Slow Cooker Honey Garlic Lil’ Smokies are a fast and easy snack with BIG flavor! They’re the absolute BEST appetizer/game night/party food!
Mouthwatering Slow Cooker Honey Garlic Lil’ Smokies is the recipe you’ve been searching for! Little smoked sausages simmered in a crockpot of brown sugar, soy sauce, honey, garlic, and a spicy hot tomato sauce that’s SO STUPID GOOD everybody will want to know your secret!
A Grown-Up Appetizer
Forget the grape jelly, ketchup, and bbq sauce weenies you’ve had before Kid stuff.
This recipe for Lil’ Smokies is all about grown-up flavor! A spicy tomato sauce base combines with a little sweetness and savory umami flavor to make this slow-cooker appetizer amazingly luscious and satisfying!
Other Recipes to Serve with Cocktail Wieners
- If you’re looking for other great mini-weenie recipes, these Cheesy Pigs in a Blanket are a huge crowd-pleaser!
- And these Bacon Wrapped Smokies are always a hit! I mean…bacon!
Ingredients
Sausages: A couple of 14-ounce packages of Little Smokies will give you 70-80 individual cocktail wieners. That’s just right for this recipe, but you can easily double the entire batch for a big party!
Sweet: Brown sugar and honey give this crockpot appetizer the right sweetness to balance the savory sauce and meaty sausages.
Savory: Finish off these fantastic franks with some El Pato Mexican hot-style tomato sauce (in the yellow can), soy sauce, apple cider vinegar, and a few big garlic cloves.
How to Make Slow-Cooker Honey Garlic Lil’ Smokies
STEP ONE: Combine all the sauce ingredients in a medium bowl and blend well.
STEP TWO: Add the lil’ smokies to the slow cooker, pour the sauce over them, and cook on HIGH for 2-3 hours.
STEP THREE: Serve hot and save yourself some because these will disappear fast!
Tips for Success
- If the Mexican *HOT tomato sauce is unavailable, use a cup of regular tomato sauce and add red pepper flakes or a touch of hot sauce to taste.
- Lil’ Smokies come in different versions – beef, pork, a combo of beef/pork/chicken/cheese – all the varieties cook nicely in the honey garlic sauce!
- If your slow cooker is already used for another yummy appetizer, these Lil’ Smokies can be made on the stove. Blend everything in a large saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally until thoroughly hot. (It will only take 10-15 minutes, but the longer they simmer, the more flavor they absorb!)
Are Cocktail Wieners and Little Smokies the Same?
They are both names that refer to mini smoked sausages found in your grocery’s deli or meat section. People also refer to them as cocktail franks, mini weenies, baby bratwursts, or, as we do in this recipe, Lil’ Smokies. These little sausages are pre-cooked and come in various beef and pork options.
What Works Well with Cocktail Weenies?
Lil’ Smokies are a hearty appetizer staple. Surround it with both 1) Complementary items like bread, savory muffins, a cheese & cracker plate, or chips & a spinach artichoke dip, and 2) Opposites like deviled eggs, stuffed mushrooms or cherry tomatoes, fruit skewers, pickles, or nuts.
Other Slow-Cooker Snacks and Apps
- Bacon Wrapped Smokies
- Crock Pot Pizza Dip
- Slow Cooker Honey Mustard Kielbasa Bites
- Bourbon Brown Sugar Smokies
- Buffalo Chicken Dip in a Crock Pot
- Crock Pot Cranberry & Sriracha Lil’ Smokies
*This post was originally posted on 8/21/2014.
Equipment
Ingredients
- ¼ cup brown sugar firmly packed
- ⅓ cup honey
- 7.75 ounces El Pato tomato sauce (Mexican hot style)
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 4 large cloves garlic minced
- 28 ounces lil' smokies (2 packages)
- Fresh parsley finely chopped, for garnish
Instructions
- Combine the brown sugar, honey, El Pato, apple cider vinegar, soy sauce, and garlic in a medium bowl.
- Add the lil' smokies to a slow cooker (you can pour the juices from the package in too). Pour the sauce over the sausages and stir to coat.
- Cover the slow cooker and cook on HIGH for 2-3 hours.
- Give everything a stir before serving. You can keep the smokies in the slow cooker on WARM or transfer them to a serving bowl and top with chopped parsley, if desired.
Nathalie says
These lil smokies sound divine. I bet the recipe and cooking method would also work with meatballs. We are going to try them this Sunday! Yum!