New Year’s Pork and Sauerkraut with Kielbasa

This New Year’s pork and sauerkraut with kielbasa dish is an easy meal that you can make in the Instant Pot, slow cooker or on the stove top. A traditional meal to bring good luck in the New Year. It uses simple ingredients and it’s low carb! Each serving of this kielbasa recipe has only 4.6g net carbs or 2.4g for the low carb version. And you only need 4 ingredients!

You might also like this slow cooker pork tenderloin dinner.

Do you eat delicious pork or kielbasa and sauerkraut on New Year’s Day to bring good luck? We always have since I was little and even my husband was raised with this tradition. As a kid I wasn’t much of a fan of sauerkraut but I really love it now as an adult, especially the taste combination with pork and kielbasa.

We eat this kielbasa, pork and sauerkraut dinner many times in the winter as it’s a family favorite meal on busy weeknights. We keep it really simple as the savory flavors of tangy kraut go great with garlic bite of kielbasa (or sometimes called Polish sausage) and meaty pork.

I make variations of this meal and in different ways. Today I am showing you my simplest version and how you can make pork and sauerkraut on the stove, in an Instant Pot and in a slow cooker. So here is my super easy New Year’s pork and sauerkraut with kielbasa recipe 3 ways.

However while you can make this traditional dish for good luck in the new year, it really makes for a hearty meal all winter long! The instructions for all three ways to make it are in the printable recipe card below.

Why is pork and sauerkraut a New Year’s tradition?

I was always told we eat this dish on New Year’s Day to bring good luck in the new year. I was looking into why we eat pork and sauerkraut on New Year’s Day and there are various thoughts. Some say it’s a Pennsylvania Dutch tradition and some say it’s a German tradition.

Some say the cabbage and pork represent wealth because pork is rich in fat. One thought is that pigs root forward and you want to move forward in the new year and not backwards. (source)

Others say it’s all hogwash and just pure comfort food. Regardless we love the amazing flavor combination and eat it once a month. Today we are using boneless pork ribs, pork sausage (pork kielbasa) to go with the sauerkraut. However I also have a recipe using a pork roast and one with both a pork roast and gnocchi!

Recipe ingredients I used and substitutions.

The simple ingredients I used in this delicious recipe were: sauerkraut, 1 package of Polish kielbasa sausage, country pork ribs, salt, black pepper and brown sugar for a touch of sweetness. That’s all you need for this simple recipe. Below you can what I normally use.

Country Pork Ribs
I like to use these because they are cheap and already cut up. You could also use bone-in or boneless pork chops if you want. If you want to make a juicy pork roast I would suggest this recipe and make it in the Instant Pot or slow cooker. I prefer a pork shoulder roast or butt as opposed to a pork loin roast as these cuts of pork have a higher fat content and therefore more flavor.

Sauerkraut
I use a jar of sauerkraut that I get at Aldi. It’s a German style kraut but you can use any kind you want. You can find jarred or canned sauerkraut in most stores and sometimes it’s in the refrigerated section of the grocery store.

Polish Kielbasa
Sometimes kielbasa is referred to as Polish sausage. You can use pork, beef, or turkey kielbasa or a combination of any of these meats. Below you can see what I used and I buy it at Aldi.

Brown Sugar Sweetener
I use the Swerve brown sugar sweetener for a lower carb version but even with regular brown sugar it’s still low carb. So if you don’t care about carbs go ahead and just use regular brown sugar. I only use a tablespoon of it for a bit of sweetness.

Some people like to use yellow onions or sweet onions but since the kielbasa has so much garlic I don’t think it needs the onions. And while I use water and the juice from the sauerkraut in the Instant Pot you can also use broth if you want.

How to make New Year’s pork and sauerkraut with kielbasa on the stove top.

This is a very easy recipe and here is how you make it in a pan on the stove.

1. Get out a large pan or Dutch oven and heat to medium high heat. Add the olive oil and let get hot. While that is heating up get out the country ribs and season with salt and black pepper.
2. When the pan is hot, turn the heat down to medium heat and brown the pork for about 2-3 minutes on both sides. Then add the sliced kielbasa into between the pieces and brown for another minute.
3. Turn the heat down to medium and spoon out the sauerkraut over the meat but retain the liquid. Cover the meat evenly. Add the brown sugar to the liquid in the jar and mix well. Pour it all over the sauerkraut.
4. Place the lid on the pan and cook over medium low heat for about 35-40 minutes until the pork is tender.

When the dish is done, let cool for a few minutes before serving.

How to make pork and sauerkraut in the Instant Pot.

For this Instant Pot version I first browned the country ribs because that’s a nice feature this gadget has: the ability to saute and then pressure cook. 

To cook pork, kielbasa and sauerkraut in the Instant Pot:

1. Press the saute button on the Instant Pot and adjust heat to high. Add 1 tablespoon of olive or vegetable oil.
2. Sprinkle salt and black pepper over the country ribs and brown both sides for a couple of minutes in the Instant Pot until golden brown. This will take about 1-2 minutes per side.
3. In the meantime slice kielbasa into 1 inch bite size pieces.
4. Cancel the sautéing and add the jarred sauerkraut on top of the meat. Sprinkle a layer of brown sugar over kraut.
5. Place the kielbasa pieces on top of the sauerkraut mixture layer and pour ⅓ cup of water in as well. Some people like to use beer or even sweet apple juice for extra flavor but I like just water.
6. Seal the lid and pressure cook for 15 minutes. 
7. Let the pressure come down naturally or use a quick release. Spoon kielbasa mixture into a casserole dish or platter and serve.

How to make pork and sauerkraut in the slow cooker.

You can make this pork recipe in a crock pot as well. Just add everything to the crock pot and cook for 6-8 hours on low or 3-4 hours on high until the pork falls apart. his is a good way to make a pork roast as well as the slow roasting makes the meat nice and tender.

You can brown the country pork ribs in a skillet first if you wish but it’s not necessary. Slow cooking this dish works just as well but the cooking process just takes longer. 

Store leftover kielbasa and sauerkraut in an airtight container or place in a baking dish and cover with plastic wrap. Please scroll down to view and print the recipe card. 

What to serve with New Years pork and sauerkraut and a low carb version.

We like to eat our pork with sauerkraut over mashed potatoes to make it a complete meal. Also because we love the taste of creamy potatoes with the delicious flavor of tangy sauerkraut and garlicky kielbasa. Just add a fresh salad and you are set!

Also homemade applesauce would be great with this meal as pork and apples go great together. I have an easy slow cooker recipe that uses both apples and pears but you can use all apples if you want.

When I’m watching my carbs, I eat it without the potatoes and use Swerve brown sugar sweetener in place of the brown sugar.

Sometimes I just eliminate the brown sugar or sweetener altogether. It’s a bit more tangy but my husband prefers it this way.

I also eat it without the mashed potatoes and it’s delicious and of course that lowers the carbs.

Recipe Notes and Tips

• I used sweetener brown sugar but even with regular brown sugar the carbs are not that high. Sometimes I grate a sweet apple and use that instead to add a hint of sweetness and balance the sour flavor of sauerkraut. You could even substitute apple cider for the water for added sweetness when making in the Instant Pot.
• You can make this dish on the stovetop, in the Instant Pot or crockpot. I personally like making it in the slow cooker the best because it’s a dump and go kind of dinner. In second place I like the pressure cooker because the meat gets fall apart tender and doesn’t take as long as the slow cooker. And if I didn’t have much time at all I would do it on the stove top which still results in a great dish. The meat is a bit tougher though.
• Some people add potatoes to this recipe however I have never tried it. I do have a lot of kielbasa recipes on this blog. And this kielbasa and potatoes skillet meal is one of my most popular recipes. So perhaps I will to try it sometime.
• I have also heard of using caraway seeds for extra flavor and while I have never tried it I can see how that would go nicely if you like their flavor. Also sprinkle some hot pepper flakes to add a bit of heat if you like. 
• I use water in my Instant Pot but you could also use chicken broth, chicken stock or some people use apple juice. However the juice will have sugar so if you are low carb you will not want to use that.

Whether you make this New Years Day pork, kielbasa and sauerkraut on the stove, in the Instant Pot or slow cooker you will end up with this warm, comforting family meal. Even if you are not a huge sauerkraut fan it just might bring you luck in the new year! Can’t hurt right?

And the amazing flavor combination just might become be part of your winter meal rotation. It’s truly one of my family’s favorite meals in the cold weather.

The nutrition info for 1 serving is: 584 cals / 37g fat / 9.9g carbs / 5.3g fiber / 51.2g protein = 4.6g net carbs

If using sweetener or no brown sugar at all: 576 cals / 37g fat / 7.7g carbs / 5.3g fiber / 51.2g protein = 2.4g net carbs

And if you get a chance check out my sister’s post how to make homemade sauerkraut!