Slow Cooker Little Smokies with Grape Jelly & BBQ Sauce: 3 Ingredients, Big Flavor!
Slow cooker Little Smokies need just three ingredients: fully cooked cocktail sausages, grape jelly, and barbecue sauce. As they heat, the jelly melts into the barbecue sauce, making a sweet, tangy coating that clings to the sausages. There’s no browning, chopping, or complicated preparation.
They’re a practical appetizer for game days, holiday gatherings, and potlucks because the same slow cooker can cook them and keep them warm for serving. The main things to watch are the sauce consistency and the holding temperature. Gentle heat keeps the sausages plump; prolonged boiling can leave them split and chewy.
The recipe below makes about 10 appetizer servings, with quantities for larger groups and instructions for preparing everything ahead.
Three-Ingredient Little Smokies Recipe
Choose fully cooked cocktail sausages, sometimes labeled cocktail links, smoked cocktail sausages, or Lit’l Smokies. Beef, pork, and mixed-meat varieties all work. This recipe is not intended for raw sausage.
Use a barbecue sauce you enjoy on its own. An original-style, smoky, or slightly spicy sauce works well with grape jelly. A very sweet honey barbecue sauce produces a noticeably sweeter appetizer.
Recipe Details
- Yield: About 10 appetizer servings
- Preparation time: 5 minutes
- Cooking time: About 2–3 hours on LOW or 1–2 hours on HIGH
- Total time: About 1–3 hours, plus preparation
- Equipment: A small slow cooker, generally 2–3 quarts, a spoon, and an instant-read thermometer
Slow cookers vary considerably. The cooking times are estimates; check the temperature rather than relying only on the clock. Follow your appliance’s guidance for minimum and maximum fill levels.
Ingredients
- 1 cup grape jelly, approximately 11 ounces (310 g)
- 1 cup barbecue sauce, 8 fluid ounces (240 mL)
- 28 ounces fully cooked cocktail sausages, about two 14-ounce packages (794 g), drained of package liquid
Metric weights for jelly vary somewhat by brand. A level U.S. measuring cup is sufficient for this forgiving sauce.
Instructions
- Mix the sauce. Add the grape jelly and barbecue sauce to the slow cooker. Stir together as well as you can. Small lumps of jelly will melt during cooking.
- Add the sausages. Stir the drained cocktail sausages into the sauce until coated. Put the lid on.
- Cook on LOW or HIGH. Cook on LOW for about 2–3 hours or HIGH for about 1–2 hours, stirring once partway through if practical. Begin checking at the earlier time, especially in a small or hot-running cooker.
- Check the temperature. For a conservative serving target, heat the sausages to 165°F (74°C). Check several sausages near the center of the cooker, inserting the thermometer into the thickest part.
- Stir and serve. Once hot throughout, stir the sauce and switch to WARM. Confirm that the cooker keeps the food at 140°F (60°C) or above during serving.
Keep the lid on during cooking except for a brief stir or temperature check. Repeatedly opening it lets heat escape and can extend the cooking time.
Serve with toothpicks or a small serving spoon. Set out plates and provide a separate cup for used toothpicks so guests don’t return them to the serving dish.
Getting the Sweet-and-Tangy Sauce Right
Grape jelly supplies sweetness and a smooth texture. Barbecue sauce brings acidity, seasoning, and smokiness. Once mixed, the sauce generally tastes more like a sweet barbecue glaze than grape jam.
The equal-parts ratio is an easy starting point. For a less sweet version, use ¾ cup jelly and 1¼ cups barbecue sauce, choosing a sauce that is tangy rather than heavily sweetened. The finished flavor will still depend on the brand.
There’s no need to add water. The jelly melts as it heats, and the sausages release some liquid into the pot. A sauce that looks thick at the beginning usually loosens during cooking.
If the Sauce Becomes Too Watery
First, stir the pot thoroughly. Condensation can collect around the edges, making the sauce look thinner than it is. A spoonful will also thicken slightly as it cools.
If the sauce still runs off the sausages, transfer some of it to a saucepan and simmer it uncovered, stirring frequently, until reduced. Return it to the cooker and stir. This is more predictable than leaving a slow cooker uncovered, since some appliances don’t simmer strongly enough to reduce sauce efficiently.
For a quicker correction, use an optional cornstarch slurry:
- Mix 1 teaspoon cornstarch with 1 teaspoon cold water until smooth.
- Stir it into about 1 cup of sauce in a small saucepan.
- Bring to a gentle simmer, stirring, until thickened.
- Return the thickened sauce to the sausages.
Cornstarch makes this a four-ingredient version, so reduction is the better choice if you want to keep the original three ingredients. Avoid adding dry cornstarch directly to the cooker, where it can form lumps.
If the sauce becomes too thick during serving, stir in hot water a tablespoon at a time.
Substitutes for Grape Jelly
Grape jelly is traditional, but other smooth fruit spreads work in this recipe. Replace it with an equal volume, then taste the finished sauce before making further adjustments.
- Apple jelly: A mild substitute that lets the barbecue seasoning come through.
- Apricot preserves: Slightly tart, with a more noticeable fruit flavor. Small pieces of fruit will remain unless you blend the preserves first.
- Seedless raspberry jam: Adds berry flavor and some tartness. Choose seedless for a smoother coating.
- Orange marmalade: Gives the sauce citrus flavor and a little bitterness from the peel. It works especially well with smoky barbecue sauce.
Jellied cranberry sauce is another option, although it isn’t jelly and produces a different texture. Break it up thoroughly before adding the sausages; it may take more stirring to become evenly incorporated.
Reduced-sugar and sugar-free spreads can behave differently when heated. Check the product label for cooking guidance and expect a possible change in sweetness or sauce thickness.
How Much to Make for 10, 20, or 30 Guests
For a gathering with several appetizers, plan on approximately 2–3 ounces of cocktail sausages per person. The quantities below allow 2.8 ounces per guest, plus sauce.
| Guests | Cocktail sausages | Grape jelly | Barbecue sauce |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | 28 ounces (794 g) | 1 cup | 1 cup (240 mL) |
| 20 | 56 ounces (1.59 kg) | 2 cups | 2 cups (480 mL) |
| 30 | 84 ounces (2.38 kg) | 3 cups | 3 cups (720 mL) |
Package sizes vary, so shop by total weight rather than assuming every brand comes in a 14-ounce package.
These portions suit a spread that also includes foods such as cheese, vegetables, dips, or sandwiches. If the sausages are the main substantial food, allow more. Around 4 ounces per person is a reasonable planning estimate for a heavier appetizer portion, although appetites and the rest of the menu will affect how much gets eaten.
Scale the sauce with the sausages. Adding extra packages without increasing the sauce leaves less coating and less liquid around the food.
A larger batch may take longer to heat, but doubling the ingredients doesn’t mean doubling the cooking time. Use a cooker with adequate capacity, follow its recommended fill range, and check the temperature in several places. For a large party, two smaller cookers can be easier to manage than one crowded pot.
Keeping Little Smokies Warm Without Overcooking
Once the sausages are hot, switch the slow cooker to WARM. Continued cooking on HIGH can make the sauce boil, encourage sticking around the edges, and cause the sausage skins to split.
WARM is a holding setting, not a dependable way to heat cold food. Use it only after the sausages and sauce have reached serving temperature.
During the party:
- Keep the food at 140°F (60°C) or above. Check with a food thermometer, since warm settings differ among appliances.
- Replace the lid between servings. This helps maintain temperature and limits evaporation.
- Stir occasionally. Bring sauce from the edges back toward the center, especially as the pot empties.
- Watch for persistent bubbling. If the sauce boils even on WARM, the cooker may run too hot for good-quality holding. Transfer the food to another suitable warming appliance if available.
- Avoid adding cold sausages to the serving batch. Heat a fresh batch separately before replenishing the pot.
For a long gathering, hold a smaller amount for guests and replenish it with freshly heated portions. This reduces the time the last few sausages spend cooking in a nearly empty crock.
If the food drops below 140°F, don’t leave it sitting indefinitely. Perishable food should not remain out of temperature control for more than two hours total, or one hour when the surrounding temperature exceeds 90°F (32°C). Discard it if that limit has passed.
Make-Ahead, Refrigeration, and Reheating
The simplest make-ahead option is to measure the jelly and barbecue sauce into a covered container and refrigerate them. Keep the unopened sausages refrigerated according to their package directions. On the day of the party, combine everything in the slow cooker and cook as directed.
You can also cook the entire recipe ahead. After cooking, transfer the sausages and sauce into shallow containers and refrigerate within two hours. Don’t leave a large crockful on the counter to cool completely.
Store cooked leftovers in the refrigerator at 40°F (4°C) or below for three to four days. Labeling the container with the cooking date makes that window easier to track.
Reheat Before Transferring to the Slow Cooker
Reheat refrigerated Little Smokies and sauce on the stovetop or in the microwave until they reach 165°F (74°C) throughout. On the stove, use medium-low heat and stir frequently to prevent the sugary sauce from scorching. In the microwave, cover loosely, stir between heating intervals, and check several spots.
Transfer the hot food to a preheated slow cooker for holding, following the appliance manufacturer’s instructions.
The USDA does not recommend using a slow cooker to reheat leftovers because the food may warm too slowly. That distinction matters when planning a potluck: a cold container of previously cooked sausages needs reheating before it goes into the serving cooker.
A Simple Party Appetizer Worth Planning Ahead
For dependable slow cooker Little Smokies, use 28 ounces of fully cooked cocktail sausages with 1 cup each of grape jelly and barbecue sauce. Heat them thoroughly, then hold them at 140°F or above without letting the sauce boil continuously.
Choose the batch size around the rest of the menu, and decide before the party whether you’ll cook that day or reheat a refrigerated batch. With those details settled, this inexpensive appetizer needs little attention beyond an occasional stir and temperature check.
