This Crockpot Little Smokies Recipe is crazy delicious and ridiculously easy to make – only requiring a handful of easy to find ingredients and 10 minutes of prep! Bursting with sweet and spicy flavors, these mini cocktail sausages are the perfect effortless appetizer for game days, potlucks, parties, and MORE!
Update: This post was originally published in October 2018. I made updates to the post below to include more information about cooking cocktail wieners! Plus, there’s now a recipe video showing you exactly how easy these little sausages are to make!
Hey there, friends! Whether you are on the hunt for some epic game day grub or are hosting a summer barbecue this lil’ smokies recipe is for you!
These saucy, bite-size little sausages are the perfect appetizer or snack for every occasion – from holiday entertaining, backyard barbecues, potlucks, tailgating and MORE!
Honestly, you can even devour these lil’ smokies for dinner, if you are into that kind of thing! (No judgement here, my other half is very into declaring these dinner appropriate!)
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About This Lil’ Smokies Crock Pot Recipe
Fair warning, these crockpot cocktail weenies are insanely addictive!
Plump, juicy, bite-sized little sausages in a silky, sweet, and spicy Asian BBQ sauce laced with red pepper jelly and spiced with pungent garlic.
Spicy, smoky, and sweet, these cocktail wieners only require a handful of ingredients and 10 minutes of hands-on prep time to make!!
Easy and effortless to make thanks to the trusty crockpot, these cocktail sausages are perfect for potlucks, game days, or holiday entertaining!
Why you’ll love these cocktail weenies
- Only 9 ingredients! The combination of sweet and spicy ingredients will have your taste buds jumping for joy! They are basic pantry staples too!
- Party food! This lil’ smokies crock pot recipe is the ultimate party food. Everyone will love them and you barely have to do anything to make them. Winning!
- Less than 10 minutes prep! No long drawn out process here. Simply add little sausages to a crockpot, add the sauce, cook, and devour.
What are little sausages?
Little sausages are called many names, such as little smokies, lil’ smokies, or cocktail weenies. They are sausages made from different cuts of meat that are blended together and placed in a casing.
There are many different varieties of little smokies, ranging from turkey or beef, to bacon and cheddar and more! The best part is that you can make this little smokies recipe with just about any variety you come across.
You can serve this lil smokies crock pot recipe as an appetizer, snack, or entrée, depending upon your preference.
Ingredients needed for this lil’ smokies recipe
Bursting with flavor, fool-proof, and ridiculously easy to throw together, these sassy little sausages are sugar, spice, and everything nice! Let’s dive into the simple ingredients needed.
- Little Sausages: Grab your favorite variety of lil’ smokies. Each flavor is going to give you different results and they are all pretty tasty.
- Pepper Jelly: Found in the jelly aisle or at your local farmers’ market, pepper jelly is sweet and spicy. It’s the perfect addition to this little smokies recipe.
- Garlic: It’s best to use fresh garlic and mince it yourself. It will give the little sausages a more robust flavor.
- Ketchup: Helps to thicken the sauce and adds a little bit of sweetness. The tomato base adds a fun zestiness to the cocktail weenies too.
- Soy Sauce: You can use traditional soy sauce or go for lower sodium if you are trying to cut back on your salt intake.
- Brown Sugar: That deep sweet flavor comes from brown sugar and honey. They are a tasty combination that will leave you begging for more.
- Honey: You can use your basic store bought honey or pick it up locally at a farmers’ market. It’s hard to beat fresh honey!
- Sriracha: This is where you will get a jolt of heat! This lil’ smokies recipe is pretty versatile so you can add more or less depending on your preferences.
- Sesame Oil: Filled with antioxidants and bold flavor, sesame oil takes this lil smokies crock pot recipe to the next level.
Garnish Ideas
- Sliced Green Onions: Make thin slices and sprinkle on top right before serving. Adds a pop of color.
- Sesame Seeds: Toasted or untoasted, sesame seeds add to the presentation and taste great too.
- Cilantro: If you want to add some fresh herbs to the smokies, chopped cilantro is a great option. Cilantro is vibrant in both color and flavor.
How to make this little smokies recipe
These saucy lil’ smokies only require a handful of ingredients and are crazy easy to make in the crockpot or slow cooker!
- In the bowl of a slow cooker, whisk together all the ingredients for the sauce.
- Add in the cocktail sausages and stir to combine.
- Cook on HIGH for 2 – 3 hours or LOW for 4 – 4 ½ hours. Pro Tip: Lower the heat to “warm” to keep the smokies hot until you are ready for serving!
- Serve: Garnish with optional toppings and serve with plenty of toothpicks. Enjoy!
Frequently Asked Questions
Are little smokies already cooked?
Little smokies sausages are fully cooked; however, they do need to be reheated before eating.
Can little smokies go bad?
Cocktail weenies are a perishable food and they can go bad!
Once opened, packages of cocktail sausages will keep in the refrigerator for 1 week. If you are looking for longer-term storage, you can freeze them for up to 1-2 months.
You can store these crockpot smokies in the refrigerator or freezer, depending upon your preference! (Please see the storage option and time frames directly above!)
To reheat sausages in their sauce, you need to defrost them in the refrigerator overnight (if frozen). You can reheat the sausages on the stove, in the oven, or in the microwave!
Where are little smokies in the grocery store?
You can purchase little sausages at most major grocery stores in the refrigerator aisle with the cold cuts and hot dogs! However, if your local grocer doesn’t carry them, you can purchase them from an online retailer, such as Amazon!
Serving Suggestions
You can serve cocktail weenies right out of the crockpot for a low-key get-together, or place them in a serving bowl for a fancier presentation.
Another idea is to add toothpicks to each little sausage. They are easy to eat and no need for a fork!
Until next week, friends, cheers!
Cheyanne
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More easy appetizer recipes!
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The best Crockpot Little Smokies recipe plus step-by-step video👇
Crockpot Honey Sriracha Little Smokies
Equipment
- crockpot or slow cooker
Ingredients
- 3 (12 ounce) Packages Cocktail Sausages (Little Smokies) (SEE NOTES)
- 1 (10 ounce) Jar Red Pepper Jelly
- 2 cloves Garlic - minced
- 1 Cup Ketchup
- ¼ Cup Soy Sauce
- ¼ Cup Brown Sugar
- 3 TBS Honey
- 2-3 TBS Sriracha
- 1 tsp Sesame Oil
Optional Garnishes: Sliced Green Onions, Sesame Seeds, Chopped Cilantro
Instructions
- In the bowl of a crockpot or slow cooker, whisk together the pepper jelly through sesame oil.
- Add in the sausages and stir to combine.
- Cook on HIGH for 2 - 3 hours or LOW for 4 – 4 ½ hours, or until the sausages are warmed through. Lower heat and keep warm until ready to serve.
- Serve: Garnish with optional toppings and serve with toothpicks. Enjoy!
Video
Notes
- Amount of sausages to use: If you like your cocktail sausages to be super saucy, you can use 2 (16 ounce) packages instead of 3 (12 ounce) packaged. So you have an idea of the amount of sauce, I used 3 packages in the photographs shown here.
- Storage: These honey sriracha little smokies can be kept in the refrigerator for up to 1 week, or frozen for up to 1-2 months. To reheat the little smokies in sauce, allow them to defrost overnight in the refrigerator if frozen, and reheat either on the stove, in the oven, or in the microwave until fully heated throughout.
Nutrition
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Hi. I could only find green pepper jelly. Will that be an issue or effect the taste much?
Hi Patty,
It shouldn’t effect the consistency at all, but the color of the final sauce may be different. As for the taste, yes it will taste slightly different. I’m not sure what green pepper jelly you purchased, but red pepper jelly is typically made with red bell peppers, so it has a slightly sweeter flavor. If you purchased green pepper jelly made from jalapenos it will be slightly smokier in flavor. I’ve never made this with green pepper jelly, but you should be fine.
Cheers,
Cheyanne
I remember these Chey! So perfect for parties all year long! Love the little spicy kick. Awesome new video too!
I remember these! LOVING the recipe, still! They’re so perfect for football season and summer potlucks! Have a great week, Chey!
These would disappear in minutes at a holiday or game day party! And so easy!! Pinning this recipe so I don’t forget!
They look heavenly! I love that spicy sweet sauce a lot and the ease of preparation! Simply awesome, Chey.
Yes! Perfect for game day (or any day!) and a great flavor variation on traditional smokies!
I’m sure Tom would be with Boy and consider these a meal Chey! Actually, I think I would too! So perfect for game day eats. Can’t wait to make some for friends for a UMich game! Happy weekend!
OMG! These are amazing!! I cannot wait to try these!! Shared, my friend!!
LOVE these! I’m having friends over for the Duck game this weekend and these would be the perfect thing to serve! Usually I just do dips but I like that these are more substantial. And I love that they’re made with Sriracha :). Have a great weekend, Chey!
I am in heaven here. These look so good Cheyanne. Is it strange that I’ve never even had a little smokie before? I can’t even think why, this is totally my kind of dish! I think it may be my Thanksgiving appetizer contribution this year.
My husband would be in heaven if he came home to a slow cooker full of these beauties! Loving the sweet and heat sauce, too. Can’t wait to try these 🙂
That’s certainly a relief. I thought that since I’m not a football fan, I’ll be banned from using this recipe. Indeed, you’ve elevated store-bought produce to another level, Chey. I also like the idea of using mini sausage. Each has fewer calories and fats meaning you can eat more. You cannot argue with such a solid argument 🙂