Bacon Wrapped Smokies with Brown Sugar (Cast Iron Recipe)

If meat candy is a thing, these Bacon Wrapped Smokies are it. Little smokies get wrapped in bacon, rolled in brown sugar, and baked until the coating turns dark and glossy and the bacon crisps at the edges. They are the first plate emptied at any party, and they come together with just three core ingredients.

If you love a bacon-wrapped appetizer, try our Bacon Wrapped Pickles and Dutch Oven Jalapeno Poppers next. For the cookout table, our Skillet Baked Beans with Bacon is a natural partner.

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What Makes These Bacon Wrapped Smokies Different

Almost every version of this recipe bakes on a foil-lined sheet pan, where the smokies sit in their own rendered grease and the brown sugar scorches onto the foil. We bake ours on a seasoned cast iron grill grate instead.

The grate is the whole trick. The bacon fat drips down and away, so the underside crisps instead of going soft, and the brown sugar caramelizes on the smokie rather than welding to the pan. You get crisp bacon on every side and a glossy candy coat, with far less mess to clean up.

That is the cast iron way: a practical tool that gives you better results, not a gadget you have to fuss over.

Ingredients You’ll Need

• Mini smoked sausages (little smokies): we use all-beef Hillshire Farm Lit’l Smokies. Any cocktail wiener works. A 14 oz package is roughly 40 pieces.
• Bacon: regular or thin-cut, not thick-cut. Thin bacon wraps tighter, secures easier, and crisps in the bake time. Thick-cut is the number one reason bacon turns out soggy.
• Brown sugar: dark brown sugar gives a deeper molasses flavor, but light brown works too.
• Cayenne pepper (optional): for a little heat. Chipotle, chili powder, or crushed red pepper all sub in.
• Toothpicks: to secure each wrap.

See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.

How to Make Bacon Wrapped Smokies

1. Step 1: Cut the bacon. Slice each strip into thirds, about 3 to 4 inches, so it wraps a little more than once around.

2. Step 2: Mix the coating. Stir the brown sugar and cayenne (if using) together in a small bowl.

3. Step 3: Wrap the smokies. Roll a piece of bacon around each little smokie.

4. Step 4: Secure with a toothpick. Pin the seam so the bacon stays put as it bakes.

5. Step 5: Coat in brown sugar. Roll each wrapped smokie in the sugar mixture until covered.

6. Step 6: Bake on the grate. Arrange on a cast iron grill grate and bake at 350°F for about 30 minutes, until the bacon is crispy.

Flavor Variations

• Sweet: swap the brown sugar for maple syrup or honey.
• Savory: add garlic powder, onion powder, or black pepper to the sugar.
• Spicy: use cayenne, chipotle, chili powder, or crushed red pepper.
• Add a glaze: brush on BBQ sauce or a splash of bourbon in the last 5 minutes of baking.

Expert Tips

• Start with cold bacon. Cold fat holds its shape and wraps tighter. Room-temperature bacon splits and will not hold the toothpick.
• Go low and steady, not hot and fast. 350°F renders the fat and caramelizes the sugar without scorching it. Hotter ovens burn the sugar before the bacon crisps.
• Use the cast iron grate so the fat drips off. This is the real fix for soggy bottoms.
• Pat the bacon dry first. Drawing out surface moisture gives a thicker candy coat and crispier bacon.
• Catch the drips. Set the grate over a rimmed pan so cleanup is not a caramelized chore.

What to Serve With Bacon Wrapped Smokies

These are made for dipping, so set out a few sauces and let people go to town. Then build the rest of the appetizer spread around them.

• Dipping sauces: ranch, sriracha mayo, BBQ sauce, ketchup, or grainy mustard.
• Pair with our Skillet Baked Beans with Bacon for a cookout plate.
• Round out the appetizer table with Dutch Oven Jalapeno Poppers.
• Serving a cocktail-sausage crowd? Our Beanie Weenies are another easy win.

Bacon Wrapped Smokies FAQs

Other Related Appetizer Recipes

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5 from 28 votes

Bacon Wrapped Smokies

Sweet, smoky, and salty, these bacon wrapped smokies are the meat candy that vanishes first at every party. Little smokies get wrapped in bacon, rolled in brown sugar, and baked crisp on a cast iron grate.

Prep Time10 minutes mins

Cook Time30 minutes mins

Total Time40 minutes mins

Course: Appetizer

Cuisine: American

Servings: 8 people

Calories: 545kcal

Author: Ned Adams

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Equipment

• ▢
  Cast Iron grill pan or baking sheet OR
• ▢
  2 12-inch cast iron skillets

Ingredients

• ▢ 24 oz beef little smokies
• ▢ 16 oz bacon sliced in ⅓ pieces
• ▢ ½ cup brown sugar
• ▢ 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper Optional

US Standard - Metric

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Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• Cut the bacon into thirds or even fourths if possible.
• Add the brown sugar to a small bowl and stir in the cayenne if using.
• Lay out several pieces of cut bacon on a cutting board then place a little smokie on a piece of bacon and wrap it around. Secure the bacon with a toothpick.
• Coat each wrapped smokie in the brown sugar mixture.
• Place each bacon wrapped smokie on a cast iron grated grill pan.
• Bake for 30 minutes or until the bacon is crispy. Serve and enjoy.

Notes

• Start with cold bacon. Cold bacon wraps tighter and holds the toothpick. As it warms it softens and pulls apart.
• Bake low and steady at 350°F. Hotter ovens scorch the brown sugar before the bacon has a chance to crisp and render.
• Use a cast iron grate. Baking on a grate lets the rendered fat drip away so the bacon crisps all the way around instead of sitting in grease.
• Catch the drips. Set the grate over a rimmed pan, or line underneath, so the caramelized sugar does not weld to your pan.
• Make ahead. Wrap and refrigerate up to 3 days; coat in brown sugar right before baking.

Nutrition

Calories: 545kcal | Carbohydrates: 16g | Protein: 18g | Fat: 46g | Saturated Fat: 16g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 6g | Monounsaturated Fat: 21g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 92mg | Sodium: 1248mg | Potassium: 283mg | Fiber: 0.1g | Sugar: 15g | Vitamin A: 125IU | Vitamin C: 0.2mg | Calcium: 24mg | Iron: 1mg

Dutch Oven Daddy is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is only an estimate. We recommend running the ingredients through an online nutritional calculator if you need to verify any information.

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