History

Bigos wrocławski grew from the post-1945 layering of Eastern Borderlands settlers' bigos (heavier, smoked-meat-led) onto the Silesian-German cabbage tradition. The Wrocław version takes the dried-plum sweetness from the Silesian larder and the smoked-meat depth from the Lwów inheritance. Improves on reheats; some Wrocław kitchens keep a pot running for a week.

Book a food experience

Tours, tastings and classes that match this page, bookable on GetYourGuide.

★ 4.3 (307)
Warsaw

Guided tour · 3h 30m

Warsaw: Polish Food Tour

The Polish food tour is a great way to experience a must-try cuisine of this amazing country. A professional guide will teach you all there is to...

fromzł 335Check dates

Browse every bookable food experience

Make it at home

Yield 8Hands-on 45 minTotal 4 hrDifficulty Easy

Ingredients

  • 500g sauerkraut, drained
  • 500g fresh white cabbage, shredded
  • 300g smoked Polish kielbasa, sliced thick
  • 200g smoked bacon, diced
  • 300g pork shoulder, in 3cm cubes
  • 30g dried porcini
  • 100g dried pitted prunes
  • 1 large onion, diced
  • 2 bay leaves, 6 juniper berries, 4 allspice berries
  • 1 tablespoon Polish dried marjoram
  • 500ml beef stock
  • 100ml dry red wine

Method

  1. Soak the porcini in 200ml warm water 30 minutes. Drain (reserve liquid), chop.
  2. Brown the pork shoulder and bacon in a heavy pot over medium heat, 10 minutes.
  3. Add the onion and cook 5 minutes. Add the kielbasa and cook 3 minutes more.
  4. Add the sauerkraut and fresh cabbage. Stir to combine.
  5. Add the prunes, mushrooms, mushroom water, bay leaves, juniper, allspice, marjoram, stock and wine.
  6. Bring to a simmer. Cover and braise on low heat for 3 hours, stirring every 30 minutes.
  7. Uncover and reduce 30 minutes more if loose. Adjust salt; the smoked meats season it for you.
  8. Best eaten the day after, reheated gently. Holds for a week in the fridge.

Tip from the editors. Polish kielbasa is the soul of bigos. Substituting Italian sausage gives you a different (still good) dish; it isn't bigos.

Where to eat bigos wrocławski

Bigos wrocławski in Wrocław

Restauracja Wrocławska ★ 4.2

$$ SilesianStare Miasto

Restauracja Wrocławska's casual side: Silesian classics, pre-war Breslau menu drawn from Marek Krajewski novels, and the city's most reliable plate of rolada.

OrderRolada śląska with potato dumplings (kluski śląskie) and red cabbage, the canonical Silesian plate.

TipThe hekele (smoked-herring spread) starter is the deep-Silesian move many visitors miss.

Directions Book

Karczma Lwowska ★ 4.0

$$ Modern PolishStare Miasto

Karczma Lwowska on Wrocław's Rynek cooks Eastern Borderlands food, the family roots a lot of post-1945 Wrocław inherited. Located in Stare Miasto.

OrderThe flaming meat platter for two with grilled vegetables and three sauces.

TipAsk for the szaszłyk skewers; they're cheaper than the platter and the kitchen treats them with the same care.

Directions Book

Konspira ★ 4.0

$$$ Cocktail barThemed restaurant bar

Konspira on Plac Solny in Wrocław doubles as a bar after the dinner service quiets: Polish vodkas, 1980s-themed cocktails and a hidden Solidarity-era.

OrderA flight of three Polish vodkas with pickle juice chasers.

DrinkPolish vodkas and Solidarity-era cocktails

FoodPolish classics

TipAfter 22:00 the room turns into a bar; ask to sit in the hidden apartment for a quieter scene.

Directions Book

All Wrocław signature dishes →

More cities are in research. Want bigos wrocławski covered somewhere specific? Tell us where you want to eat.

Browse all dishes →