Fried sauerkraut is traditional pub fare at its best. It can be fried hot, until crispy or gently warmed kraut so that it is still probiotic. Regardless, it is a delicious addition to all sorts of meals.
If you’re anything like me, then you immediately think, sauerkraut whenever you see cabbage for sale in the grocery store. In the fall, I usually end up packing several quarts of sauerkraut. Not only is sauerkraut probiotic, but it’s packed with flavor and my favorite way to eat cabbage.
Fried sauerkraut is a simple and delicious way to add sauerkraut to all sorts of meals.
It’s a natural addition to all sorts of pan-fried dishes
- Sauteed tempeh
- With eggs for breakfast
- Bavarian sausages or kielbasa
- Grilled cheese sandwiches
- Pan-fried potatoes
Fried sauerkraut also makes a quick and easy side dish for pretty much any meal. It adds tanginess, salt, and flavor to everything from a traditional Sunday roast to a vegan Buddha bowl.
What About The Probiotics?
If you are really into making fermented sauerkraut, then it might seem blasphemous to cook it. However, pan-fried sauerkraut is still a delicious probiotic option.
The trick to not killing the friendly Lacto-bacteria is to be quick with the heat. Most Lacto-bacteria can withstand temperatures of up to 115 F (46 C).
Here’s how to make sure your fried sauerkraut is still probiotic.
- Make sure the kraut is very dry before adding it to the pan. Wring out the excess liquid if necessary. This will make sure it cooks quickly.
- Add the sauerkraut after everything else in the pan is ready to serve.
- Fry for just long enough to warm the kraut, but not until it is hot.
Feel free to use this method to fry up all sorts of fermented and pickled vegetables. Personally, I love fried curtido (which is spiced-up kraut with onions) and sweet and spicy pickled vegetables.
Quick Fried Sauerkraut
Fried sauerkraut is a delicious side dish, perfect for serving with all sorts of pan-fried meals: eggs, potatoes, sausages. Try it next to grilled cheese! See the section above if you want to make fried sauerkraut that is still probiotic.
- Cook Time: 2 minutes
- Total Time: 2 minutes
- Yield: Serves 4
- Category: Side dish
- Method: Fry
- Cuisine: German
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
- 1 cup of sauerkraut
- 1 Tbsp cooking oil
Instructions
- Scoop 1 cup of sauerkraut out of a jar. Place it in a fine-mesh strainer to drain for at least 5 minutes.
- Use the back of a spoon to squeeze out any residual liquid.
- Warm a frying pan on medium heat.
- Start by cooking everything else that is going to be served with the sauerkraut.
- When all the other food is almost ready, take a large spoonful of sauerkraut (about 1/2 cup per person) and drop it on the frying pan.
- Fry for 2 to 4 minutes, until warmed through. If you don’t care about the probiotics, it’s fine to fry until the kraut starts to turn golden brown and crispy on the edges.
- Serve immediately.
Notes
- If you are going to be serving a number of people, either fry up everyone’s meal separately or use a large cast-iron griddle so that everything is ready at the same time.
- Save the sauerkraut brine as a starter for other fermented vegetables.
Keywords: pub food, probiotic, breakfast, dinner, lunch, snack. fall, winter, spring, vegan, gluten free, paleo, keto, whole 30, egg free, soy free, nut free, dairy free, 1 ingredient, 5 minutes or less
Hi Emile,
I’m brand new to fermentation. So new that I haven’t officially started yet but waiting on supplies (jars, lids, culture, pH adjusters, pile crisp etc)
I know you don’t need any of the stuff I mentioned. I decided to take up fermentation to make my own probiotic supplements. Using culture (with sea salt and CaCl) you can wind up with sauerkraut that has more probiotics in a serving than an entire bottle of capsules.
Just my 2 cents here…I intend to do the maximum dwell time in ferment (1 week when using culture) for maximum probiotic count. I’m not accustomed to super tangy food so I plan to then dial back the pH (acidity) by adding magnesium carbonate and potassium bicarbonate.
Pickle crisp in 1st paragraph…my phone thinks it’s smarter than I am 😉
I did wonder about pile crisps. 🙂 Probiotic content does increase with time, however, even fresh, quick ferments are good. If you don’t like the flavour of stronger ferments try getting it into your diet more regularly, with easy things like adding a bit of fermentation liquid to guacamole or hummus, etc. https://www.fermentingforfoodies.com/fermented-guacamole/ Hopefully I have some recipes to inspire you!
Also, try for a diversity of cultures, to go for the maximum diversity of probiotics. I found water kefir and miso to cause the most reaction: https://www.fermentingforfoodies.com/side-effects-fermented-foods/
This is amazing! its fast and really very good if you have the sauerkraut prepared.
★★★★★
Thanks!