Are you searching for the ultimate, super-fast, and ridiculously easy one-pan dinner that is packed with smoky, savory, and comforting flavor? This incredible, from-scratch Kielbasa and Potato Skillet is your new weeknight hero! Smoky, seared kielbasa sausage and crispy, golden-brown potatoes are tossed in a glorious, sweet and tangy brown sugar glaze for a complete meal that’s on the table in under 30 minutes.
This isn’t just another skillet recipe; it’s a guide to your new favorite comfort food. We’ll show you the simple secrets to perfectly cooked, crispy-on-the-outside, creamy-on-the-inside potatoes, and how to build a luscious pan sauce right in the same skillet. Finished with fresh spinach and salty bacon, this is a satisfying, crowd-pleasing meal that delivers maximum flavor with minimal effort and cleanup.
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Recipe Overview: The Ultimate 30-Minute Skillet Dinner
What makes this Kielbasa and Potato Skillet so spectacularly delicious is its incredible balance of flavors and its wonderfully simple, high-heat cooking method. This recipe is a masterpiece of efficiency. It uses the brilliant shortcut of par-cooking the potatoes in the microwave, which guarantees they become perfectly tender in the short time it takes to get them crispy in the skillet. The dish features a perfect harmony of flavors: savory and smoky kielbasa, hearty potatoes, and a sweet and tangy glaze made from brown sugar, cider vinegar, and Dijon mustard. It’s a complete, satisfying, and foolproof meal that is perfect for a busy night.
| Metric | Time / Level |
| Total Time | 30 minutes |
| Active Prep Time | 15 minutes |
| Difficulty Level | Easy |
| Servings | 4 |
The Essential Ingredients for This Cozy Skillet
This recipe uses a handful of classic, high-impact ingredients to create its signature comforting and savory flavor.
- The Sausage:
- Smoked Kielbasa: The star of the show! Kielbasa is a type of Polish sausage that is typically made from pork and is already fully cooked and smoked. This is a fantastic, time-saving ingredient that is absolutely packed with a deep, savory, and smoky flavor.
- The Potatoes:
- Red-Skinned Potatoes: These are the perfect choice for this skillet meal. They are a “waxy” potato, which means they hold their shape beautifully even after being boiled and pan-fried. Best of all, their thin, tender skin means there is no peeling required!
- The Sweet & Tangy Glaze: A simple but perfectly balanced, three-ingredient sauce.
- Brown Sugar: Provides a deep, molasses-like sweetness that caramelizes into a beautiful, sticky glaze.
- Cider Vinegar: The sharp, fruity tang of apple cider vinegar is essential for cutting through the richness of the pork and balancing the sweetness of the sugar.
- Dijon Mustard: A classic, sharp, and tangy mustard that adds a wonderful, zesty complexity to the glaze.
- The Finishers: A handful of fresh baby spinach is wilted in at the very end for a pop of color and a boost of nutrients, and a final sprinkle of crispy, crumbled bacon adds an extra layer of salty, smoky crunch.
Step-by-Step to the Perfect Kielbasa and Potato Skillet
This delicious, one-pan meal is incredibly simple to prepare.
Step 1: Cook the Potatoes and Prepare the Glaze
Step 1: First, place your 1 pound of cut red potatoes and the 3 tablespoons of water in a microwave-safe dish. Microwave, covered, on high for 3 to 4 minutes, until the potatoes are just tender. Drain the potatoes well.
Pro Tip: This “par-cooking” step is crucial for a quick weeknight meal! It guarantees that the potatoes will be perfectly tender and creamy on the inside in the short amount of time it takes to get them golden and crispy in the skillet.
Step 2: While the potatoes are cooking, prepare your glaze. In a small bowl, mix together the 2 tablespoons of brown sugar, the 2 tablespoons of cider vinegar, the 1 tablespoon of Dijon mustard, the 1 1/2 teaspoons of minced fresh thyme, and the 1/4 teaspoon of pepper.
Part 2: Sauté the Kielbasa and Brown the Potatoes
Step 1: In a large skillet (a 12-inch cast-iron skillet is perfect here!), heat the 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium-high heat.
Step 2: Add the 1/2 cup of chopped onion and the 3/4 pound of sliced kielbasa to the hot skillet. Sauté until the onion is tender and the kielbasa is beautifully browned on both sides.
Step 3: Add your par-cooked potatoes to the skillet. Continue to cook and stir for 3 to 5 minutes, until the potatoes are lightly browned and have crispy edges.
Part 3: Glaze the Skillet and Finish the Dish
Step 1: Stir your prepared brown sugar and vinegar mixture into the skillet. Bring the mixture to a boil.
Step 2: Reduce the heat and let the sauce simmer, uncovered, for about 2 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce has thickened into a beautiful, glossy glaze that coats all the potatoes and kielbasa.
Step 3: Stir in the 4 cups of fresh baby spinach until it has just wilted.
Step 4: Stir in the crumbled, cooked bacon.
Serve the hot skillet dinner immediately in warm bowls.
Easy One-Pan Kielbasa and Potato Skillet (30-Minute Meal!)
A quick and easy one-skillet meal featuring smoked kielbasa, potatoes, and spinach in a sweet and tangy glaze. This recipe uses a time-saving technique of par-cooking the potatoes in the microwave. Sliced kielbasa and onion are sautéed in a large skillet, then combined with the tender potatoes. A simple sauce made from brown sugar, cider vinegar, and Dijon mustard is added to the skillet to glaze everything. The dish is finished with fresh spinach, which is wilted into the mixture, and a sprinkle of crispy, crumbled bacon.
Ingredients
- 1 pound red potatoes, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 3 tablespoons water
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 1/2 teaspoons minced fresh thyme
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/2 cup chopped onion
- 3/4 pound smoked kielbasa or Polish sausage, cut into 1/4-inch slices
- 4 cups fresh baby spinach
- 5 bacon strips, cooked and crumbled
Instructions
- Place the potatoes and water in a microwave-safe dish. Microwave, covered, on high for 3-4 minutes, until the potatoes are just tender. Drain the potatoes.
- While the potatoes are cooking, mix the brown sugar, vinegar, mustard, thyme, and pepper in a small bowl to create the sauce.
- In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Sauté the onion and kielbasa until the onion is tender.
- Add the par-cooked potatoes to the skillet; cook and stir for 3-5 minutes, until the potatoes are lightly browned.
- Stir in the brown sugar sauce mixture and bring the contents of the skillet to a boil.
- Reduce the heat and simmer, uncovered, for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Stir in the fresh spinach until it has just wilted.
- Stir in the cooked, crumbled bacon.
- Serve immediately.
Notes
- This is a very fast one-pan meal, perfect for a weeknight dinner.
- Par-cooking the potatoes in the microwave is a key time-saving shortcut that ensures they are tender in the finished dish.
- The fresh spinach is added at the very end of cooking, so it wilts but does not become overcooked.
What to Serve With Your Kielbasa and Potato Skillet
This beautiful skillet dinner is a fantastic, all-in-one meal. However, if you’d like to round it out, here are a few simple and classic pairings:
- A Simple Green Salad: A crisp green salad with a bright and zesty vinaigrette is the perfect, fresh counterpoint to the rich, savory skillet.
- Applesauce: A classic and perfect pairing for pork and sausage.
- A Hearty Bread: A side of warm, crusty rye or pumpernickel bread is a must-have for sopping up every last drop of that delicious, sweet and tangy glaze.
Storage and Make-Ahead Tips
- Make-Ahead: For a super-fast and impressive weeknight meal, you can get a head start by preparing all your components in advance. You can par-cook your potatoes, chop your onion, and prepare the glaze up to a day in advance. Store them in separate airtight containers in the refrigerator.
- Storage: Store any leftover skillet mixture in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
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Creative Recipe Variations
- Add a Different Vegetable: This recipe is wonderfully versatile! Feel free to sauté about 1 to 2 cups of sliced bell peppers or mushrooms along with the onion and kielbasa for some extra color and flavor. A classic addition is also 1 cup of drained and rinsed sauerkraut.
- Use a Different Sausage: If you’re not a fan of kielbasa, this delicious and simple cooking method is also absolutely fantastic with another type of fully cooked smoked sausage, like a spicy andouille sausage or a classic, smoked beef sausage.
- Use Apples Instead of Potatoes: For an even more classic, German-inspired flavor profile, you can substitute the red potatoes with one large, firm, and chopped apple (like a Honeycrisp or a Gala). Simply sauté the apple along with the onion and kielbasa until it is tender.
Enjoy The Ultimate One-Pan Comfort Food!
You’ve just created a truly special dish that is a perfect harmony of wholesome, classic ingredients and delicious, satisfying flavors. This Kielbasa and Potato Skillet is a testament to the power of a simple, from-scratch-tasting meal to bring comfort and joy. It’s a rewarding and deeply satisfying recipe that is sure to become a new, much-requested family favorite for busy weeknights.
We hope you enjoy every last, perfect, and delicious bite!
If you enjoyed making this recipe, please leave a comment below or share it with a friend who loves a good, easy, and comforting meal!
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q1: What is the absolute best way to get crispy potatoes in a skillet?
The secret is to par-cook them first and to make sure they are very dry before they hit the hot pan. By microwaving or boiling the potatoes first, you are ensuring the inside will be perfectly creamy and tender. Then, patting them very dry allows the outside to form a beautiful, golden-brown, and crispy crust in the hot skillet, instead of just steaming.
Q2: What is kielbasa, and do I need to cook it?
Kielbasa is the Polish word for sausage. In the United States, it typically refers to a U-shaped, smoked sausage that is made from pork or a mix of pork and beef. Most of the kielbasa that you will find in a U.S. grocery store is already fully cooked, which makes it a fantastic and convenient ingredient for a quick weeknight dinner.
Q3: Can I make this dish ahead of time?
This dish comes together so quickly that it is at its absolute best when it is made fresh. However, for a fantastic time-saving trick, you can prepare all your components in advance. Par-cook your potatoes, chop your onion, and mix your glaze ahead of time. This will turn the final dish into a true 15-minute meal.
Q4: Can I use regular potatoes instead of red-skinned potatoes?
Yes, you can. A waxy potato like a Yukon Gold would be a fantastic substitute and would also hold its shape well. You could use a starchy potato like a Russet, but it will have a tendency to break down a bit more and will result in a softer, less distinct texture in the final hash.
Q5: Can I make this dish without the bacon?
Of course! The bacon adds a lovely, extra layer of salty, smoky crunch, but the dish will still be absolutely delicious without it.