Crockpot little smokies recipe made with grape jelly and chili sauce. Sweet, tangy and made with only three ingredients this easy appetizer will feed a crowd or is perfect for dinner.
Little Smokies with Grape Jelly and Chili Sauce
I am obsessed with appetizers. As in, why do we even eat dinner every night? Why can’t we just have a bunch of appetizers like Sticky and Sweet Chicken Drumsticks or Buffalo Chicken Dip all the time? And in all honesty, sometimes, we eat appetizers for dinner. It’s part of the joy of being an adult. 🙌 So when I stumbled upon this crockpot little smokies recipe made with grape jelly and chili sauce in an old church recipe book, I had to try it. First, I was so struck by the fact that grape jelly was in the recipe. Who knew? Second, I loved that it only had three ingredients.
I made these for dinner last week and they were a big hit with my family. My boys were a little puzzled by the size of the hot dogs little smokies. My five year old asked where we could find hot dog buns that small. Ha! (Does someone want to invent that? Can you even imagine the cuteness factor?)
Crockpot Little Smokies Recipe Ingredients
To make this crockpot little smokies recipe you will need:
- chili sauce
- little smokies
- grape jelly
You’ll also need a slow cooker like mine with a crockpot liner to make easy clean up.
For those who are wondering about the chili sauce (because I was), you can find it with the cocktail sauce near the ketchup. Chili sauce said spicy to me – but it’s not. Not even a little bit. Dump all the ingredients into the crockpot. It won’t mix completely as the jelly likes to stick together. Don’t worry. It will all even out as it cooks.
How to Make Little Smokies Crock Pot Recipe
Combine all ingredients in the crockpot.
Turn the crockpot on low and let them cook for approximately three to four hours or until they are heated through. I gave it a good stir about halfway through to get the grape jelly to play with all the other ingredients.
And that’s how simple it is! If you’re entertaining, this little smokies crockpot recipe will be a huge hit! Or if you’re like me, you’ll be making it for dinner for two happy little boys.
Enjoy!
Little Smokies FAQ
Should the sauce be thick after cooking in the crockpot? The sauce will be a consistency like the chili sauce. It’s not super thick but it’s not thin and watery either.
What kind of little smokies go best with grape jelly and chili sauce? I prefer getting the plain little smokies but you can really grab whatever little smokies you think would go great with the sweet and tangy grape jelly and chili sauce. Cheddar smokies or hickory flavored would be delicious as well.
Can I use this recipe with meatballs? Yes. This works great with meatballs. In fact you can throw the meatballs in there with the little smokies and make a unique blend.
Can this recipe be made without a crockpot? Yes. Just simmer over the stove until the little smokies are heated through and the sauce begins to thicken.
What should I serve with lil smokies? If you’re making these for dinner, I love mashed potatoes with the sweetness of the smokies and an additional side of a vegetable like broccoli.
How do I make this recipe spicy? Add some cayenne pepper to the ingredients when you add them to the crockpot.
More Crockpot Appetizer Recipes
- 14 Crockpot Appetizer Recipes
- Bonefish Grill Bang Bang Shrimp Recipe
- Crock Pot Reuben Dip Recipe
- Easy Pizza Dip Recipe

Crockpot Little Smokies Recipe
Ingredients
- 12 oz chili sauce
- 26 oz little smokies
- 12 oz grape jelly
Instructions
- Add all ingredients to your crock pot.
- Cook on low for three to four hours or until heated through, stirring half way between cook time.
Comments & Reviews
The sauce was thin after 2 hours in crockpot. Should the sauce be thick & cling to smokies?
I use the Cheddar Smokies and Hickory Farms Beef Summer sausage cut up in bite size pieces and slow simmer them in sweet and sour sauce
Yum! That sounds like it tastes this recipe to the next level with the cheddar smokies. I’ll have to give that a try. Thanks for sharing!
This is my Christmas standard appetizer. I double the grape jelly and chili sauce and add meatballs along with the little smokies.
Thanks for sharing this recipe! I’m going to make it for a party this weekend. Hugs!
A better version is one jar Dijon mustard; one jar currant jelly; one package lil smokies.
Yum! That sounds good, too. Thanks for sharing!
That’s how I have always made it. I’ve never heard of using chili dude. Bet it’s good though.
Sauce- not dude! Spell check got me