Cocktail sausages are the perfect party or tailgate appetizer. There are so many ways to make them but this BBQ little smokies crock pot recipe will go straight to the top once you try them! So grab your slow cooker and some cocktail sausages to make the easiest and best appetizer ever.
There are a few appetizers that I always hope to see at every party or tailgate I go to. Cocktail sausages are definitely on that list. My husband loves these BBQ cocktail weenies and I love how simple this little smokies crockpot recipe is because I can fix it and forget it.
As we approach the holidays, I definitely like to have simple and easy appetizer recipes I can make for unexpected guests or as a way feed people in advance of the big holiday meal.
Since these cocktail sausages only need just a few ingredients and almost no hands on cooking time, they are perfect.
The combination of the honey BBQ sauce and the pepper jelly makes the sauce the perfect combination of slightly sweet and spicy.
You could easily double the ingredients and add meatballs into the slow cooker along with the cocktail weenies for variety.
How to Cook Little Smokies
One of the great things about cocktail sausages (also called little smokies) is that they are so versatile. Since they are already cooked, you are really just reheating them so the options are practically endless.
I prefer to cook cocktail weenies in the crockpot but they are equally as good heated in the same sauce on the stovetop too. That cooking method would obviously be faster.
Some other great ideas for cooking cocktail sausages:
- Pan saute until slightly crispy and then toss in sauce
- Bake in oven
- Thread onto skewers and cook on the grill
- Wrap in bacon and cook in oven
This recipe uses Cherry Dr Pepper in the sauce which gives it a great flavor. You can substitute regular or diet Dr Pepper or even Coke. You can also change out the type of BBQ sauce if you don’t like the sweetness from the honey.
If you love this BBQ little smokies crock pot recipe, be sure to try these other great recipes for cocktail sausages:
- Sticky Asian Cocktail Sausages
- Little Smokies Pretzel Bites
- Bacon Wrapped Cocktail Sausages
- Honey Mustard Cocktail Weenies
If you make this BBQ little smokies crockpot recipe or any other recipe from the blog, I’d love to hear about your experience. Let me know in the comments or snap a photo and tag it #MySuburbanKitchen on Instagram or Twitter.
BBQ Little Smokies Crock Pot Recipe
BBQ cocktail sausages are so easy and yummy when you make them in the crockpot using this simple recipe.
Ingredients
- 1 can Cherry Dr Pepper soda
- 1 bottle honey BBQ sauce
- 1 jar pepper jelly
- 1 package cocktail sausages
Instructions
- Combine Dr Pepper, BBQ sauce and pepper jelly in the bowl of the slow cooker. Turn on high and cook for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add cocktail sausages to sauce. Cook for 45 minutes on high or 1 hour and 30 minutes on low.
Notes
- You can substitute almost any dark soda for the Dr Pepper.
- After the initial cooking time listed above, you can keep the cocktail sausages on warm for up to 8 hours.
Haven’t had cocktail sausages in a while. At home, we have them pan sautéed most of the time. We’ll try this recipe some time. Thanks!
These look juicy and delicious. Over in the UK cocktail sausages are quite different – they are simply roasted mini sausages, rarely adorned with sauce or flavourings. If you’re really unlucky, they will come pre-cooked and vacuum packed from the supermarket – wrinkly, flavourless little specimens. These beauties are far superior.
Made these for a party last weekend and they were gone in seconds!
what size bbq sauce and jelly do you use
The BBQ sauce is about 18 oz (you can use anything close to that size) and the jelly is about 10 oz.
Is this using the smaller or larger pack of smokies?
I usually use the smaller package.