Crock Pot Mini Smoked Sausages With Grape Jelly Sauce

Prep: 5 mins
Cook: 6 hrs
Total: 6 hrs 5 mins
Servings: 24 servings

With just three ingredients, this recipe comes together in a snap, and cooking in the slow cooker means it's a set-it-and-forget-it type of dish. The secret to the tiny smoked sausages' deliciousness is the grape jelly sauce, which is a simple mixture of grape jelly and bottled chili sauce. Similar to grape jelly meatballs (or a baked version), these flavorful mini sausages are a hit as an appetizer, on a cookout spread with other dishes such as mac and cheese or coleslaw, or for a potluck or tailgating.

If you can't find the mini smoked sausages, you can use mini cocktail wieners, or sliced hot dogs, or smoked sausages. Have toothpicks or forks, plates, and napkins on hand, and serve the little sausages hot right from the slow cooker.

Crock pot mini smoked sausages with grape jelly
The Spruce

"I make many crock pot meals but rarely make crock pot snacks. Now, that'll change. I knew a snow day was coming and there'd be an influx of hungry sledders and shovelers. I loaded up the crock pot in the morning, and by afternoon I was ready to fill hungry bellies with warm comfort food." —Carrie Parente

Crock Pot Mini Smoked Sausages With Grape Jelly Sauce tester image
A Note From Our Recipe Tester

Ingredients

  • 1 cup grape jelly

  • 1 (12-ounce) bottle chili sauce

  • 2 (1-pound) packages mini smoked sausages

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Crock pot little sausage ingredients
    The Spruce 
  2. Combine the grape jelly and chili sauce in a slow cooker and stir well. Add the mini smoked sausages and mix to combine.

    Combine all ingredients in slow cooker
    The Spruce  
  3. Cover and cook on low for 4 to 6 hours. 

    Slow cook the little smokies
    The Spruce
  4. Serve the little sausages from the slow cooker (set on warm) with toothpicks, small plates, and napkins. You can also spear them with toothpicks and arrange them on a plate drizzled with some sauce. Keep them warm on a warming tray or serve immediately. Enjoy.

    Finished crock pot little smokies
     The Spruce

What Is Chili Sauce?

Chili sauce is a condiment that is similar to cocktail sauce (as opposed to Asian chili paste); look for chili sauce near the ketchup in the supermarket. If you can't find it, you can make a suitable replacement from scratch. In a medium bowl, combine 1 cup tomato sauce, 1 tablespoon tomato paste, 2 to 3 tablespoons brown sugar, 2 tablespoons vinegar, 1/2 teaspoon chili powder, 1/4 teaspoon allspice, and 1/4 teaspoon onion powder. Blend well and store covered in the refrigerator.

Recipe Variations

  • Instead of mini smoked sausages or mini wieners, use 2 pounds of Polish smoked sausage, andouille sausage, or similar smoked sausage. Slice the sausage into 1/2-inch or 1-inch pieces.
  • Add 1 tablespoon of Worcestershire sauce to the sauce mixture.
  • Replace the chili sauce with your favorite barbecue sauce.
  • Add 1 or 2 cups of frozen pearl onions to the slow cooker with the mini sausages or add about 1 cup of sliced fresh onions.
  • Replace the grape jelly with apricot preserves and 1/4 cup of packed light brown sugar.
  • Replace the grape jelly with currant jelly or a can of cranberry sauce.
  • Add about 1/2 teaspoon of cayenne pepper for a little bite.
  • For "spirited" little smokies, add a few tablespoons of bourbon to the sauce mixture.

How to Store Mini Smoked Sausages

Cooked mini sausages will keep in the refrigerator if properly covered for three to four days. Frozen cooked mini sausages are good in the freezer for two to three months.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
161 Calories
11g Fat
10g Carbs
5g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 24
Amount per serving
Calories 161
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 11g 14%
Saturated Fat 4g 22%
Cholesterol 22mg 7%
Sodium 518mg 23%
Total Carbohydrate 10g 4%
Dietary Fiber 0g 2%
Total Sugars 7g
Protein 5g
Vitamin C 2mg 12%
Calcium 8mg 1%
Iron 1mg 3%
Potassium 154mg 3%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

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