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These Slow Cooker Foil Packet sausage and pierogies are the kind of easy, buttery dinner you’re going to love: frozen pierogies, smoked sausage, onions, and melted butter steam together until tender and flavorful. The sealed foil packets keep every bit of savory juice right where it belongs and make cleanup practically nothing. It’s cozy, hands-off comfort food with no extra fuss.
Why You’ll Love It
- Easy cleanup — the food stays bundled in foil, so the Slow Cooker crock needs barely any scrubbing.
- Four main ingredients — frozen pierogies, smoked sausage or kielbasa, a yellow onion, and butter are all you need.
- Tender, buttery pierogies — the sealed packets trap savory juices so the pierogi dough turns soft and almost pillowy.
- Great for serving later — the packets hold their heat nicely in the cooker until dinner is ready.
Ingredient Notes
Use frozen potato-and-cheese pierogies straight from the freezer. Don’t thaw them first. They steam gently in the packets and soak up the butter as they cook. I usually buy whatever brand is on sale. You’ll need a 16- to 20-ounce package, which is usually somewhere around 12 to 16 pierogies.
For the sausage, smoked kielbasa is my usual choice. It has that garlicky, smoky flavor that makes the whole kitchen smell like dinner cooking in the next room. A regular smoked sausage ring works too, as long as it is fully cooked. Slice it into rounds about half an inch thick—not paper-thin, or they can get a little leathery around the edges.
A big yellow onion is right here. Sweet enough after a few hours in the Slow Cooker, but not so sweet it takes over. I slice mine thin, though not always evenly. I have owned the same decent chef’s knife and still manage to produce onion slices that look like they were cut during an earthquake.
And the butter: unsalted, melted. The sausage brings plenty of salt on its own. You can use salted butter if that’s what you have, naturally, because life goes on, but I wouldn’t add any extra salt before tasting.
Ingredients
- 1 (16- to 20-ounce) package frozen potato-and-cheese pierogies, about 12 to 16 pierogies—keep them frozen until you’re ready
- 1 (12- to 14-ounce) smoked sausage or kielbasa ring, sliced into 1/2-inch rounds
- 1 large yellow onion, thinly sliced (mine is usually “thin-ish,” if we’re being honest)
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted—that’s 1 full stick, and yes, it is doing important work here
Instructions
Lightly spray the inside of your slow cooker crock with nonstick cooking spray, then set it aside. Tear off 2 large sheets of heavy-duty aluminum foil, about 18 inches long each. Heavy-duty foil really is worth it here; regular foil can work, but I’ve had a packet split at the seam and spill buttery onion juice into the cooker. Not a tragedy, exactly, but it did make me crabby.
Put the frozen pierogies, sliced smoked sausage, and sliced onion in a large bowl. Pour the melted butter over everything. Gently toss with a spatula or clean hands until the pierogies and sausage are glossy and the onion slices are distributed around. Try not to manhandle the pierogies too much—they’re sturdy, but the frozen edges can chip.
Divide the mixture evenly between the two foil sheets, piling it in the center of each one. Make sure each packet gets some sausage, onions, pierogies, and that lovely butter from the bottom of the bowl. I usually sneak an extra onion slice into mine, because onions are now exciting.
Bring the long sides of each foil sheet up over the filling and fold them together tightly several times. Roll the short ends in firmly, too, so you have two fully sealed packets. Leave a little space inside for steam, but don’t leave big openings. The whole point is to trap those savory juices so they soak into the pierogi dough.
Place the foil packets seam-side up in the prepared slow cooker. Stack them slightly if you need to, as long as the lid can close all the way. Put the lid on snugly. If the lid is propped open even a bit, you lose steam, and then we’re back to dry-ish pierogies, which nobody wants.
Cook on LOW for 4 to 5 hours or on HIGH for 2 to 2 1/2 hours. The pierogies should be very tender, the sausage hot throughout, and the onions soft and almost jammy. I prefer the LOW setting when I can manage it—the onions get especially nice—but HIGH is perfectly fine for a busy day.
Open the slow cooker lid away from your face because the steam is no joke. Use tongs or oven mitts to lift out one foil packet at a time and place it on a rimmed baking sheet or cutting board. Carefully open each packet, again watching for steam, and gently stir the contents so all those buttery sausage-and-onion juices coat the pierogies.
Spoon the sausage and pierogies into shallow bowls, making sure each bowl gets some of the juices. Add black pepper or chopped parsley if you feel like making it look a little prettier, but I rarely bother on a weeknight. Serve it hot with green beans, a simple Salad, sauerkraut, pickles, or bread for swiping up the butter—though honestly, the bread is probably unnecessary. Delicious, but unnecessary. There’s a difference.
Variations
Spicy andouille works well instead of kielbasa, and it gives the whole thing a little kick. Not scorching-hot, just enough to wake it up. A smoked kielbasa is still my favorite, but the variation is good.
If you want something tangy, serve sauerkraut or a dollop of sour cream at the table. Keep it on the side rather than sealing it into the packets. The first time I tried adding sauerkraut directly into the foil, the flavor sort of took over everything. Not terrible, but it tasted like the pierogies had been sent to detention.
For a slightly lighter version, you can use turkey smoked sausage and replace half the butter with low-sodium chicken broth. Keep at least a few tablespoons of butter, though. That’s what gives the dough its soft, rich texture. I tried cutting the butter down too far once, and the result was fine. Fine is not the goal with pierogies.
You can also empty the cooked packets into a broiler-safe dish and broil them for 2 to 3 minutes if you want browned edges. It’s tasty, especially on the sausage, though it does add another dish. So there’s that.
Storage & Reheating
Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours, once they’ve cooled down a bit, in a covered container. They’ll keep well for about 3 days. The pierogies get even softer after sitting in the buttery juices overnight, which may not be for everyone, but they’re still good.
To reheat, microwave a portion in a covered bowl until hot all the way through, stirring once if you can. Add a tiny splash of water or chicken broth if the butter has solidified and things seem dry, though usually they don’t. You can also warm them in a skillet over medium-low heat with a lid, which gives you a few browned spots on the pierogies. That’s probably the best way, but for a quick lunch at the counter? Microwave. No shame in it.
Don’t leave the foil packets sitting around at room temperature for ages. Food safety still matters. But sausage and dairy-filled pierogies are not where I get adventurous.
Final Notes
There’s something about opening those packets that gets me every time. The steam comes up, the onions have practically melted, and everything smells buttery and smoky and familiar. For about thirty seconds, the kitchen feels quieter than it really is.
Then the kitchen gets noisy again, or the dog starts barking at a delivery truck, or I notice the laundry chair has somehow grown another layer.
Still. Dinner is ready.
And sometimes that’s more than enough.
Slow Cooker Foil Packet Sausage and Pierogies
Ingredients
- 1 package frozen potato-and-cheese pierogies 16- to 20-ounce package; about 12 to 16 pierogies; keep frozen
- 1 ring smoked sausage or kielbasa 12- to 14-ounce ring, sliced into 1/2-inch rounds
- 1 large yellow onion Thinly sliced
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter Melted
Instructions
- Lightly spray the inside of the slow cooker crock with nonstick cooking spray, then tear off two large sheets of heavy-duty aluminum foil, about 18 inches long each.
- Put the frozen pierogies, sliced smoked sausage, and sliced onion in a large bowl, pour the melted butter over everything, and gently toss until glossy and evenly combined.
- Divide the mixture evenly between the two foil sheets, piling it in the center of each sheet and making sure each packet gets pierogies, sausage, onions, and butter.
- Bring the long sides of each foil sheet over the filling and fold them together tightly several times, then roll the short ends in firmly to fully seal each packet while leaving a little space for steam.
- Place the foil packets seam-side up in the prepared slow cooker, stacking them slightly if needed, and put the lid on snugly.
- Cook on LOW for 4 to 5 hours or on HIGH for 2 to 2 1/2 hours, until the pierogies are very tender, the sausage is hot throughout, and the onions are soft.
- Open the slow cooker lid away from your face, carefully lift out the foil packets with tongs or oven mitts, open them while watching for steam, and gently stir the contents to coat the pierogies with the buttery juices.
- Spoon the sausage and pierogies into shallow bowls, making sure each serving gets some of the juices, and serve hot with optional black pepper or chopped parsley.