Pork and Sauerkraut taste great together. Here are classic pork loin and sauerkraut and sausage and sauerkraut recipes that we make on New Years Day and throughout the year!
I’ve long known that it’s a tradition to eat pork and sauerkraut on New Years Day, so I started asking friends what recipe they use. Turns out, that people enjoy practically all cuts of pork with sauerkraut to ring in the New Year. And some people that really love fermented food and have a German heritage (like my husband) love eating these dishes all year around!
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Basic Pork and Sauerkraut Recipes
Simple Pork and Sauerkraut Recipes
My husband grew up eating smoked sausage and kraut on a regular basis. This was not just a January 1st tradition in the house with German heritage on both sides of the family. This was ie of the staple meals in his family on a regular basis, so his mom makes it in the crockpot, oven, skillet. He just likes eating it, so he wasn’t concerned with how it’s cooked.
I’ve even converted a reicpe for the Instant Pot to make Pork Chops, Sauerkraut and Bacon. This version uses rinsed sauerkraut, a practice that my husband is not a fan of. He likes all of the flavor and prefers that rinsing be avoided at all costs.
Here is our favorite air fryer version of Sausage & Sauerkraut.
Sauerkraut is one of my husband’s favorite meals whether it’s Instant Pot Sauerkraut, Sausage & Potatoes or Pork & Sauerkraut Roll-Ups.
This recipe and these pictures equal true love to him.
Should Brown Sugar Be Added To Sauerkraut?
Growing up my mom always made (and still does) pork and sauerkraut to begin the year. She makes country style ribs some years and a pork loin roast other years. My mom typically adds brown sugar to her sauerkraut, while my mother in law does not. So, personal preference wins the question of whether or not to add brown sugar to sauerkraut.
Traditional Sauerkraut and Pork Recipes
I’ve heard some people add a can of beer as a tradition, but neither of our families has done that.
With all of these options, we did the only logical thing, we tried more than one! We purchased fully cooked smoked sausage and heated it up in a skillet over medium-high heat. Then we added the sauerkraut and heated it up. Here is the skillet that we use. This is my husband’s favorite option. The smoked sausage has a great flavor and the sauerkraut, well if you like sauerkraut you’ll like this.
We also seasoned half of a boneless with salt and pepper, piled the sauerkraut on top and roasted it in a covered pan until the loin reached an internal temperature of 150 Fahrenheit. I was aiming for 145º Fahrenheit, but I got distracted. Next time I’ll set the timer to avoid getting distracted! Here is the roasting pan that we use.
Choosing a cut of pork can be a bit overwhelming, so I like to reference Pork.org when searching for good information about pork. Since so many cuts are popular there are handy resources on the cuts of pork page on Pork.org.
How to Make Sausage and Sauerkraut in a Skillet
- Cut smoked sausage into smaller chunks or bite-sized pieces.
- Warm pre-cooked smoked sausage over medium-high heat in a skillet.
- Set sausage aside and heat sauerkraut. Stir in brown sugar if desired.
- As the sauerkraut gets warm add sausage. Serve and enjoy!
How to Make Pork Loin and Sauerkraut
- Preheat oven to 350º Fahrenheit and coat roasting pan with non-stick spray.
- Place pork loin in roasting pan and season with salt and pepper.
- Pile sauerkraut on top of pork loin and cover with a lid.
- Roast for pork for 10 – 15 minutes per pound. Use a meat thermometer to cook pork to an internal temperature of 145 degrees Fahrenheit.
Other Classic Pork Recipes:
- Basic Oven Baked Pork Chops
- Farmhouse Marinated Pork Chops
- Easy Pork Chops with Brown Sugar, Garlic & Rosemary
- Farmhouse Pork Chop & Stuffing Casserole
- Easy Caramel Apple Pork Chops
- Instant Pot Pork Chops with Sauerkraut, Apples and Bacon
Printable Recipe for Pork Loin and Sauerkraut
Pork and Sauerkraut
Ingredients
- 4 pounds boneless pork loin roast
- 32 ounces sauerkraut
- salt
- pepper
- 1/2 cup brown sugar optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.Coat roasting pan with non stick spray.
- Place loin in roasting pan. Season pork loin with salt and pepper. Pile sauerkraut on top of pork loin. Place lid on roasting pan.
- Roast for pork for 10 - 15 minutes per pound. Use a meat thermometer to cook pork to an internal temperature of 145 degrees Fahrenheit.
Nutrition
Printable Recipe for Sausage and Sauerkraut
Sausage & Sauerkraut
Ingredients
- 16 ounces smoked sausage
- 16 ounces sauerkraut
- 1/2 cup brown sugar optional
Instructions
- Cut smoked sausage into smaller chunks or bite sized pieces. Warm pre-cooked smoked sausage over medium high heat in a skillet.
- Set sausage aside and heat sauerkraut. Stir in brown sugar if desired. As the sauerkraut gets warm add sausage. Serve and enjoy!
Following in my mother’s footsteps, I’ve always cooked pork loin on New Year’s Day… but after reading your Sausage and Sauerkraut recipe I think I’m going to change it up for 2018!! Thank you for sharing!
Thanks for reading & sharing that you plan to try something new!