Bigos
Slow-cooked sauerkraut and cabbage stew with mixed meats. · Poland
Also known as Hunter's Stew
Slow-cooked sauerkraut and cabbage stew with mixed meats.
About Bigos
Sauerkraut and fresh cabbage are simmered for hours with assorted meats and sausage, deepening in flavour each time it is reheated. This "hunter's stew" is a Polish winter staple.
🏛️ History & Culture
Bigos, known as "hunter's stew," has deep roots in Polish culinary tradition, with its name reflecting an association with hunting parties who combined game meats with cabbage. Its exact origins are not precisely documented, but the dish is famously described in Poland's national epic "Pan Tadeusz," indicating its long-standing place in the country's food culture. Over centuries, it evolved from a hunter's field meal into a staple of home cooking across Poland.
Regional variations abound: some households favor more sauerkraut, others more fresh cabbage, and the meats range from pork and sausage to venison, depending on local availability. A key cultural practice is reheating bigos multiple times, which deepens its flavor, making it a cherished winter dish. It holds significant cultural importance as a festive staple, commonly served at Christmas and other celebrations, and is widely regarded as one of Poland's national dishes.
🍳 How to make Bigos
AI-assisted, not kitchen-testedBigos (Polish Hunter's Stew)
Poland's iconic hunter's stew, slow-simmered with sauerkraut, fresh cabbage, assorted pork, smoked kielbasa, and dried forest mushrooms. Bigos is famously better the next day and is traditionally reheated several times before serving.
- Prep
- 30 min
- Cook
- 180 min
- Total
- 210 min
- Serves
- 6 to 8
- Difficulty
- Medium
Recipe ingredients
- 500 g (1 lb 2 oz) sauerkraut, drained, rinsed lightly if very sour
- 400 g (14 oz) fresh white cabbage, shredded, or savoy
- 300 g (10½ oz) pork shoulder, cubed, boneless
- 250 g (9 oz) smoked kielbasa, sliced, Polish-style if available
- 150 g (5 oz) smoked bacon, diced
- 30 g (1 oz) dried porcini or mixed forest mushrooms, or other dried wild mushrooms
- 1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 200 ml (¾ cup + 1 tbsp) passata or crushed tomatoes
- 2 whole bay leaves
- 6 whole allspice berries
- 4 whole juniper berries, lightly crushed, optional but traditional
- 1 tsp caraway seeds, omit if sauerkraut is heavily caraway-dressed
- 500 ml (2 cups + 2 tbsp) beef or pork stock, plus extra as needed
- 60 ml (¼ cup) dry red wine or dry mead, optional but authentic; substitute with stock
- salt, to taste
- freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 1 tbsp lard or unsalted butter, for sautéing
Steps
- 1 Place the dried mushrooms in a heatproof bowl, cover with 400 ml (about 1¾ cups) boiling water, and let them soak for 20 to 30 minutes until softened. Lift the mushrooms out and chop them; strain the soaking liquid through a coffee filter or fine cloth and reserve it.
- 2 In a large heavy pot or Dutch oven, melt the lard over medium heat. Add the diced bacon and cook for 3 to 4 minutes until it begins to render its fat. Add the cubed pork shoulder, season lightly with pepper, and brown on all sides, about 6 to 8 minutes.
- 3 Add the chopped onion and cook for 4 to 5 minutes until softened and lightly golden. Stir in the tomato paste and cook for 1 minute to deepen its flavor.
- 4 Add the drained sauerkraut, shredded fresh cabbage, chopped rehydrated mushrooms, reserved mushroom soaking liquid, passata, bay leaves, allspice, juniper, caraway, stock, and wine. Stir well to combine.
- 5 Bring to a gentle boil, then reduce the heat to low, cover partially, and simmer for 1 hour. Stir occasionally and add more stock or water if the stew becomes too dry; it should be moist but not soupy.
- 6 After 1 hour, add the sliced kielbasa, pushing it down into the liquid, and continue to simmer uncovered for another 1 to 1¼ hours, stirring now and then. The cabbage should be very tender and the meats falling-apart tender.
- 7 Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and more pepper. Remove the bay leaves.
- 8 Doneness cue: pork shoulder should reach an internal temperature of at least 85°C (185°F) and shred easily with a spoon; kielbasa is fully cooked once heated through to 71°C (160°F).
- 9 For the most traditional result, cool the bigos, refrigerate it overnight, and reheat gently the next day (and ideally the day after), adding a splash of stock each time. This reheating is what gives bigos its characteristic depth.
- 10 Serve hot, traditionally with crusty rye bread or boiled potatoes on the side.
Report an issue with this recipe
Recipes from travellers
No one has shared their own Bigos recipe yet. Yours would be the first.
Share how you make Bigos
You'll need to be signed in with Google or Facebook so your name can appear on it. Recipes go through an automatic food-safety check before they publish.
Sign in to share your recipe
Bigos — frequently asked questions
What is Bigos?
Sauerkraut and fresh cabbage are simmered for hours with assorted meats and sausage, deepening in flavour each time it is reheated. This "hunter's stew" is a Polish winter staple.
What is Bigos made of?
Bigos is made with sauerkraut, cabbage, pork, kielbasa and dried mushrooms.
Where does Bigos come from?
Bigos comes from Poland, and is especially associated with Nationwide. Bigos, known as "hunter's stew," has deep roots in Polish culinary tradition, with its name reflecting an association with hunting parties who combined game meats with cabbage.
Where can I eat Bigos?
A Polish home in winter, where it improves over several days.
How do you make Bigos?
Making Bigos at home takes about 30 minutes of prep and 180 minutes of cooking. The recipe on this page serves 6 to 8 and is rated medium. Full ingredient list and step-by-step method are in the recipe section above.
What else is Bigos called?
Bigos is also known as Hunter's Stew.
Taste Bigos in Krakow
Independent picks. We earn a small commission if you book through these — at no extra cost to you. How this works.
✅ Before you go to Poland
Round out your trip — most travellers book these alongside their trip.
More dishes like Bigos
Leniwe Pierogi
Leniwe Pierogi is a traditional dumpling from Poland.
Jagnięcina Podhalańska
Jagnięcina Podhalańska is one of the classic dishes in the lamb tradition of Poland.
Racuchy
Racuchy are soft Polish apple fritters, yeasted pancakes fried golden with apple slices and dusted with powdered sugar, a beloved autumn comfort food.
Flaki
Hearty spiced tripe soup, a cold-weather warmer.
Grochówka
Grochówka is a thick Polish split pea soup with smoked kielbasa and root vegetables, a staple of Polish home cooking and milk bars dating back generations.
Bułka z Pieczarkami
Polish soft white bun filled with stewed mushrooms cooked in butter, onion, dill and sour cream — the standard milk-bar lunch.
Encebollado
Tangy tuna soup with onions, cassava and lime.
Saltah
Bubbling meat stew topped with frothy fenugreek.
Menudo
Spicy red tripe and hominy soup, the weekend cure.
Mole Poblano
A complex chilli-and-chocolate sauce over turkey or chicken.
Dal Makhani
Black lentils simmered overnight with butter and cream.
Somerset Brie
Hailing from the United Kingdom, Somerset Brie is a much-loved cheese.
Peka
Meat and vegetables slow-roasted under a bell-shaped lid and embers.
Pintxos
Bite-sized bar snacks skewered onto bread, Basque style.
Miascia
Hailing from Italy, Miascia is a much-loved bread pudding.
Tronchón
Tronchón is a goat's-milk cheese from the Maestrazgo hills of Aragon, pressed in a basket mould and aged for a firm, rustic flavour.
- 🇵🇱 Leniwe Pierogi · Poland
- 🇵🇱 Jagnięcina Podhalańska · Poland
- 🇵🇱 Racuchy · Poland
- 🇵🇱 Flaki · Poland
- 🇵🇱 Grochówka · Poland
- 🇵🇱 Bułka z Pieczarkami · Poland
- 🇪🇨 Encebollado · Ecuador
- 🇾🇪 Saltah · Yemen
- 🇲🇽 Menudo · Mexico
- 🇲🇽 Mole Poblano · Mexico
- 🇮🇳 Dal Makhani · India
- 🇬🇧 Somerset Brie · United Kingdom
- 🇭🇷 Peka · Croatia
- 🇪🇸 Pintxos · Spain
- 🇮🇹 Miascia · Italy
- 🇪🇸 Tronchón · Spain
Keep exploring
Travel guides for Poland
All travel guides →Planning a trip where Bigos is on the menu? These guides cover Poland and beyond.
Budget Travel The Price of a Plate: What the National Dish Costs in 50 Countries (2026 Index)
Sep 02, 2026 · 6 min read
Budget Travel Europe on a Budget: How to Travel Comfortably for €70 a Day (2026 Guide)
Aug 23, 2026 · 8 min read
Budget Travel 10 Budget-Friendly European Cities for 2026
Mar 08, 2026 · 4 min read
Reviews
No reviews yet. Be the first to share your experience with Bigos.
Write a review
Sign in to verify you're a real person, then share your thoughts on Bigos.
Comments
No comments yet. Be the first to say something about Bigos.