Sauerkraut With Bacon and Apples

Sweet, savory, and smokey sauerkraut, with onions, apples, and bacon.

By
Elise Bauer
Elise Bauer
Elise Bauer
Elise founded Simply Recipes in 2003 and led the site until 2019. She has an MA in Food Research from Stanford University.
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Updated March 16, 2022
Elise Bauer
Sauerkraut with Bacon and Apples
Elise Bauer

All this talk of the sweet goodness you can make apples this season, and as someone rightly pointed out to me, there are many savory things you can make with apples as well.

For more information on which apple varieties are best for baking, check out our Guide to Apples.

My dear Minnesota-raised father, who cannot resist any recipe with both sauerkraut and bacon, couldn't wait to try this apple and bacon sauerkraut from the Niman Ranch Cookbook.

Sauerkraut with Bacon and Apples
Elise Bauer

The trick is to use good quality sauerkraut; the best stuff, according to dad, is refrigerated and in a jar. He drains it, but doesn't rinse it, lest the flavor rinses away. A good quality apple-wood smoked bacon helps too.

If you love sauerkraut as much as we do (and there are fewer and fewer of us out there these days, unfortunately), you'll love this recipe.

Sauerkraut With Bacon and Apples

Prep Time 10 mins
Cook Time 30 mins
Total Time 40 mins
Servings 4 to 6 servings

Ingredients

  • 1/4 pound sliced apple-wood smoked bacon

  • 2 tart apples, such as Granny Smith, peeled, cored, and grated

  • 1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped

  • 2 cloves garlic, minced

  • 1 teaspoon caraway seeds, ground

  • 3 cups unfiltered apple juice

  • 1/4 cup white wine vinegar

  • 2 pounds of refrigerated (in a jar, not can), prepared sauerkraut, drained (about 1 24-ounce jar, drained)

Method

  1. Cook and chop the bacon:

    Lay the slices of bacon down at the bottom of a large, thick-bottomed pot and heat on medium heat. Cook until the bacon has browned and most of the bacon fat has been rendered, 5 to 10 minutes.

    Remove the bacon from the pot and set on paper towels to drain. Remove all but 1 Tbsp of the fat in the pot. (Do not pour down the sink, bacon fat will clog your drain!) Chop the bacon and set aside.

  2. Cook onions, apples, then add garlic, caraway:

    Add the chopped onions and apples to the pot and cook until the onions are translucent, about 6-7 minutes. Add the garlic and caraway and cook for a minute more.

  3. Add apple juice and vinegar, then boil:

    Add the apple juice and the white vinegar to the pot. Increase the heat to high. Bring to a boil and boil vigorously until the liquid is reduced to a syrup, about 5 minutes.

  4. Add the sauerkraut and bacon:

    to the pot and stir to coat with the sauce. Reduce the heat to low and cook until the sauerkraut has been heated through and is tender, about 10 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Adapted from The Niman Ranch Cookbook.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
211 Calories
7g Fat
29g Carbs
8g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4 to 6
Amount per serving
Calories 211
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 7g 9%
Saturated Fat 2g 12%
Cholesterol 19mg 6%
Sodium 1074mg 47%
Total Carbohydrate 29g 10%
Dietary Fiber 5g 20%
Total Sugars 20g
Protein 8g
Vitamin C 66mg 328%
Calcium 57mg 4%
Iron 2mg 12%
Potassium 514mg 11%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate. In cases where multiple ingredient alternatives are given, the first listed is calculated for nutrition. Garnishes and optional ingredients are not included.