Pineapple Brown Sugar Lil Smokies
Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 2–3 hours
Servings: 10–12 as an appetizer
Ingredients
- 2 packages (14 oz each) Lil Smokies cocktail sausages, about 28 oz total
- 1 can (20 oz) pineapple chunks, drained, reserving ½ cup pineapple juice
- 1 cup packed light brown sugar
- ½ cup reserved pineapple juice
- ¼ cup ketchup
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper, optional
- 1 tablespoon butter, optional, for an extra glossy sauce
Instructions
- Add the sausages and pineapple. Place the Lil Smokies and drained pineapple chunks into a 4–6-quart slow cooker.
- Make the sauce. In a bowl, whisk together the brown sugar, pineapple juice, ketchup, soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, black pepper, and cayenne if using.
- Pour over the sausages. Add the sauce to the slow cooker and gently stir until everything is coated. Dot with the butter if using.
- Cook. Cover and cook on LOW for 2½–3 hours or HIGH for 1–1½ hours, stirring once or twice during cooking.
- Thicken and glaze. For the last 20–30 minutes, leave the lid slightly ajar if the sauce needs to thicken. The sausages should be hot and coated in a thick, glossy glaze.
- Serve. Transfer to a serving dish or keep on WARM in the slow cooker. Serve with toothpicks.
Tips
- For extra saucy Smokies: Add another ¼ cup pineapple juice.
- For a thicker glaze: Mix 1 tablespoon cornstarch with 1 tablespoon cold water and stir it in during the final 15–20 minutes.
- For more caramelization: Transfer the cooked Smokies to a foil-lined baking sheet and broil for 2–3 minutes, watching closely.
- Fresh pineapple can be substituted for canned, but canned pineapple provides convenient juice for the sauce.
- Leftovers can be refrigerated in an airtight container for 3–4 days and reheated until steaming hot.
