Crockpot Kielbasa with Homemade Sweet and Sour Sauce

Comforting and exotic may not seem like two words you would hear together often. In the case of our hearty and tasty Sweet and Sour Crockpot Kielbasa, it’s a perfect fit. Fix up a big bowl of this on a wet, dreary day or whenever you need a pick-me-up. Crockpot Kielbasa with Homemade Sweet and Sour Sauce is what dinner dreams are made of!

The perky, sweet, and sour sauce transforms this homestyle sausage dish into a delightful meal inspired by popular Asian cuisine. If you love rice bowls, this recipe is for you. It’s easy to make and a great way to feed a family on a budget. Crockpot Kielbasa with Homemade Sweet and Sour Sauce is a dinner we all crave!

There are all kinds of ways to cook a kielbasa (and no bad ones that I ever heard of), but the crockpot is the most ingenious. I love how the flavors meld slowly over time, giving the entire meal a rich, deep, pleasurable, and satisfying taste. The sweet-and-sour component makes it distinct. For me, it really stands out from other options when I am looking to make a meal that satisfies both my hunger and my desire for something a little different.

There is an order to building this delectable meal, and it’s a little bit unusual if you are used to making these types of dishes using other methods. In most cases, you would saute the onions and pepper before adding the kielbasa and the other ingredients. Even with an Instant Pot, this is what you’d expect. This is different.

I do recommend prepping the onions and peppers first. You should set them aside when you are done and dive right in with the kielbasa. You will gradually add the remaining ingredients as the kielbasa cooks. Although you will set the slow cooker to high, it will still take several hours for this meal to come together as planned.

You will build this sweet and sour crockpot kielbasa in layers and allow to cook for a while before adding the rice and mixing everything up. Cooking the rice last not only keeps it from getting too soft, but also locks in the flavors and aromas around the kielbasa, so you get the richest, most intense termination of sweet and sour.

Once it’s mixed, you’ll get the texture of the pineapple and peppers along with the sausage, yet the sweet-and-sour flavor will be absorbed into everything, independent of the separate ingredients.

Ingredients

You will see that this is a simple, easy meal to prepare. With just a few ingredients, which are staples in our house, this is a quick meal to put together. And always a winner for dinner! Sweet and Sour Crockpot Kielbasa is amazingly delicious!

• Orange Bell Pepper 
• Yellow Bell Pepper
• Crushed Pineapple – in Heavy Syrup
• Yellow Onion
• Kielbasa 
• Near East Rice Pilaf
• Garlic Powder
• Garlic Salt
• Brown Sugar
• Pineapple Juice
• Soy Sauce

**See the recipe card at the end of the post for quantities and cooking times.

Instructions

Making this Crockpot Kielbasa with Homemade Sweet and Sour Sauce is just as easy as the ingredient list. A little chopping and placing in the crockpot, and you’ll be ready to set it and forget it!

Step 1:

Place the lid on the Crock Pot and turn the heat setting to High. Wash the Peppers, slice them, and set aside. Cut the Onion, slice the Kielbasa, and place the Kielbasa in the crockpot. Add the Peppers and Onion.

Step 2:

In a large bowl, add the Crushed Pineapple and Pineapple juice, and stir.  Add the Garlic Powder, Garlic Salt, Brown Sugar, and Soy Sauce to the Pineapple, and stir well to blend.  Pour the Pineapple mixture over the Peppers and Kielbasa in the Crock Pot.  Sprinkle the Rice over the Crock Pot, then stir it into the sauce.

Step 3:

 Place the lid back on the Crock Pot, and cook on High for 4 to 5 hours, or until Rice and Vegetables are tender. Plate, serve, and enjoy! 

Prepping

Our kielbasa recipe calls for orange and yellow bell peppers. The color is not merely about appearance; it also affects flavor. Green bell peppers are more bitter/spicy (although the “spice” is not like other peppers). They aren’t as ripe as the more colorful alternatives. Likewise, while red is the ripest, it is not as sweet as the yellow and orange bell peppers. The sweetness of the yellow and orange is what we want for the sweet-and-sour combo, even though red may be better at breaking up the visual monotony of all the yellow from the pineapple. That color mixing is actually the main reason you use a yellow and orange pepper instead of just a yellow one.

Trust me, the kielbasa will break it up enough, and the fragrance and flavor far outweigh the slightest smattering of red color you would get from using the less sweet red peppers. Once you’ve rinsed your peppers in the sink, cut them lengthwise in half and dig out the center with a paring knife. Slice it up into strips and then turn sideways to cut into bite-sized chunks.

PIN IT!!

Remember, these ingredients are set aside to add to the kielbasa once it is already cooking in the Crockpot.

Creating the Sweet and Sour Base

Sweet and Sour Crockpot Kielbasa uses the pineapple as its base. Pineapple is such a beautiful representation of the complex blend of sweet and sour, and it forms the backbone of the sauce’s flavor. It’s important to use crushed pineapple so your sauce has the desired consistency. The sweetened pineapple juice and the crushed pineapple are all you need to start this incredible, sweet and sour concoction. Then you will incorporate garlic salt, garlic powder, soy sauce, and brown sugar for that amazing sweetness. This sauce tastes incredible and binds the whole dish together beautifully.

The sweet-and-sour sauce is made after you’ve already begun cooking the kielbasa, while the onion and peppers are sauteed. Mix all the ingredients well until combined, then pour them over everything in the Crockpot. Top it off with your packaged rice mixture, then give it a light stir so the rice is coated in the sauce. That’s it. Four easy steps, and then you get to cover it up for 4-5 hours and enjoy!

Serve and Enjoy!

You can also make this dish with plain jasmine or Basmati rice if you prefer. I enjoy the flavor and texture of Near East Vegetable Rice Pilaf, and I feel it adds more to the dish without requiring any unnecessary additional steps.

Sweet and Sour Crockpot Kielbasa works amazingly well on its own as a bowl meal, as a side to an entree, or as an entree with sides. It all depends on your appetite and how much you want to make. This recipe works well with sesame chicken or spicy shrimp.

MORE RECIPES YOU WILL LOVE:

Cheesy Kielbasa Hashbrown Casserole

Sweet Potato Dinner Rolls

Slow Cooker Kielbasa Potato Soup

Chicken Quesadilla Ring

Sweet and Sour Crockpot Kielbasa

Comforting and exotic may not seem like two words you would hear together often. In the case of our hearty and tasty Sweet and Sour Crockpot Kielbasa, it totally fits. Fix up a big bowl of this on a wet dreary day or whenever you need a pick-me-up.

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4.50 from 2 votes

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Course: Dinner

Cuisine: American

Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 5 minutes minutes

Servings: 8 Servings

Author: Rob

Ingredients

• 1 Orange Bell Pepper – sliced
• 1 Yellow Bell Pepper – sliced
• 1 can of Crushed Pineapple – in Heavy Syrup
• 1 large Yellow Onion – Cut in bite size pieces
• 2 packages of Kielbasa – sliced in coins
• 1 package of Near East Rice Pilaf including flavor packet
• 1 teaspoon of Garlic Powder
• 1/2 teaspoon of Garlic Salt
• 1/3 cup of Brown Sugar
• 6 ounces of Pineapple Juice – sweetened
• 3 tablespoons of Soy Sauce – plus more if preferred

Instructions

• Place the lid on the Crock Pot and turn the heat setting to High.
• Wash the Peppers, and slice them, and set aside.  Cut the Onion, and slice the Kielbasa, and place the Kielbasa in the Crock pot.  Add the Peppers and Onion.
• In a large bowl, add the Crushed Pineapple, and Pineapple juice, and stir.  Add the Garlic Powder, Garlic Salt, Brown Sugar, and Soy Sauce to the Pineapple, and stir well to blend. 
• Pour the Pineapple mixture over the Peppers, and Kielbasa in the Crock Pot.  Sprinkle the Rice over the Crock Pot, and stir Rice into Sauce.
• Place the lid back on the Crock Pot, and cook on High for 4 to 5 hours, or until Rice and Vegetables are tender.
• Plate, serve, and Enjoy!

Disclaimer

Any nutritional data I provide is an approximation and actual dietary information can vary based on ingredients and proportion sizes.