Healthy Bigos Recipe: Lighter Hunter’s Stew with Pork Loin and Turkey Sausage

Active time: ~1 hour | Total time: ~3½ hours, plus soaking and an overnight rest | Serves: 8 | Difficulty: Medium

Quick Overview

• Soak dried mushrooms and keep the soaking water
• Brown a little bacon, then lean pork and beef, in one tablespoon of rapeseed oil
• Simmer the meat in water, then add fresh cabbage, rinsed sauerkraut, mushrooms, prunes and spices
• Finish with onion and smoked turkey sausage
• Rest overnight, reheat and taste before adding any salt

What This Version Changes — and What It Keeps

This is the Traditional Bigos with lighter meat and less fat. The fresh cabbage, sauerkraut, dried mushrooms, prunes, onions and spices stay in the same amounts, and so does the method: brown the meat, simmer it, add the cabbages in stages, then rest the stew overnight and reheat it.

Pork tenderloin and lean beef round take the place of pork and beef shoulder, and smoked turkey sausage replaces pork kiełbasa. A third of the bacon stays for its smoke, rapeseed oil replaces lard, the sauerkraut is rinsed, and the stew cooks in water instead of broth. A serving comes to about 310 kcal, 4g of saturated fat and 1,030mg of sodium, compared with about 535 kcal, 13g and 1,460mg for the traditional recipe.

Why These Swaps Work

Leaner cuts of pork and beef. The American Heart Association notes that red meats such as beef and pork carry more saturated fat than skinless poultry, fish or plant proteins, and that lean cuts carry the words round, loin or sirloin on the package.¹ Tenderloin and round replace the fattier shoulder cuts here.

Smoked turkey sausage instead of pork kiełbasa. The AHA suggests keeping processed meats such as sausage to a minimum.¹ Where a smoked sausage stays in the pot, a turkey one is much leaner: USDA data list about 9g of fat per 100g for smoked turkey sausage against about 27g for smoked Polish pork-and-beef sausage.²˒³ Poultry is not new to bigos: one published recipe uses turkey legs, thighs and wings instead of pork and beef.⁴ Turkey sausage is just as salty, with about 920mg of sodium per 100g,² so compare labels and choose a lower-sodium one.

A third of the bacon. Bacon is one of the processed meats the AHA suggests limiting.¹ Keeping 50g of it, about a third of the traditional amount, keeps some of the smoky taste.

Rapeseed oil instead of lard. Published recipes brown the meat in lard or oil.⁵˒⁶ Harvard’s Nutrition Source recommends cooking with oils such as canola, a type of rapeseed oil, in place of saturated fats.⁷

Water instead of broth, and rinsed sauerkraut. Most salt in the diet comes from commercially prepared foods,⁸ and ready-made broth is one of them; in this recipe it would add about 350mg of sodium to each serving, a Heritage Healthy Kitchen estimate. Rinsing the squeezed sauerkraut in cold water makes the bigos milder, a step one Polish cook suggests for anyone who likes it less sour.⁵ How much salt rinsing removes depends on the sauerkraut, so the figures below do not count on it.

Healthy Bigos Recipe

This recipe was compiled by Heritage Healthy Kitchen from published recipes and the sources for the swaps, all listed at the end of this article. Figures that are Heritage Healthy Kitchen’s own estimates rather than taken from a published source are marked as such.

The base follows the traditional recipe: fresh cabbage and sauerkraut with pork, beef, bacon and smoked sausage, dried mushrooms and prunes, simmered for about 2¾ hours and reheated the next day.⁵˒⁶ The weights of the lean meats, the turkey sausage, the bacon and the oil are Heritage Healthy Kitchen estimates.

Ingredients

Serves 8

• 30g (1 oz) dried forest mushrooms, such as porcini⁶˒⁹
• 50g (1¾ oz) smoked bacon, diced
• 500g (1.1 lb) pork tenderloin or lean pork loin, cut into 2cm (¾ inch) cubes
• 300g (11 oz) lean beef round (topside), cut into 2cm (¾ inch) cubes
• 1 tablespoon (15ml) rapeseed oil
• 750ml (3 cups) water⁵
• 750g (1⅔ lb) fresh white cabbage, finely shredded⁵˒⁶
• 750g (1⅔ lb) sauerkraut, rinsed in cold water, squeezed and roughly chopped⁵˒⁶
• 80g (about 12) pitted prunes, chopped⁵˒⁶
• 3 bay leaves, 3 allspice berries, 3 juniper berries and ½ teaspoon caraway seeds⁶
• 2 onions, diced⁵˒⁶
• 250g (9 oz) smoked turkey sausage, diced or sliced⁴
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste (optional)⁵˒⁶
• 150ml (⅔ cup) dry red wine (optional)⁵
• Freshly ground black pepper; salt only if needed

Instructions

1. Soak the mushrooms. Break the dried mushrooms into pieces, cover them with about 250ml (1 cup) of warm water and leave them for at least an hour, or overnight.⁵˒⁶˒¹⁰ Lift them out, keep the soaking water, and chop the mushrooms.⁵
2. Brown the bacon and meat. Heat the oil in a large frying pan and fry the bacon for about 5 minutes, then move it to a large heavy pot. Brown the pork and beef in batches in the same pan and add them to the pot.⁵˒⁶
3. Simmer the meat. Pour the water over the meat, bring it to a boil, cover and simmer for about 45 minutes.⁶
4. Add the fresh cabbage. Stir in the shredded fresh cabbage, cover and cook for about 30 minutes.⁶
5. Add the sauerkraut and mushrooms. Add the mushrooms with their soaking water, leaving any grit behind, then the rinsed sauerkraut, prunes and spices. Stir well and cook for another 30 minutes.⁶˒⁹
6. Add the onion and sausage. Soften the onions in the frying pan, then brown the sausage, and add both to the pot with the tomato paste and wine, if using. Cover and simmer on low heat for about 1 hour, stirring now and then so the bigos does not catch. Season with pepper and taste before adding any salt.⁵˒⁶
7. Rest and reheat. Let the bigos cool, refrigerate it overnight and reheat it slowly the next day, stirring, until it is hot all the way through. Serve with dark rye bread or potatoes.⁵˒⁹˒¹⁰

Nutritional Comparison

Per serving (1 of 8)

Nutritional values are estimates based on standard ingredient databases (USDA FoodData Central), without the optional wine, and will vary with the sausage and the sauerkraut. The traditional column assumes ready-made beef broth.

Storage and Reheating

Cool the bigos and refrigerate it within 2 hours. It keeps in the fridge for 3 to 4 days or in the freezer for 3 to 4 months.¹¹ Reheat it slowly, stirring, until it is steaming hot all the way through; add a splash of water if it looks dry.

Looking for the Full History?

The Traditional Bigos recipe covers where the dish comes from, its place in Pan Tadeusz and at Christmas, and the full recipe with pork and beef shoulder, kiełbasa and lard.

Healthy Recipe Card

Healthy Bigos

Prep 1 hour Cook About 2¾ hours Serves 8

Ingredients

For the stew

• 30g (1 oz) dried forest mushrooms, such as porcini
• 50g (1¾ oz) smoked bacon, diced
• 500g (1.1 lb) pork tenderloin or lean pork loin, cut into 2cm (¾ inch) cubes
• 300g (11 oz) lean beef round (topside), cut into 2cm (¾ inch) cubes
• 1 tablespoon (15ml) rapeseed oil
• 750ml (3 cups) water
• 750g (1⅔ lb) fresh white cabbage, finely shredded
• 750g (1⅔ lb) sauerkraut, rinsed in cold water, squeezed and roughly chopped
• 80g (about 12) pitted prunes, chopped
• 3 bay leaves, 3 allspice berries, 3 juniper berries and ½ teaspoon caraway seeds
• 2 onions, diced
• 250g (9 oz) smoked turkey sausage, diced or sliced
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste (optional)
• 150ml (⅔ cup) dry red wine (optional)
• Freshly ground black pepper; salt only if needed

Instructions

1. Soak the dried mushrooms in about 250ml warm water for at least an hour or overnight. Keep the water and chop the mushrooms.
2. Fry the bacon in the oil for about 5 minutes, then brown the pork and beef in batches. Put everything in a large pot.
3. Add the water, cover and simmer for about 45 minutes.
4. Stir in the fresh cabbage, cover and cook for about 30 minutes.
5. Add the mushrooms with their water, the rinsed sauerkraut, prunes and spices. Cook for 30 minutes.
6. Soften the onions, brown the sausage and add both with the tomato paste and wine, if using. Simmer on low heat for about 1 hour, stirring now and then. Taste before adding salt.
7. Cool, refrigerate overnight and reheat slowly the next day. Serve with rye bread or potatoes.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Can I make bigos with turkey instead of pork and beef?

Yes. One published bigos uses turkey legs, thighs and wings, with a smoked turkey wing and kiełbasa for a smoky taste.⁴

Does rinsing the sauerkraut make bigos less sour?

Yes, it makes the stew milder. If you like it sharper, squeeze the sauerkraut without rinsing it.⁵

Will the bigos taste less smoky?

A little, since there is less bacon and the sausage is turkey. The dried mushrooms, prunes and spices are the same as in the traditional recipe.

Can I leave out the wine and tomato paste?

Yes. Both are optional in Polish recipes.⁵

How long does healthy bigos keep?

Up to 3 to 4 days in the fridge or 3 to 4 months in the freezer.¹¹

Further Reading & Sources

The recipe is a compilation based on the published recipes listed here; these links are provided for readers who want to explore further.

Traditional base and published recipes

4. Shaw, Hank. “Polish Bigos Stew.” Hunter Angler Gardener Cook, November 30, 2020, updated June 6, 2022. honest-food.net
5. Ania. “Bigos.” AniaGotuje.pl, February 25, 2020, updated November 27, 2025. aniagotuje.pl
6. “Bigos.” Kwestia Smaku, December 9, 2020, updated November 14, 2022 (no author given). kwestiasmaku.com
9. Shingler, Tom. “Bigos (Polish hunter’s stew).” delicious. magazine, updated May 26, 2025. deliciousmagazine.co.uk
10. Anna. “Polish Hunter’s Stew (Bigos).” Polish Your Kitchen, December 7, 2015. polishyourkitchen.com
11. “Leftovers and Food Safety.” USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service, updated July 31, 2020. fsis.usda.gov

Sources for the swaps

1. “Picking Healthy Proteins.” American Heart Association, last reviewed August 28, 2024. heart.org
2. “Sausage, turkey, hot, smoked.” USDA FoodData Central, SR Legacy, FDC ID 174606 (via getfoodfacts.com). getfoodfacts.com
3. “Sausage, Polish, pork and beef, smoked.” USDA FoodData Central, SR Legacy, FDC ID 172954 (via getfoodfacts.com). getfoodfacts.com
7. “Types of Fat.” The Nutrition Source, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, June 9, 2014, updated November 14, 2025. nutritionsource.hsph.harvard.edu
8. “Salt and Sodium.” The Nutrition Source, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. nutritionsource.hsph.harvard.edu

Disclaimer

The information in this article is provided for educational and informational purposes only. Heritage Healthy Kitchen makes no representations or warranties regarding the accuracy or completeness of any content on this site. Nutritional values are estimates only and will vary depending on the specific ingredients, brands, and measurements used. This content is not intended as dietary, medical, or professional nutritional advice. Always consult a qualified healthcare provider regarding any dietary needs or health conditions. Heritage Healthy Kitchen is not responsible for any outcomes resulting from the use of recipes or information published on this site.

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