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This Kielbasa appetizer is sweet, and savory, and packs a spicy punch! Perfect little bites for game day, holiday buffets, or any party!
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You are going to love this Easy Kielbasa Appetizer! The savory sausage is smothered in a sweet and spicy sauce that is so irresistible! They’re the perfect little party appetizer, whether you’re entertaining a crowd at a fancy holiday party or casually watching the big game on a Sunday afternoon.
These Kielbasas are just the right amount of sweet and savory with a hint of jalapeño. Plus they are so easy to make! You just toss all the ingredients in the slow cooker and let it do the work. Delicious and easy, it doesn’t get better than that!
Recipe Ingredients
Easy Kielbasa appetizer is always a favorite to make and eat! With only four ingredients, these mini bite-sized morsels come full of flavor. Our whole family loves how quick these are to make and made to perfection!
- Beef Polska Kielbasa – This is like a smoked sausage and comes in a U shape that can be found in the poultry section of your grocery store. It is usually up along the side of the wall with other sausages.
- Barbecue sauce – Make a homemade BBQ sauce or store-bought! You will love how easy these are to make!
- Strawberry Jam – This will sweeten up the barbecue sauce. We love to use Smucker’s strawberry jelly. It has a great flavor and texture for this recipe.
- Pepper Jelly – for this recipe we used the Red Chili pepper spread from Costco, but we also have an amazing pepper jelly recipe.
- Cream cheese – Mix together cream cheese with the pepper jelly. This gives it a cooling and refreshing balance. Spread the cream cheese and pepper jelly on crackers to set a kielbasa over the top!
How to Make Kielbasa Appetizer in the Crockpot
This sweet and savory appetizer comes together with just three ingredients! What could be easier than throwing ingredients into the slow cooker? That’s the beauty of this easy kielbasa recipe. Let the slow cooker do all the work!
- Prepare the beef – Slice kielbasa into bite-size rounds and add them to the Crock Pot. I like to use all beef kielbasa sausage but you can use any kind you like.
- BBQ sauce – Add a cup or so of your favorite barbecue sauce. My go-to is always Sweet Baby Ray’s.
- Blend together РThen stir in the star ingredient of this show: Strawberry Jam and Jalape̱o Jelly or Pepper Jelly (we specifically used the Red Chili Pepper Spread from Costco).
- Cook – Let it all simmer in the slow cooker for two to three hours until serving time.
Tips and Suggestions
Kielbasa has a bold flavor with a sweet and savory taste that everyone loves! The sausage rope has a natural flavor that is amazingly flavorful and simple to cook. Follow these tips and suggestions to create the best kielbasa!
- Polish sausage – Some other delicious alternatives are turkey sausage, pork, spicy, or mild, just about any kind will do. It comes in a U-shape package in the meat section of your grocery store.
- Spice – Add a little more heat with hot sauce, red pepper flakes, paprika, or cayenne pepper.
- Jelly – any type of strawberry jam or pepper jelly will work.
- Jalape̱os РTop the kielbasa with a slice of jalape̱o on top for extra heat!
- Pan fry – Warm up your sliced Polish sausage in a large skillet on medium heat. Stirring the sausage occasionally until they are cooked through. Add BBQ and jelly to the skillet and cook until blended.
Suggestions for Serving
Serve these kielbasa bites at your next party! These are easy to make and create a fancy appetizer or low-key for a Super Bowl game. Make a meal or a simple snack after school. All these options are perfect for serving the best kielbasa!
- Party – Offer your guests a plate of these sweet and savory bites with some colorful toothpicks and the crowd will go wild!
- Appetizer РI also love to eat these kielbasa bites over a cracker with some Jalape̱o Jelly and cream cheese.
- Snack РSpread the jalape̱o jelly and cream cheese over bagels, on toast, or just about anything! So yummy!
- Dinner – Use this as a weeknight dinner and add potatoes or noodles, and vegetables for a complete meal!
“Love how easy these are, the sauce for the kielbasa sounds tasty too.”
-Caroline
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! Kielbasa is a great source of nutrients and minerals. Check the nutritional information and daily value on the label of the sausage package. This is full of healthy and delicious flavors as well as ingredients that make up the sausage itself.
They mean the same thing! Kielbasa means sausage in Polish. This can include American breakfast sausage, German bratwurst, Italian hot sausage, or any other sausage that you love.
Each kielbasa or sausage is made differently and depends on the type of sausage that you are purchasing. Different brands also have different ingredients and flavors within their packaging. Most kielbasa, is full of ground pork, infused flavors that are added to the sausage, and any other nutrients that are recommended through that brand.
Storing and Reheating Kielbasa
Let your kielbasa cool before adding it to an airtight container and store it in the refrigerator for three to five days. When ready to reheat, place in the microwave for 30 to 45 seconds at a time until the kielbasa has warmed up. Grab some crackers or eat them just the way they are!
More Amazing Appetizers
This recipe is one of our favorite Super Bowl Recipes. Be sure to check out our full list of recipes for the big game. Try some of our favorite appetizer recipes for your next big bash!
How to Make Kielbasa Appetizer
Kielbasa Appetizer
Equipment
- Crockpot Slow Cooker
Ingredients
- 1 package Beef Polska Kielbasa it comes in a U shape, like smoked sausage
- 1 cup barbecue sauce any kind is fine, but do a basic flavor
- 2 Tablespoons strawberry jam
- 2 Tablespoons pepper jelly
For the Cream Cheese Crackers:
- 8 ounces cream cheese
- 2 Tablespoons pepper jelly
Instructions
- Cut the Beef Polska Kielbasa into small rounds and place in a slow cooker with the barbecue sauce, strawberry jam, and pepper jelly.
- Cook on high for 2 to 3 hours.
- Remove from heat and serve with toothpicks.
For the Cream Cheese Crackers:
- Take a favorite cracker, spread on some cream cheese, a dollop of pepper jelly, and a cooked Kielbasa sausage.
Nutrition Information
** This post was sponsored by Smucker’s but all opinions are our own**
This sounds DIVINE! I love how these are perfect for game day or as an appetiser! Thanks for sharing!
Wow, I would have never thought of this flavour combo!! I will definitely give this a go, because it sounds so interesting!!
Wow – yummy! As a Ukrainian girl I love anything kubassa (that’s how we spell it) and I love the sweet/spicy sauce even more!
These are so delicious! The perfect appetizer.
Love how easy these are, the sauce for the kielbasa sounds tasty too.
Can I use another jam or jelly for this?
Absolutely! We just liked this one because it had jalapeno in it, which gave it a little kick!