Description

Cranberry Lil Smokies are the ultimate sweet-and-savory party bite. Smoky cocktail sausages simmer in a glossy cranberry, barbecue, and Dijon glaze that’s tangy, slightly sweet, and totally addictive. With just a few pantry ingredients and your slow cooker doing the work, you’ll have an easy holiday appetizer that disappears fast at any gathering.

Ingredients

Scale

2 packages (14 oz each) lil smokies sausages
1 cup cranberry sauce (canned jellied or whole-berry, or homemade)
1/2 cup barbecue sauce
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Fresh parsley, chopped (for garnish)

Instructions

In a medium mixing bowl, combine the cranberry sauce, barbecue sauce, Dijon mustard, Worcestershire sauce, garlic powder, and black pepper. Whisk or stir until smooth and fully combined.
Place the lil smokies sausages into the bowl of a slow cooker.
Pour the cranberry mixture over the sausages, then stir gently to coat all the lil smokies evenly in the sauce.
Cover and cook on LOW for 2–3 hours or on HIGH for 1–1.5 hours, until the lil smokies are heated through and the sauce is hot and slightly thickened.
Give everything a gentle stir, then taste and adjust seasoning if needed (add a bit more barbecue sauce for smokiness or cranberry sauce for sweetness).
Transfer to a serving bowl or platter, spooning extra sauce over the top. Garnish with chopped fresh parsley for color and freshness.
Serve warm straight from the slow cooker (set to WARM) or from the platter, with toothpicks for easy snacking.

Notes

Use your favorite style of cranberry sauce—jellied cranberry will make a smoother glaze, while whole-berry adds extra texture and tart bites.
Both pork and beef lil smokies work well; just note that nutrition and saltiness will vary by brand and type.
These are best served warm directly from the slow cooker on the WARM setting for parties that last several hours.

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 2–3 hours (LOW) or 1–1.5 hours (HIGH)
Category: Appetizer, Party Food
Method: Slow Cooker
Cuisine: American

Nutrition

Serving Size: About 1/10 of the recipe (approximately 6–8 lil smokies, depending on size)
Calories: 220 kcal
Sugar: 10–12 g (approx.)
Sodium: 620–700 mg (approx., varies by sausage and sauces)
Fat: 17 g (approx.)
Saturated Fat: 6 g (approx.)
Unsaturated Fat: 10–11 g (approx.)
Trans Fat: 0–0.5 g (varies by brand)
Carbohydrates: 12 g (approx.)
Fiber: 0–1 g (approx.)
Protein: 7 g (approx.)
Cholesterol: 35–40 mg (approx.)

Keywords: cranberry lil smokies, slow cooker appetizer, holiday party snack, cocktail sausages, sweet and savory lil smokies