Wonderful things come in small packages, like these bacon-wrapped little smokies. With crispy bacon and a sticky, finger-licking good sauce, these five-ingredient sausage bites will disappear before your eyes.
With these bacon wrapped little smokies baking in the oven, your kitchen will be filled with the smells of a cozy fall weekend. The sweetness of maple syrup, the tang of Dijon mustard, and the smokiness of bacon are irresistible. These sweet and savory flavors pair beautifully with smoked sausage, like in these cocktail sausages with apples and onions.
From game days to holidays, these sausage bites deserve a special place on the snack buffet, right next to pimento cheese sausage balls or BBQ bacon wrapped shrimp.
Ingredient Notes
- Cocktail franks are the perfect size for this recipe. I use the Hillshire Farm Lit'l Smokies, but any variety of cocktail sausages works well.
- Regular or thin-sliced bacon works best in this recipe. Thick-cut bacon won't crisp up as much as I like. I also love using maple bacon when it's available.
Refer to the recipe card for a complete list of ingredients and measurements.
Variations
- You can substitute maple syrup with honey or agave. Try using coconut sugar as a substitute for brown sugar.
- Try red pepper jelly for a spicy glaze.
- Use honey that has been infused with fresh thyme or rosemary.
Abbey's Expert Tips
- Drain the excess bacon fat before adding the sauce. This helps the bacon to crisp and the sauce to thicken.
- Serving: Serve with toothpicks and extra Dijon or bacon horseradish dip for dipping. As a main dish, pair with creamy Miracle Whip coleslaw or broccoli cauliflower salad.
- Breakfast: Serve these sausages in place of traditional bacon and sausage.
- A chafing dish or a warming tray is a great way to keep these bites warm for holiday buffets or game-day spreads.
How to Make Bacon Wrapped Little Smokies
Step 1: Cut each bacon slice into thirds. Wrap a piece of bacon around each sausage and place them, seam side down, in a 9x13 baking dish.
Step 2: Bake at 350℉ for 40 minutes. Remove from the oven and spoon off (most of) the excess bacon grease.
Step 3: Combine the maple syrup, mustard, and brown sugar. Pour the glaze over the sausages and bake for an additional 10 minutes.
Step 4: Increase the oven temperature to 400°F and bake the sausages for an additional 10-15 minutes, or until the bacon is brown and crisp.
Want to Save This Recipe?
We'll email this post to you, so you can come back to it later! Plus, we'll send you weekly recipe inspiration!
Bacon Wrapped Smokies FAQs
These sausages are ideal as a prep-ahead dish. Wrap the sausages in bacon, cover them, and refrigerate for up to 4 days. Then, bake them per the recipe's directions.
The unbaked sausages freeze beautifully. Wrap the sausage with bacon and flash-freeze on a parchment-lined sheet pan until solid. Then, transfer the sausages to a freezer-safe zipper-top bag and store them in the freezer for up to 3 months. When ready to bake, thaw overnight in the refrigerator and bake according to the recipe's directions.
To ensure the bacon turns crispy, heat the sausages in a skillet over medium heat, turning them occasionally, until they are warmed through. They can also be reheated in an air fryer to help the bacon re-crisp.
More Appetizer Recipes You May Love
Craving more? Sign up for my Newsletter for more recipe inspiration. You can also follow along on Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest.
📖 Recipe Card
Bacon Wrapped Smokies
Want to Save This Recipe?
We'll email this post to you, so you can come back to it later! Plus, we'll send you weekly recipe inspiration!
Ingredients
- 11-12 slices regular-cut bacon
- 14 ounces cocktail franks (like Hillshire Farm Lit'l Smokies)
- ¼ cup maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon light brown sugar (or dark brown sugar)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350℉.
- Cut each slice of bacon into thirds. Wrap a piece of bacon around each sausage and place them seam-side down in a 9x13 baking dish.11-12 slices regular-cut bacon, 14 ounces cocktail franks
- Bake for 40 minutes. Remove from the oven and spoon off most of the excess bacon grease. In a small bowl, combine the maple syrup, dijon mustard, and brown sugar. Pour the glaze over the sausages.¼ cup maple syrup, 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard, 1 tablespoon light brown sugar
- Bake for 10 minutes. Turn up the oven to 400℉ and bake for another 10-15 minutes until the bacon is crisp.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information is an estimate and will vary depending on the exact amounts and specific ingredients used.
Abbey McDermott says
With five ingredients and crowd-pleasing flavors, I especially love making these sausages for holiday entertaining.
Olga says
Wow amazing and delicious recipes.
Olga.
Abbey says
Thank you so much!