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Bacon Wrapped Little Smokies are the sweet, smoky, sticky appetizer that vanishes first at every party, and I started making them for game day when I needed something everyone, kids included, would devour. Each little sausage gets wrapped in bacon, coated in a brown sugar spice mix, and baked until caramelized and irresistible. They are almost embarrassingly easy for how impressive they taste. If you love an easy party bite, our oven honey BBQ meatballs are another crowd favorite.
One sticky, sweet, salty bite of these Bacon Wrapped Little Smokies and you will be doubling the batch next time.
Bacon Wrapped Little Smokies Quick Look
- 🕒 Prep Time: 15 minutes
- 🌡️ Cook Time: 1 hour
- ⏳ Total Time: 2 hours 15 minutes
- 🍽️ Serving: 6 servings
- ⚡ Calories: 657kcal
- 🌶️ Flavor Profile: Sweet, smoky, salty, and sticky with a hint of heat
- ✋ Difficulty: Easy, as simple as our hot spinach artichoke dip
Quick Answer
To make Bacon Wrapped Little Smokies, cut bacon into thirds, wrap each little smokie, and place them seam side down in a baking dish. Stir together brown sugar, garlic powder, onion powder, and cayenne, then sprinkle it over the top. Chill for an hour, bake at 350 degrees for about 45 minutes until the sugar melts, then broil until golden and serve.
Jump to:
- Bacon Wrapped Little Smokies Quick Look
- Quick Answer
- Why This Recipe Works
- Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Key Ingredients
- Variations and Substitutions
- How to Make Bacon Wrapped Little Smokies
- Recipe Tips & Tricks
- Serving Ideas and Suggestions
- Bacon Wrapped Little Smokies FAQs
- Other Recommended Easy Appetizer Recipes
- Bacon Wrapped Little Smokies
Why This Recipe Works
Click to see the technique science
- Cutting bacon into thirds wraps perfectly. A third of a slice is just enough to wrap each little smokie once, so the bacon crisps up without being too thick to cook through.
- Seam side down holds it together. Placing each wrapped smokie seam down in the dish keeps the bacon from unwrapping as it bakes.
- A chill helps the sugar cling. An hour in the fridge lets the brown sugar mixture settle onto the bacon so it melts into a glaze instead of sliding off.
- Brown sugar caramelizes into a glaze. As they bake, the brown sugar melts with the bacon fat into a sticky, sweet glaze that coats every bite.
- A little cayenne balances the sweet. Just a quarter teaspoon of cayenne adds a gentle warmth that keeps the sweet glaze from being one note.
- Broiling finishes them golden. A quick run under the broiler crisps the bacon and deepens the caramelized color for that irresistible finish.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Only a handful of ingredients. Bacon, smokies, brown sugar, and a few spices are all you need.
- Always the first to go. Sweet, smoky, and sticky, these disappear faster than any other appetizer on the table.
- Make ahead friendly. Wrap and season them ahead, then bake when guests arrive, just like our sweet and spicy bacon bombs.
Key Ingredients
Bacon Wrapped Little Smokies need just a few simple ingredients. Here is what each one does.
- Little smokies: These bite sized cocktail sausages are the perfect base, fully cooked and ready to wrap.
- Bacon: Cut into thirds, it wraps each smokie and crisps into a salty, smoky shell, the same trick in our bacon wrapped bratwurst.
- Light brown sugar: The key to the sticky, caramelized glaze that makes these so addictive.
- Garlic and onion powder: They add savory depth that balances all that sweetness.
- Cayenne pepper: Just a pinch brings gentle heat. Add more if you like a spicier bite.
See recipe card for exact quantities.
Variations and Substitutions
Bacon Wrapped Little Smokies are easy to customize. Try these ideas.
- Spicy: Add more cayenne or a drizzle of hot sauce for a fiery kick.
- Maple: Swap some of the brown sugar for maple syrup for a deeper sweetness.
- BBQ: Brush the baked smokies with barbecue sauce for a smoky tang.
- Slow cooker: After baking to crisp the bacon, keep them warm in a slow cooker for a party.
- Toothpick ready: Secure each wrap with a toothpick for easy grabbing and to hold the bacon.
- Game day spread: Serve them with our game day nachos for the ultimate appetizer table.
How to Make Bacon Wrapped Little Smokies
- Cut the bacon into thirds, pat the little smokies dry, and wrap each one in a piece of bacon, placing them seam side down in a 9 by 13 baking dish.
- In a small bowl, combine the brown sugar, garlic powder, onion powder, and cayenne.
- Stir the mixture together until evenly blended.
- Sprinkle the brown sugar mixture over the wrapped smokies, cover, and chill in the fridge for 1 hour.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees, uncover, and bake for about 45 minutes until the brown sugar is mostly melted.
- Turn the broiler to high and broil until lightly golden, then serve immediately with an optional parsley garnish.
Recipe Tips & Tricks
- Pat the smokies dry. A dry surface helps the bacon grip and the glaze stick.
- Use thin cut bacon. It wraps easily and crisps faster than thick cut.
- Place them seam side down. This keeps the bacon from unwrapping in the oven.
- Do not skip the chill. An hour helps the brown sugar settle and glaze evenly.
- Watch the broiler. The sugar can go from golden to burnt fast, so keep an eye on them.
- Serve warm. Bacon Wrapped Little Smokies are best hot and sticky right out of the oven.
Serving Ideas and Suggestions
Bacon Wrapped Little Smokies are a party essential. Set them out with our oven honey BBQ meatballs and a warm dish of hot spinach artichoke dip for an appetizer spread that covers every craving.
They are perfect for game day. Pair them with a platter of game day nachos and a batch of air fryer buffalo chicken tenders so there is plenty to graze on.
For a holiday party, add them to a board with our everything bagel cheese ball and plenty of toothpicks. They travel well to potlucks too, just keep them warm.
Bacon Wrapped Little Smokies FAQs
No, you do not pre cook the bacon for Bacon Wrapped Little Smokies. Cutting it into thirds means it wraps thin enough to crisp up fully in the oven, and a final broil makes it golden.
Yes. Wrap and season the Bacon Wrapped Little Smokies up to a day ahead, keep them covered in the fridge, then bake just before serving. The fridge time even helps the glaze cling.
Soggy Bacon Wrapped Little Smokies usually mean the bacon was too thick or they were not broiled at the end. Use thin cut bacon and finish under the broiler to crisp the bacon and set the glaze.
You can bake the Bacon Wrapped Little Smokies first to crisp the bacon, then transfer them to a slow cooker on low to keep them warm and sticky for a party. Cooking them entirely in the slow cooker will not crisp the bacon.
This recipe makes about 30 Bacon Wrapped Little Smokies, depending on the size of your package. It serves around 6 as an appetizer, and the batch is easy to double for a crowd.
Store leftover Bacon Wrapped Little Smokies in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat them in a 350 degree oven or under the broiler to re crisp the bacon before serving.
Need more party bites? Try our cranberry meatballs next.
Love an easy smokies app? Our pigs in a blanket with a savory glaze are always the first to go.
Add some spooky fun to the table with our crescent wrapped mummy dogs.
Bacon Wrapped Little Smokies
Ingredients
- 16 ounces bacon
- 14 ounces little smokies
- 1 cup light brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- fresh chopped parsley for garnish optional
Instructions
- Cut the bacon into thirds. Pat the little smokies dry with a paper towel. Wrap a little smokie with a piece of bacon and place it into a 9×13 baking dish seam side down. Repeat with all the smokies, you may have a few slices of bacon left.16 ounces bacon, 14 ounces little smokies
- In a small bowl stir together the brown sugar, garlic powder, onion powder, and cayenne until combined.1 cup light brown sugar, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon onion powder, ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- Sprinkle this mixture over the wrapped smokies. Cover with plastic wrap and place it in the fridge for 1 hour.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Uncover the baking dish and bake for 45 minutes. If the brown sugar is not mostly dissolved, cover with foil and bake for an additional 10 minutes.
- Turn the broiler and high, uncover, and broiler until lightly golden brown.
- Serve immediately with an optional parsley garnish.fresh chopped parsley for garnish
Notes
- You can use beef, pork or turkey little smokies for this.
- Make sure that you refrigerate for at least an hour.
- Make sure that you use thin cut bacon for this recipe.
- These can be kept warm in a crock pot while serving.
- Double this recipe if you are holding a larger gathering.
Nutrition
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