Bacon Wrapped Smokies are sweet and savory, quick and easy to make, and are perfect for a weekend snack or a crowd-pleasing party appetizer.
This recipe is made in the oven, but you can easily prepare these in the air fryer if you have one. Just be sure to line the baking tray with foil first!
Why You’ll Love Bacon Wrapped Smokies
- Easy To Make: There’s only three ingredients involved in this recipe. Just wrap, roll, and bake and you’ve got a delicious appetizer in minutes.
- Versatile: We use Lit’l Smokies for our recipe, but any type of pre-cooked sausage will work if you have a preference.
- Great Appetizer Idea: This is a crowd pleaser and it’s one you won’t often see at parties. Expect them to disappear quickly!
- Kid Favorite: Kids love these little bacon wrapped smokies (everyone does really). There’s nothing better than bacon wrapped finger food!
Bacon Wrapped Smokies Ingredients
- Lit’l Smokies: We use the classic Beef Cocktail Sausages, but Hillshire Farms also has Cheddar Cocktail Sausages, Smoked Cocktail Franks, Polish Cocktail Sausages, Smoked Cocktail Sausages, Cocktail Wieners, and Turkey Cocktail Sausages. All will work great with this recipe.
- Brown Sugar: The brown sugar adds just the right amount of extra sweetness and creates a sticky, sweet caramelization on the bacon and sausage as it cooks.
- Maple Bacon: Maple Bacon is usually easy to find in the bacon section. If you can’t find it, feel free to use regular bacon. The Maple just adds a little extra sweetness. In either case, be sure to use regular slices, not thick cut.
A complete ingredients list with amounts is in the recipe card below!
How To Make Bacon Wrapped Smokies
- Preheat the oven: Set your oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Slice the bacon: Remove the bacon from the package and slice it so that the pieces are half their original length.
- Prep brown sugar: Pour the brown sugar into a shallow dish.
- Wrap the smokies: Press a slice of bacon into the brown sugar to coat on both sides, wrap around a smokie, place on a lined baking sheet, and bake for 25 minutes.
Variation, Substitutions, and Cooking Tips
Line your baking sheet – Cover your baking sheet with foil, wax, or parchment paper before placing the Smokies on to make clean up easier.
Choose your preferred sausage – This calls for Lit’l Smokies, but as we mentioned above, there are a variety of options. You can opt for other types of precooked sausage if you prefer. If you choose to use a full size sausage, be sure to cut them down to smaller bites before wrapping with the bacon.
Brown sugar – You can use light or dark brown sugar.
Toothpicks – The bacon should stay wrapped just fine, but feel free to stick a toothpick through the bacon and sausage if you’d like to keep it wrapped tightly.
Dipping Sauce – These are flavorful enough on their own, but some people like to serve with a dipping sauce. One suggestion is to mix mayo, BBQ Sauce, and brown sugar to create a sauce. Another suggestion calls for a blend of BBQ sauce, dijon mustard, and honey. You can even add some hot sauce for a spicy kick.
Make Ahead – Bacon Wrapped Smokies are best eaten when freshly made, but if you’re strapped for time, you can make them the night before and reheat them in the oven at 350 until heated through, just before serving.
What To Serve With Bacon Wrapped Smokies
Bacon Wrapped Smokies are generally an appetizer and don’t necessarily need something to go with them, but you may want other appetizers to pair with them. Go for a classic hot or cold dip and chips, a chopped salad, or something creamy like macaroni salad or pasta salad. If you’d like to serve it with a warm side dish, you can’t go wrong with mac and cheese.
Storage And Freezer Tips
If you have any leftover Bacon Wrapped Smokies, store them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 to 4 days. You can freeze them in an airtight container for up to two months. Believe it or not, these aren’t bad cold, but to reheat them, you can pop them in the microwave for about a minute to bring them to temp, or reheat them in the oven at 350 until warmed through.
Bacon Wrapped Smokies
These Bacon Wrapped Smokies
Ingredients
- 1 package Lil' Smokies
- 1 pound maple bacon, cut crosswise into thirds (regular bacon works fine, too, just don't use thick-cut)
- 3/4 cup light brown sugar
Instructions
If you prefer, you can watch my quick [how-to video|https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qH8joWIlWYg!
- Preheat oven to 400F.
- Put brown sugar in a small shallow dish. Add a slice of bacon, pressing down to adhere sugar. Roll up a lil' smokie in the bacon and place on a baking sheet (line it with foil first for easier cleanup). Repeat with all ingredients.
- Bake smokies for 25 minutes. Turn on broiler and crisp bacon a little more if necessary. Serve immediately.
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