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Home » Appetizers » Crock Pot BBQ Cocktail Sausage

Crock Pot BBQ Cocktail Sausage

By Valerie · January 24, 2015 · Updated May 27, 2020 31 Comments

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Two images of cocktail sausage in a slow cooker.

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.

Smoked sausage combined with a sweet, tangy BBQ sauce mixture that stays warm in the Crock-Pot for the duration of your game day party. 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.

Smoked sausage combined with a sweet, tangy BBQ sauce mixture that stays warm in the Crock-Pot for the duration of your game day party. A classic party snack and a sure-fire crowd pleaser.

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

Crock Pot BBQ Cocktail Sausage 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.

Hillshire Farms Smoked Sausage in the package.

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

Sliced sausage cooking in a skillet.

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.

Browned sausage draining on paper towels.

Transfer the browned sausage to a double layer of paper towels and blot them to remove any excess oil.

A wooden spoon stirs sausage in a slow cooker.

In the slow cooker they go.

BBQ sauce is mixed with other ingredients in a measuring cup.

Combine the BBQ sauce, chili sauce, and apricot jam.

Sauce is poured over sausage in a crock pot.

Pour that tasty mixture into the slow cooker over the top of the sausage.

A wooden spoon stirs sausage into sauce in a crock pot.

Set the slow cooker to LOW for three to four hours or HIGH for a couple of hours and they are ready to serve.

A hand pierces a piece of sausage with a toothpick.

Crock Pot BBQ Cocktail Sausage will stay warm in the slow cooker for the duration of the game. Set some toothpicks nearby for serving.

A wooden spoon stirs cocktail sausage in a bbq sauce in a slow cooker.

Enjoy the food, the drink, the half-time performances, and oh yeah…the game!

A wooden spoon stirs sausage in a slow cooker.

Crock Pot BBQ Cocktail Sausage

Smoked sausage simmers in a sweet, tangy BBQ sauce mixture. This Crock-Pot BBQ Cocktail Sausage is a classic party snack!
2.98 from 36 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: Appetizer
Cuisine: American
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 4 hours
Total Time: 4 hours 10 minutes
Servings: 12 servings
Calories: 373kcal
Author: Valerie Brunmeier

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.

Notes

To add some heat, substitute a spicy sausage (like andoullie) or use a spicy BBQ sauce. I like to use a combination of Kinder’s Hot and Mild BBQ Sauce. Perfection!

Nutrition

Calories: 373kcal | Carbohydrates: 14g | Protein: 12g | Fat: 28g | Saturated Fat: 11g | Cholesterol: 70mg | Sodium: 1238mg | Potassium: 284mg | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 130IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 17mg | Iron: 1.2mg
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Categories: Appetizers, Holidays, New Year's Eve, Recipe

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Reader Interactions

Latest Comments
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  1. Loretta says

    October 26, 2018 at 11:33 am

    Hi again , I only have 2, 14 oz pkgs of Eckrich turkey smoked sausage do i still use the same amount of ingrediants

    Reply
    • Valerie says

      October 26, 2018 at 3:11 pm

      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.

      Reply
  2. Loretta says

    October 26, 2018 at 11:27 am

    Hi ,would adding some sliced sweet onion to this recipe be good ?

    Reply
    • Valerie says

      October 26, 2018 at 3:10 pm

      Hi Loretta. The sauce is plenty flavorful as is but I don’t think that adding a little onion will hurt.

      Reply
  3. Pamela says

    March 29, 2018 at 11:15 am

    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!

    Reply
  4. Deanna says

    July 31, 2017 at 10:40 am

    Is this a spicy dish

    Reply
    • Valerie says

      July 31, 2017 at 10:57 am

      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.

      Reply
  5. Sunita says

    December 15, 2016 at 10:45 pm

    Hi, can we put any other fruit Jam, if I don’t find apricot jam???

    Reply
    • Valerie says

      December 16, 2016 at 9:04 am

      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.

      Reply
  6. Flawlessly99 says

    August 19, 2016 at 2:21 pm

    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!

    Reply
    • Valerie says

      August 19, 2016 at 2:44 pm

      I’m so glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for your comment 🙂

      Reply
  7. Nerissa Devore says

    August 19, 2016 at 2:07 pm

    can i use meatballs?

    Reply
    • Valerie says

      August 19, 2016 at 2:44 pm

      I think this sauce would be delicious with meatballs!

      Reply
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