons in at the end. Happy New Year!
Heather Frazier
What if yo do not have castaway seeds or Apple juice?
Sandy
The flavor will be different, but still good. You could cut up an apple, or use hard apple cider. The caraway seeds add a unique flavor, but if you don’t have them you can use fennel seeds. If you don’t have either, don’t worry.
Laura
This was a wonderful and easy dinner to make and very well received by our guests.
I used fennel seeds instead of caraway as that was all I had and it was flavorful but will try caraway next time and maybe a tart apple versus the fuji I had on hand.
Janice P
What kind of apple do you use?
Sandy
I like a sweet apple, like Fuji or Gala. Some people like Granny Smith. Just use what you have or what you like!
Amanda
Hi! Can this be made with bone-in ribs? (Will it turn out as well?)
Sandy
Yes. You may need to cook a bit longer though.
Cindy
Can this be made in an insta pot rather than crock pot? If so, how long/what setting would you recommend?
Sandy
Yes, just add 1/2 cup more of the apple juice and pressure cook for 25 minutes with a 10 minute natural release.
Trina
This is my favorite way to make sauerkraut and pork. I substitute the caraway for cloves. I agree the browning is essential.
Billy
This looks so nostalgic. My grandpa used to make this ages ago, definitely excited to relive this memory and make this at home!
Sandy
Hi Billy! There is nothing like making a recipe from your childhood to take you right back to that special time and place. I hope you like this, and it takes you back!