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.
Carrie Robinson says
These would be the perfect addition to our game day spread! 🙂 They look absolutely delicious.
Andrea says
My family are going to go wild for these amazing bacon wrapped smokies! They are a perfect game day appetizer.
DK says
Love this recipe - it has all of my favorites smokies, bacon, brown sugar! It's a hit every time I make it in our house!
Nikki says
I've never had these delicious bites from heaven. They are an amazing appetizer for a party or game day.
Nabeela says
OMG! These skillet bacon wrapped smokies look absolutely delicious, I definitely have to give them a try.
Kimberly says
This is one of those appetizers that can't possibly ever go out of fashion - they're just so darn good and that sweet and spicy flavor combo is perfect! They're dangerous though....it's hard to stop at just a few of them! 🙂
Caroline says
We always used to have something similar to this at Christmas but that brown sugar takes these over the top - yum!
Gianne says
The combination of crispy bacon and juicy smokies is a match made in heaven. The flavor is out of this world and they make the perfect appetizer for any occasion. Delicious!
TAYLER ROSS says
I made these smokies for Christmas and they were fantastic! I'm making them again for the super Bowl this weekend!
Elisa says
Love this Skillet Bacon Wrapped Smokies recipe, looks delicious and easy to make. Great for gatherings. Thanks for sharing 🙂
Beth says
These were absolutely amazing. I made them for movie night last night. Just because they looked so good. I dipped them in BBQ sauce. YUMMO!
Kathleen says
Count me and my gang IN for this "meat candy"! These will be the first to go when I serve them on game day. Can't wait to see the look on my families face when I put these out.
Nicole says
These were super tasty! I made them for Christmas and will be making them again for the Super Bowl this weekend. The brown sugar makes them sooo delicious. Love anything sweet and salty!
Cami says
Looks amazing!