Firecracker Little Smokies
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Firecracker Little Smokies are an easy and delicious party appetizer! They are sweet, spicy, and the sausages are wrapped in bacon. They get topped with brown sugar, BBQ rub, red pepper flakes, and topped with hot honey.
I always make Firecracker Little Smokies for the Fourth of July, but no matter the occasion they make the perfect year-round appetizer.
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Sweet and Spicy Little Smokies are easy to make with just a few ingredients and will disappear quickly for game days, holiday parties, and summer potlucks.
There are a lot of variations of bacon wrapped little smokies, but I think these are hands down my favorite! It’s hard to beat the sweet and spicy combo.
If you are looking for some other easy and delicious appetizer check out my Cheesy Sausage Wonton Cups. These are always a hit at parties and are so good!
Another family favorite appetizer are my Crockpot Meatballs and Little Smokies. These are so easy to throw in your crockpot and everyone always enjoys them.
Ingredients for Bacon Wrapped Smokies
- Bacon
- Little Smokies (beef or pork)
- Brown sugar
- BBQ Rub
- Red pepper flakes
- Mike’s Hot Honey
Prep Firecracker Little Smokies
If you are making these as an appetizer for a party or get-together, the bacon wrapped Little Smokies can be prepped ahead of time!
Getting them wrapped and ready to go will make it super easy to season them and get them in the oven or smoker!
To start prepping them, start by getting out two 16 oz packages of bacon.
Cut both of the packs of bacon into 3rd’s.
Next, wrap a piece of bacon around each cocktail sausage and place a toothpick in each one. The toothpick gives them the perfect firecracker look and makes it easy for guests to grab them!
Place the Little Smokies on a wire rack on a sheet pan.
I like cooking these on a wire rack on a sheet pan. The wire rack helps the bacon grease drain away from the Little Smokies.
If you are prepping the Little Smokies ahead of time, cover the sheet pan of Smokies well with aluminum foil. Store the sheet pan in the refrigerator until you are ready to season and cook them.
Please note that if you cook the Bacon Wrapped Smokies once they have been stored in the refrigerator they may need to be cooked longer. The cold refrigerator will make the bacon take a little bit longer to fully cook.
Cook Little Smokies
Once you are ready to cook the Little Smokies, preheat your oven or smoker to 375 degrees F and get the bacon wrapped Smokies seasoned.
Sprinkle them with your favorite bbq rub and 1/3 cup of brown sugar.
If you are looking for a solid BBQ Rub I really like using Strawberry’s Grand Champion that I buy on Amazon.
Add as many red pepper flakes as you’d like and add a drizzle of Mike’s Hot Honey over the top.
I used about 1 1/2 tsp of red pepper flakes and did a quick drizzle of hot honey over each row of Little Smokies.
This Little Smokies recipe can be baked in an oven or smoked out on a smoker. The smoker adds a nice smoky flavor that goes well with the sweet and spicy ingredients.
To make them in the oven, you can bake at 375 degrees F for about 45 minutes or until the bacon gets crispy.
If you want to cook these on a smoker, place them on a smoker at 375 degrees F for about 1 hour. Check them around 45 minutes and cook them until the bacon is cooked to your liking!
All ovens and smokers cook differently, so for either cooking method I would check on the appetizer at around 45 minutes.
If the bacon isn’t cooked how you want it, let it keep cooking and check on it periodically.
Serve Bacon Wrapped Little Smokies
Once the bacon is fully cooked, it’s time to eat! I like to add an extra drizzle of the hot honey over the finished Little Smokies, but that is optional.
These make such a great appetizer and they are always a huge hit.
Tips and Frequently Asked Questions
- My family usually prefers the all beef Little Smokies, but you can use the pork variety if you prefer those.
- I would not use thick cut bacon, as it takes longer to cook and doesn’t turn out as crispy as the regular cut bacon.
- I used my favorite BBQ Rub called Strawberry’s Grand Champion Rub, but any BBQ rub will work for this recipe.
- Please note that if you cook the Bacon Wrapped Smokies once they have been stored in the refrigerator they may need to be cooked longer. The cold refrigerator will make the bacon take a little bit longer to fully cook.
- All ovens and smokers cook differently, I recommend checking on the recipe around 45 minutes and letting them cook longer if the bacon is not crispy enough.
- I like cooking these on a wire rack on a sheet pan. This helps the bacon grease drain away from the Little Smokies and helps the bacon get crispier.
- This recipe will work with or without the toothpicks.
Similar Recipes
- Parmesan Garlic Pizza Rolls
- Cheesy Sausage Wonton Cups
- Bacon Cheddar Jalapeno Pinwheels
- Jalapeno Popper Wontons
- Garlic Bread Meatball Subs
- Crockpot Sausage Cheese Dip
- Jalapeno Cream Cheese Pinwheels
- Crockpot Meatballs and Little Smokies
If you make these Firecracker Little Smokies for your next get-together I hope they are a hit! If you love the recipe, please leave me a comment or save this recipe to your Pinterest account for later.
Ingredients
- 2 (16 oz) packs of Bacon
- 1 pack of Little Smokies 3 pounds
- 1/3 cup Brown sugar
- 1 1/2 tbsp BBQ Rub
- 1 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
- Mike’s Hot Honey
Instructions
- Cut bacon into 3rds. Wrap a piece of bacon around a little smokie and add a toothpick to each one. Place the Smokies on a large sheet pan on a wire rack.
- Once all little smokies are wrapped in bacon sprinkle with bbq rub and 1/3 cup of brown sugar. Add as many red pepper flakes as you’d like and add a drizzle of Mike’s Hot Honey over the top.
- The Firecracker Little Smokies can be cooked in an oven OR on a smoker. For either, they will cook at 375 degrees F for about 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until the bacon gets crispy. Check on the Little Smokies at about 40-45 minutes and let them keep cooking until the bacon is cooked to your liking.
- Once the bacon is fully cooked, it's time to eat! This is optional, but I like adding an additional drizzle of hot honey before serving. Enjoy!
Notes
- My family usually prefers the all beef Little Smokies, but you can use the pork variety if you prefer those.
- I would not use thick cut bacon, as it takes longer to cook and doesn’t turn out as crispy as the regular cut bacon.
- I used my favorite BBQ Rub from Amazon called Strawberry’s Grand Champion Rub, but any BBQ rub will work for this recipe.
- Please note that if you cook the Bacon Wrapped Smokies once they have been stored in the refrigerator they may need to be cooked longer. The cold refrigerator will make the bacon take a little bit longer to fully cook.
- All ovens and smokers cook differently, I recommend checking on the recipe around 40-45 minutes and letting them cook longer if the bacon is not crispy enough.
- I like cooking these on a wire rack on a sheet pan. This helps the bacon grease drain away from the Little Smokies and helps the bacon get crispier.
- This recipe will work with or without the toothpicks.