Sweet and slightly spicy brown sugar bacon wrapped lil smokies with a sliver of a fresh jalapeno are the perfect finger foods for big game day. This crowd-pleasing, easy appetizer can be made a day or two in advance making party time less stressful and more fun for the game day host.

Little sausages, jalapeno slivers, wrapped up in a piece of bacon, and a thin layer of sweet cinnamon-brown sugar come together for a perfect holiday party or special cocktail party appetizer.

Brown sugar bacon wrapped smokies with jalapeno with toothpicks on a white rectangle serving plate.

Why You’ll Love These Lil Smokies Wrapped in Bacon

Best Finger Food: These great appetizers are so easy to serve. The toothpick handle is easy to pick up, dip, and eat, without using a utensil.

Easy Make-Ahead Recipe: This is one of my favorite holiday appetizers because you can make these a couple of weeks ahead and freeze. When ready to cook, let them come to room temperature, sprinkle or roll in the brown sugar mixture, and serve. The sauce can also be made in advance.

Great flavor with a Little Less Fat: I love this recipe because it’s not as greasy and fatty as most on the internet. Laying a baking rack on a large cookie sheet instead of cooking on a foil-lined baking sheet. The baking rack helps with crisping the bacon and cuts the grease and fat in half. They’re still high in calories but not as much as sausage snacks that cook in full grease.

What You’ll Need for Brown Sugar Bacon Wrapped Smokies and Jalapenos

Little smokies (cocktail sausages) – savory and juicy, little bites of seasoned meat products. These small sausages are also known as cocktail wieners in grocery stores. Hillshire Farms brand is very common but there are so many different brands and types. Feel free to experiment with a flavored sausage like these HEB cranberry little smokies I used in the recipe. Jalapeno and cheese smokies would be delicious.
Bacon strips – use the least fatty, best bacon you can find. I like to use center-cut bacon. It’s a little bit more expensive but worth it.
Jalapenos – jalapenos add a tinge of hot flavor that perfectly balances with the sweet brown sugar mixture. If you’re a Jalapeno fan feel free to make the slivers bigger.
Brown sugar and cinnamon – subtle sweetness and earthy spice is a great combination with the fatty sausage and jalapeno sliver. The sugar caramelizes in the oven, creating a delicious glaze that enhances the overall taste.
toothpicks – This not only holds the bacon but also adds a convenient handle for easy snacking.
semi-homemade BBQ sauce – this sauce is easy and delicious.

Simple Ingredients for This Little Smokies Recipe

1 package of little smokies sausages (about 24)
1 large or 2 medium jalapenos
8 full slices bacon – cut into thirds
24 toothpicks
1/4 cup of brown sugar
1 tsp cinnamon

Brown sugar bacon wrapped little smokies ingredients on a white cutting board.

Sauce Ingredients

1 cup store-bought Barbeque Sauce
3 tbsp Dijon mustard
3 tbsp mayonnaise
1/2 tsp hot sauce – or more to taste
1 tsp garlic powder
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tbsp Worcestershire

How To Make These Sweet and Spicy Bacon-Wrapped Smokies

Step One: Preheat oven to 350°F.
Step Two: Using a sharp knife, cut the jalapenos into thin slivers. Then cut the cold stack of bacon slices into thirds. Note: The bacon is much easier to cut if it’s cold and, in a slab, rather than cutting each individual slice.
Step Three: Lay a piece of cut bacon on a cutting board. Lay a sliver of jalapeno and one little sausage on the bacon. Wrap bacon tightly around sausage and jalapeno. Secure with a toothpick through the middle of the sausage, jalapeno, and bacon. Set in a single layer on a baking sheet with a wire rack insert , aluminum foil, or parchment paper. Repeat until all the lil smokies are rolled and wrapped. Make sure to leave some space between each piece to allow for even cooking.

Uncooked bacon wrapped smokie and jalapeno with a toothpick inserted.

Step Four: In a small bowl, mix the brown sugar and cinnamon until thoroughly combined. Heavily sprinkle the sweet mixture on top of the wrapped sausages. Or roll each sausage wrap in the sugar-cinnamon combination.
Step Five: Place the baking sheet into the preheated oven and bake for about 45-50 minutes or until the bacon is crispy and golden brown. Keep an eye on them to prevent overcooking. Cook time will vary.

Brown sugar and cinnamon sprinkled on top of uncooked bacon wrapped smokies and jalapeno on a backing rack on top of a cookie sheet.

Step Six: Combine store-bought barbeque sauce, I use Head Country (Oklahoma BBQ sauce), mayonnaise, mustard, hot sauce, garlic powder, cinnamon, and Worcestershire. Let the sauce rest while the bacon wraps are cooking.

Semi-homemade BBQ sauce in a white bowl set on a black and white checkered towel.

Bacon Wrapped Little Smokies Variations and Flavor Combinations

Sausage Varieties:

Wrap Alternatives:

deli ham
prosciutto
pepperoni
salami
pie crust dough
crescent rolls

Seasoning Combinations:

chili powder, cumin, and black pepper mix
Everything but the Bagel Seasoning
Cajun seasoning
Easy homemade Tex-Mex taco seasoning

Cooked brown sugar bacon wrapped smokies and jalapenos on a cooking rack inserted on baking sheet.

Frequently Asked Questions-FAQ

Q: Can Bacon Wrapped Smokies be frozen?

A: Yes, you can either assemble them uncooked or fully cooked. If frozen fully cooked then bring them to room temperature and re-heat in an air fryer for a couple of minutes, covered in the oven until warm, or in the microwave for about 45 seconds.

Q: Can this recipe be doubled?

A: Yes, use twice the amount of ingredients and another large sheet pan.

Q: Is cheese easy to add to this recipe?

A: No, I wouldn’t incorporate cheese into the wrap. The cheese would melt out and disappear while baking. But these smokies would be terrific with Rotel Cheese Dip!

Fully cooked brown Sugar bacon wrapped smokies and jalapeno close up photo.

How To Serve Little Smokies Sausages Wrapped in Bacon

Once they’re out of the oven, let the bacon-wrapped little smokies cool for a few minutes before serving. Arrange them on a platter with toothpicks for easy snacking. Serve with the semi-homemade barbecue sauce or Jalapeno Ranch Dressing.

How To Store Leftovers

Store the bacon wrapped smokies in an airtight container. These will stay good for 3-4 days. Re-heat in an air fryer for a couple of minutes or in the microwave for about 45 seconds.

Store the semi-homemade smokie sauce in an individual airtight container. The sauce will last for at least a week.

More Favorite Appetizers You’ll Love

Homemade Spicy Chex Mix with Cheese Puffs

Easy Spicy Everything Mini Saltine Snack Crackers

Best Spicy Sausage Rotel Queso Cheese Dip

Light and Creamy White Cauliflower Queso Dip

Best Jalapeno Pimento Cheese Recipe