These bacon wrapped little smokies have been one of my favorite appetizers since I was a kid! Smoked sausages are wrapped in crispy bacon and smothered in sticky brown sugar. A game day or party must-have!
Bacon Wrapped Little Smokies Recipe
When my mom first gave me this recipe it was nothing more than a few vague directions on a slip of paper. There are only three ingredients to these addictive appetizers, but the first time I made them on my own they didn’t taste as good as hers always do. So I went back and asked for her secrets and I’m sharing them with you for the BEST bacon wrapped little smokies with brown sugar ever!
We’ve always been huge bacon fans. That’s apparent from our love of this Bacon Cheeseburger Pasta, so be sure to check that out for dinner!
Ingredients you will need
Get all measurements, ingredients, and instructions in the printable version at the end of this post.
How to Make Bacon Wrapped Lil Smokies
- Wrap one piece of bacon around one little sausage and place in pan. No need to secure with a toothpick, just place it seam down in a 13×9 glass baking dish.
- After all the sausages have been wrapped in bacon, sprinkle with the brown sugar. A smaller dish works well for this so the sugar ends up on top of the sausages and not in between cracks and rows.
- Next, cover and refrigerate for 1-2 hours. They can be cooked right away if you wish, but they come out 10 times better if you wait!
- When ready to bake, remember to uncover the pan. Start checking after 40 minutes. You’ll know they’re done when the bacon is crispy and the sugar is melted and caramelized.
Cooking Tips
- Start with cutting the bacon into thirds. If you leave the strips any longer they will never crisp up. There may be a few pieces of bacon left over.
- You can make this ahead and bake when you are ready!
- As for the pan you use, this makes a big difference. I asked my mom how she did it and she said she uses a glass baking dish, not a foil-lined baking sheet. To clean up after, she fills the pan with hot tap water and lets it sit for a few minutes. The caramelized sugar dissolves away.
- Letting them marinate with the brown sugar for 1-2 hours makes all the difference in flavor.
Want more great game day appetizers?
- Well, who doesn’t love pizza? Especially in bite-size portions, we all know everything is better in miniature form. These Pepperoni Pizza Puffs are quick, easy & delicious!
- Or for a dip appetizer, this warm Crockpot Crack Dip is a delicious combo of bacon, cheddar, and ranch. It’s only fitting this queso appetizer is called crack dip, it is so addicting!
- Try more bacon appetizers like Bacon Goat Cheese Log or Jalapeño Popper Dip.
- Crispy, crunchy Onion Rings battered and dredged in breadcrumbs and fried to a mouth-watering golden brown in under 25 minutes!
Bacon Wrapped Little Smokies
IMPORTANT – There are often Frequently Asked Questions within the blog post that you may find helpful. Simply scroll back up to read them!
Print It Rate ItIngredients
- 1 pound bacon NOT thick sliced
- 14 oz little smoked sausages 1 package
- 1 cup packed brown sugar
Things You’ll Need
Before You Begin
- Start with cutting the bacon into thirds. If you leave the strips any longer they will never crisp up. There may be a few pieces of bacon left over.
- You can make this ahead and bake when you are ready!
- Letting them marinate with the brown sugar for 1-2 hours makes all the difference in flavor.
- As for the pan you use, this makes a big difference. I asked my mom how she did it and she said she uses a glass baking dish, not a foil-lined baking sheet. To clean up after, she fills the pan with hot tap water and lets it sit for a few minutes. The caramelized sugar dissolves away.
Instructions
- Cut the bacon into thirds.1 pound bacon
- Tightly wrap one piece of bacon around one little sausage. Place seam down in a glass 13×9 dish. Repeat with remaining little smokies.14 oz little smoked sausages
- Sprinkle evenly with brown sugar. There should be a thin layer over all the little smokies. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.1 cup packed brown sugar
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Uncover little smokies and bake for 40-50 minutes. Bacon should be crispy and sugar deeply caramelized.
Nutrition
The recipes on this blog are tested with a conventional gas oven and gas stovetop. It’s important to note that some ovens, especially as they age, can cook and bake inconsistently. Using an inexpensive oven thermometer can assure you that your oven is truly heating to the proper temperature. If you use a toaster oven or countertop oven, please keep in mind that they may not distribute heat the same as a conventional full sized oven and you may need to adjust your cooking/baking times. In the case of recipes made with a pressure cooker, air fryer, slow cooker, or other appliance, a link to the appliances we use is listed within each respective recipe. For baking recipes where measurements are given by weight, please note that results may not be the same if cups are used instead, and we can’t guarantee success with that method.
This post originally appeared here on Nov 25, 2018.
Amanda Davis
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Louann Bryant says
I made these last Christmas for a family brunch and everyone loved them. I was asked to make them every year for our Christmas brunch! I guess we have a new tradition! Glass dish is a must.
Nancy Booth says
Are they still good if you don’t eat them until a couple of hours after baking them (e.g., cold)?
Amanda Davis says
Yes they should be fine for several hours afterward. You will want to refrigerate leftovers at the end of the day.
Nancy Booth says
Just wanted to let you know I made a large batch (2 bags of smokies) and they were a HUGE hit at our HOA’s “Thirsty Thursday” gathering at the pool. I did run out of regular bacon toward the end so used peppered bacon on about 15 of them, but it wasn’t as good as the regular IMO. The glass casseroles worked perfectly and were an easy cleanup after soaking. Thanks for the recipe.
Drew Humphries says
Has anyone switched the heat over broil for the last 5 minutes of cooking time ? if so has was it ?
Valerie says
I’ve asked this once. I dont know where my comment went. The question was can you use Parchment paper in pan. Will that work or still not same as glass dish?
Amanda Davis says
Hi Valerie. That’s odd, I answered this already and you’re right I don’t see it! I’ll have tech check it out. Meanwhile. we have not tested that with this recipe. One of our readers said:
“I made these for a holiday party and they were a huge hit. Everyone loved them. I baked half in a glass dish and half on a cookie sheet. The glass dish batch was perfect. The cookie sheet batch burned on the bottom before the bacon was done. I’m going to buy another glass dish just for these!”
If you decide to give it a go, we would love to hear your results. In the meantime, I will add this to our testing list. Thanks!
rene plante says
I keep seeing the word “marinate”. Marinate in what?
Kristen Rittmer says
Hi Rene, you “marinate” in the brown sugar for 1-2 hours in the refrigerator. I will update the post for better wording!
Sue LaPointe says
I made these yesterday for a party and the recipe I used was basically the same as this except it recommended refrigerating them overnight. The brown sugar was quite “syrupy” for lack of a better term and burned as did the bottoms of the smokies while the bacon on the top was still raw. Do you think only chilling them a couple of hours made the difference?
Sandra Pratt says
Do you secure the wrapped bacon with toothpicks before baking?
Amanda Davis says
Hi Sandra! No need to secure with toothpicks :) We had toothpicks in the equipment list in since that’s the easiest way to serve them. However, after your question I believe it was confusing so I took it out. :)
JOANNE TELLER says
I have made these twice and every single little smokie was eaten and loved each time.
Alisa Julian says
Fast, easy and so good! Thank you!
LouieB says
I made these for a holiday party and they were a huge hit. Everyone loved them. I baked half in a glass dish and half on a cookie sheet. The glass dish batch was perfect. The cookie sheet batch burned on the bottom before the bacon was done. I’m going to buy another glass dish just for these!
Danielle says
Made these for a Thanksgiving appetizer and everyone loves them!!
KellyAnne Scott says
Marinating and using the glass pan make such a huge difference!
Pearl says
I’ve made these often but marinate them overnite. And I knock them around every 15 minutes cuz the first time I baked them 40 minutes straight, the brown sugar turned into hard candy, which was not a good thing.
Kristen says
Can I cook them ahead of time reheat em? Or can I prep them and leave em in the fridge overnight?
Amanda Davis says
Prepping and leaving in the fridge overnight would be fine. Bring to room temp before baking.
Lily says
Best recipe ever! It’s so easy and so so so yummy! Thank you!