These sweet and spicy Kielbasa Bites are fun and delicious keto appetizers. So easy to make, they’re sure to be the hit of your next party. But 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 Sauce. Because it is a spectacular combo together!
These bite-sized chunks of pan-fried kielbasa are utterly delectable. They have a sweet sugar-free glaze that offsets the smokiness of the sausage, and you can easily adjust the spiciness to your taste.
What is it about smoked foods that makes them so extra delicious? From ribs to salmon to sausage, I can’t seem to get enough! If you feel the same, be sure to check out Smoked Sausage Casserole and Easy Smoked Salmon Chowder.
And my famous Keto BBQ Sauce has plenty of delicious smoky flavor!
Is kielbasa keto?
Sausage of any kind always seems like it should be keto-friendly. I mean, it’s really just meat with spices, right? Except for the fact that so many companies add sugar to their sausage. Some sausage has up to 7g of carbs for one serving!
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!
Ingredients
For these tasty and easy kielbasa bites, you will need:
- Kielbasa
- Avocado or olive oil
- Tomato paste
- Water
- Swerve Brown
- Allulose – See Frequently Asked Questions for substitutes
- Garlic
- Hot sauce
- Chipotle powder
How to make Keto Kielbasa Bites
- Slice the kielbasa: You want bite-size pieces so I suggest slicing them no more than 1 inch thick.
- Prepare the sauce: Simply whisk the sauce ingredients in a bowl or measuring cup to combine.
- Sauté the sausage: To make sure it browns evenly, it’s best to cook half a time so you don’t overcrowd the pan.
- Transfer to a bowl: Set the cooked sausage aside for a minute and take the time to wipe out the pan. Kielbasa can release a lot of grease, and this helps avoid the sauce becoming too oily.
- Simmer the sauce: Pour the sauce right into the hot pan and cook a few minutes until thickened and sticky.
- Stir the sausage back in: Toss the cooked sausage to coat in the sauce.
- Serve hot!
Frequently Asked Questions
I chose to use Swerve Brown for classic brown sugar flavor, and allulose to make the sauce more syrupy and sticky. You can use all of one or the other, or a different sweetener altogether, but the sauce may not be the same.
For a better understanding of how these ingredients work, please read this tutorial on keto sweeteners.
You bet. These are delicious with just a sweet glaze as well.
Absolutely! It’s a great recipe to make as much or as little as you need. And it’s so easy, you can make it fresh any time you need it.
Yes, it makes a great dinner! Double the amount per person (4 ounces instead of 2), and serve with zucchini noodles, cauliflower rice, or a nice side salad.
Store any leftovers in the fridge in a covered container and use within 5 days.
More delicious keto sausage recipes
- Italian Sausage Zucchini Boats
- Spicy Shrimp and Sausage Skewers
- Keto Crustless Pizza Recipe
- Italian Sausage Vegetable Soup
- Keto Stuffing with Sausage
- Cheesy Sausage Dip
Keto Kielbasa Bites
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- ¼ cup water
- 2 tablespoon Swerve Brown
- 2 tablespoon allulose (or powdered Swerve)
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- ½ teaspoon hot sauce
- ¼ – ½ teaspoon chipotle powder optional
- 1 tablespoon avocado oil
- 1 ½ lb 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!
Allison says
Loved the flavors and how easy it is to prepare!
Suze says
OMG the SAUCE!
So – we like to make kielbasa with onion and bell peppers and after seeing this recipe I decided to try it this way to make into a meal!
Double the sauce ingredients
Add 2 bell peppers (I use anything but green lol), sliced
Add a large sweet onion, sliced
Olive or avocado oil
Instructions:
Slice the kielbasa (I do about 1/2″ thick) and set aside
Prepare the sauce and set aside
Slice the bell peppers and onion fairly thin
Heat oil in 12″ skillet to medium, add veg and cook until starting to get tender
Add kielbasa to skillet (try to get the kielbasa to the bottom of the pan to brown) and continue cooking a few minutes.
Add the sauce and stir to coat, then let it cook down a few minutes to thicken, stirring again
Plate it up!
We both loved it!
Stephanie says
Very delicious! I made it a dinner by adding cauliflower rice and served it over the rice.
Cat Lee says
Kiolbassa at Costco has sugar. I don’t know if they’ve changed it since last you checked.
Carolyn says
Almost all kielbasa has a little sugar… mot of it in such tiny amounts that it’s not an issue for a keto recipe. I look at overall carb count above all. If it’s 1g or less, I am happy!
Donna Blair says
oh my..this is sinful. so yummy.
KennethC says
Made this tonight to snack on while decorating the Christmas tree. Two quibbles, I think the tomato paste and garlic both benefit from a little sautéing, instead of just being mixed in raw. I cleaned out my pan, added a tablespoon of oil, then sautéed the garlic for a minute or two, before adding the tomato paste, and cooking that for a couple of minutes as well. Then added water, and mixed it well. Then added the sweeteners, I use the ones made by Purecane, as that’s what I have on hand, plus hot sauce, and chipotle sauce instead of powder, once again, because that’s what I had on hand.
It was a big hit with everyone, though my 16 year old wants me to make it next time incorporating either Siracha, or Sambal Oleek.
Your recipes are wonderful, and I am having a great time experimenting, and being able to add more, and different foods to my diabetic diet.
Thank you for what you are doing!
Lynn says
This recipe is EXCELLENT! Simply delicious.
Donna says
OH MY GOSH!! I made these tonight and my boyfriend went crazy. Said they were one of the best things he’s ever put in this mouth, and I make a lot of good food. You could definitely use chicken or turkey sausage, or even diced or shredded chicken with a side of cauliflower rice. So good!!
Nikki says
What did you use for a dipping sauce?
Carolyn says
It’s all in the blog post. 🙂
Jill says
So easy to make and everyone loved them! Used Andouille one time and just eliminated the hot sauce and chipotle powder because it was already spicy. Was absolutely amazing! Will definitely be making again and again!!!
Jennifer says
DELISH! These little bites were addicting!
Anna says
We made these bites for a movie night and they were gone in minutes! So quick and easy to make and delicious!
Kristyn says
I could snack on these all day!! They are the perfect amount of spice! Definitely a crowd-pleasing appetizer!
Wendy says
I loved this recipe. The sauce is the perfect blend of spicy, sweet, and savory. It was easy to make and soooooo good.
Andrea says
These look great! Here is the recipe link for those of you have trouble find the recipe as I did:
https://swervesweet.com/recipes/sweet-and-spicy-slow-cooker-sausage
Tamera Alexander says
The link isn’t working (anymore?). I tried to find it but can’t. Would you please repost this when you’d can? Looks amazing!
Carolyn says
They are having trouble with their website and my links but use the search box on the Swerve site and it will come up. Just type in Kielbasa.
Barbo says
i MESSED UP THE MESSAGE. I HAVE ONLY CHICKEN SAUSAGE HERE AT
HOME AND NOT ALLOWED KIELBASA RIGHT NOW. YOUR RECIPE WILL
HELP MAKE THIS MUCH BETTER.GOING TO MAKE IT FOR THE BIG GAME.
THANKS AS ALWAYS FOR YOUR WONDERFUL IDEAS AND RECIPES
Carolyn says
I think any sausage should do, really. Enjoy!
Barbo says
I KNOW THAT THIS IS NOT FABULOUS KIELBASA IT IS ONLY SPICY
CHICKEN SAUSAGE, BUT FOR NOW IT HAS TO DO AND I AM CERTAIN
THAT OUR RECIPE WILL HELP IT FOR THE BETTER. THANKS SO MUCH.
Stephanie Deal says
These look amazing and kielbasa is a favorite of mine — I’m definitely going to try these very soon.