Description
Candied Kielbasa Bites offer a sweet and tangy twist on traditional sausage with a caramelized glaze made from brown sugar, ketchup, and horseradish. This recipe features hasselback-style slicing for maximum flavor absorption and a delightful crispy texture, perfect as an appetizer or party snack.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients
- 2 lbs kielbasa sausage
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 cup ketchup
- 1/4 cup prepared horseradish
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Set your oven to 375°F to prepare for baking the kielbasa bites.
- Slice Kielbasa: Cut the kielbasa into 1-inch pieces to create bite-sized portions.
- Hasselback Slice: Place each kielbasa piece between two chopsticks or skewers and slice about 1/4-inch thick slices without cutting all the way through, creating three hasselback sections per piece. The chopsticks act as a guide to prevent cutting completely through the sausage.
- Arrange in Baking Dish: Lay the hasselback sliced kielbasa pieces in a baking dish in a single layer for even cooking.
- Add Sauce: Pour brown sugar, ketchup, and horseradish over the kielbasa in the dish, stirring gently to coat the pieces thoroughly.
- Bake and Stir: Bake for 60 minutes, stirring every 20 minutes to ensure the sauce caramelizes evenly and edges brown to your desired crispness.
- Serve: Remove from oven once caramelized and browned, then serve hot as a crowd-pleasing appetizer.
Notes
- Using chopsticks or skewers prevents cutting all the way through the sausage, which helps hold the pieces together during baking.
- For a spicier kick, add a pinch of cayenne pepper or hot sauce to the glaze.
- Stirring periodically throughout baking helps achieve an even caramelization and prevents burning.
- These bites can be prepared a few hours ahead and reheated gently before serving.
- Adjust baking time depending on how crispy you prefer your sausage bites.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 300 kcal
- Sugar: 12 g
- Sodium: 650 mg
- Fat: 20 g
- Saturated Fat: 7 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 10 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 18 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 12 g
- Cholesterol: 40 mg
