These Bacon Wrapped Little Smokies with a hint of sweetness from the brown sugar make the perfect appetizer for any gathering! Not only are they scrumptiously delicious but you can make them ahead of time and refrigerate or freeze them. What could be better than that?
These little bite-size gems will disappear quickly from any appetizer platter. If you are hosting a get-together or just looking for some amazing appetizers why not check out these Goat Cheese Stuffed Mushrooms, they are easy to prepare a great one-bite treat! These smoked Sausage Burnt Ends are also simply awesome!
This recipe is so easy, that you can prepare them ahead of time and simply grill them just before serving. Who doesn’t love an easy appetizer like that?
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WHAT IS IN bacon wrapped Little smokies?
You can prepare and serve these wonderfully sweet, sticky little bites with just a handful of everyday ingredients.
INGREDIENTS
- Smokies – You can use your favorite smokies I use traditional smokies but you could use chicken or turkey if you prefer.
- Bacon – I prefer hickory smoked bacon but again you can use any bacon you like.
- Brown sugar – The molasses in the brown sugar ensures that the smokies are sweet and sticky.
- Cayenne pepper – Adds a hint of spicy heat to the recipe.
- BBQ Sauce – Use your favorite store-bought sauce or better yet, make your own homemade BBQ sauce.
- Toothpicks – make sure you use strong toothpicks, avoid using thin toothpicks.
How to make bacon wrapped Little Smokies
Preheat your grill to medium heat while you make up the smokies. Cut the smokies into 1 1/2-inch pieces and set them aside.
Cut the bacon strips in half and lay them out on a cutting board or other work surface. Sprinkle each strip generously with brown sugar then add a pinch of cayenne pepper to each strip.
Place one of the cut pieces of smoky on the bacon strip and roll it up, securing it with a toothpick. Repeat with all the other bacon strips and smokies.
Place the bacon-wrapped smokies on the preheated grill and cook for about 7 minutes per side. You are looking for nice grill marks on all sides of the bacon, but be careful not to overcook the bacon.
You need to stay close to the grill and move them around often on the grill. The bacon will cause flare-ups as it cooks and you don’t want black burnt bacon.
After about 12 – 14 minutes brush each smoky bite with BBQ sauce. Turn them over and again brush them all with BBQ sauce. Let the BBQ sauce caramelize for 2-3 minutes per side.
Remove the bacon-wrapped smoky bites from the grill and allow them to cool for a few minutes before serving.
Pro Tips:
- Use your favorite bacon for this recipe but don’t use “thick-cut” bacon as it will take longer to cook.
- Use good quality smokies for this recipe, try to avoid using inexpensive hot dogs, but they will work in a pinch.
- Make sure that you use a tomato-based BBQ sauce, the high sugar content helps it to caramelize making each bite fantastic!
Pin it HERE!!
Pin it HERE!!
Bacon wrapped little smokies
Ingredients
- 1 package of 6 smokies each smoky cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces
- 12 strips of bacon cut in half
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper (more or less to taste)
- 1/2 cup BBQ sauce
- 24 toothpicks
Instructions
- Preheat your grill to medium while you prepare your smoky bites.
- Layout the bacon strips that have been cut in half on a cutting board. Sprinkle each generously with brown sugar and then add a pinch of cayenne pepper to each strip.
- Take one of the cut pieces of smoky and wrap the bacon around it, securing the bacon with a toothpick. Repeat with all the other pieces of smoky.
- Place the smoky bites on the preheated grill and cook for about 7 minutes per side. You want the bacon cooked with grill marks, but be careful not to over cook the bacon. Keep an eye on them as they will flare up, keep moving them around the grill to prevent scorching.
- After about 12 – 14 minutes brush each smoky bite with BBQ sauce and turn them over to let the BBQ sauce caramelize for 2 – 3 minutes. Brush the other side and turn them over again to let the other side caramelize for 2 – 3 minutes.
- Remove the smoky bites from the grill and allow to cool for a few minutes before serving.
- Enjoy!
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