Description
Deliciously savory and sweet bacon wrapped smokies with a spicy maple glaze, perfect as a crowd-pleasing appetizer for parties or gatherings. The smoky bacon is baked to crisp perfection around juicy cocktail sausages, then brushed with a flavorful maple syrup and chili garlic sauce glaze for a hint of heat and sweetness.
Ingredients
Scale
Meat
- 12 oz center cut bacon, cut in half
- 12 oz little smokies sausages (or other cocktail wieners)
Glaze
- ¼ cup pure maple syrup
- 1-2 tsp chili garlic sauce (start with 1 tsp and adjust for spice preference)
Instructions
- Preheat Oven and Prepare Pan: Preheat your oven to 400°F (204°C). Line a large sheet pan with a double layer of parchment paper to prevent sticking and for easy cleanup.
- Partially Cook Bacon: Cut the bacon slices in half to fit better around the smokies. Arrange the bacon pieces on the prepared pan and bake for 8-10 minutes until they start to render fat but are not fully cooked. Remove the bacon from the oven and let it cool slightly. Reduce oven temperature to 350°F (177°C).
- Wrap Smokies with Bacon: Prepare a second sheet pan with two layers of parchment paper. When the bacon is cool enough to handle, wrap each little smokie with a bacon piece and secure it with a toothpick. Continue this process until all bacon is used; you might have a few smokies left unwrapped if bacon is limited. Place the wrapped smokies on the prepared pan.
- Bake Wrapped Smokies: Bake the bacon-wrapped smokies in the oven at 350°F (177°C) for 20-22 minutes until the bacon is crisp and the smokies are cooked through.
- Prepare the Glaze: While the smokies bake, whisk together the maple syrup and chili garlic sauce in a small bowl to combine the sweet and spicy flavors.
- Apply Glaze and Finish Baking: Remove the smokies from the oven and brush each piece generously with the maple chili garlic glaze. Return the pan to the oven and bake for an additional 3-4 minutes to allow the glaze to set and caramelize slightly.
- Serve: Let the bacon wrapped smokies cool just enough to handle safely, then serve warm as a delicious appetizer or party snack.
Notes
- For extra crispiness, you can broil the bacon wrapped smokies for 1-2 minutes at the end, watching carefully to avoid burning.
- If you prefer less spice, start with 1 teaspoon chili garlic sauce or omit it for a milder glaze.
- Use center cut bacon as it is less fatty and wraps nicely without excess grease dripping.
- To make preparation faster, you can partially cook bacon on the stovetop before wrapping if preferred.
- Ensure to secure the bacon with toothpicks to prevent unraveling during baking.
