Apricot Pineapple Kielbasa Bites are delicious, easily made appetizers to serve family or friends. A sweet fruit glaze coats each bite to perfection.
Are you looking for a quick and easy to make appetizer for a get together, or a yummy snack for your family? Let me recommend these tiny bites of goodness – apricot pineapple kielbasa bites! They really are yummy.
Slices of polska kielbasa are pan-seared until browned (a few minutes), then finish cooking in a delicious glaze. The glaze is super easy to make using apricot pineapple jam, Dijon mustard, ground ginger, and fresh lemon juice, and gives great flavor to each bite.
Apricot Pineapple Kielbasa Bites do not require a lot of time, so it’s perfect dish to throw together at the last minute. They can be made in about 15 minutes time. Let me tell you, these little snack bites sure taste good, too! Here’s how to make them:
Scroll Down For A Printable Recipe Card At The Bottom Of The Page
Prepare The Apricot Pineapple Glaze
Making the sauce (which will end up glazing the kielbasa) is totally easy. In a small bowl, whisk together fresh lemon juice, Dijon mustard, and ground ginger until combined.
Once combined, stir in the apricot pineapple jam (I used my home-canned apricot pineapple jam- hooray!). NOTE: You can substitute plain apricot jam, if that’s what you have on hand or can buy at the store. The mixture will be thick and will have small pieces of fruit in it. Stir until the sauce is fully blended together.
Cook The Kielbasa Bites
Slice the kielbasa ring into pieces that are about 1″ thick. Place the kielbasa slices into a large skillet in a single layer. Cook on medium high heat until browned on the bottom. Flip over each slice and continue cooking until both sides are browned, and kielbasa is cooked through. This should only take 3-4 minutes.
Once browned and cooked through, remove the kielbasa bites from the skillet to paper towels (to drain off any grease). Keep the kielbasa slices warm.
Finish Making The Apricot Pineapple Kielbasa Bites
Okay… now it’s time to finish these apricot pineapple kielbasa bites! Pour the glaze mixture into the same skillet you cooked the kielbasa in. Heat the sauce through in the skillet on medium heat, for 2-3 minutes. The sugars from the jam will begin to melt and the sauce will begin to look more like a syrupy glaze as it cooks.
Add the warm and browned kielbasa bites back into the glaze in the skillet, and gently stir to fully coat each piece on all sides with the apricot pineapple glaze. Continue to cook on medium heat for approximately 5-6 minutes, stirring often.
The glaze will slightly reduce in volume during this time, and will become very “sticky”. A glaze is made when the sugar in the jam begins to caramelize as it is heated. That is what you want, so a thick glaze will cover each bite.
Time To Serve Apricot Pineapple Kielbasa Bites
The apricot pineapple kielbasa bites are best served immediately upon finishing the cooking, so they can be served warm. The easiest way I have found to transfer them from the skillet to the serving platter is this:
Insert a toothpick into each kielbasa slice in the skillet. Once they all have toothpicks, gently lift each one from the glaze, and place it onto the serving platter. There is so much less mess if you try it this way… trust me! The toothpicks are perfect little “handles” so each person can lift the bites straight off the platter and into their mouth.
These Appetizers Are Best Served Immediately
As the kielbasa bites sit, the glaze will begin to firm up. This appetizer is at its best when served immediately after placing on the serving platter. They still taste wonderful later, but you may find the glaze has firmed up to the point where it is harder to lift each serving from the plate.
Your family (or guests) can easily pick up several bites of this delicious appetizer at a time, with little mess! And trust me… these little bites of kielbasa taste fantastic. I think you will really like them.
Thank you for spending some of your time on my blog today. Thanks for reading. I hope you have the opportunity to try these little bites of YUM. They always get gobbled up in a hurry, because they are soooo good.
If you enjoy kielbasa, I hope you will check out my recipe for Sweet n’ Sticky Polska Kielbasa. It is a simple, main course dish that only has TWO ingredients, and tastes fantastic! Take care, and have a wonderful day.
Looking For More APPETIZER Recipes?
You can find ALL of my recipes in the Recipe Index, which is located at the top of the page. I have a variety of delicious appetizers to choose from, including:
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Original recipe source: Unknown. (wrote it down on a 3×5 index card many years ago, without source noted)
↓↓ PRINTABLE RECIPE BELOW ↓↓
Apricot Pineapple Kielbasa Bites are delicious, easily made appetizers to serve family or friends. A sweet fruit glaze coats each bite to perfection.
- 12 ounces polska kielbasa ring (beef) (1 package)
- 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
- 2 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 6 ounces apricot pineapple jam (3/4 of an 8 ounce jar) (can sub. apricot jam)
- ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
In a small bowl, whisk together lemon juice, Dijon mustard, and ground ginger until combined. Stir in apricot pineapple jam. Mixture will be thick and have small pieces of fruit in it. Stir until sauce is fully blended. Set aside.
Slice kielbasa into 1" thick pieces. Place slices into a large skillet in a single layer. Cook on medium high heat until browned on bottom. Turn over slices and continue cooking until both sides are browned, and kielbasa is cooked through. This takes 3-4 minutes. Remove kielbasa from skillet; transfer to paper towels (to drain off grease), and keep kielbasa warm.
Pour reserved sauce into same skillet you cooked kielbasa in. Heat on medium heat, for 2-3 minutes, stirring often. Add kielbasa to sauce, and gently stir, to coat each piece on all sides with glaze. Continue to cook on medium heat for approximately 5-6 minutes, stirring often. The glaze will reduce in volume slightly, and become "sticky". Insert a toothpick into each kielbasa slice, once done. When they all have toothpicks, gently lift each one from the glaze, and place onto serving platter. Serve immediately, and enjoy!
Here’s one more to pin on your Pinterest boards!
Would combining commercially available apricot and pineapple preserves work with this? Or would you suggest just using the apricot preserves if not using homemade?
Hi, Janet… this appetizer will absolutely be perfect using commercially produced preserves! Happy holidays!