When it comes to appetizers, these bacon-wrapped cocktail sausages are about as easy and crowd-pleasing (and completely addictive) as they come. I also love them because you can pop them in a slow cooker set to low and keep them warm all evening.
Ingredient and Recipe Notes
- Lit’l Smokies – AKA cocktail sausages. You will find these in a couple of varieties. All beef will taste like tiny hot dogs. Traditional will be a mix of pork and chicken. Either variety works well. Just like Hot dogs, quality and flavor can vary depending on brand. I prefer name brands that I’m familiar with (like Hillshire Farms) or ones I’ve at least tried before.
- Bacon – Use whatever your favorite regular bacon is, as long as it’s not turkey bacon. Use the real stuff here, original thickness, not thick cut, or it won’t get crispy in the oven. With good old standard bacon, you can wrap 3 little smokies per piece. Center cut will probably only wrap 2 per piece.
- Brown sugar – Light or dark, doesn’t matter, either one will work!
How to Make Bacon Wrapped Cocktail Sausages
- Preheat your oven to 325 and line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Using a pair of kitchen shears, cut the slab of bacon into thirds.
3. Sprinkle brown sugar over sausages
4. Bake at 325 for 40-45 minutes or until bacon has cooked and is starting to brown.
If you’re serving these at a party, they taste even better after a little time in the slow cooker on low heat. And that bacon grease that has co-mingled with the brown sugar? That salty-sweetness is a perfect glaze for these little suckers.
FAQs
- Can I make these ahead of time? These are actually at their very best when they’ve had a chance to hang out in a slow cooker for a bit. Feel free to make them a few hours ahead and transfer to a slow cooker set to low to hang out before serving. I would still make them the day of serving, though.
Related Recipes
Looking for some other appetizer recommendations? Check out these Our Best Bites favorites:
- Sweet and Sour Meatballs {Easy!}
- Cranberry Orange Goat Cheese Bites
- Honey Cranberry Orange Baked Brie
- Mini Pastry Wrapped Brie Bites
- Pastry Wrapped Asparagus With Prosciutto
- Bacon Wrapped Green Bean Bundles
Did You Make This?
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Bacon-Wrapped Cocktail Sausages
Ingredients
- 1 14- ounce package Little Smokies cocktail sausages
- 1 12- ounce package lean bacon
- 3/4 cup brown sugar
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 325 and line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Using a pair of kitchen shears, cut the slab of bacon into thirds.
- Wrap 1/3 of each slice of bacon around each sausage, secure with a toothpick and place on the baking sheet. Repeat with remaining sausages and bacon.
- Sprinkle brown sugar over sausages and bake at 325 for 40-45 minutes or until bacon has cooked and is starting to brown.
Questions & Reviews
I have made these for years. The gal that I got the recipe from was named Arleen so we nicknamed these Arleenie’s Weinies! They are the best!
If you need to make these in a large quantity you can layer them in a crockpot (one layer of smokies, cover with brown sugar, smokies, sugar, and so on) We LOVE this recipe and use it often!
these were as easy as 1-2-3! and got gobbled up very fast!! i used the oven method and the slow cooker, the verdict?: slow cooker. thank you once again ladies!
These were FANTASTIC. I made a batch for our Super Bowl party, and of all the appetizers I made (a lot of them from this site!) these were the favorite and went first.
PERFECT for our Super Bowl Party Thank so much
http://www.momsofalltrades.blogspot.com
Just wanted to mention – I made them using regular cocktail franks for New Year's (due to the celiac/gluten issue) and they were fantastic!! Thanks so much!
I make this quite frequently. I wrap a quarter of a piece of bacon around each link then place seam side down in a 9×13 dish, line them up right next to each other (no spacing necessary) and bake. The bacon adheres to the little smokie during the cooking process thus no need for toothpicks. I also sometimes add a little mustard to the brown sugar and make a glaze and then bake. It adds a nice little zing to it. I also love them with just the brown sugar sans mustard. They are delicious either way!!
I had these for the first time this Christmas at my DIL's. You could have just set the plate in front of me and I would have been a happy camper. They are good!
Made these before but used maple bacon.
Sorry, I meant Jessica not Julie.. 🙁 Name Fail!