Hey! I'm Des!
Welcome to Life’s Ambrosia where Dinner is served and memories are made. Here you will find over 1000 tried and true recipes for every possible occasion. In the last 10 years, this blog has helped millions of families put dinner on the table and create food memories. Let me help you too.
Kielbasa and Potatoes
Kielbasa and Potatoes is one of my go to recipes for weeknight dinners. With just a handful of ingredients and two easy steps you can have it on the table. It’s quick, easy and the entire family will love it!
We all have one of of those meals that brings us back to our childhood right? My mom used to Kielbasa and Potatoes all the time. It was one of her go-to meals in between running my sister and I to orchestra (me) and softball (my sister).
And now that I am a busy mom myself, I find myself turning to it too. it is because it is so easy and the kiddos love it.
I mean what is not to love. Between the smoky sausage pieces and the crisp yet tender bites of potatoes, it is bound to be a crowd pleaser.
What ingredients do you need?
KIELBASA: Kielbasa is one of my absolute favorite sausages. It is a polish sausage that has a smoky flavor. It is pre-cooked and great for adding to all kinds of recipes.
RUSSET POTATOES: To keep with the ease and rustic flare to this dish, I prefer to keep the skin on the potatoes. Cut them relatively small so that they cook faster and you will also want to make sure you dice them all the same size so that they cook evenly.
OLD BAY SEASONING: This has been one of my favorite seasoning blends as of late. It is made with celery salt, bay leaves, mustard and peppercorns. It is great with seafood but I really love using it with potatoes too. If you can’t find it in the spice aisle at your grocery store, check the seafood counter. They usually have them there.
BUTTER and OLIVE OIL: I like using a combination or both. You get the buttery flavor from the butter but the added oil helps keep the butter from burning.
ONION (optional): Typically kielbasa and potatoes has onions but let’s be honest, they aren’t always kid friendly. I left them out of this recipe but it is an easy add if you want. Simply put them in a couple of minutes before you add the sausage.
How do you make fried kielbasa and potatoes?
I like to do all of this in one skillet. I find that cast iron works fabulous when I am wanting to get crispy edges on my potatoes but any large skillet will work fine. You just want to make sure that you can get all of the potatoes in a single layer in the skillet.
STEP #1: Heat oil and butter together in a skillet over medium heat. Once the butter has melted add the potatoes. And sprinkle with Old Bay Seasoning. Allow the potatoes to cook 5 minutes before stirring and then allow the potatoes to cook 10 – 15 minutes or until tender.
DES’ TIP: A key to making crispy, yet tender potatoes is to let them sit and cook for about 5 minutes before you start turning them. This will give them a chance crisp on the outside. The potatoes will be easier to lift from the pan once the outside has crisped.
STEP #2: Add in the kielbasa. Cook 3 -5 minutes more or until the kielbasa is warmed through. Season to taste with salt and pepper and serve.
See! How easy is that? Literally two steps and dinner is on the table. This is why this Fried Kielbasa and Potatoes is one of my favorite things to make for dinner on a busy weeknight.
If you want to make sure you get some veggies too, I like to serve it with southern fried cabbage, sautéed broccoli or a green salad with garlic vinaigrette or homemade thousand island dressing.
Note: this post was originally posted in 2010 it was updated with new photos, nutrition information and a modified recipe in 2021.
Kielbasa and Potatoes
Ingredients
Ingredients:
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 4 medium russet potatoes diced
- 2 teaspoons Old Bay Seasoning
- 1 pound kielbasa cut in half at the curve and then sliced
Instructions
- In a large skillet heat olive oil and butter over medium heat. Once butter has melted add potatoes. Sprinkle with Old Bay seasoning. Allow to cook for 4-5 minutes without stirring. Stir after 5 minutes. Cook another 10 - 15 minutes or until tender. Stir.
- Stir in kielbasa. Continue cooking for 5 more minutes or until sausage is warmed through and pieces begin to brown. Serve hot.
Notes
Nutrition
Hey! I'm Des!
Welcome to Life’s Ambrosia where Dinner is served and memories are made. Here you will find over 1000 tried and true recipes for every possible occasion. In the last 10 years, this blog has helped millions of families put dinner on the table and create food memories. Let me help you too.
Chris T
March 31, 2023 at 2:45 pmRecipe is a favorite. Maybe something can be done about the ads that conveniently cover the recipe.
Debbie Whiteford
September 27, 2017 at 8:06 amCan this be made in the instant pot (electric pressure cooker)? If so how long would you cook it? And would you make any adjustments? I’m thinking, after pressure cooking putting it under the broiler for a few minutes to crispen it up.
Joni Bentley
February 22, 2017 at 6:45 pmI have several questions about this dish. I doubled it because of my family size, but the potatoes took for ever to cook. How big do you dice yours? what kind of pan did you use, and temp? I used an electric skillet on 325. I feel like par-boiling would have helped the potatoes cook faster.
Des @ Life's Ambrosia
February 23, 2017 at 12:30 pmHi Joni! I diced the potatoes into bite size pieces and cooked them in a cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. I usually cook it as is but reading through the comments if you par-boil the potatoes, I think they would cook a bit faster for you!
Ginny Pizzuto
October 16, 2016 at 1:48 pmI made this but i did it in the oven and added red peppers and other spices was yummy… next i think i will add mushrooms.. thanks
A. Smith
June 28, 2015 at 6:14 pmI’ve made KB & spuds for years, but I throw in a rounded tsp. of no-salt Lemon-Pepper Seasoning, a good pinch of sea salt (1/4 tsp.), and some coarse ground tellicherry black pepper (you may have to get a pepper grinder). My other version is using ground horseradish & sea salt. Both are great and everyone loves it.
Amber
November 20, 2014 at 3:41 pmI made it but with russet potatoes and nuked them after the 10 minutes of cooking just to make sure they were thoroughly cooked. It was delicious.
Deseree
November 23, 2014 at 11:37 pmThank you!
Debra DeGroot
August 17, 2013 at 1:37 pmOpps, I meant steamed cabbage, sorry.
Debra DeGroot
August 17, 2013 at 1:35 pmI make this dish with the turkey sausage and potatoes. The only thing I do different is add stemmed cabbage to this dish. That’s the way my mother always made it. We called it Cabbage, Potatoes, and Smoked Sausage. Yummy!
erin
July 31, 2013 at 10:24 amThis might be a silly question, but could you use red potatoes instead?
Deseree
July 31, 2013 at 10:28 amHi Erin- Yep you can!
sue
August 15, 2012 at 12:24 pmGood start but layer bottom of pan with cabbage,then potatoes ,a bag of Normandy blend frozen veggie( Broc,cauliflower,carrots).top with Polska Kielbasa.season with lemon pepper.1/2 cup water.SEAL with foil.325 degrees for a few hours. I LOVE IT and each person can decide if they want apple cider vinegar .I LOVE the vinegar drizzled on mine! This dish is SOOOOO good!
deedasher
March 14, 2012 at 4:30 pmcan I make this up the night before? will the potatoes stay good and just warm up the next day
Deseree
March 14, 2012 at 7:43 pmdeedasher- I’ve eaten this as leftovers the next day for lunch so I would say that would be just fine. :)
Ande
March 4, 2012 at 6:33 pmThis was delicious and super easy. The only problem I found is that the skillet gets a bit crowded. If you’re a little picky about browning the meat I would use a separate skillet for the sausage and cook it with the other half of the onion.
Nancy Ruiz
January 24, 2012 at 8:53 amDefinitely trying this recipe,Thanks for sharing,simple but filling,my kind of recipe
Joanna
June 30, 2011 at 9:12 amThe name “kielbasa” is not turkish but polish!!!
Susan
April 23, 2011 at 9:06 amThanks Meahan! Did this one last night- definite keeper! After reading the of the other comments I used the pre- boil method for the potatoes ( about 8 min) and crisped them up in the pan while browning the chicken smoked sausage (since that’s what I had). I also added a 1/2 red and 1/2 a yellow bell pepper and some fresh minced garlic that I sauteed with the onion in the pan first then set aside. In the last minute i combined the peppers/onions and the potatoes and sausage to blend and rewarm.
Amanda
February 22, 2010 at 7:14 pmthanks for the idea Meagan, i might try pre-boiling them this time.
Deseree, the potatoes were slightly hard still, but hot. the second time we tried it-we did 3 rounds of 5 on the potatoes before adding anything extra, and it helped. to be fair, we are also adding extras to this meal-to stretch it out for our family of 4…we added green peppers and mushrooms to it. and the last time we made it-we tried crumbled breakfast sausage-Sooo Delish!
This week im back to turkey kielbasa. Our household loves this dish! OK-the grown ups love it-and the kids pick at it-but who’s keeping score right?! LOL
Meaghan
January 27, 2010 at 7:42 aman idea for the potatoes- Pre-boil them until fork tender. Then toss them into the pot as you would before, but don’t cook as long. you want them to get a little “crust” of love on them, but don’t over cook. (maybe 2-3 minutes each side)
then continue on. The potatoes may be more delicate, so don’t mix hard, but they will be done.
(I’m a classically trained chef, along with 10+ years experience.)
Deseree
January 15, 2010 at 7:27 amSafoora and Shriley I’m glad that you enjoyed this dish! Amanda- Did you have a problem with the potatoes? I usually don’t have a problem with the potatoes unless I cut them a little bigger, but if I happen to do that I just let them cook a little longer.
Shirley
January 14, 2010 at 8:11 pmSo delicious! I just made this and it made my day! Thanks for the recipe!
BNDQ8
January 14, 2010 at 6:38 amIt looks so delicious!! we dont really have turkey kielbasa ..can i use turkey sausage?
Deseree
January 14, 2010 at 7:30 amBNDQ8- Thanks! You can use turkey sausage if you like or regular beef kielbasa if you have access to that.
Amanda
January 13, 2010 at 2:58 pmim currently making this now, and hubby is complaining about the potatoes possibly not cooking through…did anyone have this problem?
Safoora
January 8, 2010 at 3:33 amI made this last night – was delicious! Perfect way to beat the chill! :)
Steph
January 7, 2010 at 8:11 amMy mom used to make this for us all of the time, too. It has since turned into my boyfriend’s favorite on a cold night… with a bit of ketchup on top :)
patsy
January 6, 2010 at 5:53 pmThat looks like the perfect cold weather comfort food! I’m going to try to find turkey kielbasa at the store this weekend.
Teresa
January 6, 2010 at 12:37 pmMy mom used to make this all the time! And serve it with fresh corn on the cob from the garden. Wow! I’m going to have to make this for my kids soon. My Lilly would love it! :-)
Mom
January 6, 2010 at 10:54 amUmm sounds like a plan for tonight!
Jessie
January 6, 2010 at 10:00 amthis is a great quick whip meal! I just might make this sometime this week :)