Kielbasa calories come to 286 for a 3 oz portion (85 g) and 337 per 100 g, based on the USDA row for fully cooked, grilled kielbasa. Fat supplies 79% of those calories. Sodium is the number that jumps out: 903 mg in that same 3 oz portion, or 39% of the daily value.
286kcal
1 3 oz serving · 85 g, fully cooked, grilled
15%protein
10.6 gProtein
4 gCarbs
25 gFat
How to burn off 286 kcal
—Walking, brisk
—Jogging
—Cycling, moderate
—Swimming
Skip the math. BodyPal counts these calories from your steps and workouts automatically.
Nutrition facts
Fully cooked, grilled · per 85 g
Calories
286 kcal
Protein
10.6 g
Carbohydrate
4.3 g
Fat
25 g
Saturated fat
8.4 g
Cholesterol
62 mg
Sodium
903 mg
Potassium
260 mg
Iron
0.8 mg
Source: USDA FoodData Central
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Verified nutrition data
Numbers on this page come from USDA FoodData Central, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s food composition database, and from manufacturer labels where a branded product is named. Last verified September 2026. How we verify our data →
Kielbasa: calories, protein and sodium by serving
Percent of daily value uses the FDA reference of 2,000 kcal a day.
Serving
kcal
Protein
Carbs
Fat
Sodium
% DV kcal
3 oz portion (85 g)
286
10.6 g
4.3 g
25.2 g
903 mg
14%
1 link (367 g)
1,237
45.7 g
18.5 g
108.9 g
3,898 mg
62%
Turkey and beef (56 g)
127
7.3 g
2.2 g
9.9 g
672 mg
6%
100 g
337
12.5 g
5 g
29.7 g
1,062 mg
17%
3 × 3 oz portion (85 g)
859
31.7 g
2,708 mg
5 × 3 oz portion (85 g)
1,432
52.9 g
4,514 mg
A whole link is a 1,237-calorie meal
A 3 oz portion (85 g) gives you 286 calories, which is 14% of the daily value. That is a few thick coins of sausage next to something else on the plate. The USDA's link weight is 367 g, which is closer to a full horseshoe ring than a single sausage, and that link carries 1,237 calories, or 62% of a day's calories in one piece of meat.
Because kielbasa is dense, the total climbs fast when you go back for more. Two 3 oz portions (170 g) reach 573 calories and 1,805 mg of sodium. Three portions (255 g) hit 859 calories and 2,708 mg of sodium. Five portions (425 g), the kind of amount that disappears at a cookout, add up to 1,432 calories and 4,514 mg of sodium.
The practical move is to slice before serving. Sliced kielbasa spreads across a skillet of vegetables or a pot of beans, so a 3 oz portion looks like a real serving. Eating straight from the ring is how a snack turns into a full meal's worth of calories.
Fat is nearly four fifths of every calorie
The calorie split is lopsided: 79% fat, 15% protein and 6% carbs. Per 100 g, kielbasa holds 29.7 g of fat, 12.5 g of protein and 5 g of carbs, with 2.4 g of sugars and 0 g of fiber. Think of it as a fat source that brings some protein along, not a protein food that happens to contain fat.
Saturated fat is part of that picture. There are 9.9 g of saturated fat per 100 g, measured against a daily value of 20 g, so a generous serving uses up a large slice of that budget. A 3 oz portion has 25.2 g of total fat.
Protein is respectable but costly in calories. A 3 oz portion gives 10.6 g of protein, 21% of the daily value, for 286 calories. Five portions would deliver 52.9 g of protein, but at 1,432 calories. If protein is your goal, kielbasa works better as a flavor accent than as the main source.
Sodium is the row to watch
Kielbasa is cured and smoked, and the label shows it. There are 1,062 mg of sodium per 100 g, which is 46% of the 2,300 mg daily value. A 3 oz portion carries 903 mg, or 39%, before you add mustard, sauerkraut or a salted side.
The whole 367 g link is where sodium gets extreme: 3,898 mg, which is 169% of the daily value. Even two 3 oz portions come to 1,805 mg. If you watch sodium, keep the portion to a single 3 oz serving and build the rest of the meal from unsalted vegetables, plain rice or potatoes.
Cholesterol is moderate by comparison, at 73 mg per 100 g against a daily value of 300 mg. Potassium sits at 306 mg per 100 g, so the sausage itself does little to balance out the salt. Fresh produce on the side does more of that work.
Turkey and beef blends trim the total
Not every kielbasa matches the grilled pork-style USDA row. A turkey and beef kielbasa serving of 56 g has 127 calories, 7.3 g of protein, 9.9 g of fat and 672 mg of sodium, which is 29% of the daily value. The serving is smaller, so compare labels by weight, not by the picture on the package.
Store shelves reflect that range. Hillshire Farm sells Polska Kielbasa in several versions, including Beef, Lite, Turkey, Skinless and Smoked Uncured, and the lighter ones are worth checking if calories are your main concern. Read the sodium line too, since leaner sausages often stay salty.
Kielbasa pairs well with foods that add volume without much fat: cabbage, peppers and onions, green beans, or a big salad. Those sides stretch a 3 oz portion into a filling plate. BodyPal can log the dish from a photo, which helps when the sausage is mixed into a skillet and hard to measure.
How does kielbasa compare?
Here is how kielbasa stacks up against turkey kielbasa, brats and a quesadilla, per 100 g and per usual serving.
Verdict: For weight loss, turkey kielbasa wins at 226 calories per 100 g with 17.6 g of fat, about 0.7 times the calories of regular kielbasa, though its sodium runs higher at 1,200 mg. A brat is nearly identical at 333 calories per 100 g, so swapping one sausage for the other saves almost nothing.
Most popular kielbasa brands in the United States
Ranked by popularity in the BodyPal database
# Productkcal / 100 g
1Hillshire Farm Polska Kielbasa2 oz · 56 g321 kcal
2Hillshire Farm Skinless Polska Kielbasa2 oz · 56 g321 kcal
3Hillshire Farm Smoked Uncured Polska Kielbasa1 link · 85 g329 kcal
4Hillshire Farm Beef Polska Kielbasa2 oz · 56 g304 kcal
5Hillshire Farm Lite Polska Kielbasa2 oz · 56 g196 kcal
6Hillshire Farm Turkey Polska Kielbasa1 link · 64 g156 kcal
Labels are for the sausage as sold, unheated, while the numbers above are grilled, so grilling drives off water and reads a little higher per 100 g. Source: manufacturer labels / USDA FoodData Central.
Kielbasa FAQs
How many calories are in kielbasa?
A 3 oz serving of grilled kielbasa is 286 calories, and 100 g is 337 calories. A whole 367 g link comes to 1237 calories.
Is kielbasa good for weight loss?
A 3 oz serving has 286 calories with 25.2 g fat and 10.6 g protein, so it is calorie-dense for the protein it gives. Turkey and beef kielbasa is lighter at 226 calories per 100 g.
Kielbasa vs turkey kielbasa: which has fewer calories?
Turkey and beef kielbasa has 226 calories per 100 g against 337 for pork kielbasa, about 111 fewer. Over a 2 oz (56 g) serving that is 127 calories against 189.
How much protein is in kielbasa?
Kielbasa has 12.45 g protein per 100 g, so a 3 oz serving gives about 10.6 g protein alongside 25.2 g fat and 903 mg sodium.
How many calories are in kielbasa per ounce?
A 3 oz portion (85 g) of grilled kielbasa has 286 calories, so each ounce is roughly a third of that. Per 100 g, the figure is 337 calories, with most of it coming from fat.
How many calories are in a whole link of kielbasa?
A whole 367 g link has 1,237 calories, which is 62% of the daily value. It also carries 108.9 g of fat and 3,898 mg of sodium, so most people are better off sharing it or slicing a 3 oz portion.
How much sodium is in kielbasa?
Kielbasa has 1,062 mg of sodium per 100 g, or 46% of the daily value. A 3 oz portion has 903 mg, which is 39%, so one serving takes up a large share of a day's sodium.
How much fat is in kielbasa?
A 3 oz portion of kielbasa holds 25.2 g of fat, and 100 g holds 29.7 g, including 9.9 g of saturated fat. Fat supplies 79% of the sausage's calories.
Does turkey and beef kielbasa have fewer calories?
A 56 g serving of turkey and beef kielbasa has 127 calories, with 7.3 g of protein and 9.9 g of fat. Its sodium is still notable at 672 mg, or 29% of the daily value.
