Bacon-wrapped little smokies for 12: about 48 cocktail sausages, each wrapped in a strip of bacon, rolled in brown sugar and cooked until the bacon is crisp and the sugar turns sticky. Wrap them the night before in about 30 minutes, keep them on ice, then cook them in a foil pan on the grill at the lot or in the oven at home.
Feeds: 12 (about 48 pieces) · Hands-on: about 30 min · Total: about 1¼ hours
Home gear: a 9 × 13 in. foil pan, a wire rack that fits inside it, foil, a lidded container
Pack for the lot
- Wrapped smokies, sealed, low in the cooler and away from ready-to-eat food
- Brown sugar mix, in its bag
- Foil pan, wire rack and foil
- Instant-read thermometer
- 2 pairs of tongs: one for raw, one for serving
- Heat-proof gloves or oven mitts
- Paper towels and hand wipes
- Charcoal and a chimney starter, or a full propane tank
- Trash bags
Lot notes
- Fuel: charcoal or propane both work. The cool side does the cooking, so you only need room for one 9 × 13 in. pan. Some stadiums ban charcoal or open flames, so check yours in our stadium rules table before you pack fuel.
- Raw meat on ice: the bacon is raw until it's cooked. Keep the container sealed, at 40°F or below, and below anything that's ready to eat so drips can't land on it.
- The rack matters: it lifts the smokies out of the fat so the bacon crisps instead of stewing. Without one, drain the pan halfway through.
- Holding them hot: leave the pan on the cool side with the lid down so they stay at 140°F or above. Toss whatever has been out past 2 hours, or 1 hour when it's over 90°F.
- Grease: let the pan cool before you move it. Fold the foil over the fat, let it firm up and toss it in the trash, not on the ground.
Can you make bacon-wrapped little smokies ahead?
Yes. Wrap them the night before, up to 1 day ahead, and keep them covered in the fridge, then in the cooler. Roll them in the brown sugar right before they cook so the sugar doesn't turn to syrup in the container.
Can you bake them at home and bring them?
Yes. Bake them on the rack in a foil-lined pan at 375°F for 35 to 40 minutes, until the bacon is crisp and the smokies read 165°F. Carry them wrapped in foil and towels in an insulated bag. If they've dropped below 140°F at the lot, reheat them on the cool side of the grill to 165°F.
How do you keep bacon-wrapped smokies hot at a tailgate?
Leave the pan on the cool side of the grill with the lid down so they hold at 140°F or above. Toss what's left after 2 hours out, or 1 hour over 90°F.
How many bacon-wrapped little smokies for 20 people?
Plan on about 4 each, so about 80. Make 2 batches: 2 packages of smokies (about 96), 2 lb bacon and 2 cups brown sugar. Cook them in 2 pans, and put the second one on when the first is half gone.
Are little smokies already cooked?
Yes, they're fully cooked, but the bacon is raw. Cook until the bacon is crisp all the way around and the smokies read 165°F in the center.