Kiełbasa Fried Rice Skillet

This Kiełbasa Fried Rice is the quickest way to transform kiełbasa sausage and some leftover rice into an easy weeknight meal. 

Here we’re adding some eggs, a fragrant soy sauce, and whatever vegetable you’ve got on hand. In this instance below – that’s mushrooms, onions and bell peppers – but feel free to improvise.

For the full list of ingredients & detailed instructions, please see the recipe card at the end of this post. But before you scroll, there’s important stuff to know below.

A note for my fellow Polish food enthusiasts out there: 

This is one of those dishes that aren’t traditional (to Poland) at all, but its variations are present on our tables anyway. I guess you could say it’s a classic Chinese dish with a tiny Polish twist.

For more recipes like this, check out the collection of kiełbasa recipes.

Do you need any special ingredients to make this Kiełbasa with Rice?

The only ingredient that might be troublesome to source is kiełbasa:
🇵🇱 For quick dinners like this one, I usually go for Kiełbasa ‘Wiejska’ (Country sausage) or ‘Śląska’ (Silesian sausage).
🌍 They’re a bit similar to what is known internationally simply as: “Polish kiełbasa”. 

To explain further: the name “Polish kiełbasa” is a bit misleading. It suggests there is a specific, single type of Polish sausage.  But in fact, the word ‘kiełbasa’ simply means ‘sausage’ and there are many (vastly different) types available. There’s sooo many, that I don’t think I’ll get a chance to try them all in my lifetime… To learn more about these sausages, check this kiełbasa guide here.

As always, I encourage you to read the label carefully. Manufacturers tend to sneak in plenty of unnecessary additives and other crap. Ideally, kiełbasa should contain only meat, salt and spices.

Rice Tip: To prevent the rice from going mushy or too sticky, it’s best to use cold rice that has been pre-cooked. It’s best to cook the rice a day before and refrigerate it immediately after it has cooled enough to do so. 

What could you serve with this Kiełbasa and Rice?

Thanks to a generous amount of Polish sausage, this dish can be eaten as a meal in itself. If you need something extra to accompany your meal, a simple side salad would work well.

Can you make this Kiełbasa Fried Rice another way?

This Kiełbasa Fried Rice is really quick and easy to make using the method below – you cannot cook it using a different method. 

Feel free to mix in more veggies of your choice. Popular options include: broccoli, courgette (zucchini), peppers, beans, carrots, peas and… chopped pineapple. 

You could also add more protein as well, I plan to add some prawns next time.

What diet is this Kiełbasa with Rice suitable for?

This recipe becomes gluten-free as long as you swap out dark soy sauce for a gluten-free version. 

This dish is dairy-free as well.

How long can you keep this Kiełbasa Fried Rice in the fridge?

Once served, consume this dish immediately. Don’t leave this fried rice at room temperature for more than an hour. 

Once leftovers cool, refrigerate them immediately. Reheat and use any leftover rice (stored in the fridge) within one day.

To learn more about the health & safety issues of cooked rice, check out this article by the Guardian.

Can I freeze this Kiełbasa dish?

Yes, you can. As soon as the leftovers are cool enough, place them in an airtight container or a freezer-friendly ziplock bag. Label with description and the date, and place in the freezer.

How do I reheat this Kiełbasa Fried Rice?

Important Note: Rice should be ‘piping hot’ all the way through to render it safe for eating again.

From chilled: Place the dish in a microwave-friendly container, and cover with a loosely fitting lid. Heat for 4-7 minutes until steaming hot.

From frozen: Allow the dish to thaw in the refrigerator overnight. First, cook it covered – in the microwave for 3 to 5 minutes. Stir the dish (carefully, it’s hot!) and then continue cooking for 5 to 7 minutes until steaming hot.

Continue to Content

Yield: 4

Kiełbasa and Rice Skillet

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This Kiełbasa Fried Rice is a one-pan wonder. Full of smoky sausage, fluffy eggs, and toasty rice - plus all the lonely veggies that are already sitting in your refrigerator. If you have 15-20 minutes, you’re up for a treat!

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes

Total Time 20 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 medium (4.5 oz, 130 g) onion
• 1 (7 oz, 200 g) red bell pepper
• 1 (7 oz, 200 g) yellow bell pepper
• 5 mushrooms finely sliced
• 9 oz (250 g) kiełbasa sausage
• 1 tbsp sesame oil
• 0.5 cup frozen peas and carrots
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• 1.5 cups (375 g) cooked rice
• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• 2 tbsp chopped green onions (optional)

Instructions

1. Peel a medium onion (white, yellow, red - up to you) and chop it finely. Set aside. 
2. Deseed 2 bell peppers and slice them up. Do the same with mushrooms. Set aside. 
3. Slice the sausage into rounds, roughly 0.5 inch (around 1 cm) thick. 
4. Preheat a large frying pan (or wok if you have one) to medium heat. Cover the bottom of the pan with a solid tablespoon of sesame oil. Move the skillet around to distribute the oil more evenly.
5. Drop in chopped onion and peas and carrots and fry stirring occasionally. 
6. As the onion turns translucent, add in kiełbasa rounds and chopped mushrooms. Add in chopped bell peppers. Stir and fry for 2-3 minutes.
7. Slide the veggies & sausage to the side, pour in the beaten eggs onto the other side. Scramble them using a spatula. Once almost cooked, mix the eggs with the rest of the skillet’s contents using a spatula.
8. Add in the pre-cooked rice. Pour two tablespoons of soy sauce over it. Stir and fry the mixture until heated through and combined. 
9. Garnish with chopped green onions (optional).

Notes

• Ideally, rice should be cooked a day in advance and then refrigerated. That way it keeps its shape and doesn't turn into mush. But you can cook it in the morning (according to the instructions on the pack), let it cool, move to the fridge and then use it for your evening meal.
• As I mentioned in the post, feel free to use any other veggies. Corn, courgette (zucchini), eggplant, broccoli, beans - whatever you’ll find in your fridge.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

4

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 650Total Fat: 49gSaturated Fat: 16gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 27gCholesterol: 186mgSodium: 1756mgCarbohydrates: 25gFiber: 2gSugar: 4gProtein: 25g

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Recipe Information

Filed under:

Mains

Polonia (Polish Diaspora) & Fusion

Easy Weeknight Dinners

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Alternative traditional/regional names:

Also known / Misspelt internationally as:
Ryż Smażony po Chińsku z Kiełbasą

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Tested by:

First published on:

Recipe by / Adapted from:

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