3-Ingredient BBQ Little Smokies
by Jessica | February 22, 2026 1:14 am
Guess what i made for the Super Bowl and literally had zero left by halftime.
seriously.
i put them out on the table and walked back to the kitchen to get napkins and by the time i turned around my brother in law was already digging in with his bare hands. no plate. no fork. just a man and some sausages.
alright, so i have to tell you about the first time i brought these somewhere. it was a work potluck and people kept asking me what was in the sauce. like, “what’s the secret?” and i felt genuinely bad because the answer is three things. bbq sauce. grape jelly. and the sausages. that’s it. i nodded mysteriously and said “oh you know, just a few things” and walked away. lol.
listen, i was just thinking about how these are always the first thing gone at every party. every single time. i’ve made fancy dips, homemade stuff, things that took me actual hours. the little smokies destroy everything else. it’s humbling.
mine aren’t perfect, i always forget to stir them and the ones on the bottom get extra saucy and the ones on top are a little dry at first. not really a problem because saucy ones are better anyway.
ugh, whatever. they’re incredible.
trust me.
why these win every time
three ingredients total
you make them in the slow cooker and forget about them
they stay warm all party long right in the pot
every age group goes insane for them
you will have zero leftovers. zero.
what you need
genuinely the shortest grocery list of your life.
| stuff | how much |
|---|---|
| little smokies | two of those big bags |
| bbq sauce | about a cup and a half? maybe more. |
| grape jelly | same amount as the bbq sauce, roughly |
that’s it. i’m serious. that’s the whole list.
some people add brown sugar or a tiny bit of hot sauce. i’ve done both. they’re good. but even without any of that, these are perfect.
how to do it
okay this is going to be the shortest recipe section i’ve ever written and i’m not sorry.
open the bags of smokies and dump them in the slow cooker. don’t need to do anything to them first. just dump them in there.
mix the bbq sauce and grape jelly together in a bowl first. i know the jelly sounds weird. i know. just trust the process. whisk it until it’s combined and looks like a glossy sauce. it smells really good actually.
pour the sauce over the smokies. stir it around so they’re all coated. at this point it looks kind of unappetizing if i’m honest. like, a pile of sausages in pink sauce. give it time.
set it to low for about 2 to 3 hours. or high for like an hour and a half. stir once in the middle if you remember. i usually don’t remember.
watch them transform into this sticky glossy gorgeous sauce situation. seriously, something magical happens in there.
keep the slow cooker on warm when you serve them. put some toothpicks next to it. step back and watch people lose it.
done.
tips & variations
- the jelly: i’ve used strawberry jam before when i was out of grape. still good. cherry preserves are also kind of amazing. grape is just the classic.
- spicy version: add a spoonful of sriracha or a splash of hot sauce to the sauce mixture. the sweet and spicy combo is obsession-level good.
- for a weeknight dinner: throw these over white rice. sounds random but it works. my kids eat it without arguing and that’s all that matters.
- double the sauce: if you like things extra saucy, just add more. more bbq sauce, more jelly. it pools at the bottom and you can spoon it over the top.
storage (not that it matters)
i have never once had leftovers of these. not a single time. i always think i made too many and then the bowl is empty and people are scraping the slow cooker with crackers.
but theoretically, if you somehow had leftovers, they keep in the fridge for like 3 or 4 days. reheat them in a little pot on the stove.
i’d label the container except i never label anything. i have about six identical containers in my fridge right now and i have no idea what’s in any of them. it’s a whole thing i’m working on.
the numbers
| thing | roughly per serving |
|---|---|
| calories | ~260 |
| fat | 14g |
| carbs | 22g |
| protein | 9g |
(serving size is a loose concept when these are in front of you)
questions
can i make these on the stove? yeah. low heat, small pot, keep stirring so the sauce doesn’t burn on the bottom. maybe 20 minutes. the slow cooker is just way easier for parties.
i don’t like grape jelly, can i skip it? you can just use straight bbq sauce but honestly give the jelly a chance first. you cannot taste it as jelly. it just makes the sauce thick and a little sweet and it’s so good.
how many people does this serve? depends entirely on what else is at the party. as an appetizer, two bags feeds maybe 10 people. but if your crowd is like mine, plan for less.
can i make these the night before? make the sauce ahead, store it in the fridge. day of, dump it all in the slow cooker. fresh is better but i’ve made them a day ahead and reheated and they’re still great.
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