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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: 5 minutes
- 🍴 Cook Time: 2 hours
- ⏳ Total Time: 2 hours 5 minutes
- 🍽 Serving: 4 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 first builds deep flavor. An hour on the smoke setting lets the sausage soak up rich wood smoke before it ever sees high heat, giving it a flavor you cannot get from grilling alone.
- 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 before saucing maximizes coverage. Slicing the coil into pieces creates more surface area, so every cut edge catches the BBQ glaze and chars on the grill.
- Thinning the BBQ sauce helps it cling. A splash of water loosens the thick sauce just enough to coat every piece evenly without sliding off.
- 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.
Smoked Kielbasa FAQs
Most store bought kielbasa is already fully cooked and lightly smoked, but smoking it yourself adds a much deeper, fresh wood smoke flavor and lets you finish it with a BBQ glaze and char that you cannot get from the package.
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.
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.
Craving more easy grill and smoker recipes, our chuck roast burnt ends bring that same smoky, sweet, sticky BBQ bark in tender little bites, the perfect next thing to throw on when you have the smoker going.
Pair them with our Italian sausage sandwich for a sausage feast.
For another easy crowd-pleaser, try our shrimp boil, loaded with kielbasa, corn, and plump shrimp.
For another easy crowd-pleaser, try our slow cooker ribs, smoky, sweet, and sticky.
Planning a cookout? Pile up our oven baked pulled pork sandwiches with BBQ sauce and slaw.
Fire up the grill for our juicy grilled pork chops, brined for the most tender, flavorful bite.
Planning a cookout? Add our slow cooker BBQ chicken for sticky, smoky flavor without the grill.
If you love smoky sausage flavor, our sausage and peppers in Marsala tomato sauce is the cozy skillet follow up.
Top slices of this kielbasa with our jammy Caramelized Coca-Cola Onions.
Love sausage dinners? These slow cooker brats and sauerkraut are a must.
For another smoky main, try our smoked chicken legs.
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?