Classic cocktail smokies are wrapped in smoky bacon, coated with a spicy brown sugar rub, and baked until crispy and oh so addicting!
Party food recipes like these bacon wrapped little smokies are great for game days, holidays, and pretty much any gathering. Party guests love finger foods and dips! We LOVE easy, family-favorite recipes like my Bacon Ranch Cheese Ball and this Everything Bagel Pigs in a Blanket. This is one of my Appetizer recipes you’ll definitely want in your collection!
LITTLE SMOKIES RECIPE
No party would be complete without the deliciousness of bacon-wrapped little smokies… but I’ve taken that one step further with a spiced brown sugar rub that renders them absolutely mouthwatering! Bake them for game day, a cocktail party, or just a casual night in! Just 5 ingredients!
Game day foods are just the best aren’t they? They’re so comforting and fun! It’s really hard for me to pick a favorite, but one that ranks pretty high on the list are these little smokies!
Most people have had little smokies at some point in their lives.. whether they’ve been wrapped in bacon or simmered in bbq sauce in the slow cooker.
I decided that my love of all things sweet/spicy needed to extend to these! And of course, everything is better with bacon right?!
HOW TO MAKE LITTLE SMOKIES
- Prepare baking sheet by lining with 2 sheets of aluminum foil or 1 layer of heavy duty foil.
- Pat the smokies dry, then wrap in a piece of bacon. Secure with a toothpick.
- Add sugar and spices to a large plastic bag, then add smokies in batches, shaking gently to coat. Repeat with all smokies.
- Bake 30-35 minutes, and if desired, broil for extra crispness.
COOKING TIPS FOR COCKTAIL SMOKIES
- FOIL – make sure you line the baking sheet with 2 layers of regular foil (or one layer of heavy duty foil). When sugars caramelize, they can be a giant pain to clean off a baking sheet. Save yourself the time and trouble!
- SAUSAGE VARIETY – I like to use Hillshire Farms brand, but even within that brand, there are several types. Little Smokies, Beef Little Smokies, Turkey Little Smokies, Little Weiners, Cheddar Little Weiners, etc. My preferred type is the original little smokies, but feel free to try other varieties if you’d like.
- BACON VARIETY – I like to use center cut bacon for this recipe, so you get more “meat” and less fat, but go with whichever brand and type of bacon you like best. We’re using simple ingredients here, so you want to use the best.
VARIATIONS OF THIS RECIPE
- BBQ – bake as directed, then baste with your favorite bbq sauce and broil for several minutes, until smokies are sticky and caramelized.
- SPICIER – feel free to use more cayenne pepper if you prefer. You could also slather the bacon wrapped smokies in sriracha or a spicy bbq sauce before coating them in the brown sugar mixture. A pickled jalapeno slice wrapped with the sausage would be amazing as well.
- MILDER – omit the cayenne and black pepper all together.
MAKING LIL SMOKIES AHEAD OF TIME
I like to assemble these smokies a day ahead of time (just drying the sausage, wrapping in bacon, and securing with toothpick), then keep them covered in the refrigerator. I also mix up the sugar and spices mixture in a bag, and keep it sealed on the counter.
When I want to serve them, I just coat them and bake!
** You can assemble these completely ahead of time (coating them in sugar and everything), keeping them covered and refrigerated, a day ahead of time. Several readers noticed that when using this method, the brown sugar had mixed with the natural juices of the sausage and bacon and looked “melted”. They bake up just fine, but if this bothers you, use the make ahead method I’ve detailed above.
STORAGE
Leftovers should be kept refrigerated and consumed within 3-4 days.
KEEPING WARM FOR A PARTY
Whenever I make these, they’re gone within the first 20 minutes of a party, but if you want them to stay warm for longer, several readers have mentioned they put the baked smokies in the crockpot on warm and it’s worked out well.
SPECIAL EQUIPMENT FOR THIS RECIPE
- Half Sheet Pan – this is my most used sheet pan, it holds up so well!
- Toothpicks – if you get lucky, the bacon can stick to itself and seal, but to be safe… I always use these.
LOOKING FOR MORE GREAT GAME DAY FOODS?
- Cheesy Bacon Jalapeno Popper Dip
- Bacon Cheeseburger Dip
- Beer Cheese Sauce
- Chicken Taco Mexican Pinwheels
- Baked Italian Beef Sliders
BE SURE TO SCROLL DOWN TO CHECK OUT OTHER READERS’ COMMENTS FOR TIPS AND REVIEWS.
AND DON’T FORGET, IF YOU’VE MADE THIS RECIPE, LEAVE A COMMENT AND PLEASE GIVE IT A STAR RATING LETTING ME KNOW HOW YOU ENJOYED IT!
Did you make this? Be sure to leave a review below and tag me @the_chunky_chef on Facebook and Instagram!
Ingredients
- 16 oz package of little smokies (or small cooked sausages) I use Hillshire Farm brand
- 15 slices bacon, each cut into 3 smaller sections
- 3/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
- 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper more or less, according to your tastes
- pinch of black pepper (optional)
Instructions
- Prepare a jelly roll pan (or large baking sheet with a rim), with a layer of aluminum foil, lightly coated with non-stick cooking spray. Set aside. Preheat oven to 350 F degrees.
- Pat sausages dry with a paper towel and wrap each individual sausage with a piece of the cut bacon. Secure with a toothpick.
- Add brown sugar, cayenne and black pepper to a large resealable plastic bag. Use a spoon to combine the sugar with seasonings. Add several bacon wrapped sausages, seal bag and shake gently to coat. Repeat with all remaining sausages.
- Line sugar rubbed sausages on prepared baking sheet and bake 30 -35 minutes, until bacon is browned. For some extra crispness, broil for a couple of minutes after baking.
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Nutrition Disclaimer
The Chunky Chef is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and other nutritional values are important to you, we recommend running the ingredients through whichever online nutritional calculator you prefer. Calories can vary quite a bit depending on which brands were used.
Penny says
Hi, can I Proper a Head Time?
Also do I keep them warm?
The Chunky Chef says
I’m unsure what you mean by “head time”, so if you’ll clarify, I’m happy to help. You can keep these warm with a chaffing dish, or possibly in a slow cooker (on warm), but this may result in the bacon not being as crispy.
Bri says
How do you suggest keeping them warm at a party? Or do you serve them at room temp?
The Chunky Chef says
As mentioned, you can use a chaffing dish, slow cooker on warm, or you could try a warming mat. I’ve also served several times at room temperature, and didn’t have any complaints 🙂
Katy says
My family loved these and asked for them to be brought to every gathering. Yum yum!!
Penny Thompson says
when calculating the # of servings, how many actual smokies is in each serving?
The Chunky Chef says
My serving sizes aren’t measured precisely, and are merely an estimate, so however many smokies are in about 8 oz.
Teresa says
I made these for a party, they were gone in a few minutes
Camela L Jones/ Kay says
I was looking to make something different instead of reg barbecue lil smokies in the crockpot so I went to the internet. I can’t wait to make this today for the Super Bowl tomorrow it seems easy and tasty. I told my bro I found this recipe and he’s excited to taste it. Keep your recipes coming Chunky Chef.
Traybay says
A hit! Took them to a party and this was the only appetizer that was GONE. Thanks for a yummy recipe!
Janice Clark says
I want to eat them all! They are amazing!
Vicki Miller says
Can they be made ahead of time and put in a crockpot to keep warm
The Chunky Chef says
I haven’t tested that myself, but I believe a few other readers have tried it.
Kristen says
Hi! These are a favorite of my family! I’m making for Christmas Eve and had a question. I want to bake them ahead of time to get the crispiness I like for the bacon, but I have to keep them warm as my daughter is in a Christmas production at church. After baking can I just put them in a crockpot, nothing added liquid-wise, and keep on warm setting for a few hours?
The Chunky Chef says
I haven’t tested that myself, but I believe a few other readers have done that. I think you may lose a bit of the crispness though.
Cindy DiTommaso says
Hi, I rated you a five because they sure look good and I will double that five after I’ve eaten them lol. My question to you is can I prepare them ahead of time. Family is not coming until tomorrow so I wanted to know if I could put them in the seasoning put them on the pan and just set them in the refrigerator until tomorrow. Looking forward to your reply thank you.
Gayle Porter says
How high is the temperature for the oven.
The Chunky Chef says
That’s listed in step 1 of the recipe… 350°F.
Vlp says
Could you make these in the crock pot or would they not be crispy?
The Chunky Chef says
They wouldn’t be crispy at all, unfortunately. Slow cookers trap the steam inside, and steam doesn’t allow for any crisping.
Debby McCurry says
These are absolutely delicious and they were a huge hit
Carissa L Thomas says
Have you ever tried wrapping anything inside the bacon like a strip of jalapeño or chunk of water chestnut? I’m wondering if it would withstand the heat.
The Chunky Chef says
I haven’t, but that sounds delicious! If you do some experimenting, I’d love to know how it turns out 🙂
Carissa Thomas says
I tried the jalapeño, so yummy. I’d love to hear some other creative additions!
*note* on larger hunks of jalapeño the bacon was barely long enough.
Deborah says
Oven temp not known
The Chunky Chef says
… it’s listed in step 1 of the instructions?
Elli VANDEMARK says
Can they be frozen?
The Chunky Chef says
I haven’t tested freezing this recipe, so I can’t say for certain how well it would work (although I think it would turn out just fine).
Terri says
These were a big hit in my family! Can you make these and freeze them for another time or when you have unexpected guests?
The Chunky Chef says
I’ve not tested freezing this recipe, so I can’t say for certain how well that would work, or what the reheating time and temp would be.