These bacon wrapped smokies are juicy little sausages snuggled in crispy bacon, with caramelized brown sugar and a warm kick of smoky paprika and cayenne.
They come together easily yet look impressively handcrafted, with just enough fiddly charm to turn any game day food or holiday gathering into a full-on party.
Little Smokies (or Lil Smokies) started out as bite-sized cocktail sausages simmered in sweet and tangy sauces like grape jelly, barbecue, or honey mustard. They quickly became a staple at potlucks, office parties, and holiday gatherings all across America.
Then some unknown revolutionary genius came along, wrapped them in bacon, rolled them in brown sugar, and baked them into sweet, salty, smoky perfection. Just one bite and you’ll understand why this version belongs in the Meat Candy club!
Made with simple ingredients, our brown sugar bacon-wrapped smokies take minutes to make and are guaranteed to be your go-to appetizer.
They hold up beautifully for hours, which makes them perfect for long parties or laid-back game day grazing.
Serve these smokies with dill pickle dip or Memphis barbecue sauce to turn up the deliciousness even more!
And if you’re building out a full game-day lineup, Crispy Garlic Parmesan Wings and Ultimate Nachos will ensure that nobody leaves the snack table until halftime.
Ingredients for Bacon Wrapped Smokies
Let’s start by gathering the necessary ingredients to prepare our Bacon Wrapped Smokies recipe. Culinary professionals call this the mise en Place, which means “everything in its Place.”
Setting up your ingredients not only helps speed up the cooking process but also ensures you have all the necessary ingredients on hand to make the recipe.
Can I Change Up the Recipe?
Absolutely. We made our bacon wrapped little smokies with center-cut bacon, but you can use thick-cut or even turkey bacon if you prefer.
If you’re out of brown sugar, granulated sugar, or coconut sugar will do the job in a pinch, though they won’t bring quite the same depth of flavor.
If you like more heat, bump up the cayenne or add a sprinkle of chili powder or red pepper flakes to the sugar mixture.
How to Make Bacon Wrapped Smokies
Preheat your oven to 400°F
Follow along with my simple step-by-step instructions to learn how to make bacon wrapped smokies in your home kitchen.
- Place ½ cup of brown sugar into a small bowl, followed by the cayenne pepper and smoked paprika.
- Mix until fully combined.
- Pat the bacon slices dry with a paper towel, then cut each slice into thirds. This size is perfect for wrapping around the little smokies without overlapping too much.
- Wrap bacon around each cocktail sausage and secure it with a toothpick to keep it in place. Repeat this process until all the little smokies are wrapped in bacon.
- Pour the brown sugar mixture into a foil pan or a wide, shallow bowl.
- Roll the wrapped sausages in the brown sugar mixture, coating them on all sides.
The brown sugar will caramelize during baking, adding a delicious, sweet, spicy, and savory flavor. - Place the bacon-wrapped smokies in a single layer on a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil and a wire rack. Space them out evenly so they cook properly.
- Place the sheet pan on the center rack of the preheated oven. Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until the bacon is crispy and the sugar has caramelized. Keep an eye on them to prevent burning.
Bacon-wrapped smokies are the kind of bites that steal the spotlight at birthday parties, bring magic to family movie nights, and impress your guests at a weekend hangout.
For an extra special treat, brush them with your favorite barbecue sauce and pop them back into the oven for 3-5 minutes.
Once they are done, carefully remove the baking sheet from the oven and let them cool slightly. Serve warm with your favorite dipping sauce.
Store any leftover bacon-wrapped little smokies refrigerated in an airtight container for 3-4 days.
Reheat the bacon-wrapped smokies in the oven or air fryer at 350°F until warmed through and the bacon crisps back up.
Freeze in a freezer-safe container or zip-top bag for a couple of months, and thaw in the fridge before reheating.
Recipe FAQs
Yes! Swap out cocktail sausages for mini hot dogs, chopped kielbasa, or even thick-cut smoked sausage sliced into bite-sized pieces. Just make sure whatever you use is small enough to wrap securely in bacon and hold together with a toothpick. The bacon and sugar combo plays well with just about any sausage-style meat you throw at it.
Absolutely. After assembling and seasoning, store them in the fridge, tightly covered with plastic wrap. You can bake them within two days or freeze for longer, making this a fantastic make-ahead recipe.
Yes, and you know you should! Just use an extra baking sheet or pan to keep them in a single layer so everything crisps up evenly.
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Bacon Wrapped Smokies
Ingredients
- 1 pound bacon
- 12- 14 oz cocktail sausages little smokies (about 40)
- ½ cup brown sugar
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper -optional
- toothpicks
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 400°F
- Cut the bacon slices into thirds. This size is perfect for wrapping around the little smokies without overlapping too much.
- Pat the bacon dry with a paper towel
- Take a little smokie and wrap a piece of bacon around it. Secure the bacon with a toothpick to keep it in place. Repeat this process until all the little smokies are wrapped in bacon
- Pour the brown sugar into a shallow dish, add the cayenne pepper and paprika and mix together till fully combine
- Roll each bacon wrapped smokie in the brown sugar mixture ensuring that it is well-coated. The brown sugar will caramelize during baking, adding a delicious sweet, spicey and savory flavor.
- Place the bacon wrapped smokies on a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil with a wire rack. Make sure to space them out evenly so they cook properly
- Bake the bacon wrapped smokies in the preheated oven for 20 – 25 minutes, or until the bacon is crispy and the sugar has caramelized. Keep an eye on them to prevent burning.
- Once they are done, carefully remove the baking sheet from the oven and let the bacon wrapped smokies cool slightly. Serve them warm with a side of toothpicks for easy grabbing
Notes
Serve the smokies with a side of our sriracha mayo (spicy mayo) for a kick of heat and creaminess.
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