Slow Cooker Little Smokies Recipe (co*cktail Weenies) | foodiecrush.com (2024)

This easy and addictive little smokies recipe is made even simpler thanks to the Crockpot and is perfect for game days and parties.

CrockPot Little Smokies Appetizer

Every year around this time, it’s the same thing.

The phone rings. Well, it used to ring. Now it just buzzes with texts.And then I hear read, “Heidi, can you send me your Little Smokies recipe again?”

Yep, like clockwork.

As the big game daydraws near, I starthearing—make that seeing—the requests. And every year I sendthe same little smokies recipeout to friends who have had these sweet little barbecued sausages in the crockpot (or my new Instant Pot) on game days of yearspast.

They’recraving them again, but this time in the comfort of their own home where the game day bets are a little looser, and a whole lot more forgiving.

I never thought this humble lil smokies recipe was worthy ofa blog post, but given the requests I stillreceive, andthe fact thatI crack open my war-torn recipe binderfor the recipeeachyear, I realized me and my friends might notbethe only ones in need of a super simple, slow cooker game dayappetizer.

What’s in This Little Smokies Recipe?

These days there are a variety of co*cktail weiner flavors out there. Turkey. Beef. Sausage, and combos of them all. I chose traditionalpork sausages but also threw in a package of cheddar-stuffed weiners for a little once-in-a-few-bites surprise.

A basic store-bought barbecue sauce is the base for this sauce, so Ichoose a quality, honey sweetened version tolendthesmoky, sweet flavor.

White vinegar adds tang and a puckery punch. I don’t use apple cider vinegar because it comes off a little too strong.

And then there’s beer. What would game day be like without another layer of it?

How to Make Little Smokies

This game day appetizer couldn’t be simpler. Just add everything to your slow cooker, pop the lid on, and let the co*cktail weenies cook on high for 2 to 3 hours until warmed through.

Once cooked, turn the heat to “warm” to keep the lil smokies warm all afternoon.

Can I Omit the Beer?

The alcohol from the beer cooks out of the co*cktail sausages, but if you’d rather not add the beer, addthe same amount ofwater or sparkling cider in its place.

What Type of Beer Should I Use?

You want to use a light beer in this recipe. Bud Light or something similar will work.

Tips for Making Little Smokies

I add ½ cup brown sugar to the lil smokies sauce to amp up its sweet flavor. If you don’t like your little smokies to be too sweet, scale back the amount of sugar you use.

I don’t recommend using granulated sugar in place of brown sugar, as brown sugar’s caramel-y flavor pairs better with the honey barbecue sauce.

If serving this little smokies recipe to guests, be sure to plonk a serving spoon into the slow cooker so they can easily serve themselves. A stash of clean toothpicks to eat these co*cktail weenies with also makes for less cutlery to clean after the big game.

More Easy Appetizers You’ll Love

• Bacon Beer Cheese Dip
• Slow Cooker Buffalo Chicken Cheese Dip
• Easy Yogurt Fruit Dip
• French Onion Dip
• Pigs in a Puff Pastry Blanket

If you make this recipe, please let me know! Bookmark this recipe and leave a comment below, or take a photo andtag me on Instagramwith #foodiecrusheats.

More Slow Cooker Recipes to Master

• Slow Cooker Healthy Turkey and Sweet Potato Chili with Quinoa
• Slow Cooker Sriracha Meatballs
• Easy Slow Cooker Pulled Pork
• Slow Cooker Whole Chicken
• Slow Cooker Teriyaki Chicken

We send good emails.Subscribe to FoodieCrushand have each post plus exclusive content only for our subscribers delivered straight to your e-mail box.

Follow me onInstagram,Facebook,PinterestandTwitterfor more FoodieCrush inspiration.

As always, thank you for reading and supporting companies I partner with, which allows me to create more unique content and recipes for you. There are affiliate links in this post of which I receive a small commission. All opinions are always my own.