Bacon Brown Sugar Smokies are the quintessential party food that everyone fights over even though they’re so easy to make! Just three ingredients plus there are five flavor add-in options for you!
The ultimate holiday appetizer, these Bacon Wrapped Smokies are the perfect finger food for your crowd, perfect served with toothpicks along side some Cocktail Meatballs.
BACON WRAPPED SMOKIES
Bacon Wrapped Smokies are the easiest and most popular holiday appetizer you’ll find at most tailgates, holiday parties, or game day parties and with good reason! With just three ingredients these Bacon Wrapped Smokies are guaranteed to be the hit of your event.
When you are planning holiday menus it is important to make sure you don’t have a lot of complicated recipe or recipes that require you to be in the kitchen while people are at your party. This recipe is easy to prep ahead of time and can be cooked and served with just a small bowl of toothpicks near your serving dish.
HOW TO MAKE BACON WRAPPED SMOKIES:
- Prepare Sheet Pan: Line your sheet pan with heavy duty foil or a double layer of regular foil. This keeps cleanup easy and simple. If you do not line with foil the brown sugar that melts and caramelizes will harden on the pan. If this happens, once your pan has cooled add water immediately to it and let it sit 1 hour to soak before cleaning.
- Bacon: Cut the bacon in half. The smokies are small and only need a half a piece of bacon to wrap well.
- Wrap: Wrap with just a bit of tension in the bacon, do not wrap too tight or the bacon will contract too much in the oven and possibly split.
- Roll: Roll the wrapped smokies in the brown sugar, do not toss the ingredients.
- Toothpick: Pierce the end of the bacon back into the smokies to hold the bacon closed, then place it on the baking sheet.
- Bake: Bake until brown sugar is melted and bacon is crisp.
MORE PARTY APPETIZERS
Cocktail Meatballs Recipe
Slow Cooker Meatball Pineapple Smokies
Buffalo Wings
Buffalo Chicken Dip
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT BACON WRAPPED SMOKIES
So important it bears repeating twice, line the pan with foil to avoid a long cleanup.
If you want to prepare these ahead of time, be sure to cover the baking sheet well with plastic wrap so the brown sugar doesn’t dry out. It will prevent it from melting well.
Perfect as they are if you want a hint of spice add a pinch of cayenne or for a milder heat, some crushed black pepper to taste.
When cutting your bacon in half be sure to cut it to form two shorter pieces, so the bacon is half as long. Don’t cut through it horizontally making long skinny strips of bacon.
These are best served warm, if you have a small slow cooker you can set them in or a warming plate.
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I know what you’re thinking, you’ve seen these Bacon Brown Sugar Smokies before right? Well we’ve been making these for years and over the years we’ve come up with five awesome variations to this classic recipe!
VARIATIONS ON BROWN SUGAR BACON WRAPPED SMOKIES
- Jalapeños: Add minced jalapeños or cayenne pepper to spice things up!
- Sauce: Add some franks red hot sauce and honey to the brown sugar, just like in these amazing Chicken Fire Poppers.
- Cheddar: Yes, just like in the Bacon Wrapped Tater Tot Bombs, cheddar adds an amazing flavor to these bites!
- Blue Cheese: Wrap a small cube of Blue Cheese in with the smokies and the flavor is awesome!
- Dates: Wrap a ¼ of a date wrapped into each bundle, the salty sweet combination will be a hit.
MORE EASY APPETIZER RECIPES:
Pigs In A Blanket
Sausage Rolls
Cheese Ball
Garlic Bread Meatball Bites
Wait Before Serving!
Word of warning. These are going to come out of the oven covered in a molten hot melted brown sugar coating. Please, please wait 2-3 minutes before touching them or use a spatula to remove them from the pan directly onto the plate. There is risk of suffering sugar burns to fingers and tongues by grabbing one as soon as they come out of the oven.
Remember molten sugar right out of the oven = burns.
HOW TO STORE BROWN SUGAR BACON WRAPPED SMOKIES
- Serve: Bacon Wrapped Smokies can be out at room temperature for up to 2 hours before they should be refrigerated. They are best served warm, so if you have a warming plate, you can serve them on low heat to keep them warm.
- Store: Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat at 350 degrees until just warmed.
- Freeze: Cool completely, or freeze on a baking sheet for one hour, and place in a sealed container. Freeze for up to 3 months.
Ingredients
- 1 package Beef Smokies (or other mini hot dogs)
- 1 pound bacon , cut in half
- 3/4 cup brown sugar , packed
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Line baking sheet with heavy duty foil (or two sheets of standard foil).
- Cut bacon slices in half (vertically, not horizontally so they are shorter, not skinnier and longer).
- Wrap each strip around a little smokie sausage.
- Roll in the brown sugar, packing on the sugar onto the ends and pierce the end of the bacon slice with a toothpick to hold it closed.
- Place each rolled smokie on the baking sheet (do not crowd).
- Bake for 18-20 minutes or until the bacon is crisp and the brown sugar is all bubbly.
Video
Nutrition
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Photos used in a previous version of this post.
These are so good. Thank you for all your recipes.
Thank you for recipe of brown sugar bacon wrapped good for the holidays
so good. i made mine with extra sugar and added texas pete and agave instead of honey. so good and its good with a little bit of ranch dipped.
That sounds amazing!
Can I pile these up in a deep pan and bake or should they be in a single layer?
You’ll want to bake them in a single layer. Piling them up creates too much moisture and they’ll be steamed vs crispy. Enjoy!
I’ve made these for years and taken them to work, people love them! I have to make a lot so everyone can eat a lot. I usually prep them the day before, layering the bacon wrapped smokies in a huge bowl with lots of brown sugar. They sit in the fridge overnight and marinade in the brown sugar, which turns out all syrupy. I then bake them the next day.
That’s a great tip, thanks Missy!
These are ridiculously easy and delicious!! I am taking them to a football party this weekend. I have made them for several parties!!
I’m so glad you love them, Pat! They are perfect for game day!
These are great
So glad you enjoyed them Cindy!
My sister and I have been making these for over 40 years and have never had leftovers. In fact, we are lucky to even get one!
Do they have to be served hot?
At the very least warm, yes. Cold congealed bacon fat is very oily and slimy. It won’t have good mouth appeal.
I want to add the cheddar but not sure how to. Do you wrap the cheddar and then the bacon?
Excited to make these and thank you for sharing your recipe!
I have a tater tot version that adds cheddar. Make sure you use a sliced cheese piece small enough the bacon wraps completely around it. Wrap it somewhat tightly then cross your fingers and hope it doesn’t leak. Make sure the cheese is facing up off the pan, under the smokies and they will definitely leak.
Can you use racks so you don’t have to turn them?
I don’t even turn mine when they’re in the oven but you could try putting them on racks and see if that gives you a more uniformed crisp all the way around. If you decide to try it, let me know how it goes.
Have been making these for years. We call them Heart Attack on a Stick. My daughter must have them every year around the holidays. Yummy!
Haha, that’s a fantastic name for them!!
Can these be prepared ahead of time?
You can prep them ahead of time but wait to bake until before serving.
If I make these the night before and take them to my office party can I heat them in the microwave?
Yes, though they might lose some of their crispiness.
Incomparable things compared! Wow, I am really surprised with the result – I NEED to try it now. It doesn’t even seem like bacon to me – more like a bowl of candies lol
They definitely get eaten just as fast as candy, haha! Enjoy!!
Easy and delish!! These were a huge hit! I will be making often.
Thanks Monica! So glad you enjoyed them!
Use maple flavor bacon!
That sounds delicious!
I add maple syrup and they are sooo good!
Oooh, that’s sounds like a delicious addition!
Ooooooo…. you had me with the bacon! These look amazing! 🙂
Oh my sweet god! This is the BEST comfort food, hands down!
Haha. Good you left that warning! I can’t resist things straight out of the oven.
It’s always so tempting!
These are the perfect football nibble. Definitely bringing these to the super bowl party next year!
These are one of my favorite appetizers! Love your other flavor ideas 😀
Oh for gosh sakes, these look ridiculously good!
Thanks!