Easy Spicy Sauerkraut Recipe

This EASY spicy sauerkraut recipe is lacto-fermented, making it a gut healthy condiment to serve with your meal!

Have you ever had the pleasure of tasting spicy sauerkraut?

Those complex sour, funky, spicy flavors add such interest to a meal.

I love serving it with a bowl of steaming rice and stir-fry. 

Plus the probiotics from the lacto-fermentation process are nourishing to your gut!

Today I’m going to share 4 easy spicy sauerkraut recipes.

2 of the recipes have more of a neutral flavor profile with just jalapenos/red pepper flakes and carrots added to the cabbage.

The other 2 recipes have more of a kraut-chi flavor profile with ginger and garlic added as well.

Okay, let’s dive in and I’ll show you exactly how to make it!

 

Here’s a video tutorial in case you learn better that way!

How to Make Easy Spicy Sauerkraut

The process for preparing your cabbage will be the same for all for versions.

First things first. 

Before you do anything else to your cabbage, weigh it.

You’ll need 1 ¾ to 2 pounds of cabbage, depending on which of the 4 versions you choose.

Preparing the Cabbage

First, make sure to peel off any brown leaves from the outside of the cabbage.

Next, cut out the core.

Wash the cabbage.

Make sure to let the water run into the leaves. 

Then drain it well.

Finally, peel off an outer leaf and set it aside for later.

Chopping the Cabbage

Finely chop your cabbage.

I like to shred my cabbage with a food processor. 

This is faster than chopping by hand, and it also results in juicier sauerkraut in my experience.

Adding the Salt

Sprinkle 4 teaspoons of salt on the cabbage.

It’s a good rule of thumb to use 1½ to 2 teaspoons of salt per pound of cabbage.

Keep in mind that if you’re adding any extra ingredients, you’ll need to use more salt.

Let the salted cabbage sit for 15 minutes.

Massaging the Cabbage

Now get your hands in there and massage the cabbage for 5 minutes.

This helps the cabbage to release its juices, which is what you’ll use for the brine of the spicy sauerkraut. 

Adding the Extra Ingredients

Now it’s time to add the additional ingredients!

Version #1: Spicy Sauerkraut with Jalapeno

For version #1, you’ll simply add a shredded carrot and a jalapeno.

It doesn’t get much easier than that!

Version #2: Spicy Sauerkraut with Red Pepper Flakes

Oh wait, yes it does!

For version #2, simply add a shredded carrot and 1/2 teaspoon of crushed red pepper flakes.

This amount of red pepper flakes makes a medium-spicy sauerkraut. If you want it spicy, you can go ahead and increase the amount!

Version #3: Kraut-Chi with Gochugaru

Version #3 has more of a kraut-chi vibe. I’m not at all trying to recreate authentic kimchi here. This is just an easy way to get a similar flavor.

Add a shredded carrot, 1 tablespoon of minced ginger, 1 clove of garlic, 2 green onions, and 3 tablespoons of gochugaru.

Version #4: Kraut-Chi with Red Pepper Flakes

Finally, we have version #4.

This one also has a kraut-chi flavor profile, but I used red pepper flakes in case you don’t have any gochugaru on hand. 

Add a shredded carrot, 1 tablespoon of minced ginger, 1 clove of garlic, 1/2 of a red onion (thinly sliced), and 3/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes.

Again, adjust the heat according to your tastes!

 

Now it’s time to pack the spicy sauerkraut into a jar!

First, sterilize a wide mouth glass quart jar by pouring boiling water into it.

Make sure to dry the jar and let it cool before packing the kraut into it.

Next, pack the sauerkraut into the sterile jar with very clean hands.

Press down on the cabbage mixture periodically while you’re filling the jar.

This allow it all to fit in the jar, and it also encourages the brine to rise to the top.

If your hands are too large to fit into the jar you may need to use a sauerkraut tamper to get the job done.

Remember that cabbage leaf you saved earlier?

Cut out a circle that’s a little bit wider than your jar.

Place that circle of cabbage into the jar.

This helps to keep the sauerkraut below the brine.

Sterilize a glass fermentation weight and place that on top of the cabbage as well.

Now a fermentation weight isn’t 100% necessary, but it does help to keep everything submerged, preventing mold.

Finally, screw a plastic lid loosely on top of the jar.

I don’t recommend using a metal lid since it can rust.

I’ve never experimented with a fermentation lid, so I don’t know whether or not it makes a difference. Some people swear by them, though!

Fermenting

Allow to ferment until your preferred level of sourness is reached.

This is usually around 2 weeks for me, but you might prefer how your kraut tastes at 1 week, or many even 3 weeks.

The temperature of your kitchen affects fermentation time: a warmer kitchen will ferment faster.

Check up on your kraut now and then to make sure it’s doing okay.

Be on the lookout for any mold or super funky smells.

Stay safe, and if it doesn’t smell right, don’t eat it!

If the brine gets too low (below the veggies), top it up with a 2% salt water solution.

So that’s the easy way to make spicy sauerkraut at home!

If you have any questions, make sure to leave a comment – I’d love to talk kraut with you!

 

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