Sweet and Spicy Little Smokies

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There’s nothing better than a quick and easy party recipe — especially when it’s a gluten free appetizer! And it doesn’t get much easier than these sweet and spicy little smokies. Since you only need three ingredients to prepare them, all you have to do is dump everything into your slow cooker and walk away. After a few hours, you have a delicious finger food to serve your party guests with just a few minutes of prep work.

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Since these three ingredient smoked sausages are quick and easy to make, they’re going to be your new favorite appetizer to serve at a party! Everyone will love the sweet and spicy combination of ingredients in this simple gluten free party food recipe.

And since all the ingredients used to prepare this simple appetizer are naturally gluten free, it’s perfect for serving all your party guest!

Sweet and Spicy Little Smokies

Now you know this recipe is easy to make and can be put together with just three ingredients. So what are you waiting for? Let’s start cooking!

To make your own sweet and spicy smokies, you’ll need just three simple ingredients:

• Little smokies: You can use any brand you want for your little smokies. These mini smoked sausages usually come in both pork and beef varieties, so choose which ever type of sausage you prefer.
• Grape jelly: Again, any brand of grape jelly works in this dish, so choose whatever type of jelly your family prefers.
• Chili sauce: The key to giving your smoked sausages a spicy kick is to use chili sauce. While this sauce is similar to BBQ sauce, it does have a slightly different taste and texture. You can usually find a bottle of chili sauce next to the ketchup. I usually use Heinz chili sauce, but you can use any brand you find at your store.

Are cocktail sausages the same as little smokies?

These delicious mini sausages go by many different names, including cocktail sausages, little smokies, lil’ smokies, and cocktail franks. While the names are different, they all refer to the same type of small smoked sausages.

Are little smokies gluten free?

Yes! Most cocktail sausages are gluten free. I always purchase Hillshire Farms little smokies, but the majority of other brands are also safe to eat. Always check the package to ensure that there are no harmful ingredients listed or risks of cross-contamination.

How to Make Sweet and Spicy Little Smokies

You’re going to love how quick and easy it is to make these grape jelly little smokies! With the help of your crockpot, you can whip them up with just a few minutes of prep work.

Start by making your sauce. Add the chili sauce and the grape jelly to a medium bowl. Use a wisk or fork to stir the ingredients together. This will help break up the grape jelly and prevent any chunks of jelly for forming in your sauce.

Once the sauce ingredients are well mixed, place the cocktail sausages in the bowl of your slow cooker. Pour the sauce over top. Then, stir everything together until all the franks are coated in sauce.

After that, place the lid on your crockpot and set the slow cooker to cook on low for four hours. I wouldn’t recommend cooking this recipe on high because you may risk burning your sauce.

Once the cook time is up, serve your sausages immediately. Or set the slow cooker to the warm setting until you’re ready to serve them.

Crock Pot Little Smokies Recipe Ideas

Once you try the sweet and spicy sauce on these little sausages, you’ll never make cocktail franks without it again! And since this recipe is so simple to make, you can easily adjust it to suit your family’s tastes.

Try some of these recipe adjustments and serving to create a delicious appetizer for any celebration:

• Use BBQ sauce. Chili sauce really is the way to go with this recipe. But if you can’t find any or don’t have any on hand, you can use BBQ sauce instead. Try to mix in a variety that has some spiciness to it. And avoid sweetened BBQ sauces (like ones with honey or brown sugar) because the sauce may end up too sweet when combined with the grape jelly.
• Make it with meatballs. This sauce is delicious on cocktail sausages, but it also tastes amazing on meatballs! Try my gluten free grape jelly meatballs for your next party!
• Bake them in the oven. Using your slow cooker is the easiest way to prepare these sausages. But if you’re short on time, you can also bake them in the oven. Combine the sausages with the sauce, then pour all the ingredients into a greased baking dish. Bake the weinies at 350 for 30 minutes, until the sauce is just beginning to bubble and the sausages are heated through.

More Easy Recipe Ideas:

Charcuterie Mason Jars

Crockpot Sausage Bites 

Slow Cooker Jalapeno Popper Dip

Easy Jalapeno Poppers

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