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Close-up of small cocktail sausages tightly wrapped in crispy rendered bacon with a glistening BBQ glaze.

The Ultimate Air Fryer Bacon Wrapped Smokies Recipe

Master the art of perfectly crispy, sticky, and sweet Air Fryer Bacon Wrapped Smokies. Featuring a glistening dark mahogany caramelized BBQ sauce glaze, these easy bite-sized party appetizers are guaranteed to be a massive crowd-pleaser.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings: 8 people
Course: Appetizer, Snack
Cuisine: American
Calories: 310
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Air Fryer Bacon Wrapped Smokies
  • 1 lb cocktail sausages (450g) little smokies
  • 1 lb thin-cut bacon (450g) cut into thirds
  • 1/2 cup BBQ sauce (120ml) thick, high-quality sauce
  • 1/4 cup dark brown sugar (50g) packed
  • 1 tbsp fresh flat-leaf parsley (4g) finely chopped for garnish

Equipment

  • 1 Air Fryer Basket or tray style works perfectly.
  • 50 Wooden Toothpicks For securing the bacon.

Method
 

Preparing and Cooking
  1. Pat the cocktail sausages dry. Wrap each sausage in one third-slice of thin-cut bacon and secure completely with a wooden toothpick.
  2. Preheat air fryer to 350°F (175°C). Place sausages in a single layer in the basket. Cook for 10-12 minutes until bacon is rendered and edges are bubbling.
  3. In a bowl, whisk together the BBQ sauce and packed dark brown sugar until smooth.
  4. Remove the crisped sausages from the air fryer and toss them in the BBQ glaze until heavily coated.
  5. Return coated sausages to the air fryer. Increase heat to 380°F (190°C) and cook for 3-4 minutes until the glaze turns a sticky, glistening dark mahogany.
  6. Plate on a ceramic platter lined with parchment paper. Garnish with scattered flecks of chopped fresh green parsley.

Notes

Tip 1: Use thin-cut bacon; thick-cut bacon will not crisp up quickly enough in the air fryer.
Tip 2: Soak toothpicks in water for 10 minutes prior to wrapping to prevent burning.