Make these easy Keto Kielbasa Bites for your next party and watch them disappear! With a smoky, sweet flavor and a caramelized glaze, they are a crowd pleaser. So good, you might want to keep them all for yourself.
Do yourself a favor and make a big batch of these Keto Kielbasa Bites. Then make a big batch of my Sugar Free Honey Mustard. It is a mouthwatering combination that will score a touchdown at all of your game day parties.
I adore these bite-sized chunks of pan-fried kielbasa and I make them every chance I get. They have a sweet sugar-free glaze that offsets the smokiness of the sausage, and you can easily adjust the spiciness to your taste. They are one of my favorite keto appetizers, and everyone raves about them.
Sometimes I make a batch simply so I can snack on them all by myself!
★★★★★
Katie says: “Came across this recipe and oh my gosh! It is a great mix of sweet and spicy, and the sauce is thick and wonderful. I just made this again last night and I’m freezing some individual portions so I can snack on later. I’m so pleasantly surprised by this, thank you!“
Ingredients and Substitutions
- Kielbasa: Any smoked sausage works in this recipe. I love all-beef kielbasa but it can also be chicken or turkey.
- Tomato paste
- Sweetener: I recommend a combination of brown sugar replacement and allulose to get the right flavor and sticky glaze. See the Sweetener Options for more information.
- Garlic: I recommend fresh garlic for the best flavor, but you could use 3/4 teaspoon granulated garlic.
- Hot sauce: Tabasco, Tapatio, or Cholula are all good options. You can even use some sriracha.
- Chipotle powder: This helps give more a smoky kick. But if you want to cut down on the heat, try using some smoked paprika.
How to make Keto Kielbasa Bites
- Prepare the sauce: Whisk the sauce ingredients in a bowl or measuring cup to combine.
- Sauté the sausage: Brown half of the sausage in a large skillet, then transfer to a bowl and brown the remaining sausage.
- Cook the sauce: Wipe out the pan to remove the excess grease, then add the sauce and cook until thickened and sticky.
- Add the sausage: Add all of the sausage back into the pan and toss to coat in the sauce.
Carolyn’s Tips for Success
I recommend browning the kielbasa in batches, for more even cooking. If you can have them all in a single layer, that works best. And even a 12 inch skillet isn’t quite large enough for that!
Wiping out the pan after cooking the sausage helps the sauce have a better consistency. It becomes more like a sticky glaze without any oiliness.
It’s easy to scale this recipe down, if you want to make a meal out of it. I often do! If you make a half recipe, you don’t even need to cook the sausage in batches, so it’s ready even sooner.
Sweetener Options
I find that the combination of my homemade keto brown sugar substitute and some allulose works perfectly to create a sweet, sticky sauce. If you can’t access allulose, try using a little xylitol.
If you are trying to avoid erythritol, you can use an allulose-based brown sweetener, or just use 4 tablespoons of allulose.
Is kielbasa keto-friendly?
Some sausage can have a surprising amount of carbs, often from added sugar. I’ve been fooled before and I bet you have too. But it pays to be a label reader, especially when it comes to kielbasa and other smoked sausage. Turn that package over and read the nutrition panel and the ingredient list.
I have a couple of keto-friendly brands of kielbasa that I like. Teton Waters Ranch is a good one and is available at many grocery stores, including Kroger. My husband picks up this organic smoked sausage from Kiolbassa at Costco. And Pedersons sells their no-sugar added kielbasa at Target and Natural Grocers.
So rest assured, there are plenty of good choices out there!
More Delicious Keto Sausage Recipes
Keto Kielbasa Bites
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
- 1/4 cup (59.15 g) water
- 2 tbsp Swerve Brown
- 2 tbsp allulose, (or powdered Swerve)
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 tsp (0.5 tsp) hot sauce
- 1/4 – 1/2 tsp (0.75 tsp) chipotle powder, optional
- 1 tbsp avocado oil
- 1 1/2 lb (680.39 g) kielbasa, sliced 1 inch thick
- Red pepper flakes, optional
Instructions
- In a bowl or glass measuring cup, whisk together the tomato paste and water until smooth. Then whisk in the sweeteners, garlic, hot sauce, and chipotle powder, if using. Set aside.
- In a large skillet over medium heat, heat the oil until shimmering. Add half of the kielbasa and cook until browned all over, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a bowl with a slotted spoon and cook the remaining kielbasa. Transfer that to the bowl as well.
- Drain off or wipe out any remaining oil in the pan. Add the sauce to the pan and stir until thickened and a bit sticky, 2 to 3 minutes.
- Add all of the kielbasa back to the pan and toss to coat in the sauce. Sprinkle with red pepper flakes, if desired.
- Serve hot!
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional Disclaimer
Please note that I am not a medical or nutritional professional. I am simply recounting and sharing my own experiences on this blog. Nothing I express here should be taken as medical advice and you should consult with your doctor before starting any diet or exercise program. I provide nutritional information for my recipes simply as a courtesy to my readers. It is calculated using MacGourmet software and I remove erythritol from the final carb count and net carb count, as it does not affect my own blood glucose levels. I do my best to be as accurate as possible but you should independently calculate nutritional information on your own before relying on them. I expressly disclaim any and all liability of any kind with respect to any act or omission wholly or in part in reliance on anything contained in this website.
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Sounds very good and I will use it when I have some kielbasa or sausage. The multiple pictures of cleaning dog’s teeth are disgusting beside the recipe.
I the picture you posted with this recipe, there is a kielbasa next to a sauce for dipping. What is that?
This was delicious. Everyone eating dinner loved it.
Great to hear!
Another super easy recipe to throw together! Really like the spicy kick mingled with the sweet factor!
This recipe is great! I’ve made it twice now, with a couple of subs. I find Mexican hot peppers(jalapeno, chipotle, red pepper) to be a bit much for me. I found Mediterranean peppers, from turkey to be milder and more “smooth” tasting to me. Aleppo and Urfa Biber.
I left out the hot sauce as I’m not fond of very hot, spicy foods, replaced the other two with Aleppo and Urfa biber and didn’t have kielbasa so I used sugar free Amylu Breakfast Time Mini Chicken Links.
The sauce is absolutely incredible! I’ll be making this often.
Delicious!
Easy and very tasty! Nice to add to the usual cheese heavy, appetizer night!