Smoked sausage simmers in a sweet, tangy BBQ sauce mixture. Crock Pot BBQ Cocktail Sausage is a classic party snack and a sure-fire crowd pleaser.
I had the TV on most of the day yesterday. I like the background noise while I do the wildly exciting work involved in running a plumbing and electrical supply shop. The topic of the day from The Today Show all the way through to The Tonight Show was “Deflate-Gate”, the deflated balls scandal that has rocked the sports world since the playoff game last weekend. I listened to a series of TV anchors – from the most seasoned to the not-so-serious entertainment news folks – snicker at Tom Brady’s deadpan delivery of some very descriptive adjectives he used to explain precisely how he likes his balls.
Twelve year old boy humor at it’s best.
Each year there seems to be something interesting surrounding the Big Game that gives us something to discuss around the water cooler. Wardrobe mishaps at half-time (Miss Jackson), brother vs. brother coaches (that was so cool), power outages (whaaattt??) and this year, Tom’s deflated balls. While I sat editing photos and thinking about what to say about these tasty little sausage bites it struck me.
What’s more fitting to serve on Super Bowl Sunday in the midst of the deflated balls controversy than cocktail weenies?
And, that, my friends, was my first and last weenie joke on the blog (promise). Thanks, Tom Brady.
Ingredients
It’s a classic recipe and a simple one that calls for a total of four ingredients. BBQ sauce, chili sauce, and apricot jam. I’m going to say it for the 528th time, go get yourself some Kinder’s BBQ Sauce. It’s THE best. Do not confuse chili sauce with cocktail sauce. Big diff. Check the label before throwing it in your cart.
I’m using basic smoked sausage here but if you’re serving a bunch of big, burly, football watchin’, manly men (or me), you could substitute a spicy sausage – like andouille- to spice things up.
How to Make Crock Pot Cocktail Sausage
To get a nice little sear on the sausage before tossing them in the slow cooker, cook them in a little vegetable oil over high heat for just a minute or two. You could omit this step but it adds a level of savory-ness to these little sausage bites that I really like.
Transfer the browned sausage to a double layer of paper towels and blot them to remove any excess oil.
In the slow cooker they go.
Combine the BBQ sauce, chili sauce, and apricot jam.
Pour that tasty mixture into the slow cooker over the top of the sausage.
Set the slow cooker to LOW for three to four hours or HIGH for a couple of hours and they are ready to serve.
Crock Pot BBQ Cocktail Sausage will stay warm in the slow cooker for the duration of the game. Set some toothpicks nearby for serving.
Enjoy the food, the drink, the half-time performances, and oh yeah…the game!
Crock Pot BBQ Cocktail Sausage
Ingredients
- 3 (14 ounce) packages fully cooked smoked sausage, sliced slightly on the diagonal
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil, or just enough to coat bottom of skillet
- 1 cup BBQ sauce
- ½ cup chili sauce
- ½ cup apricot jam
Instructions
- Heat oil in a large skillet over HIGH heat. Sauté sausage in batches for just a minute or two until browned. Transfer browned sausage to a double layer of paper towels and blot away excess grease and then transfer to your slow cooker.
- Whisk together the sauce ingredients and pour them over the sausage. Stir to combine. Cover and set slow cooker to LOW and cook for 3 to 4 hours or HIGH for 2 to 3 hours.
- Keep the sausages in your slow cooker for the duration of your party to keep them warm. Serve with toothpicks.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated using generic ingredients, and is an estimate not a guarantee. For more accurate results, please refer to the labels on your ingredients at home.
Hi again , I only have 2, 14 oz pkgs of Eckrich turkey smoked sausage do i still use the same amount of ingrediants
It will end up quite saucy which wouldn’t really be too much of a problem but you can easily scale this recipe down by using the tool on the recipe card. I would probably scale it to serve 8 instead of 12 and it should be just right for the amount of sausage you are using.
Hi ,would adding some sliced sweet onion to this recipe be good ?
Hi Loretta. The sauce is plenty flavorful as is but I don’t think that adding a little onion will hurt.
Can I substitute Orange marmalade for the apricot jelly?
Sure! It’s a bit chunkier than apricot preserves so your sauce may not be as smooth.
I used Organic Kinder BBQ Sauce, Sōsu Sriracha sauce and organic apricot fruit spread. I also added some little marble potatoes that I roasted before adding to the crockpot. I will def be making this again! Thanks!
Is this a spicy dish
No, the sauce doesn’t have a lot of heat as long as you go with a mild BBQ sauce. The chili sauce adds a bit of a kick but it’s more like a vinegary horseradish type of flavor. Definitely go with a mild sausage and you’ll be just fine.
Hi, can we put any other fruit Jam, if I don’t find apricot jam???
Hi Sunita. Yes, you can substitute another flavor. I know a lot of people use grape jelly in similar recipes but I think it would also be delicious with peach.
Thanks for the idea. I wanted some lil smokies but was too lazy to go to the store. Had some andouille in the freezer. I used sweet and rich BBQ sauce and added some jalapenos and sweet heat baked beans for a Friday night game time dinner/snack!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for your comment 🙂
can i use meatballs?
I think this sauce would be delicious with meatballs!