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    Home » Recipes » Appetizers & Snacks

    Bacon Wrapped Smokies

    Updated: Oct 8, 2024 · Published: Feb 10, 2023 · by Jan Nunes

    Bacon wrapped lit'l smokies in a decorative white bowl.

    Bacon Wrapped Smokies with a touch of brown sugar sweetness is a perfect crowd-pleasing appetizer for game days, holidays, and gatherings. Just 3 ingredients and 20 minutes of prep for this super simple recipe.

    Bacon Wrapped Smokies in a bowl with a black and white napkin.
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    Perfect as appetizers for any occasion, these little smokies are wrapped in bacon and rolled in brown sugar. Then they are baked in the oven until they are sticky and just slightly sweet. Best of all when you overlap the bacon around the smokie you don't need toothpicks to hold the bacon in place!

    Jump to:
    • Why We Love Bacon Wrapped Smokies
    • How to Scale This Recipe
    • Ingredient Notes
    • How to Make Bacon Wrapped Smokies
    • When to Serve Bacon Wrapped Smokies
    • My Top Tips
    • Substitutions and Variations
    • Make-Ahead, Storage, and Reheating
    • More Great Appetizer Recipes
    • 📖 Recipe
    • 💬 Comments

    At your next party, you just have to have these delicious little smoked sausages with brown sugar. Everyone loves bacon! And these little sausages deliver bacon in every bite.

    Why We Love Bacon Wrapped Smokies

    • Sticky. Sweet. Savory. Bacon!
    • Only 3 Ingredients
    • The Recipe is Easily Scalable
    • They can Be Made Ahead and Baked When Needed
    • Everyone Loves Them!

    How to Scale This Recipe

    Most recipes for bacon wrapped little smokies say to use one pound of smoked cocktail sausages and one pound of bacon. However, not all brands of little cocktail sausages are sold in one-pound packages. These days I often see packages that are 14 ounces. Which begs the question how much bacon do I really need?

    One slice of center-cut bacon will cover 3 cocktail sausages and one slice of bacon is approximately 1 ounce. So, all you need to do is open the sausages and count them, divide by three and that is how many slices of bacon you will need.

    So, let's cook!

    Ingredient Notes

    The Ingredients, clockwise from top: sliced bacon, smoked cocktail sausages, and dark brown sugar.

    Here's what you need to make Bacon Wrapped Smokies:

    • Smoked Cocktail Sausages - The major name brand is Li'l Smokies, but you can make these with any brand. Some packages are a full 16 ounces and some are less. So you might need a little less bacon for the smaller packages
    • Bacon - Use regular-cut bacon. The thick cut is too thick to wrap around the smokies. You can use center cut or regular and it can be smoked, maple, or plain.
    • Dark Brown Sugar - Dark brown sugar gives just a touch of sweetness to the smokies. I like the richness of dark brown sugar. But you can use light brown sugar also.

    Please see the recipe card for the exact quantities.

    How to Make Bacon Wrapped Smokies

    Process Photo 1 - A large baking rimmed baking sheet is lined with aluminum foil.

    Preheat the oven to 375°F/190°C and line a 15x10x1-inch baking pan with aluminum foil.

    Process Photo 2a - Cutting the bacon in thirds and showing how to wrap smokies with bacon from the short side of the bacon around and overlapping on the smokie.
    Process Photo 2b - Showing the end of a bacon wrapped smokie and how the bacon overlaps.

    Cut the slices of bacon in thirds. Wrap the bacon around each sausage. It should overlap at least 1 inch.

    Process Photo 3 - Rolling bacon wrapped smokies in brown sugar.

    Roll each bacon-wrapped sausage in dark brown sugar and place in the prepared pan seam side down.

    Process Photo 4 - Little cocktail smoked sausages wrapped in bacon covered with brown sugar on a parchment lined baking sheet.

    Bake for 20 minutes. Turn or stir the smokies and bake for another 5 to 8 minutes or until the bacon is browned and the sausage is heated through.

    Bacon Wrapped Little Smokies in a bowl with a black and white napkin.

    You can then serve them warm from the oven piled on a plate or in a bowl. Offer a bowl of dipping sauce like simple ketchup or your favorite barbecue sauce for the guests who like them saucy. I guarantee they will disappear fast. They are absolutely irresistible!

    When to Serve Bacon Wrapped Smokies

    • Game Day
    • Cook-outs
    • Picnics
    • Holidays
    • Poker Night
    • Casual Gatherings
    • Anytime! ... Just because they are soooo good!

    My Top Tips

    ♡ Cut the bacon you need all at once. Cut the bacon slab in thirds and don't cut the slices individually. If you accidentally have too much, just bake off the leftover pieces to make bacon crumbles.

    ♡ It is easier to handle the bacon if your hands are slightly damp and the bacon will grab the brown sugar easily.

    Substitutions and Variations

    • Make Them Spicy - Mix ¼ teaspoon of cayenne pepper and ½ teaspoon of onion or garlic powder into the brown sugar.
    • Keto or Low Carb Version - Omit the brown sugar for a keto-low carb version. Alternatively, you can substitute a sugar-free, low-carb brown sugar substitute.
    • Use Maple Bacon - This is my favorite way to get a boost of maple flavor. Simply wrap the smokies in maple bacon instead of smoked or regular.

    Make-Ahead, Storage, and Reheating

    • Make-Ahead: You can assemble the smokies in advance. Wrap the bacon around the smokie and refrigerate until they are needed. Thirty minutes before serving them roll them in the brown sugar and bake them.
    • Storage: These bacon-wrapped smokies can be stored in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
    • Reheating: To reheat place them in a baking dish, cover, and warm them in a 350°F/177°C oven for about 12 to 15 minutes. You can also reheat them gently in a microwave using 30-second bursts.
    Bacon Wrapped Smokies in a bowl with a black and white napkin and decorative tongs.

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    ♡ Did you love these Bacon Wrapped Smokies? Please leave a star rating and a comment below!

    📖 Recipe

    Bacon Wrapped Smokies in a decorative bowl.

    Bacon Wrapped Smokies

    5 from 1 vote
    By: Jan Nunes
    Bacon Wrapped Smokies with a touch of brown sugar sweetness is a perfect crowd-pleasing appetizer for game days, holidays, and gatherings.
    Print Share Pin Email
    Prep Time ~ 20 minutes minutes
    Baking Time ~ 20 minutes minutes
    Total Time ~ 40 minutes minutes
    Servings ~ 19 Servings (2 Smokies per Person)
    Calories ~ 182kcal
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    Ingredients
     

    • 16 Ounces Smoked Bacon
    • 16 Ounces Smoked Cocktail Sausages
    • ¼ Cup Dark Brown Sugar

    Instructions
     

    • Preheat the oven to 375°F/190°C and line a 15x10x1-inch baking pan with aluminum foil.
    • Cut the slices of bacon in thirds. Wrap a piece of bacon around each sausage. It should overlap at least 1 inch.
      16 Ounces Smoked Bacon, 16 Ounces Smoked Cocktail Sausages
    • Roll each bacon wrapped sausage in dark brown sugar and place in the prepared pan seam side down.
      ¼ Cup Dark Brown Sugar
    • Bake for 20 minutes. Turn or stir the smokies and bake for another 5 to 8 minutes or until the bacon is browned and the sausage is heated through.

    Notes

    Cut the bacon you need all at once. Cut the bacon slab in thirds and don't cut the slices individually. If you accidentally have too much, just bake the leftover pieces of bacon to crumble in salads or add to sandwiches or eggs.
    It is easier to handle the bacon if your hands are slightly damp and the bacon will grab the brown sugar easily.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 182kcal | Carbohydrates: 4g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Trans Fat: 0.03g | Cholesterol: 31mg | Sodium: 403mg | Potassium: 92mg | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 9IU | Calcium: 6mg | Iron: 0.4mg

    Per 1 serving. All nutritional information on this site is an estimate. Your results may vary.

    Encharted Cook™ or Jan Nunes shall not be liable for adverse reactions or any other outcome resulting from the use of recipes or recommendations on this website or actions you take as a result.

    © 2018-2025 Encharted Cook, Jan Nunes. All rights reserved.

    Course: Appetizer
    Cuisine: American

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    About Jan Nunes

    Jan is the creator and owner of Encharted Cook. Her cooking and baking journey began more than 50 years ago and she specializes in showing how recipes and ingredients can work together and why. At Encharted Cook you can rely on proven recipes and take your cooking and baking up to the next level.

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    Jan Nunes

    Hey There!

    Welcome to Encharted Cook! I'm Jan, a seasoned cook with recipe charts, pro tips, and ideas to help you make delicious dinners. Over the years I've learned that many recipes are related... and if you learn to make one delicious dish, you can make many more!

    more about Jan

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