Description
These Bacon Wrapped Smokies are a delicious, savory appetizer perfect for parties or game days. Juicy little smokies are wrapped in crispy, flavorful bacon, then brushed with a sweet and spicy maple syrup glaze for an irresistible bite.
Ingredients
Scale
Meats
- 12 oz center cut bacon
- 12 oz little smokies sausages (or other cocktail wieners)
Syrup Glaze
- ¼ cup pure maple syrup
- 1-2 tsp chili garlic sauce (start with 1 tsp and add more for extra spice)
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C). Line a large sheet pan with a double layer of parchment paper to prevent sticking and facilitate easy cleanup.
- Partially Cook Bacon: Cut the bacon slices in half. Lay the bacon pieces on the parchment-lined pan and bake them for 8-10 minutes until they start to render fat but are still pliable. Remove the pan from the oven and let the bacon cool slightly. Meanwhile, reduce the oven temperature to 350°F (175°C).
- Wrap Smokies: Prepare another sheet pan lined with two layers of parchment paper. Once the bacon has cooled enough to handle, wrap each piece around a little smokie sausage and secure it with a toothpick. Repeat this process until all bacon is used; you may have some smokies left unwrapped if you have more sausages than bacon slices. Place the wrapped smokies evenly on the prepared pan.
- Start Baking Wrapped Smokies: Bake the bacon-wrapped smokies at 350°F for 20-22 minutes, allowing the bacon to crisp up and the sausages to heat through.
- Prepare Glaze: While the smokies bake, whisk together the pure maple syrup and chili garlic sauce in a small bowl, adjusting the chili sauce quantity to your preferred spice level.
- Glaze and Finish Baking: Remove the pan from the oven once the smokies are nearly done. Brush each wrapped smokie generously with the maple syrup and chili garlic sauce glaze. Return the pan to the oven and bake for an additional 3-4 minutes so the glaze becomes sticky and caramelized.
- Cool and Serve: Let the bacon wrapped smokies cool slightly before serving warm as a savory, sweet-spicy appetizer.
Notes
- Use center cut bacon for better texture and manageable wrapping.
- You can swap little smokies with any cocktail wiener or mini sausages of similar size.
- Adjust chili garlic sauce to control the spice level to your liking.
- Make sure to secure bacon slices well with toothpicks to prevent unwrapping during baking.
- Double layering parchment paper helps in easy cleanup due to bacon fat and sticky syrup glaze.
- Allow smokies to cool slightly before serving to avoid burning your mouth.
