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    Home » Kitchen Laughter Recipes Blog » Pork

    Smoked Little Smokies

    Published: Jan 24, 2022 · Modified: Feb 2, 2023 by Jason C · This post may contain affiliate links ·

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    You might think that since “smoke” is in their name, Little Smokies are already perfectly seasoned with smokey flavor. In fact, Smoked Little Smokies are a clear improvement on this classic appetizer dish.

    bowl of smoked lit'l smokies with a toothpick in one to serve as a party appetizer.
    Smoked Little Smokies is a Perfect Game Day Treat!
    Contents hide
    1 🍽️ Why This Works
    2 🌭 Ingredients
    3 ⏲️ Equipment and Tools
    4 🔥 Instructions
    5 ❗ Expert Tips
    6 👩‍🍳 Cooking Options
    7 Meal Prep
    8 Substitutions
    9 Serving Suggestions
    10 ❓ Recipe FAQ
    11 Smoked Little Smokies

    Serve smoked little sausages at your next party or event and they will be an instant hit. Everyone will be asking for your recipe because they will taste the difference. If you’ve been wanting to make BBQ Weenies better, try this recipe in your smoker.

    🍽️ Why This Works

    Just four ingredients. It’s easy to find what you need for this little smoked sausages recipe. If you want to have these for the big game or holiday, make sure to shop ahead of time since these often sell out.

    Nothing complicated. You literally just stir it all together, throw it in the smoker, and walk away, coming back to stir it every so often. This recipe could not get any easier.

    Hugely Popular. Everyone loves little smokies, and with our slight tweaks to the recipe and the addition of smoke we’ve taken them to a whole new level.

    🌭 Ingredients

    top down view of the ingredients including lit'l smokes, BBQ sauce, fruit preserves, and worcestershire sauce.
    Just Four Ingredients!

    Little Smokies. You can buy the beef version or the turkey version, whichever suits your preference.

    BBQ Sauce. I used Sweet Baby Ray’s BBQ sauce because it’s one of my favorites. If you have a favorite, definitely use that. I tend to find that thicker sauces do better though, as far as flavor goes.

    Raspberry Preserves. The original recipe always calls for grape jelly but I find it just a bit too sweet and love the tartness that raspberry brings to the table.

    Worcestershire Sauce. A bit of this adds balance to the sweetness and depth of flavor.

    ⏲️ Equipment and Tools

    Cast Iron Skillet | This is a must for anyone who uses their smoker regularly. Whenever you want to smoke something with a sauce, this will be your cooking vessel of choice.

    Disposable Aluminum Pan | If you don’t want to spent the time cleaning up the skillet, or if you are taking this to a friend’s house, then use a disposable aluminum pan and save yourself the cleanup worries. It just makes life a bit easier!

    Smoker | Any smoker that will hold a cast-iron skillet will work, from a gas grill with a smoking box to a Traeger or a ceramic Kamado style.

    Wood Pellets | I used hickory pellets for this recipe, but any wood pellet will do.

    🔥 Instructions

    process photos showing adding the flavorings, stirring, smoking and then serving in a bowl.
    Simple Steps to Combine the Four Four Ingredients and Smoke

    Step One | Preheat your smoker and get it ready. It needs to be 250º. If you are using a Kamado style grill, add the plate setter. For gas grills, turn off the center burners and use a smoking box for the wood chips.

    Step Two | Place all of the ingredients in a mixing bowl and toss them well.

    Step Three | Pour this mixture into a cast-iron skillet and spread everything around evenly with your spoon. Scrape every last drop of that sauce mixture into the skillet!

    Step Four | Place the skillet in your smoker and let it smoke for 2½ hours stirring every 30-45 minutes.

    Step Five | Allow the Smoked Little Smokies to rest for about ten minutes before serving.

    ❗ Expert Tips

    I used hickory pellets for this recipe, but any wood pellet will do. More mild varieties like apple or cherry will provide a less robust flavor. If you aren’t sure which varieties will work, check out my free Wood Smoking Cheat Sheet.

    It’s important that these are stirred consistently throughout the smoking process to allow all of them to be smoked evenly. Without stirring, the ones on the top may dry out and become chewy.

    Use a disposable aluminum pan as a substitute for the cast iron skillet if you are taking this dish to a football party. Then, you don’t have to worry about cleaning, or bringing it home. 

    You don’t have to use raspberry preserves. Use grape jelly, which is a common recipe, or any other flavor of jam or preserves. I like the slight tartness the raspberry option gives to the smoked little sausages and it further adds to the flavor of the dish. 

    If you want to add some spice to your little smokies, you can add some hot sauce or some crushed red pepper flakes to the mix before cooking.

    I used Sweet Baby Ray’s BBQ sauce. A more tangy, robust flavored BBQ sauce will work well too as it will offset the sweeter preserves. I tend to find that thicker sauces do better though, as far as flavor goes.

    👩‍🍳 Cooking Options

    Smoker – Adding a stronger smoke flavor to the Little Smokies we all know and love is the perfect finishing touch you’ve been missing in this classic recipe. This is our preferred method. If you don’t have a smoker yet, try one of these other options.

    Oven – Without a smoker, you can bake them in an oven for 2½ hours at 250º. Or you could speed things up by increasing the heat a little bit.

    Crock Pot – If you prefer, throw the mixture in a crockpot and let them cook for 2 – 3 hours on low.

    Cook Top – Place all of the ingredients in a saucepan and cook for 20-25 minutes on medium heat.

    Meal Prep

    Planning a big party? Smoke these the day before and then reheat them in a saucepan and keep them warm in your crockpot at the appetizer table. Set the crockpot on low.

    Substitutions

    If you waited too long and can’t find Little Smokies at the store, you have a few options. You could buy bun-sized smoked sausages, halve them, and cut them up into one-inch pieces. This would also work with a large smoked sausage, sliced into thin rounds. You could even make this recipe with halved hot dogs cut into small pieces if you had to!

    If you want to add some spice to your smoked little smokies, you can add some hot sauce or some crushed red peppers to the mix before cooking.

    top down view of the cast iron skillet with lit'l smokies in the sauce.
    Stir Frequently to Keep it Moist!

    Serving Suggestions

    This recipe is a favorite party appetizer for all ages and complements a cheese tray and vegetables perfectly as the protein of choice. It also works well with a variety of appetizers. Here are some of our favorites.

    Smoked Philadelphia Cream Cheese

    Grilled Beer Brat Chili

    Honey Mustard Beer Brat Bites

    Grilled Cranberry Chili Sauce Beer Brats

    ❓ Recipe FAQ

    What are Little Smokie Sausages?

    These tiny sausages are made from beef or turkey and are fully pre-cooked similar to hot dogs. All you have to do is heat them up and serve them in the sauce of your choice.

    Can I Save Smoked Little Smokies?

    Yes. Leftovers will keep for 3-4 days in the refrigerator in an airtight container. Be sure to keep the extra sauce with the leftover weenies. Reheat your little sausages in a skillet or saucepan over medium heat in the sauce or try thirty seconds at a time in the microwave.

    Related Game Day Recipes

    • Grilled Garlic Parmesan Chicken Wings
    • Honey Mustard Beer Brat Bites
    • Smoked Pretzels
    • Queso Ranch Smoked Cheez Its

    Tried this recipe? Please leave a star ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating in the recipe card below and/or a review in the comments section further down the page. You can also stay in touch with me through social media by following me on Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook!

    bowl of smoked lit'l smokies with a toothpick in one to serve as a party appetizer.

    Smoked Little Smokies

    Just Four Ingredients to Make this Classic Game Day Appetizer.
    5 from 2 votes
    Print Pin
    Course: Appetizer
    Cuisine: American
    Prep Time: 15 minutes
    Smoking Time: 2 hours 30 minutes
    Total Time: 2 hours 45 minutes
    Servings: 10 people
    Calories: 463kcal
    Author: Jason

    Equipment

    • Smoker
    • Cast Iron Skillet
    • Disposable Aluminum Pan optional

    Ingredients

    • 40 ounces Little Smokies
    • ½ cup BBQ Sauce
    • 1 cup Raspberry Preserves
    • 2 tbsp Worcestershire Sauce

    Instructions

    • Preheat smoker or grill to 250 degrees. If you are using a gas grill, only use the outside burners and use a smoking box for the wood chips. For a Kamado style grill, add the plate setter.
    • In a medium sized bowl, combine the Worcestershire Sauce, BBQ Sauce and Raspberry Preserves and mix well. (If meal prepping, make this a day ahead and put in covered container in the refrigerator)
    • Add the little smokies to the cast iron skillet or dutch oven and pour the the sauce mixture over the top. Make sure to scrape the bowl to get all of the sauce! Stir everything together.
    • Place the cast iron skillet or dutch oven on the smoker, uncovered for 2½ hours. Check the little smokies and stir every 30-45 minutes to make sure that they are evenly smoked.
    • Remove the cast iron from the smoker and allow to rest for 10 minutes. Serve and enjoy!

    Notes

    Mix up the Preserves – Try different fruit preserves.  I had raspberry at home, but apricot and peach preserves work wonders.
    Customize – I like my BBQ sauce on the sweet side but it is easy to substitute for your favorite.
    Add Some Heat – Add red pepper flakes, jalapeño slices or even habanero if you want to add a bit of heat to these.
    Make Extra – You’ll be amazed at how fast these go at BBQs and Game Day parties.  No matter how many I make, I swear they get cleaned out FAST!
    Storage – Store the leftovers (if there are any) in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. 
    Meal Prep Option – Make the sauce a day ahead. This shaves off a couple minutes but sometimes every minute counts. 
    Stove Top Version – Making this on the stove top is just as easy. Since you will not have the smoke from the wood, add in a couple dashes of Liquid Smoke to the cast iron. Cook on medium low for 90-120 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes. 
    Slow Cooker Version – Make this in the slow cooker by combining all the ingredients and cook on low for at least 2 hours. Add in Liquid Smoke if you want it to be a little smoky like it would be on the smoker outdoors. 
     

    Nutrition

    Calories: 463kcal | Carbohydrates: 32g | Protein: 14g | Fat: 31g | Saturated Fat: 11g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 15g | Cholesterol: 73mg | Sodium: 1350mg | Potassium: 283mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 23g | Vitamin A: 35IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 28mg | Iron: 2mg
    Tried this recipe?Mention @kitchenlaughter or tag #kitchenlaughter!
    Smoked Little SmokiesSmoked Little Smokies
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