Crockpot Grape Jelly Little Smokies: Whether you’re hosting a party, organizing a game night, or simply having a night in with family and friends, these crockpot grape jelly little smokies will steal the spotlight. They make for ideal finger food that vanishes in no time and the simple recipe is quite the crowd-pleasing appetizer, that can stay in the Crockpot.
Crock pot little smokies make for a delicious recipe and great appetizer for your party thanks to their ease of assembly and small size. If you are in the market for some more party food options, check out these classic Air Fryer pigs in a blanket or this crack corn dip.
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❤️ Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- It uses a few ingredients: With only 4 ingredients, this recipe uses simple ingredients that are easy to find.
- Make-ahead recipe: Throw this recipe in the crockpot before your party and leave it be! So simple.
- Budget-friendly: This recipe is made with 4 cheap ingredients that you can find at any supermarket!
🧾 Ingredients Needed
I’ve highlighted a couple of ingredients below with some relevant notes. Aside from this, the ingredients needed are pretty basic.
- Little Smokies – We used beef lil smokies for this recipe but there are also pork and vegetarian cocktail weenies options.
- Tangy BBQ Sauce – Feel free to use your favorite BBQ sauce for this recipe. You could also make your own with some brown sugar, ketchup, apple cider vinegar, honey, and Worcestershire sauce.
- Chili Sauce – This will add that extra kick to your crockpot grape jelly little smokies. It’s usually a mix of tomatoes and spices. If you can’t get your hands on chili sauce, just use ketchup with a dash of hot sauce or some crushed red pepper flakes for a similar vibe.
- Grape Jelly – Grape jelly gives that sweet touch that evens out the smoky and tangy vibes. You can tweak how much jelly you add to match your own taste. If you’re not big on sweetness, just cut back a bit on the jelly.
📖 Substitutions
Sometimes substitutions are necessary because of ingredients that are unavailable or needed for dietary restrictions. Here are some suggestions that can help:
- BBQ Sauce – For a lower-sugar option, select your favorite brand of low-sugar or sugar-free BBQ sauce.
- Grape Jelly – For a lower-sugar option, select your favorite brand of low-sugar or sugar-free grape jelly.
- Little Smokies – You could swap them out for meatballs to make a sweet and sour meatballs recipe in the slow cooker!
📖 Variations
You can easily make this easy Crockpot little smokies recipe your own with a few variations. Making your own savory sauce alterations would be a yummy idea and here are some of the different ways to do so:
- Little Smokies – While we used beef little smokies for this recipe, it would be just as good with your favorite go-to little smokies!
- BBQ Sauce – Change it up a bit and use a flavored BBQ sauce for an even denser flavor profile.
- Chili Sauce – If you don’t want an added kick, skip this one and it’ll make the recipe a tad more kid-friendly.
- Asain Inspired – Add an Asian twist to your mini sausages by swapping out the barbecue and chili sauces for some teriyaki sauce. Throw in a bit of grated ginger and a drizzle of honey to harmonize the flavors. Top it off with sesame seeds and chopped green onions for a burst of freshness when serving.
- Tex-Mex Inspired – Give your smokies a Tex-Mex infusion by incorporating a combination of barbecue sauce and chipotle sauce in the mixture.
- Add Some More Spice – If you’re in the mood for a bit of heat, stir in a couple of tablespoons of Sriracha sauce or your preferred hot sauce into the sauce blend. This will give your smokies a fantastic fiery punch that complements the grape jelly’s sweetness beautifully.
- Replace Grape Jelly – Swap out the jar of grape jelly for pineapple preserves or crushed pineapple to add a tropical twist.
🍳 Equipment
You will need a slow cooker/Crockpot for this recipe.
👩🏻🍳 How to Make Little Smokies with Grape Jelly
Making your Crockpot grape jelly little smokies is super simple.
These Grape Jelly Little Smokies are broken into 3 components:
- mixing the sauce
- adding to the crockpot
- slow cooking
This recipe is pretty hands-off. Your work is over in less than five minutes before you let the Crockpot do its thing. After 3 hours, your only job is to scoop some out to enjoy!
*Be sure to see the recipe card below for the full ingredients list & instructions!*
As mentioned above, all you have to do for this recipe is make the sauce, pour the sauce and sausages into your Crockpot, and then slow cook!
STEP 1. Make the Simple Sauce. In a medium-sized bowl, mix together the barbecue sauce, chili sauce, and grape jelly until well combined. (Images 1 & 2).
Tip: Taste the sauce before going onto the next step. Feel free to add a bit more of any ingredient to match the flavor you want!
STEP 2. Add to Crockpot. Place the little smokies into your slow cooker and generously pour the sauce mixture over them, ensuring each sausage is evenly coated. (Images 3 & 4).
STEP 3. Cook. Cover the slow cooker with its lid and set it to the low heat setting for a duration of 3 hours. At the halfway point of the cooking time, gently stir the sausages to guarantee that they’re all immersed in the sauce.
STEP 4. Serve. Once done, arrange the sausages on a platter or in a bowl, and remember to drizzle some of the remaining sauce over them to add an extra burst of flavor. Serve the sausages with toothpicks for convenient snacking.
💭 Recipe Pro Tips
- Serve right away. Serve the little smokies recipe with grape jelly right out of the slow cooker.
- Serve with Toothpicks. Make things easy on your guests and provide toothpicks for easy snacking on these slow cooker little smokies.
📋 Recipe FAQs
Little smokies are small cocktail wieners or mini-smoked sausages. They are typically made from pork, beef, or a combination of both, and they have a smoky flavor due to the smoking process during their making. These sausages are often used as appetizers or in recipes for various dishes, like cocktail wieners, pigs in a blanket, or served in a sauce as a party snack (like these ones). They are a popular choice for finger food at parties and gatherings.
If you’ve got frozen smoked sausages, it’s a smart move to let them thaw before tossing them into the slow cooker. This way, they’ll cook evenly and soak up the sauce’s flavors more effectively.
While the slow cooker handles the bulk of the work, it’s a good idea to stir the sausages gently every now and then. This ensures that the sauce spreads evenly and keeps any sausages from getting stuck to the bottom.
Take things up a notch by presenting the Slow Cooker Little Smokies alongside an array of dipping sauces. Consider options like zesty mustard, tangy ketchup, or a flavorful garlic aioli.
When you’re dishing out the Little Smokies at your party or get-together, think about maintaining their warmth by either keeping the slow cooker on the “warm” setting or using a buffet warmer.
This recipe is quite flexible. You can effortlessly increase or decrease the amounts depending on the number of guests you have. Simply tweak the ingredients while keeping the same flavor balance intact.
🍽 What to Serve with Crockpot Grape Jelly Little Smokies
Take things up a notch by presenting the Slow Cooker Little Smokies alongside an array of dipping sauces. Consider options like zesty mustard, tangy ketchup, or a flavorful garlic aioli.
❄️ Storage
Refrigerating: After they’ve cooled down, put your little smokies in an airtight container. You can keep both the sausages and the sauce together for ease. To enjoy them at their best, it’s advisable to consume them within 3-4 days to keep the flavor and freshness intact.
Freezing is also an option; they’re great for up to 2-3 months in the freezer inside of a freezer-safe container. When you want to use the frozen sausages, simply move them from the freezer to the refrigerator and let them thaw gradually overnight. This slow thawing process helps preserve their texture.
🥘 More Easy Crockpot Recipes You’ll Love
For more delicious appetizer recipes for your next party, check out these yummy ideas!
Did you make this? I’d be so grateful if you left a “star” rating below to let me know what you thought! Then, the next time you need a quick and easy recipe, come back to Fantabulosity to browse all of my easy recipes!
📖 Recipe
Crockpot Grape Jelly Little Smokies
Ingredients
- ½ cup barbecue sauce
- ¼ cup chili sauce
- ¾ cup grape jelly
- 42 ounces mini cocktail sausages 3, 14-ounce packages
Instructions
- In a medium-sized bowl, mix together the barbecue sauce, chili sauce, and grape jelly until well combined.
- Place the little smokies into your slow cooker and generously pour the sauce mixture over them, ensuring each sausage is evenly coated.
- Cover the slow cooker with its lid and set it to the low heat setting for a duration of 3 hours.
- At the halfway point of the cooking time, gently stir the sausages to guarantee that they’re all immersed in the sauce.
- Once done, arrange the sausages on a platter or in a bowl, and remember to drizzle some of the remaining sauce over them to add an extra burst of flavor.
- Serve the sausages with toothpicks for convenient snacking.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered estimates. Actual nutritional content will vary with brands used, measuring methods, portion sizes and more.
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