Bacon-Wrapped Cocktail Sausages (Printable view)

Mini sausages wrapped in crispy bacon with a sweet, caramelized brown sugar glaze. Perfect party appetizer.

# What You Need:

→ Meats

01 - 24 mini cocktail sausages (12 oz)
02 - 12 slices bacon (8 oz), cut in half

→ Glaze

03 - 1/2 cup brown sugar
04 - 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
05 - 1 tablespoon maple syrup or honey

# How To Make:

01 - Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper or foil.
02 - Cut each bacon slice in half crosswise.
03 - Wrap each cocktail sausage with a half-slice of bacon, securing with a toothpick.
04 - Arrange the bacon-wrapped smokies seam-side down on the prepared baking sheet.
05 - In a small bowl, combine brown sugar and cayenne pepper if using.
06 - Sprinkle brown sugar mixture evenly over the smokies. Drizzle with maple syrup or honey for extra caramelization.
07 - Bake for 30 to 35 minutes until bacon is crisp and glaze is bubbling. For additional crispiness, broil for 1 to 2 minutes at the end, monitoring closely.
08 - Cool slightly before serving. Present warm with toothpicks for easy consumption.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • They disappear faster than you can say kickoff, which means you did something very right.
  • The sweet heat balance tricks your brain into reaching for just one more, then another, then oops the plate is empty.
  • You can prep them in pajamas and still look like a culinary genius when guests arrive.
  • Cleanup is laughably easy since everything happens on one sheet pan.
02 -
  • If you skip lining the pan, you will spend twenty minutes scraping caramelized sugar off metal and questioning your life choices.
  • Broiling at the end is a game changer, but look away for thirty seconds and they go from perfect to charcoal.
  • Let them cool at least three minutes or the molten sugar will burn the roof of your mouth and ruin the whole experience.
03 -
  • Use a rimmed baking sheet or the glaze will drip into your oven and smoke out your kitchen, speaking from experience here.
  • If the bacon isn't crisping evenly, flip the smokies halfway through baking so both sides get direct heat.
  • For a flavor twist, add a tablespoon of Dijon mustard to the brown sugar mixture, it cuts the sweetness and adds a tangy depth that feels grown up.
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