Crockpot little smokies without bbq sauce is the best appetizer for Christmas or any potluck. With a sweet savory sauce complete with pineapple chunks, they are bite size bits of heaven.
Ok so it’s the holidays and you need a killer, cheap appetizer to serve your guests. This Crockpot little smokies recipe is it! You can throw it together in 5 minutes and it’s warmed in a few hours. NO work for you in between which means it’s a fave on our list of easy Crockpot recipes.
You can buy these babies packaged in the store. There are usually a few choices. There are darker versions that have more of a smoky flavor to them similar to a kielbasa. Others are just smaller hot dogs labeled little weiners that are a bit more “plain” by themselves.
How Long to Cook Little Smokies in Crockpot
Now there are several different sauces you can use with this, they all just take about 4 hours to warm together. If you want the easiest version, just pour 1-2 bottles of your favorite barbecue sauce and stir together. Done. Want to add some heat, do 1 bottle of bbq and 1 bottle of chili sauce. That will add a bit of heat but not overboard.
Ingredient Notes
For the measurements below I used two packages of smokies. These are different than little weiners in that they are smoked and already have a bunch of flavor but you could use either.
Little Smokies Sauce
For the sauce you are going to need; Dijon mustard, Catalina salad dressing or you can use bbq sauce instead, some Brown sugar to make it sweet, a can of jellied Cranberry sauce and I will typically add a can of Pineapple chunks or tidbits, drained.
What can you cook smokies in other than barbecue sauce?
You may have made these swimming in a bottle of bbq sauce before but if you add seasonings to a bottle of sweet and savory Catalina salad dressing it takes these to a whole new level. You could alternatively make the same sauce as in our grape jelly and chili sauce meatballs and use that!
Crockpot Little Smokies Recipe
Equipment
- 1 slow cooker
Ingredients
- 28 oz smokies, or little weiners
- 1 c Catalina salad dressing, or can use bottled bbq sauce instead
- 1 c cranberry sauce
- 1 c pineapple, chunks or tidbits, drained
- 1 tbsp dijon mustard
- 2 tbsp brown sugar
Instructions
- Put smokies into slow cooker. In a bowl whisk together all other ingredients listed until smooth.
- Pour this on top of your weiners and stir so they are all coated.
- Cover with lid and cook on low for 4 hours. Can garnish with some fresh pineapple chunks and chopped parsley on top when done. Set to warm if it will be sitting for day long snacking.
Video
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Air Fryer Method
First we made a batch of air fryer smokies wrapped in bacon and those were the most amazing finger foods we had ever tasted. You can only make a few at a time with that method though so if you are cooking for a large crowd for the Super Bowl or a party this is the way to go.
Baked in the Oven
Hillshire Farm is my favorite brand to use for this and our brown sugar bacon smokies. You’ll want two packages of them to make this. It could be easily doubled too if you had a large group coming over. The beauty of this is you can cook, and then set to warm for another few hours of snacking.
You can dice fresh parsley and even add whole cranberries at the end for “prettiness”. Keep them in the Crock for serving or add to a cheap charcuterie board with other fun finger foods. You can use this same sauce to make our air fryer bbq chicken wings too. Both are great served together as snacks when company comes over.
FAQ
You can in fact eat smokies out of the package because as their name suggests, they have already been smoked. It will state on the outside that the meat is pre-cooked making them okay to eat without cooking beforehand (similar to hot dogs), but typically are preferred hot.
There is a complete printable recipe card above this. Here I will show you how quick and easy this cocktail weenie recipe is to make for game day or just because. We have several other appetizer recipes on our site but I will say this is the most popular in our slow cooker.
How to save leftovers
If you do have left they save well. Just allow them to cool to room temperature and then transfer to an airtight container. Spoon in as much liquid as possible to keep them moist. Refrigerate for up to a few days and rewarm them in the microwave as a snack the next day.
More Easy Appetizer Recipes You’lll Love
You can use fresh or frozen meatballs in crockpot If you want to make this easy recipe even faster, you can follow our Instant Pot smokies recipe here or toss sauce on your Instant Pot hot dogs when done. Or make it as a Traeger appetizer.
