If meat candy is a thing, then these Skillet Bacon Wrapped Smokies are it and they're always a huge hit whenever they're served. Cocktail wieners wrapped in bacon are such an easy appetizer recipe to make and absolutely delicious.
Can't get enough bacon? Then try our Bacon Cheeseburger Casserole and Bacon Wrapped Pickles. One of our favorites is our Skillet Baked Beans with Bacon.
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Why you should make this recipe
Little smokies have been a party favorite for decades. Whether made in the crockpot (slow cooker) with grape jelly and barbecue sauce or oven-baked wrapped in bacon, they're bound to be the first thing gone from the appetizer table.
They're so easy to make. This recipe calls for 3 main ingredients, with a 4th being optional. To make them, it's simply cut, wrap, stick, dip, and bake. That's it!
A finger food that even the pickiest of eaters will enjoy.
And you can make these ahead of time!
Recipe Ingredients
- Mini smoked sausages — we used all beef Hillshire Farms Lil't Smokies brand.
- Bacon — we normally love thick cut bacon but for this recipe, regular is less bulky and can be secured easier.
- Brown sugar — dark brown sugar has a bit more molasses than light brown sugar, giving it a deeper and sweeter flavor.
- Cayenne pepper — this is completely optional for those who like a little spice.
- Toothpicks — these are needed to secure the bacon around the little sausage links.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
Flavor Variations
Sweet — swap the brown sugar for maple syrup or even honey.
Savory — add a bit of garlic powder, black pepper, onion powder, or your favorite herbs to the brown sugar mixture.
Spicy — don't have cayenne? No problem, use chipotle powder, or regular chili powder. You could also use crushed red pepper.
How to make brown sugar bacon wrapped smokies
Step 1 — Preheat oven to 350°F. Cut the bacon into thirds or even fourths if possible.
Step 2 — Add the brown sugar to a small bowl and stir in the cayenne if using.
Step 3 — 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.
Step 4 — Secure the bacon with a toothpick.
Step 5 — Coat each wrapped smokie in the brown sugar mixture.
Step 6 — Place each bacon wrapped smokie on a cast iron grated grill pan.
Step 7 — Bake for 30 minutes or until the bacon is crispy.
Step 8 — Serve with your favorite dipping sauce like ranch, sriracha mayo, ketchup, or bbq sauce.
Recipe Tips
- Cold bacon is best, as it warms to room temperature the fat in the bacon softens and it can come apart easily, making it more difficult to wrap and secure with a toothpick.
- Use a rimmed baking sheet, cookie sheet, or baking pan to collect the rendered fat while cooking.
- If not using seasoned cast iron, use a prepared baking sheet. To prepare a sheet pan, spray it with cooking spray, line with aluminum foil, or parchment paper. As these cook, the brown sugar caramelizes, sticking to the pan, and making clean up a chore.
Recipe FAQs
Yes, just add up to 10 additional minutes of cooking time.
Sure thing. Wrap the bacon around the smokie, insert the toothpick and set aside. Don't worry about adding the brown sugar now, save that for when you go to cook them. Store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or freeze them for up to two months.
Place them on a baking sheet and bake at 350°F for 15 minutes or so. Additionally you can pop them in the air fryer at 390°F for 3-5 minutes.
Similar but not quite. All hot dogs are sausages but not all sausages are hot dogs. For example, bratwursts, kielbasa, Italian sausage are all different types of sausage and smokies are a smoked, fully cooked, miniature sausage.
Other Related Appetizers Recipes
If you tried this Skillet Bacon Wrapped Smokies or any other recipe on my blog, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below. Thanks for visiting!
Get the Recipe
Skillet Bacon Wrapped Smokies
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
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
Nutrition
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.
D
Great snacks!!!
Ashley
These were such a hit! I'm planning to make them again for your 4th of July block party 🙂
Donalyn
This is a great recipe - the flavors are really good together and it is so easy to make. We served these as appetizers at a recent bbq and everyone loved them!
Kushi Mallya
What a delicious appetizer recipe to try. Thanks a lot for sharing.
Paula
I always loved little smokies as a kid! I'm excited to try this recipe!! smokies + bacon? YES PLEASE!!!
Tara
Oh yum! You had me at wrapped in bacon. Such a fantastic recipe for the whole family.
Ben
Boom! These are crazy good. Everything is better with bacon, and the goes for little smokies. These are going into my permanent rotation.
Shelby
Love this sweet and spicy take on a classic appetizer. It's a go-to on game day!
TAYLER ROSS
I made these smokies for the Super Bowl and they were incredible! Everyone was asking me for the recipe!
Katherine
These wrapped smokies turned out so well. I brought a batch to a party, but next time I'll double it!
Sonia
These are such a wonderful idea - thank you so much for sharing this recipe! My friend absolutely loved them!!! Thanks again!
Sara Welch
This is the perfect recipe for bacon lovers! Quick, easy and perfectly smoky! Looking forward to serving these up for Super Bowl Sunday!
Cathleen
I've been looking for recipes to make for the Superbowl and this is IT! I am so excited to make this, thank you so much for sharing 🙂
cyndy
These were delicious for my NFL playoff party and we are making them again for SuperBowl Sunday! Sooo yummy and easy.