Bacon Wrapped Sausages

Bacon wrapped sausages

The Spruce / Nyssa Tanner

Prep: 5 mins
Cook: 35 mins
Total: 40 mins
Servings: 8 servings

Bacon-wrapped sausages are a perfect dish for brunch or breakfast, served with scrambled eggs, toast, and a fruit salad. Smoked sausages, bacon, and brown sugar are the core ingredients in a recipe that's sure to be a hit. They can also make a nice lunch when served with greens or a side of steamed vegetables. They're really versatile as appetizers for holiday gatherings and go well with honey mustard, homemade ketchup, or spicy salsa.

It may be tempting to do so, but try to avoid using precooked ingredients in this recipe. They're not as tasty, and the bacon in particular needs to be only very partially cooked. This way, it will meld with the little sausages as everything cooks.

Ingredients

  • 3/4 pound bacon strips, halved crosswise

  • 1 (1-pound) package small smoked sausages

  • 2/3 cup brown sugar

  • 1/4 cup maple syrup

  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Bacon Wrapped Sausages ingredients

    The Spruce / Nyssa Tanner

  2. Heat oven to 400 F. Line a 13 x 9-inch baking pan with foil or parchment and put a wire rack on top.

    Baking pan with parchment and a wire rack on top

    The Spruce / Nyssa Tanner

  3. Fry the bacon in a large pan over medium heat until some of the fat is rendered but the bacon is still pliable. Do not let the bacon get crispy, or you won't be able to wrap it around the sausages.

    Bacon frying in a cast-iron pan

    The Spruce / Nyssa Tanner

  4. Place the bacon on paper towels and cool it down for 5 minutes.

    Bacon cooling and draining on paper towels

    The Spruce / Nyssa Tanner

  5. Wrap each sausage with a piece of the precooked bacon and secure with a toothpick.

    Sausage wrapped with precooked bacon on a plate

    The Spruce / Nyssa Tanner

  6. Place the brown sugar in a bowl and roll each sausage and bacon bundle in it. Place the sausages on a wire rack over the foil-lined pan. Always use the wire rack. The drippings that come from the bacon and sugar burn easily; keeping the sausages away from the drippings prevents them from burning, too.

    Place the sugar in a bowl and roll each little sausage and bacon bundle in it

    The Spruce / Nyssa Tanner

  7. Drizzle or very lightly brush (use a dabbing motion to avoid brushing off the brown sugar) the maple syrup over the sausages and sprinkle with the pepper.

    Maple syrup brushing over the sausages and sprinkled with the pepper

    The Spruce / Nyssa Tanner

  8. Bake the bacon-wrapped sausages for 25 to 35 minutes, or until the sausages are hot and the bacon is crispy.

    Bacon-wrapped sausages on a tray

    The Spruce / Nyssa Tanner

  9. Remove the rack from the baking pan and cool the wrapped sausage bundles for 5 minutes before serving.

    Bacon-wrapped sausages cooling on a wire rack

    The Spruce / Nyssa Tanner

Variations

Although serving the sausages with any sauce is sufficient, here are other fun ideas to serve these little bites:

  • Sausages and Hash Browns: Make a hearty breakfast using frozen hash browns and bacon-wrapped sausages. Serve with fruit and a dollop of spicy tomato jam.
  • Sausages in a Nest: Make thick slices out of a fresh baguette and place 2 to 3 finished bacon-wrapped sausages on each slice, slightly pressing them down to create a "nest" of bread dough around the sausages. Top with spicy roasted salsa.
  • Sausages on Cheesy Naan: Warm up some naan flatbread for 3 minutes. Add abundant shredded Gouda cheese and heat in the toaster oven until the cheese has melted. Slice each finished sausage lengthwise and place 3 to 4 sausages on top of each cheesy naan. Sprinkle with pepper flakes and chopped scallions.
  • Rice and Sausage Stir-Fry: Steam white rice. Sauté sweet onions, sliced peppers, thinly sliced carrots, and garlic in olive oil. After 7 minutes of cooking, add the rice and taste for salt and pepper. Add 2 tablespoons of soy sauce and mix well. Serve in individual bowls and top with 6 bacon-wrapped sausages per person. Garnish with fresh parsley.

How to Store Bacon Wrapped Sausages

This appetizer is best the day it's made, but if you happen to have leftovers, they will keep if well wrapped (foil works well) in the refrigerator for up to four or five days. Reheat them gently in a skillet over medium-low heat to crisp the bacon.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
300 Calories
16g Fat
23g Carbs
15g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 8
Amount per serving
Calories 300
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 16g 21%
Saturated Fat 6g 28%
Cholesterol 45mg 15%
Sodium 765mg 33%
Total Carbohydrate 23g 8%
Dietary Fiber 0g 0%
Total Sugars 21g
Protein 15g
Vitamin C 0mg 0%
Calcium 29mg 2%
Iron 1mg 3%
Potassium 280mg 6%
*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.)