Sweet, smoky, and irresistible, these Bacon Wrapped Lil Smokies with brown sugar are baked until caramelized and crisp-perfect for parties or game day!
Bacon Wrapped Smokies are the ultimate party appetizer-sweet, savory, and irresistible! Each little smokie is wrapped in smoky bacon, rolled in brown sugar, and baked until sticky, caramelized, and crisp around the edges. With no toothpicks needed when you overlap the bacon, they're quick to prep and easy to serve. Perfect for holidays, game day, or any get-together, these brown sugar bacon wrapped little smokies deliver smoky-sweet bacon flavor in every bite!
Having a cocktail party? Include these Bacon-Wrapped Smokies on a grazing table alongside my version of Million Dollar Dip, Homemade Parmesan Toasts, and Italian Marinated Shrimp for a gorgeous spread.
🔍 Quick Look: Bacon Wrapped Lil Smokies Recipe
- Ready in: 50 minutes
- Servings: 19
- Calories: ~193 kcal per serving
- Main Ingredients: Little smokie sausages, smoked bacon, and dark brown sugar
- Elements of Taste: Sweet, Salty, & Umami
- Cook Method: Bake
- Difficulty: Easy, making it great for cooks of all levels.
- Why You'll Love It: Savory little cocktail sausages are wrapped in sticky, sweet, smoky bacon- a flavorful, bacon-delicious, perfect appetizer.
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Jump to:
- 🔍 Quick Look: Bacon Wrapped Lil Smokies Recipe
- Why We Love Bacon Wrapped Lil Smokies
- Ingredient Notes
- Substitutions and Variations
- How to Make Bacon Wrapped Lil Smokies
- My Top Tips
- How to Scale This Bacon Wrapped Lil Smokies Recipe
- When to Serve Bacon Wrapped Lil Smokies
- Recipe FAQs
- More Appetizer & Snack Recipes You'll Love
- 📖 Recipe
- 💬 Comments
Why We Love Bacon Wrapped Lil Smokies
- Sticky. Sweet. Savory. Bacon!
- Only 3 Ingredients
- Bakes in Just 20 Minutes
- The Recipe is Easily Scalable
- They can Be Made Ahead and Baked When Needed
- Perfect Appetizer for Game Days, Holidays, and Gatherings. Everyone Loves Them!
Ingredient Notes
Here's what you need to make Bacon Wrapped Smokies Recipe:
- Little Smokie Sausages - These are small, smoked cocktail sausages made from beef or pork. The major name brand is Li'l Smokies, but you can make these with any brand of smoked cocktail sausages. 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-sliced 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.
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 - My favorite way to get a boost of maple flavor! Simply wrap the smokies in maple bacon instead of smoked or regular.
How to Make Bacon Wrapped Lil Smokies
- Preheat & Prepare. Preheat the oven to 375°F/190°C and line a 15x10x1-inch baking pan with aluminum foil.
- Cut & Wrap. Cut the slices of bacon into thirds. Wrap the bacon around each sausage. It should overlap at least 1 inch.
- Roll in Brown Sugar. Roll each bacon-wrapped sausage in dark brown sugar and place in the prepared pan, seam side down.
- Bake. 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.
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 homemade barbecue sauce sauce for the guests who like them saucy. I guarantee they will disappear fast. They are absolutely irresistible!
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 cook the bacon in the oven and make bacon bits or crumbles for a salad.
♡ It is easier to handle the bacon if your hands are slightly damp, and the bacon will pick up the brown sugar more easily.
How to Scale This Bacon Wrapped Lil Smokies 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.
When to Serve Bacon Wrapped Lil Smokies
- Game Day
- Cook-outs
- Picnics
- Special Occasions & Holidays
- Poker Night
- Casual Gatherings
- Anytime! ... Just because they are soooo good!
Recipe FAQs
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.
Lil Smokies are smoked sausages and are already cooked. They only need to be reheated.
Bacon-wrapped smokies can be stored in an airtight sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or frozen for up to a month. Thaw them in the refrigerator before reheating.
To reheat these bacon-wrapped lil smokies, 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.
Serve them piled in a bowl or on a plate with toothpicks or cocktail forks available for guests.
More Appetizer & Snack Recipes You'll Love
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📖 Recipe
Bacon Wrapped Lil Smokies Recipe
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Ingredients
- 16 Ounces Bacon, Smoked, Maple, or Plain
- 16 Ounces Little Smokie Sausages, Also Called "Cocktail Sausages"
- ½ Cup Dark Brown Sugar
Instructions
- Preheat & Prepare. Preheat the oven to 375°F/190°C and line a 15x10x1-inch baking pan with aluminum foil.
- Cut & Wrap. Cut the slices of bacon in thirds. Wrap a piece of bacon around each sausage. It should overlap at least 1 inch.16 Ounces Bacon, 16 Ounces Little Smokie Sausages
- Roll in Brown Sugar. Roll each bacon wrapped sausage in dark brown sugar and place in the prepared pan seam side down.½ Cup Dark Brown Sugar
- Bake. Bake for 20 minutes. Turn or stir the smokies and bake for another 5 to 10 minutes or until the bacon is browned and the sausage is heated through.
Notes
Nutrition
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.
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