Crock-Pot Cocktail Sausages are a classic party snack that will never go out of of style! Bite-sized sausages are simmered in an irresistible sweet and tangy BBQ sauce to create the perfect snack for game day parties, potlucks, or any casual gathering.
Slow cooker party food is SO convenient! You’ll also love my Crock-Pot Cocktail Meatballs and Slow Cooker Chicken Enchilada Dip.
There’s just something special about a slow cooker appetizer that entices party guests. There are always at least a few that are drawn by the mystery of what lies within. And, once they try these Crock-Pot Cocktail Sausages, word will spread through the party and they’ll be gone in a flash.
The longevity of classic appetizer recipes like this one are no surprise. You just gotta love a party recipe that calls for just four ingredients and is simmering away in your slow cooker while you attend to other tasks. This is a exceptionally easy appetizer recipe to prepare and people love these little sweet and tangy cocktail bites!
Whether you’re drinking soda, beer, Ranch Water, or getting fancy with Cosmopolitans – these just work!
Table of contents
Ingredients
Fully-cooked sausage: I use smoked rope sausage like the kind made by Hillshire Farm or Johnsonville. If you’re serving a bunch of big, burly, football watchin’, manly men (or me), you could substitute a spicy sausage – like andouille. Just be sure you choose fully-cooked sausage and slice it on a slight diagonal about ½-inch thick.
BBQ sauce: You can use any brand of BBQ sauce you love but I’m going to say it for the 528th time, go get yourself some Kinder’s Mild BBQ Sauce. It’s THE best. I’ve been using it since well before I originally published this recipe 10 years ago and I’ve yet to find a store-bought sauce I like better. If you want to add a little kick, try using a combination of their hot and mild sauces in any ratio you’d like. Perfection!
Chili sauce: A zesty, vinegary version of ketchup. The bottles of Heinz Chili Sauce look identical to their cocktail sauce so check the label before throwing it in your cart.
Jam: I always use either apricot jam or peach jam for this recipe. A lot of other recipes call for grape jelly but there’s something about the flavor of apricot and peach that I think complement the other ingredients so well.
Oil: I like to sear the sliced sausage in a little avocado oil (or other neutral oil) before throwing them in the slow cooker. You can omit this step if you’d like, but it adds a level of savoriness to these little sausage bites that I really like
How to Make Crock-Pot Cocktail Sausages
- Cook the sliced sausage in a little oil over high heat for just a minute or two. Transfer the browned sausage to a double layer of paper towels and blot them to remove any excess oil.
- Add the BBQ sauce, chili sauce, and jam to the insert of a 4- to 6-quart slow cooker and whisk well.
- Add the seared sausage and stir it into the sauce. Cook on Low for 2 to 3 hours or High for an hour. As soon as they are warmed through, they are ready to serve.
Once the Crock-Pot Cocktail Sausages are ready, set your slow cooker to the “warm” setting and set some toothpicks nearby for serving. It is not recommended that you use the Keep Warm setting for more than 3 to 4 hours.
Storage Tips
Transfer leftovers to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 to 4 days. Reheat the sausage bites with the sauce in a skillet over low heat or in the microwave.
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Crock-Pot Cocktail Sausages
Video
Ingredients
- 3 (14 ounce) packages fully-cooked smoked sausage (rope sausage), sliced slightly on the diagonal about ½-inch thick (see notes below)
- 2 tablespoons avocado oil, or other neutral oil (like vegetable oil)
- 1 cup BBQ sauce, (see notes below)
- ½ cup chili sauce
- ½ cup jam, apricot or peach
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a large skillet over HIGH heat. Sauté the sausage in batches, for just a minute or two until browned. Transfer the browned sausage to a double layer of paper towels and blot away excess grease.
- Add the BBQ sauce, chili sauce, and jam to the insert of a 4- to 6-quart slow cooker and whisk it until it is well combined. Add the seared sausage and stir to combine. Cover, set the slow cooker to LOW, and cook for 2 to 3 hours or on HIGH for 1 hour.
- Set your slow cooker to the WARM setting and they will stay warm for up to 3 to 4 hours. Set some cocktail picks nearby and allow people to serve themselves.
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.
More Easy Party Food
This post was originally published on January 24, 2015. It has been updated with new text and images.
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!