Description
Bacon Wrapped Smokies are a delicious and easy appetizer featuring little smokies wrapped in crispy bacon and coated with a sweet, spicy glaze made from hot honey and brown sugar. Perfect for parties or game day snacks, these bite-sized treats offer a perfect blend of smoky, sweet, and savory flavors with a hint of heat from cayenne pepper.
Ingredients
Scale
Meat
- 36 little smokies
- 12 slices bacon, not thick cut
Glaze
- ½ cup hot honey
- ½ cup light brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon water
- ¼ teaspoon ground cayenne pepper (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper to prevent sticking and ease cleanup.
- Prepare Smokies: Pat the little smokies with a paper towel to remove any excess moisture, which helps the bacon crisp better.
- Slice Bacon: Cut each strip of bacon into 3 equal sections, yielding a total of 36 pieces to wrap each smokie.
- Wrap Smokies: Wrap each little smokie with a piece of bacon and secure it with a toothpick. Place all bacon-wrapped smokies evenly spaced on the prepared baking sheet.
- Make Glaze and First Bake: In a small bowl, whisk together hot honey, light brown sugar, water, and cayenne pepper (if using) until smooth. Brush half of this mixture over the smokies and bake for 15 minutes to start cooking and glazing the bacon.
- Flip and Second Bake: Remove the pan from the oven, flip each smokie to ensure even cooking, and brush with the remaining honey glaze. Return to the oven and bake for another 8 to 15 minutes, depending on how crispy you want the bacon.
- Cool and Serve: After baking, allow the smokies to cool slightly. Remove toothpicks or serve with the toothpicks inserted for easy handling and enjoy warm.
Notes
- Use regular cut bacon instead of thick cut for easier wrapping.
- Adjust cayenne pepper amount or omit for less heat.
- Serve with toothpicks for convenient snacking.
- Can be made ahead and reheated in the oven to crisp bacon.
- For a sweeter glaze, increase brown sugar by 1-2 tablespoons.
