BBQ Smoked Sausage Sandwiches with Kraut

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BBQ Smoked Sausage Sandwiches are an easy meal that the whole family will love! Serve on buttery toasted buns topped with a helping of Frank’s Sweet & Smoky BBQ Kraut. These irresistible sandwiches are fantastically made on your grill or smoker, but can be made year-round on your stovetop, in your oven, or slow cooker! 

These BBQ Smoked Sausage Sandwiches are so simple to make, that you will want them to be a part of your regular meal rotation. They are perfect for grilling season because cooking them outside gives them that smoky flavor we all crave! Sliced smoked sausage ring, slathered in spicy barbecue sauce, and cooked until bubbly.

Top them with Frank’s Sweet BBQ Kraut and serve on buttery toasted buns. Grab your napkins and dig in!

 

This post is sponsored by Frank’s Kraut but the opinions here and my lifelong love of their amazing sauerkraut are all my own! 

Grilled Smoked Sausage

Grilling season is upon us, and I for one couldn’t be more excited! Sure, we have our favorite grilling recipes like this Smoked Turkey and these Bacon-wrapped BBQ Pork Ribs but coming up with new things to grill is one of my favorite ways to create recipes for my family and for my readers. 

Living in Nebraska, there are certain times of the year that we just don’t get the opportunity to use our grill or smoker, so when we are able, we use it all of the time!

Grill Out with Frank’s Kraut

During the month of May, year after year I get the opportunity to create a new grilling recipe for my friends at Frank’s Kraut. If you have been around for a while, you have maybe noticed just how much we love their sauerkraut!

But it’s not just for topping a hot dog, kraut is hands down one of my favorite grilling ingredients!  My Sauerkraut Bacon Wrapped Brats, Swiss Cheese Kraut Burgers, and Grilled Polish Sausage & Sauerkraut will have you drooling, and this Bacon Wrapped Pork Loin with Sauerkraut Stuffing will make you a believer in all things kraut! (if you weren’t already!)

 

How do you serve BBQ Smoked Sausage?

Our favorite way is on a toasted bun. A smoked sausage sandwich is just a really delicious twist on a BBQ pulled pork sandwich.  Of course, if you are cutting the carbs, you can skip the bun and just enjoy the smoked sausage in BBQ sauce all on its own!

Skipping the bun and serving the sliced sausage as Smoked Sausage Bites also makes a great appetizer! Kind of like a twist on Little Smokies.

Homemade BBQ Sauce in a jar on a multi-colored cloth

BBQ Sauce for Sausage

Of course, you could use bottled barbecue sauce for this recipe, but I encourage you to make your own Homemade BBQ Sauce. My recipe is so easy, and the taste is seriously next level. For this bbq smoked sausage recipe, I did add some red pepper flakes to my standard sauce to give it a little more heat. But if you prefer things on the milder side, that isn’t necessary. 

Ingredients in BBQ Smoked Sausage Sandwiches 

Complete instructions and ingredients can be found in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.

The bulk of the ingredients are in the homemade barbecue sauce:

  • Brown Sugar – dark or light work just fine. 
  • Honey – raw local honey is my favorite! 
  • Ketchup – your favorite brand.
  • Soy Sauce – I always use low sodium.
  • Apple Cider Vinegar – great for adding that tang!
  • Sriracha – a little bit of heat, add more if you like it spicy!
  • Worchestershire Sauce – lots of flavors here.
  • Garlic – minced.
  • Red Pepper Flakes – again add a bit more heat, but are totally optional. This sauce isn’t overly spicy.

For the sandwiches:

  • Smoked Sausage Ring – this would also work well with Polish or Turkey Kielbasa.
  • Buns – I used onion buns from the bakery, and I loved that extra flavor they gave. Have some butter on hand for toasting the buns, too.
  • Frank’s Sweet & Smoky BBQ Kraut – if you use this Kraut, I promise you won’t need any other condiments. It’s perfection!

How to Make BBQ Smoked Sausage

The instructions here are for how to grill smoked sausage in BBQ sauce. Please refer to the recipe card notes to see how to prepare this dish in the oven or even in the crockpot!

PREHEAT

First, Preheat the grill or pellet smoker to 350 degrees.

MAKE HOMEMADE BARBECUE SAUCE

Next, Place brown sugar, honey, ketchup, soy sauce, apple cider vinegar, Sriracha, Worchestershire sauce, garlic and red pepper flakes into a small saucepan. Cook over medium heat until the sugar is dissolved. Stirring occasionally.

PREPARE THE SAUSAGE

Slice the sausage into bite-sized pieces and place them into the bottom of a cast-iron skillet.

Pour barbecue sauce over the top of the sliced sausage and stir to coat them evenly.

Place the skillet on the grill and cook for about 20-25 minutes. Stir them about midway through the cooking time. When the sauce is bubbling and the sausage is hot, remove it from the grill.

Butter the insides of the buns and pop them on the grill to toast them a bit.

Scoop the barbecued sausage onto the toasted bun.

Top with Frank’s BBQ Kraut.

Serve Hot.

Love it? Pin it!

Don’t forget where you found this BBQ Smoked Sausage Sandwich Recipe! Pin it to your favorite Pinterest recipe board to find it easily!

Dorothy's Homemade Potato Salad white bowl light background on spoon

What to Serve with BBQ Smoked Sausage Sandwiches

The simple option is to open a bag of chips or make some frozen French Fries. But when you can make something homemade, it just gives the meal a little extra oomph, doesn’t it?

Try these homemade chips and fries:

Serving BBQ with a salad is a no-brainer! 

Check out these Salads:

FAQ & Tips for making the Best BBQ Smoked Sausage

How long do you cook BBQ Smoked Sausage? Well, that is the beauty of it. Smoked sausage is already cooked, so once it’s heated through, it’s done! Cooking it on the smoker gives it that amazing double-smoked appeal that we love. 

What is the best way to cook Smoked Sausage? I have many recipes that use smoked sausage in them. It’s so versatile! Cook it on the grill, in the oven, in your pressure cooker or crockpot, use it in fried rice prepared in a wok or skillet on your stovetop, or simmer it in soups of all kinds. Again, it’s fully cooked, so all you are needing to do to prepare it is heat it through!

What goes on a Smoked Sausage Sandwich? Well, for this sandwich, with the massive amount of flavor from the homemade bbq sauce and the bbq kraut, you really don’t need anything else! But if you are wanting other condiments, sliced onion, pickles, or hot peppers would all be a great choice.

 

Two NEW Flavors of Frank’s Kraut

Recently, Frank’s Kraut came out with two brand new flavors of sauerkraut, Mustard Kraut with dill pickle relish and Sweet and Smoky BBQ Kraut made with brown sugar and spices. You can order them online in their web store right now.  You can sign up to receive their newsletter for great sales, too!

I recently made two recipes using the Mustard Kraut and we loved it so much!

Turkey Reuben Sandwich a.k.a. The Rachel

 

Overhead of pork cutlet bite topped with kraut
Perfectly Breaded Pork Cutlets

HOW HEALTHY IS KRAUT?

Sauerkraut comes packed with vitamins. Vitamins C and K, low in sugar, and high in fiber, kraut has been used as a folk remedy for a number of ailments for years. Of course, it is always nice when modern science realizes some of those traditions actually possess some merit, right?

 

The Ultimate Guide to Sauerkraut
The Ultimate Guide to Sauerkraut – everything you need to know about its nutrition, origin, and of course, recipes!

Love Sauerkraut? Everything you always wanted to know about Kraut! Where it comes from, how it’s made, and tons of Sauerkraut recipes in this Ultimate Guide to Sauerkraut.

photo credit: Frank’s Kraut

Frank’s Kraut

My love of Frank’s Kraut doesn’t just span years, it spans decades.  It’s the only sauerkraut my family has ever eaten.  Coming from Polish and German descent, that’s saying something, isn’t it?

You can find many fantastic sauerkraut recipes here on my blog, as well as on the Frank’s Kraut Website.  I even have a Pinterest Board dedicated just to sauerkraut!  You will be sure to find new and creative recipes year-round at all of these places, and when you follow Frank’s Kraut on FacebookTwitterInstagram and Pinterest.

The next time you are grilling, remember to Grill Out with Frank’s Kraut

Let’s make these delicious BBQ Sausage Sandwiches!    M. logo An Affair from the Heart

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BBQ Smoked Sausage Sandwiches on a bun with kraut
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Print Recipe

BBQ Smoked Sausage Sandwiches with Kraut

BBQ Smoked Sausage Sandwiches are an easy meal that the whole family will love! Serve on buttery toasted buns topped with a helping of Frank’s Sweet & Smoky BBQ Kraut. These irresistible sandwiches are fantastically made on your grill or smoker, but can be made year-round on your stovetop, in your oven, or slow cooker! 
Prep Time5 minutes
Cook Time30 minutes
Total Time35 minutes
Course: Sandwiches
Cuisine: American
Keyword: BBQ Sauerkraut, BBQ sausage, Frank's kraut, grilling, Homemade BBQ Sauce, sausage sandwich, smoked sausage, smoker recipe, toasted buns
Servings: 4 sandwiches
Calories: 674kcal
Author: Michaela Kenkel

Ingredients

  • 14 ounce smoked sausage
  • 1/4 cup brown sugar
  • 1/4 cup honey
  • 1/2 cup ketchup
  • 1/2 Tablespoon soy sauce
  • 1/2 Tablespoon apple cider vinegar
  • 1/4 teaspoon Sriracha
  • 2 teaspoons Worchestershire sauce
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • 4 onion hamburger buns
  • Frank's BBQ Kraut

Instructions

  • Preheat grill or pellet smoker to 350 degrees.
  • Place brown sugar, honey, ketchup, soy sauce, apple cider vinegar, Sriracha, Worchestershire sauce, garlic and red pepper flakes into a small saucepan. Cook over medium heat until the sugar is dissolved.
  • Slice sauce into bite-sized pieces and place them into the bottom of a cast-iron skillet.
  • Pour barbecue sauce over the top of the sliced sausage and stir to coat them evenly.
  • Place the skillet on the grill and cook for about 20-25 minutes. When the sauce is bubbling and the sausage is hot, remove it from the grill.
  • Butter the insides of the buns and pop them on the grill to toast them a bit.
  • Scoop the barbecued sausage onto the toasted bun and top with Frank's BBQ Kraut.
  • Serve.

Notes

This meal can be prepared in the oven as well as on your stovetop or in your slow cooker.

Nutrition

Serving: 1 | Calories: 674kcal | Carbohydrates: 68g | Protein: 25g | Fat: 35g | Saturated Fat: 12g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 18g | Cholesterol: 89mg | Sodium: 2039mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 51g

 

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11 Comments

  1. This Sandwich is definitely a grab. Looks so tempting. Homemade BBQ Sauce and yummy sausages sounds delicious. Perfect meal option too.

  2. I have these sandwiches on the menu for this weekend! They look amazing and I can’t wait to try them!

  3. This was so good! I had extra sausage in the freezer and wanted something different. My kids all loved it!

  4. The smoked sausage is perfect cooked in this tasty barbecue sauce, plus the sauerkraut takes these sandwiches to the next level of deliciousness. Thanks for an amazing recipe and tutorial.

  5. Don’t have access to Frank’s BBQ kraut. Any suggestions for substitution?

    This sandwich looks soooo tasty!! I look forward to trying your recipe soon.

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