Quick Answer: Best snap: Slotkowski (every taster's favorite at Allrecipes). Test-kitchen winner: Wellshire Farms Smoked Polska Kielbasa. Best store brand: Kroger Polska Kielbasa (9/10 at Sporked). For a lighter board: Hillshire Farm Turkey Polska.
Our top picks
Smoked kielbasa is the easiest hot item on a game-day board: slice, sear, add toothpicks and mustard. The difference between brands is snap and texture, and the most famous brand isn't the winner.
Which one should you buy?
All 6 picks
Prices are store listings checked November 2026; supermarket prices vary by store.
Best overall
Slotkowski Polish Sausage
- Ranked
- #1 of 7 at Allrecipes
- Texture
- Snappy casing, coarse grind
- From
- Chicago
Why it's here: Every taster in Allrecipes' blind test ranked it first: a crisp, snappy casing, a good coarse grind and mild, well-balanced spice. It held its shape when cooked.
Watch out: Mostly sold in the Midwest.
Why we picked it (sources)
Allrecipes' blind tasting (Allrecipes).
Test-kitchen winner
Wellshire Farms Smoked Polska Kielbasa
- Won
- ATK, 6 smoked brands
- Meat
- All beef
- Flavor
- Garlicky, smoky
Why it's here: America's Test Kitchen's winner: a good balance of garlic and salt with real smoke flavor, and the coarse texture and snap ATK looked for.
Watch out: All beef, so less juicy than pork kielbasa. ATK's test is older; prices have risen.
Why we picked it (sources)
ATK's taste test and price at testing (America’s Test Kitchen).
Best store brand
Kroger Polska Kielbasa
- Score
- 9/10 at Sporked
- Meat
- Pork and beef
- Where
- Kroger-family stores
Why it's here: Sporked says it beats Hillshire Farm: smoked, nicely spiced (you can taste clove), with a textured bite and real snap.
Watch out: Only at Kroger, Ralphs, Fred Meyer, King Soopers, Pick 'n Save and other Kroger stores.
Why we picked it (sources)
Sporked's sausage roundup (Sporked).
Best premium
Nature's Rancher Polska Kielbasa
- Ranked
- #2 of 7 at Allrecipes
- Heat
- A little kick
- Texture
- Snappy, coarse grind
Why it's here: A snappy casing, a chewy coarse grind and a bit of heat that tasters liked, without too much salt.
Watch out: The most expensive kielbasa in the test.
Why we picked it (sources)
Allrecipes' blind tasting (Allrecipes).
Best for slicing
Klement's Polish Sausage
- Ranked
- #3 of 7 at Allrecipes
- Shape
- Wide diameter
- From
- Milwaukee
Why it's here: A wide sausage that cuts into big, even coins for a board, with a crisp casing and mild seasoning that lets the pork come through.
Watch out: Slightly spongy inside compared with the top two.
Why we picked it (sources)
Allrecipes' blind tasting (Allrecipes).
Best turkey kielbasa
Hillshire Farm Turkey Polska Kielbasa
- Won
- Sporked's turkey sausage test
- Meat
- Turkey
- Where
- Nearly every grocery store
Why it's here: Sporked's best of the best among turkey sausages: juicy and supple, a lighter option that's easy to find.
Watch out: Hillshire's regular pork kielbasa placed 6th of 7 at Allrecipes as salty and one-note.
Why we picked it (sources)
How to serve kielbasa on a game-day board
- Slice it into ½-inch coins on a slight angle and sear in a hot skillet 2 to 3 minutes per side.
- Serve it warm with toothpicks, grainy mustard, sauerkraut or pickled onions.
- Round out the board with cheese curds, sharp cheddar, soft pretzels, beer cheese, dill pickles and jerky.
- Snack board shortcut: smoked kielbasa is fully cooked, so you can also serve it sliced cold.
- How much: one 13 to 14 oz rope serves about 6 people as an appetizer.
More for the board: the best mustard, the best summer sausage and the best cheese curds.
Kielbasa questions
What is the best kielbasa brand?
Slotkowski was every taster's favorite at Allrecipes; Wellshire Farms won America's Test Kitchen's test; Kroger Polska was Sporked's best.
Is Hillshire Farm kielbasa good?
It's the easiest to find, but it placed 6th of 7 at Allrecipes and Sporked preferred Kroger's. Its turkey kielbasa did win Sporked's turkey sausage test.
Is kielbasa the same as Polish sausage?
In the US the names are used for the same smoked pork (or pork and beef) sausage.
Do you have to cook kielbasa?
Smoked kielbasa is fully cooked, so you can eat it cold, but searing it brings out the flavor and snap.
How much kielbasa per person for a party?
About 2 oz per person as an appetizer; a 14 oz rope serves about 6.
How we picked these, and sources
We compared three published tests: America's Test Kitchen's tasting of six smoked kielbasas, Allrecipes' blind tasting of seven brands and Sporked's sausage taste tests. Checked November 3, 2026.
- Allrecipes: I tried 7 kielbasa brands (Oct 2024, via AOL)
- America's Test Kitchen: kielbasa taste test (6 smoked brands)
- Sporked: all the best sausage from our taste tests
- Sporked: the best turkey sausage
For the cheese beside it, see the best cheddar brands. Every guide is on our charcuterie buying guides page.
