This kielbasa recipe is my favorite appetizer of all time. I mean, I also love making guava bbq wings but that’s neither here nor there. I just love game day eats!
I’ve been making these kielbasa bites for years! What started as a little experiment has now turned into a delicious recipe… er obsession. This kielbasa appetizer is seriously addicting and SUPER easy to make!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Intense salty-sweet flavor! The cola and brown sugar mixed with the salty, smoky kielbasa sausage is the best combination of flavors!
- Quick and easy appetizer recipe. Just 3 ingredients that you can find at your local grocery store. You can serve it for dinner or as a snack.
- Perfect for crowds. If you’re looking for a quick appetizer recipe for a potluck or a delicious snack for a large gathering, this will become your go-to recipe!
Ingredients You’ll Need
Only 3 ingredients!
- Kielbasa. I use the Hillshire Farm® Beef Polska Kielbasa since it’s easy to find at any grocery store. Use whichever one you’d like! Most packaged kielbasa comes fully cooked/smoked.
- Regular coca-cola. You can also use root beer or diet coke if that’s what you have on hand.
- Brown sugar has molasses which is great for flavor and the caramelization of the kielbasa. YUM!
Recommended For This Recipe
10 Inch Skillet
A 10-inch skillet perfect for cooking all kinds of dishes! It’s non-stick, with a wide flat bottom for frying, sautéing, or browning.
Slow Cooker
This 6 quart crockpot allows you to program your cook time and has a locking lid which is perfect for taking your dish to any get-together.
Cooking Instructions
On The Stove (Recommended)
- Brown the sausage. All packaged kielbasa comes fully cooked so all you can do is slice it and add them to a pan to brown. Make sure to slice them the same size, about 1/4-inch thick each, so they can cook evenly.
- Add the cola and brown sugar. Once you have browned the sliced sausage, add the coke and brown sugar and bring to a boil.
- Simmer. Once it starts boiling, immediately turn the heat down and simmer until caramelized.
In A Slow Cooker / Crockpot
- Add all the ingredients to the slow cooker. Stir to combine and cook on HIGH for 3 hours, or LOW for 5-6 hours.
Recipe Tips & Variations
- Caramelization will take time. Since not all stoves are created equal, this recipe may take 10 minutes or 35 minutes. You need to eyeball the glaze to see when the brown sugar and coke mixture thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon. You know your stove better than I do so use your best judgment here. The caramelization waiting time is really the hardest part of this recipe!
- WARNING: Sugar gets hot! Be careful not to eat them too soon after you transfer them to a plate. They are definitely hard to resist but you don’t want to burn your mouth (speaking from experience here).
- Switch things up! Don’t have (or want to use) brown sugar + coca-cola? Use this variation instead and it’ll be just as delicious!
- 1.5 cups bbq sauce + 1/3 cup dijon mustard
- 1.5 cups bbq sauce + 1 cup mango jam
- Want it spicy? Add 1/4 teaspoon (or more!) of chili powder or cayenne for some heat.
- Add pineapple. Thread these glazed kielbasa bites with small pineapple chunks on toothpicks or cocktail forks, and watch them disappear right before your eyes.
- Make them for dinner. These brown sugar glazed kielbasa bites are a great appetizer idea however you can definitely serve them with white rice or yellow rice. Kielbasa and rice have never tasted so good!
Easy Kielbasa Appetizer Recipe (Only 3 Ingredients!)
This quick and easy kielbasa appetizer recipe is just 3 ingredients – kielbasa, brown sugar, and coca-cola. Learn how to make these brown sugar kielbasa bites in 2 ways – on the stove or in the slow cooker. I promise this become your go-to appetizer for holidays, dinner parties, or snack time. They are quite addictive!
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 lbs beef kielbasa cut into 1/2-inch slices
- 6 ounces coca-cola
- 1 cup brown sugar packed
Instructions
On The Stove (Recommended)
- In a nonstick skillet, add sausage and brown over medium-high heat for about 4-5 minutes. Pour coca-cola and brown sugar into the skillet. Bring to a boil then reduce heat to medium-low.
- Stir and simmer anywhere from 10 to 40 minutes. (All stoves are different. On my stove, it takes about 30 minutes for these to caramelize. I've made these at friends' houses and it has taken 10 minutes. You have to eyeball it. You know your stove better than I do. What you're looking for is a thick, caramelized consistency so keep stirring until it becomes a thick glaze.)
- Once the cola and brown sugar mixture becomes a thick glaze over the sliced sausages, remove the skillet from the heat. Transfer sausages to a plate and let cool for 10 minutes before serving. The sausages will be VERY HOT, please be careful. Enjoy!
In The Slow Cooker
- Add all the ingredients to the slow cooker. Stir to combine and cook on HIGH for 3 hours, or LOW for 5-6 hours.
Notes
Variations
- Replace the brown sugar + cola with 1 1/2 cups bbq sauce + 1/3 cup dijon mustard OR 1 1/2 cups bbq sauce + 1 cup mango jam. It’ll be just as delicious!
- Add 1/4 teaspoon (or more!) of chili powder or cayenne for some heat.
- Thread these glazed kielbasa bites with small pineapple chunks on a toothpick and watch them disappear right before your eyes.
- Serve them for dinner with white rice or yellow rice.
Nutrition
Serving: 1 servingCalories: 245 kcalCarbohydrates: 16 gProtein: 8 gFat: 16 gSaturated Fat: 6 gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2 gMonounsaturated Fat: 8 gCholesterol: 40 mgSodium: 501 mgPotassium: 153 mgSugar: 15 gVitamin C: 1 mgCalcium: 19 mgIron: 1 mg
Did You Make This?I want to know! Leave a comment & recipe rating below or tag @asassyspoon on social media!
Marilyn says
Looking forward to making it! But can you make it ahead of time and serve the next day?
Jamie Silva says
I don’t recommend that, to be honest, it is best served immediately. You can prep the kielbasa the day before but the full dish is best served hot off the stove! :)
Amanda says
Any thoughts on how this might be with Dr. Pepper instead of coke?
Jamie Silva says
Try it! I think it could work. :)
Lori says
can I use this sauce over a mixture of homemade meatballs and little sausage weenies in the crock pot?
Jamie Silva says
Sure!
Sindy Wiseman says
On your variations, is the bbq sauce and jam in addition to the brown sugar or just the bbq sauce jam and kielbasa?
Jamie Silva says
No, it’s in place of! I updated the post so it’s more clear. Hope that helps!
Sue says
I use 1 Tbsp of Dijon instead of Coke. I’ve made so many times. They are a hit with any type of crowd.
Heather says
Love Coke Kielbasa!! This is a good recipe. I spice mine up with garlic and a little smoked paprika. I also sauté onions, mushrooms and quartered brussel sprouts. Serve these over rice and you have comfort in a bowl. My late husband introduced me to this dish so it holds a very special place in my heart.
Jamie Silva says
So happy you LOVED it, Heather!
Jennifer says
This is hands down one of my favorite things to eat. My family requests it for Thanksgiving every year. I love that it’s so simple to make too. The only thing I do differently is to add a little ginger for some extra spice.
Ashley says
I made this recipe for a small family gathering & everyone loved them! So easy to whip up & the flavor is incredible! Could’ve eaten the whole batch myself!
Jamie Silva says
Haha I don’t blame you! So happy you loved it!
Brittany says
I’m cooking this now and it is not thickening up? What do I do?
Jamie Silva says
Since not all stoves are created equal, sometimes you have to add a little bit more sugar or wait it out!
Jess says
Omg so easy to make and so sweet and tasty. Over some white rice and mmm its magnificent.
Stacey says
I can’t wait to try this! I have some smoked sausage with a serious smoky flavor. I think it is called Roger Wood brand or something. I know it will pair with the sweetness wonderfully. I see a lot of comments about switching sodas. It is no problem. We used to use Sprite in a slow cooker pork recipe and swapped out Coca Cola many times. It is the syrup and sugar that makes it great!
Laurie says
Can I reheat them
Jamie Silva says
I’m sure you can but it won’t be as delicious as when served immediately after cooking.
April Meyers says
Can I use regular sausage?
Jamie Silva says
Sure!
maria furia says
Love this recipe! Didn’t change a thing. Thank you!
Crystal says
I have been making these for years with Vernors instead of coke. I believe Vernors is a Michigan thing, but it is just a gingerale (a little sweeter than Schweppes brand). They are delicious. I do know that if you use the crockpot, you cannot let them go for too long or at too high of temperature because they will burn up. Stovetop or electric skillet works best.
Deb says
Can you use Diet Coke?
Jamie Silva says
Yes!
Rachel says
Light or dark brown sugar? Thanks!
Jamie Silva says
Either one works!
Jenn says
This was delicious! I didn’t have Pepsi, so I substituted with root beer. Oh my goodness, I may not even try with Pepsi next time! It was so good with root beer! Easy, yet great tasting supper!
Edward Hatzidakis says
Can I use uncooked Kielbasa? Boil till done then follow the recipe?
Vanessa says
Made this for dinner tonight over Jasmine rice with green beans on the side. It’s delicious. I used root beer (that’s what we had on hand) and this recipe will definitely be added to future meal plans!
Barbara says
I would like to prepare these before my party starts. Can they be reheated?
Jamie Silva says
Hi Barbara, I have always served these bites straight off the stove since they are best served immediately. You can try transferring them to a slow cooker to keep warm until your guests arrive but I can’t guarantee results. Try it out and report back! :)
Evelyn says
I’m thinking of making something similar for a bridal shower. Has anyone tried it with chunks of pineapple, onions and peppers? I think it will look nice with the different colors and served with rice. I will definitely also try it with the 3 ingredients for other occasions. It sounds so good and simple.
R. Dooley says
Yes, the slow cooker works but you don’t get the crunchy outside. I typically brown the meat in a skillet and then transfer it to the crock pot. I have cooked these several ways in the past and you really can’t go wrong. I call my version Candy meat. Also, the recipe should include the weight ratio for the meat and not one package. At my grocery store there are three different types of kielbasa and two different weight packages.
Rena says
I was wondering about the weight of the package also. I bought a pack from Costco and I’m sure it’s alot more than a “regular size” pack. Looking forward to trying this though!
Linda Phipps says
Anyone have an update using the slow cooker?
Sandra Greenberg says
Going to try this tonight. Had planned a different recipe but that one wouldn’t be ready in time. This sounds faster and just as good of not better than what I do in the Crock-Pot.
Typically I just slice thin throw in Crock-Pot and add a bottle of sweet baby Ray’s barbeque and brown sugar and let cook low and serve over rice.
I’m curious if anyone’s tried this recipe in Crock-Pot before. Saw a few who wanted to try but never updated it.
Thanks
Sandra
Vonnea Mickens says
I made the 3 ingredient brown sugar glazed Kielbasa bites, but my kids love red kidney beans so I added the Kielbasa with the beans and it was out of this world.
Sue says
Made these last night for a party and everyone went bananas over them. Thank you!
Jamie Silva says
YAY! So happy to hear! :)
kathy says
I’d like to try these today, but not go to the grocery store! I only have diet coke. Would that work?
Jamie Silva says
Should work. Never tried it personally but try it and let me know! :)
Beck says
What’s the best type of skillet to use for this? Cast iron, non-stick, stainless steel? I can’t wait to try them!
Jamie Silva says
Hi Beck! Any non-stick skillet should work just fine. :)
Jennifer says
Can you make these ahead and freeze, then reheat
Jamie Silva says
Hi Jennifer! I wouldn’t recommend that. These are best served right off the skillet. Hope that helps! :)
Deborah says
These sound delicious! Do you use already cooked Keilbasa?
Jamie Silva says
Hi Deborah! Yes, I believe most, if not all, Kielbasa sausages are fully cooked. All you have to do is cut them and heat them up with the brown sugar and coke. Hope that helps! :)
John Melgun says
I haven’t tried this recipe yet, but I intend to because it looks so good. Allow to me add that not ALL Kielbasa is cooked/smoked. There is such as thing as fresh (uncooked) kielbasa (I’m a Polack who was practically raised on it) which is cooked by simmering it VERY SLOWLY in a pot of water. Then it can be sliced into pieces and combined with kraut or eaten in a sandwich on seeded rye bread with horseradish….yummy. Just sayin.
Sarah says
Do you think it would be an equally delicious turnout if you used the slow cooker instead of the stove top?
Jamie Silva says
Hi Sarah! I’ve never used the slow cooker so I couldn’t say. You are more than welcome to try it out and report back! Have fun! :)
Sharon says
Hi just wondering if anyone tried the slow cooker and if so how they turned out??
J.T. says
I am trying it out in the slow cooker tonight and will let you know.
Bri says
How did these turn out in the slow cooker??
Diane says
How much kielbasa is “one package”. We buy ours from a local butcher who makes it himself and it doesn’t come packaged.
We tell him how many inches we want. Or we could specify weight.
Jamie Silva says
Hi Diane, I typically use 1 package of Hillshire Farm kielbasa for this recipe which is 12 ounces. Hope that helps!
JANICE HOWARD says
Is it ok to use Root Beer instead of Cola????? They look wonderful
Jamie Silva says
Hi Janice! I’ve never tried it so I’m not sure if it would change the flavor or consistency. Try it and let me know how it turns out! Thank you! :)
Janice M Howard says
Can I use root beer instead of Cola????
Jamie Silva says
Hi Janice! I’ve never tried it so I’m not sure if it would change the flavor or consistency. Try it and let me know how it turns out! Thank you! :)
J.T. says
I’m using Dr. Pepper.
J.T. says
It worked out well and was not an overpowering taste but a slight taste of the Dr. Pepper, but definitely sweetened the taste of the Kielbasa, but that could have been the brown sugar as well.
Dorothy says
I am totally making these on NYE!!
Jamie Silva says
Yesss! They are so addictive, girl. My friends ask me to make these all the time and they disappear in seconds haha. Enjoy! Xo