Bacon Wrapped Little Smokies Appetizer Recipe

Bacon Wrapped Little Smokies are the ultimate crowd-pleaser. Sweet, savory, salty, smoky, crispy, chewy…they’re everything.

With just three ingredients, they’re easier than easy. They’re the first appetizer to disappear at parties and the best snack for a game day.

Why These Are Always the First Thing Gone

Bacon Wrapped Little Smokies are the ultimate party appetizer. They’re easy to make with just three ingredients and they’re finger foods (no plates required) which makes them the most popular item at any get together.

They’re mess-free, bite-sized and disappear before I’m able to take pictures of them. They just vanish before I can grab them.

You can make them for holiday parties, game days or a random Tuesday. They’re good anytime.

Little Smokies

For this recipe, I use cocktail-sized smoked sausages that come in a 16 oz. package. Depending on the brand, you’ll usually get 40-50 little smokies in the package.

I use Hillshire Farm but you can use any brand.

Bacon

FYI, in the blog post I say ½ lb. bacon, which is a bit over half of a 1 lb package of regular sliced bacon. It’s cut up in fourths or thirds.

Brown Sugar

You’ll need one cup of brown sugar for this recipe. I like to use light brown sugar for the classic sweet glaze, but you can use dark brown sugar for a stronger molasses flavor.

The One Prep Detail That Actually Matters

If you’ve made these before and wondered why some come out chewy and not crispy, there’s an easy solution. Leave a little room between them.

If the bacon bits touch each other, they’ll steam instead of fry.

How to Make Bacon Wrapped Little Smokies

Step 1: Preheat and Line the Pan

Preheat the oven to 400°F and line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil. Trust me…it saves you from having to scrub the hardened on sweet sticky mess of baked on brown sugar.

Believe me…it bonds to the baking sheet like your toddler to you.

Step 2: Cut the Bacon

Take the slices of bacon and lay them neatly on top of one another. With the slices together, cut them into thirds or fourths.

Now, separate them. It’s much easier to cut them this way and makes sure all of your pieces are equal.

If you try to cut them individually, they’ll be super slippery and bendy which makes them hard to manage. You’ll end up with nice even two inch cuts.

Step 3: Wrap and Secure

Take a piece of bacon and wrap it around a little smokie, tucking the ends together on the bottom of the little smokie. Place them seam-side down on the baking sheet.

My daughter, who’s been the official toothpick person since she was about 6, will secure the ends of the bacon with the toothpick. She’s fast, diligent and efficient…I’m impressed.

Step 4: Add the Brown Sugar

Sprinkle brown sugar over each of the little smokies. Be generous with it.

Some will fall through onto the baking sheet, but each should be thickly coated.

Step 5: Bake

Bake them for 25 minutes. During that time the bacon will cook and crisp up and the brown sugar will melt into a bubbly sweet glaze.

Once they’re done baking, the tops of them should be nice and browned. If they’re still a little on the paler side, broil them for 1-2 minutes.

Keep an eye on them during broiling: have the oven door cracked open and peer through, as it gets from browned to burnt in a hurry.

Step 6: Rest and Serve

Once out of the oven, let them rest for a few minutes and enjoy. They’re fantastic when warm, but totally delicious at room temperature, too.

Tips & Substitutions for Bacon Wrapped Little Smokies Appetizer

• Don’t use thick cut bacon, as it will be underdone and chewy and you’ll overcook the little smokies. Use regular sliced bacon.
• You can make these ahead of time and assemble them in the refrigerator. Just add a few extra minutes to the cooking time.
• Use any kind of cocktail-size smoked sausage.
• Use light brown sugar if you want a classic sweet glaze or use dark brown sugar for stronger molasses flavoring.
• Leave space between each little smokie on the pan. I know it’s tight but trust me…it’ll help the bacon to crisp up better. If they’re all smooshed up against each other, they’ll steam.
• Line the pan with aluminum foil, because the brown sugar gets sticky and will make cleaning the pan a pain. Save yourself the trouble and line with aluminum foil. It’s worth it.
• If you’d rather not sprinkle on brown sugar, you can mix it with butter and paint on a glaze.
• Add a drizzle of honey if you want them super sweet.
• For an added kick of spice, add some red pepper flakes on top.
• Try making these in an air fryer.

Four Ways to Take These in a Different Direction

Add Heat

If you’re looking for some heat to go along with all of that sweet and salty goodness, try adding 1 teaspoon of cayenne pepper or chili powder to the brown sugar before coating the smokies with it. It will help to offset the sweetness of the glaze.

Add Mustard

Mustard and bacon go great together. Try smearing a thin layer of Dijon mustard on each smokie before wrapping with bacon and adding the brown sugar coating.

The tangy mustard adds a wonderful contrast with the sweetness of the bacon.

Add Maple

If you’d like a slightly less sweet option that allows the smokiness of the smokies to really come through, try reducing the amount of brown sugar and adding a drizzle of pure maple syrup before and after baking.

Crockpot Method

Add the bacon-wrapped little smokies to your slow cooker and sprinkle them with a little brown sugar. Cover and cook 3-4 hours on LOW or about 1 1/2-2 hours on HIGH.

Stir before serving.

The crockpot method creates a different texture than cooking them in the oven or air fryer. These will be a little saucier and less crispy.

They’re delicious but I personally prefer the caramelized sugar and crispy bacon on the baked ones.

The Slow Cooker Trick

After the little smokies are baked, remove from oven and add them to a 2 quart slow cooker. Pour the pan drippings from the baking sheet over the top.

Cover and turn your slow cooker to the WARM setting. These will stay nice and warm and moist for 2 to 3 hours.

This is the BEST way to serve them at parties. They stay nice and warm while everyone grabs a few at a time.

On a Platter With Other Things

These sweet and salty bacon-wrapped smokies are delicious alongside some veggie sticks, cubes of cheese, or deviled eggs.

Storing and Reheating Leftovers

Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator up to 3-4 days. Reheat in a 350°F oven or air fryer for 8-10 minutes or until bacon is nice and crispy again and sugar has softened.

You can reheat in the microwave but texture will be a little softer.

Can you freeze these?

Yes! Place them on a baking sheet, one layer deep.

Once they are frozen, place them in a freezer bag. Bake frozen at 375°F for approximately 15 minutes.

Bacon Wrapped Little Smokies: Questions People Ask

How many Little Smokies will I get out of a 16 oz package?

It varies by brand, but I’d say there’s usually 40-50 little guys.

Can you double/triple this recipe?

Absolutely. For a bigger crowd, you will want to use 1 lb smokies, 1 lb bacon and about 1.5-2 cups of brown sugar.

Use more than one baking sheet to cook these, or space them as best as possible.

Can you prepare these ahead of time?

You can wrap the bacon around the smokies a day ahead of time and keep them refrigerated until needed. Sprinkle on the brown sugar and bake when ready to serve.

If you sprinkle the sugar on ahead of time, the smokies will absorb the sugar’s moisture and make them a little soggy.

Can you make these with turkey bacon?

Yes, you can use turkey bacon. Keep in mind they will be a little on the softer side since turkey bacon doesn’t have as much fat.

The glaze also forms a little differently.

How do you get the bacon to stay on without toothpicks?

Lay them in a pan, tightly packed together and seam-side down. As long as they’re touching, they’ll be less likely to unwrap.

More Party Appetizers That Actually Get Eaten

Bacon Wrapped Pickle Dip, featuring sweet, tangy dill pickles, crispy bacon, and cream cheese, makes the BEST dip for chips

Buffalo Chicken Dip – such an easy party dip. All you’ll need is a bag of chips to have an easy game.

Seven Layer Dip – you can’t go wrong with this crowd-pleaser. Such an easy party appetizer that feeds a CROWD.