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.
Terri says
What temp do you bake at?
The Chunky Chef says
Baked at 350, as mentioned in step 1 of the directions 🙂
Sherry morgan says
What oven temp do you put these on?
The Chunky Chef says
350, as mentioned in step 1 of the directions.
DJ says
Wow! Awesome. I made some yesterday to see if they would be good to take to a super bowl party and they were gone in minutes! Whole family loved them. Now im on my way for more ingredients and know they will be a hit tomorrow!
Brenda Morgan says
After freezing if I’m going to put them in a crock pot how long does it take to reheat?
The Chunky Chef says
I haven’t tested that, so I can’t say for certain. You’ll need to experiment a bit 🙂
kathy Hertz says
The bacon will NOT crisp up if you don’t put it in the oven or air fryer first
Aubrey says
I love this recipe. Our family also substitutes breakfast sausage links instead smokies sometimes.
tonya says
cant wait to make these
Pat Jenkins says
Absolutely a winner for both kids and adults!
Jean says
Made these today for the first time. Used thick cut bacon because that was all I had just cooked additional 4 minutes till bacon was nice and brown. My hubby and I loved them!! Recommend using toothpick to secure bacon. Just backed on foil covered sheet pan-no rack. We’re still great. Will make for family gatherings.
Laura Allen says
Sooo good, but couldn’t taste the cayenne. We were looking for something spicier. Next time I will double or triple the cayenne!
Aunt Charley says
Have you tried these in an air fryer?
The Chunky Chef says
I haven’t tested it, so I can’t speak to the temp or how long they’d need to cook, but I’m sure they could be done in an air fryer 🙂
Nancy J Giannelli says
Can I make these in advance. Do they travel well?
The Chunky Chef says
I haven’t traveled with these personally, but I know several other readers have made them in advance and kept them warm in a crockpot to travel 🙂
Andrea says
I’ve been wanting to make these for some time now. Finally did and what a hit! This will be my go appetizer from now on. Thanks for a great recipe.
Neal Reasons says
Very very good kind of addictive can not eat just one they just seem to jump into your fingers
Shari Moser says
very good!! Added a little twist. I rolled the little smoked sausages in maple syrup, bacon, & then the seasonings!!!!
Monique A. Stump says
I made this for an office potluck and now that’s all I’m asked to bring! It’s a megahit, and there’s never any left to take home. So, my husband makes sure to get his before I leave the house. Of course, I can’t just make a single order. I have to double or triple the recipe, but I’m not complaining as long as it makes everyone happy. Thanks for putting this out there for me to share with others.
Lesley says
This is a great recipe! Only thing I did differently was to use Ancho Chile power rather than cayenne.
Getta Evans says
My family loves these. They are always a big hit.
Jill says
Do you serve these hot or room temperature?
The Chunky Chef says
You can do either 🙂
Russell J Steven says
How do you shake them in a plastic bag after sticking toothpicks in them????????
The Chunky Chef says
My toothpicks aren’t razor sharp, and I shake it gently. I’ve never had a problem, but feel free to adjust things based on how you’d prefer to coat them.
KatB says
Have you ever tried these with turkey bacon?
I’ve made the recipe as written several times and they’ve come out perfectly. I’ve frozen them completely assembled tooth pick and all, thawed as needed then tossed in the brown sugar mixture – came out just as wonderful as ever.
The Chunky Chef says
So glad you’ve enjoyed this recipe several times! Unfortunately, I’ve never tested this recipe with turkey bacon.