This easy Skillet Kielbasa and Pierogies gives you crisp edged sausage, sweet peppers, and pillowy pierogies in just 30 minutes. No boiling or draining needed, it all cooks all in one pan!
Ellen’s Notes
Skillet Kielbasa and Pierogis is the best way to dress up a bag of frozen pierogies! They steam perfectly with the sweet peppers and onions. Add in some crispy kielbasa and you have a full dinner made in just one pot!
If you’ve ever cooked frozen piergoies, you know that they tear if you look at them wrong! That’s why I always sneak some peppers and onions under them, to help create a barrier between the pierogies and the pan while they steam.
A wooden spoon helps, too. They’re gentler with the piergoies so they’re less likely to tear. And, they help prevent scratches on the pan when you deglaze.
One more quick piece of advice! Don’t skip that crucial deglazing step. It adds more flavor than seasoning alone can.
Key Ingredient Notes
- Kielbasa Sausage – Turkey kielbasa also works (but is leaner), so it renders less fat. You may want a little extra butter.
- Yellow Onion – A white onion also works well. I prefer yellow, though, for their natural sweetness.
- Bell Peppers – I prefer to use yellow, red, and orange bell peppers only in this dish. Green bell peppers are more pungent and less sweet.
- Chicken Broth – This does double duty! It both steams the pierogies while also deglazing the bottom of the pan. You can swap it with water, but you’ll be losing flavor.
How To Make Skillet Kielbasa And Pierogies
See the recipe card for full ingredient list and directions below.
Sear the sausage. Lay the sliced kielbasa flat in a single layer in a hot oiled skillet and sear for a few minutes per side. Remove the sausage and set aside.
Cook the peppers and onions. Melt the butter into the sausage drippings, add the onions and peppers, and cook until soft and golden.
Add garlic. Add garlic and cook until just fragrant.
Deglaze the pan. Pour in the broth and scrape the bottom of the skillet with a wooden spoon to lift all the brown bits.
Steam the pierogies. Nestle them in and gently spoon some peppers and onions under each one. Cover and simmer on low.
Enjoy! Return the sausage to the skillet. Cook, uncovered, until everything is warmed through.
📌 Ellen’s Recipe Tips
- Lay the sausage flat in a single layer. This is the only way to get a good golden, crispy sear on every piece!
- Once the lid goes on, keep that heat LOW. A hard simmer will make the pierogies rip and not cook properly.
- Watch the clock. Pierogies go from perfectly cooked to falling apart and mushy in a matter of moments. Once they’re tender and cooked through, you’re good to go!
- Serve immediately. This is a meal best served right away. If the pierogies sit in the liquid in the pan for too long, the dough gets gummy.
Skillet Kielbasa and Pierogies
Ingredients
- 12 oz kielbasa sausage, sliced into pieces
- 1 teaspoon oil
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 large yellow onion, sliced
- 3 large bell peppers, seeded and sliced
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- ½ cup chicken broth, or water
- 16 oz frozen pierogies
- salt and pepper, to taste
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Instructions
- Over medium to medium-high heat, add the oil to a large heavy-bottomed skillet (you will need a large skillet with a lid). When the oil is hot, carefully add the sausage (try and lay the sausage flat and in a single layer to get an even searing on each side) to the skillet. Sear each side of the sausage, about 2 minutes each side. Remove the sausage from the skillet and set aside.
- Melt the butter in the skillet with grease from the sausage. Add the onions, bell peppers, and garlic. Lower the heat to medium, cook for about 15 minutes or until the onions have caramelized stirring occasionally.
- Pour the broth into the skillet and bring to a soft simmer. Use a wooden spoon to deglaze the bottom of the skillet.
- Add the pierogies. Use a wooden spoon cover the pierogis with peppers and onions. Place the lid on the skillet, turn the heat to low, and let the pierogis simmer for 3 minutes. Gently stir, careful not to tear the pierogies, cover, and let simmer another 2 minutes.
- Remove the lid carefully add the sausage back to the skillet. Gently stir, leave the skillet uncovered, and continue to cook for 2 minutes or until the pierogies are tender and heated through.
- Season with salt and pepper, to taste, and serve warm. If you like, add a little sour cream when serving!
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Notes
Nutrition
More Sausage Recipes You’ll Love
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- Cabbage Potatoes and Sausage – A hearty one-pot dinner recipe.
- Crockpot White Bean and Sausage Soup – Set it, forget it, and enjoy a filling soup for dinner!
- Fried Cabbage and Sausage – Smothered with onions and plenty of garlic.
