Instant Pot Kielbasa and Sauerkraut has two of my favorite foods from childhood: Kielbasa and Sauerkraut! This pressure cooker Kielbasa and Sauerkraut is a one-pot meal that you can make in your Instant Pot Electric Pressure Cooker in about an hour.
Instant Pot Kielbasa and Sauerkraut
I grew up eating sauerkraut, and many other Germanic foods. Sometime before I was born my mom lived in Germany. I never knew that some of the things we said were actually in German. When my friends came over to play, they were confused when I told them to be careful of mom’s shrunk (china cabinet). And mom would yell at us to “mach schnell” when she wanted us to hurry up.
I’ve forgotten many of the words, but I haven’t forgotten the food! Mom cooked food from everywhere, not just Germany!
Mom made sausages like Bratwurst, Knackwurst, Liverwurst, and we ate it all! She served us Kielbasa, good Polish sausage, and many types of hot dogs, as we called them. My favorite was Kielbasa and sauerkraut! Now, this is not a strictly German recipe, but it does take me back to the German influences I grew up with.
I like to blend recipes from different cultures, and make them my own. This recipe is not quite like mom’s, as it has more ingredients, and a more complex flavor. Hers was good, simply good, but mine is amazing (at least, to me it is)! I wish she had lived to taste mine, maybe she’d have liked it, too.
The nice part about this Instant Pot Kielbasa and Sauerkraut is that making it in my Instant Pot® is so easy. It is done perfectly in under an hour, and in ONE POT, which I really like!
I hope you like Instant Pot Kielbasa and Sauerkraut as much as my family does.
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If you like kielbasa and sauerkraut, you will like this version! I revised it many times and this is the winning dish! You make it in the Instant Pot electric pressure cooker, and it is fantastic!
- 2-3 TBSP Vegetable Oil
- 1 1/2 lbs Kielbasa, cut into 1.5 inch chunks
- 1 32 oz Jar Sauerkraut (drain 1/2 of the liquid)
- 1 med Onion, diced
- 2 cloves Garlic, pressed or minced
- 1 Tbsp Caraway Seeds
- 1/2 tsp Kosher Salt
- 1/2 tsp Black Pepper
- 1/3 cup Dry White Wine (or use apple juice)
- 3 Small Gold Potatoes, cubed
- 3 Medium Carrots cut into 1 1/2 inch pieces
- 1 Apple (cored, peeled and large diced)
- 2 cups Chicken Broth
- Parsley Garnish (optional)
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Set the Instant Pot to Sauté and when it says hot, add the vegetable oil, wait a few seconds, then add the kielbasa. Brown it and remove to a bowl.
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Add onion to the pot and stir.
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Add carrots and stir.
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Let that cook for a minute or two.
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Add the salt, pepper, and caraway seeds, stir.
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Add the wine and let cook for a couple of minutes, stirring and scraping the bottom of the pot occasionally to make sure the pot is deglazed (all brown bits removed).
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Add the garlic, stir it in.
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Add the potatoes and apple, stir.
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Add the kielbasa back in, juices and all. Also add sauerkraut, and broth. Stir well to combine.
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Put the lid on the Instant Pot, and set the knob to sealing.
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Press the Cancel/Keep Warm button to cancel the sauté mode.
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Press the Pressure Cook (or Manual) button or dial, make sure it is set to high pressure, and use the +/- button or dial to adjust the time to 8 minutes.
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After the cooking cycle ends, press the Cancel button to turn off the pot, and wait 10 minutes (NPR - Natural Pressure Release).
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Release the rest of the pressure manually (use a spoon handle or tongs to be safe), and wait for the pin to drop, and carefully open the lid, facing it away from your face as there will be a lot of steam.
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Give it a good stir.
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The contents will be very hot, so when you dish it up you might want to wait a few minutes before eating it. Garnish with a little fresh parsley, and ENJOY!
Serve with a slice of buttered crusty bread, or a biscuit.
This is one of those meals that is better the next day! It reheats very well.
resources to make Instant Pot Kielbasa and Sauerkraut recipe and more
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Irene Moe
I made this yesterday, was very good added green beans and a red pepper. My husband loved it and I am Polish so you know I loved it.
Mickey
Thanks for the recipe. I usually just make sauerkraut like I used to eat as a child. This was good but I would use less liquid in the future. Also, I would rinse the sauerkraut. I added some brown sugar after it cooked to cut the sour of the kraut.
Sandy
Thank you for your feedback. I have had some very sour brands, and some super salty ones as well. I think tasting the kraut before adding it is the way to go so you know if you should rinse it or not. I had a really mellow kraut once and I rinsed it. It had no flavor afterward. So now I taste it first!
Charlene
Very good dish. I will make it again with all the ingredients. I didn’t have time to do all ingredients. I left out onion, garlic , and carrots and it was wonderful. I used fresh Ostrowski Kielbasa from Baltimore area which made it extra good.
Roxy
This came out so wonderful. Very nice flavor! I added some red pepper flakes as well and my Indian hubby loved it! 😜 will be my go to recipe for this dish. thank you!
Barbara M.
Excellent! Grew up eating this, but without apples or juice. Added greatly to the flavor.
Crystal West
Hi! I really have been meaning to comment for years. I’ve made this so many times!! My family loves it. I just shared a link to my mother while making it tonight for the countless time. It is a fall/winter favorite and I’ll probably never stop making this 😍😋
Sandy
That’s great! Thank you for letting me know. I’m so glad you like it!
Crystal West
Hi!! Just wanted to wish you a Happy New Year. We’ve been eating this on New Years day now for years, and I randomly make it in the cold months after too. It’s definitely a family favorite now and I need to spend some quality time reading the rest of your blog.
Happy 2023!!! ♥️
Glenda Powers
Amazingly terrific meal. Whole family loved it, even my 3 year old grand daughter! A real winner.