Crockpot BBQ Beer Little Smokies

Savory, boozy and sweet, these little smokies are perfect for game day or any party. Just mix everything together and cook a few hours… easy peasy!

This fun twist on crockpot little smokies is filled to the brim with bold, zesty flavors!  Beer, bbq sauce, brown sugar, garlic… hard to go wrong!

Can you believe Christmas is a mere 9 days away?!  I haven’t wrapped a single present, and am low-key freaking out about it.  But instead of actually working on it, I’m making delicious snacks like these Crockpot BBQ Beer Little Smokies… seems like a good plan right?

In all seriousness, creating this recipe was actually necessary, because in my family we all get together on Christmas Eve for appetizers, and I’m digging the concept of a crockpot appetizer since it’s so easy to transport.

ARE LITTLE SMOKIES FULLY COOKED?

All the brands I’ve used have all been smoked and fully cooked, but be sure to check your packaging to make sure.  If they are fully cooked, technically they don’t need any cooking, but they definitely taste best when heated through, which is all we’re doing here in this recipe.

HOW LONG DO YOU COOK LITTLE SMOKIES IN THE CROCKPOT?

This recipe, along with most others like it, call for the smokies to be cooked on HIGH for 2-3 hours, or 4 hours on LOW.  It’s great for a party, since it’s a set and forget kind of recipe!

DO YOU HAVE TO USE BEER?

I love the flavor, and for a game-day appetizer, it goes so well… but if you aren’t feeling it, just add an equal amount of water or even coca cola!  If you do choose to use pop/cola, you’ll probably want to reduce the brown sugar since the sauce will be pretty sweet with the pop in there.  For those worried about the alcohol content, most of it cooks off during the cook time, so no one is going to get a buzz off of these little smokies.

CAN YOU MAKE THESE LITTLE SMOKIES IN THE INSTANT POT?

You sure can!  Just add everything to the liner of your instant pot, stir well, and press the low pressure “pressure cook”, then set the timer for 1 minute.  When the timer goes off, let the pot naturally release for about 5 minutes, then quick release to release any remaining pressure.

PRO TIPS FOR MAKING CROCKPOT LITTLE SMOKIES:

1. Use any brand of little smokies you like.  My personal favorite is Hillshire Farm.
2. I normally use the smoked sausage variety, but the beef flavor is good as well!
3. For a less spicy version, use a regular bbq sauce (like a hickory, honey, etc).
4. Use a light beer that you normally drink.  No need to use anything fancy… even a bud light works beautifully.

OTHER CROCKPOT APPETIZERS:

• Cheesy Sausage Rotel Dip
• Buffalo Chicken Dip
• Ultimate Taco Dip
• Slow Cooker Honey Buffalo Wings
• Creamy Corn Dip
• Cranberry BBQ Meatballs

SHOP THE RECIPE:

• 4 quart Slow Cooker – this recipe fits perfectly in a 4 quart crockpot!
• Sweet and Spicy BBQ Sauce – I’m sure this is way cheaper at your grocery store, I just wanted to show you the exact kind I use.

Crockpot BBQ Beer Little Smokies

Savory, boozy and sweet, these little smokies are perfect for game day or any party.

5 from 8 votes

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Prep Time 5 mins

Cook Time 2 hrs

Total Time 2 hrs 5 mins

Servings 15 - 20 people

Calories 102

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 4 14 oz each packages little smokies cocktail sausages
• 18 oz bottle sweet and spicy bbq sauce
• 1/2 cup light brown sugar - , packed
• 3 Tbsp white vinegar
• 2 Tbsp minced garlic
• 2 Tbsp honey
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 8 oz light beer
• pinch of cayenne pepper

Instructions

 

• Add little smokies to the insert of a slow cooker.  Add all remaining ingredients and stir to combine well.
• Cover and cook on HIGH for 2-3 hours, or LOW for 4 hours.  Serve hot or keep on warm in the slow cooker.

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If changing the recipe serving quantity, the recipe plugin will change the ingredient values for you, but it does NOT change the written instructions, those are manually added and not subject to a slider/button. You will have to extrapolate that multiplication to any amounts listed in the instructions.

For example: if an ingredient calls for 4 cups, and you doubled the recipe, it will automatically change to 8 cups. In the instructions, if I say “use 4 cups of cheese”, you will have to realize that since you doubled it, you use 8 cups, not 4