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Smoked Kielbasa is the smoky, savory, sweet and sticky BBQ sausage that disappears the second it comes off the grill. I threw a coil on the smoker for a *Fourth of July cookout* and it was gone before the burgers were even done, the same crowd pleasing grill magic as our slow cooker beer brats.
Just three ingredients and a smoker turn a humble sausage into the smoky, BBQ glazed star of any cookout.
Smoked Kielbasa Quick Look
- 🕐 Prep Time: 1 minute
- 🍴 Cook Time: 1 hour 55 minutes
- ⏳ Total Time: 1 hour 56 minutes
- 🍽 Serving: 2 servings
- ⚡ Calories: 770kcal
- 🌶 Flavor Profile: Smoky and savory sausage with a sweet, sticky BBQ char
- ✋ Difficulty: Easy, on par with our slow cooker beer brats
Quick Answer
Smoke a whole kielbasa coil on the smoke setting for 1 hour, then raise the heat to 300 degrees and cook another 30 to 40 minutes until browned and split. Cut the sausage into 3 to 4 inch pieces, toss them in a mix of BBQ sauce and water, then grill over medium heat, turning and basting, until you get a good dark char, about 15 minutes.
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Why This Recipe Works
Click to see the technique science
- Smoking the whole kielbasa adds another layer of smoky flavor. The Polska kielbasa used here is already cooked and smoked when purchased, but giving it another hour on the smoker deepens that flavor before any BBQ sauce is added. This is what separates this recipe from simply heating kielbasa in a skillet or tossing sliced sausage into pasta.
- The two stage cook does double duty. Low smoke followed by a hotter finish renders the fat and crisps the casing so the kielbasa is juicy inside with a snappy bite.
- Cutting the kielbasa after smoking gives the BBQ sauce more surface area. Once the whole coil has picked up smoke and browned, cut it into 3 to 4-inch pieces. Those fresh cut sides give the sweet BBQ sauce more places to cling, so each piece gets a better coating before it goes onto the grill.
- A little water helps thick BBQ sauce coat the sausage evenly. The recipe mixes 1/2 cup of sweet BBQ sauce with 1 tablespoon of water before tossing it with the kielbasa. The water loosens a thick sauce just enough to spread over every piece instead of clumping. If your BBQ sauce is already thin, the recipe notes say you can leave the water out.
- The final grill char is everything. Tossing the saucy pieces back on a hot grill caramelizes the sugars in the BBQ sauce into a sticky, dark, smoky crust.
- Basting layers on flavor. Brushing extra sauce on as it chars builds up a glossy, sticky glaze that makes this sausage irresistible.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Only three ingredients. Kielbasa, BBQ sauce, and a splash of water are all you need for a show stopping smoky appetizer or dinner.
- The ultimate cookout food. Smoky, sweet, and sticky, these pieces vanish off the platter at any barbecue or party. The same crowd pleasing energy as our grilled Italian sausage sandwiches.
- Hands off and forgiving. The smoker does the work, and kielbasa is already fully cooked, so it is nearly impossible to mess up.
Key Ingredients
- Kielbasa: A 14 ounce coil of Polska kielbasa is the star. It is already fully cooked and smoked at the store, so this recipe deepens that flavor and adds a fresh BBQ char.
- Sweet BBQ sauce: A good sweet barbecue sauce caramelizes into a sticky glaze on the grill. Use your favorite brand, or our homemade BBQ sauce for the freshest flavor.
- Water: Just a tablespoon thins the thick BBQ sauce so it coats every piece of sausage evenly without clumping.
See recipe card for exact quantities.
Variations and Substitutions
- Make it spicy. Stir a tablespoon of hot sauce or a pinch of cayenne into the BBQ glaze, or use a spicy kielbasa for extra heat.
- Use a different sausage. Andouille, smoked sausage, bratwurst, or hot links all work great with this same smoke and char method.
- No smoker? Grill the whole coil over indirect heat for 30 to 40 minutes to mimic the smoke, then cut, sauce, and char over direct heat.
- Switch up the glaze. Try a honey BBQ, a brown sugar and mustard mix, or a teriyaki glaze for a different flavor.
- Serve it on a bun. Pile the saucy pieces on a hoagie with grilled onions for a smoked kielbasa sandwich, like our Italian sausage sandwiches.
How to Make Smoked Kielbasa
- Preheat the smoker to the smoke setting. Place the kielbasa directly on the rack and smoke for 1 hour.
- Turn the heat up to 300 degrees and cook 30 to 40 minutes until browned and split. Do not let it turn black.
- Preheat a grill to medium heat. Cut the smoked kielbasa into 3 to 4 inch pieces and place them in a bowl.
- Stir together the BBQ sauce and water, pour it over the cut sausage, and toss until every piece is coated.
- Place the pieces on the grill and turn them often so they do not burn. Baste with the remaining sauce as they cook.
- Keep grilling until you reach your desired char, up to 15 minutes for a good dark crust. Serve immediately.
Recipe Tips & Tricks
- Use a quality kielbasa. Since it is the star of a three ingredient recipe, pick a good Polska kielbasa you love. The better the sausage, the better the result.
- Do not skip the smoke. The hour on the smoke setting is what gives this its deep, woodsy flavor. A quick grill alone will not get you there.
- Watch it closely at high heat. Once you raise the temperature, the sausage browns fast. Pull it when it is browned and split, not black.
- Cut into even pieces. Uniform 3 to 4 inch pieces grill and char at the same rate so nothing burns while the rest is still pale.
- Turn often on the grill. The sugars in BBQ sauce burn quickly, so keep the pieces moving for an even, sticky char instead of black spots.
- Save sauce for basting. Brushing on extra sauce as it grills builds up that glossy, layered glaze everyone loves.
- Serve with classic sides. Pair with our creamy macaroni salad and corn on the cob for the full cookout plate.
Serving Ideas and Suggestions
Smoked kielbasa is the ultimate cookout crowd pleaser. Serve the saucy, charred pieces as an appetizer with toothpicks, or make it the main event next to our creamy macaroni salad, corn on the cob, and a pile of homemade french fries.
Turn it into a meal by piling the pieces onto a toasted hoagie with grilled peppers and onions for a smoky sausage sandwich. It is also fantastic sliced into a pot of beans, tossed with pasta, or added to a breakfast skillet the next morning.
This is a perfect make ahead party food. Smoke the kielbasa earlier in the day, then cut, sauce, and char it on the grill right before serving so it comes out hot, sticky, and fresh for your guests.
Top slices of this kielbasa with our jammy Caramelized Coca-Cola Onions.
Smoked Kielbasa FAQs
The Polska kielbasa used in this recipe is already fully cooked and smoked when you buy it. The additional smoker time is not about cooking raw sausage from scratch. It is used to deepen the smoky flavor, warm the kielbasa gradually, and brown the casing before the sausage is cut, sauced, and charred on the grill.
Smoke the kielbasa for about 1 hour on the smoke setting, then raise the heat to 300 degrees for another 30 to 40 minutes. Since the sausage is already cooked, you are mainly adding smoke flavor and browning the casing.
A sweet barbecue sauce works best because the sugars caramelize into a sticky, glossy glaze on the grill. Use your favorite sweet BBQ sauce, or a homemade one, and add hot sauce if you want a sweet heat balance.
Yes, you can make smoked kielbasa without a smoker by grilling the whole coil over indirect heat for 30 to 40 minutes to add char and flavor, then cutting, saucing, and finishing it over direct heat. It will not be quite as smoky but is still delicious.
Smoked kielbasa pairs perfectly with classic cookout sides like macaroni salad, baked beans, corn on the cob, coleslaw, and fries. It is also great on a bun with grilled onions or sliced into beans and pasta.
Store leftover smoked kielbasa in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days, or freeze for up to 3 months. Reheat in a skillet, oven, or air fryer to keep the casing from getting rubbery.
No. This recipe does not score the casing. Place the whole coil directly on the smoker rack and let it cook intact. After smoking and browning, cut it into 3 to 4-inch pieces before coating it with BBQ sauce and moving it to the grill.
An air fryer can certainly heat and brown kielbasa, but it will not reproduce the hour of smoke followed by the sauced grill finish used here.
Other Recommended Cookout Recipes
If this Smoked Kielbasa stole the show at your cookout, drop a star rating and tell us how dark you got that char. Snap a picture of your sticky BBQ pieces for Pinterest so everyone fires up the smoker.
Still filling out the menu? Readers love pairing this one with our shrimp boil, brats and sauerkraut, bratwurst sandwich, and Pork Stew.
And when you are planning next week’s dinners, our smoked chicken legs and slow cooker ribs keep the same easy comfort going.
Smoked Kielbasa
Ingredients
- 14 ounce kielbasa
- ½ cup sweet bbq sauce
- 1 tablespoon water
Instructions
- Preheat the smoker to the smoke setting.
- Place the kielbasa directly on the rack. Smoke for 1 hour.
- Turn the heat up to 300°F, and continue to cook for 30-40 minutes. The kielbasa will become brown and will split at some sections. Do not let it turn black.
- Preheat a charcoal or gas grill to medium heat.
- While the grill is heating up, cut the kielbasa into 3-4 inch pieces. Place them in a bowl.
- In a small bowl stir together the bbq sauce and water. Pour over the cut sausage and toss it with the sauce so it is coated.
- Place the pieces onto the grill and turn them often so they don’t burn. Baste the pieces with the remaining sauce. Keep cooking until your desired char, we like to get a good dark char on ours, so it takes up to 15 minutes. Serve immediately.
Notes
- This recipe can easily be doubled without a time or method change.
- You can add more of a spicy flavor, see above on how to do that.
- We have not tried this recipe on other sausages so we are not sure if it would work the same.
- Use your favorite bbq sauce, if your bbq sauce is thin you do not need to add the water.
- This can be frozen, see above on how to do that.
Nutrition
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No, it would be a totally different recipe.
Could you do this in a air fryer?