Easy Instant Pot Little Smokies (2024)

Instant Pot Little Smokies are a classic sweet and savory appetizer that’s perfect for any gathering.

Smoky BBQ sauce and grape jelly give these Lil Smokies in the Instant Pot such incredible flavor you’ll want to come back for more.

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Growing up the daughter of a preacher meant I attended a lot of church suppers and pot lucks. It also meant we attended many gatherings with our church family, and food was always an integral part.

Before I was even old enough to think about making and bringing a dish to serve, there were certain things I sought out the moment the kids were released to fill their plates.

Grape jelly little smokies were at the top of my list every single time.

There is just something incredibly alluring about those kid-sized sausages swimming in a sweet and smoky syrup that was calling my name.

And nothing was worse than opening the crock pot lid to discover that the temperature had been turned too high, and the sausages were shriveled and the sauce burnt!

Fortunately, the dish has remained a classic but technology has changed, and now I make Lil’ Smokies in the Instant Pot! No more shriveled overcooked sausages!

But even better, Instant Pot co*cktail sausages don’t have to cook for hours. You can enjoy Instant Pot little smokies in just a few minutes and they are the perfect appetizer for parties, game day, New Year’s, pot lucks and church suppers.

More Instant Pot Appetizers:

• Easy Instant Pot Party Foods
• Instant Pot Sweet and Sour Meatballs
• Instant Pot Boiled Peanuts

Tips For Making Lil Smokies in the Instant Pot

Grape jelly and BBQ sauce are classic for making this dish, but it’s definitely possible to get a little creative. Here are some tips:

• Jelly – Go with the traditional grape or try blackberry, strawberry, raspberry or even a citrus marmalade. If someone in your family makes hot pepper jelly that would be a fun addition as well.
• BBQ Sauce – BBQ sauce can range from sweet to spicy, so choose one that you like or mix it up for a simple way to slightly alter the final flavor.
• Chili Sauce – Heinze Chili sauce is a flavorful substitute for the BBQ sauce.

It doesn’t get much easier than making Instant Pot co*cktail sausages, but every once and a while, the sauce can turn out just a bit watery. If that happens to you, there is an easy fix.

Turn the Instant Pot to saute and simmer the sauce for several minutes, frequently stirring, until it thickens up a bit. Serve the sausages with a slotted spoon and you are good to go!

How to Make Instant Pot Little Smokies

It’s really easy to make BBQ Lil smokies in the Instant Pot.

Ingredients You’ll Need:

• Little Smokies co*cktail Sausages
• BBQ Sauce
• Grape Jelly
• Water

How to Make It:

(Full printable recipe is available below)

Dump and Set. First, you’ll add all of the ingredients to the Instant Pot and give everything a stir. Seal the lid and set it to 4 minutes at high pressure, followed by a 5-minute natural release.

Stir and Serve. Last, you’ll stir everything and serve these pressure cooker co*cktail weenies warm.

Notes and Adaptations:

• If you prefer the sauce to be thicker after cooking, you can simmer for a few minutes to allow some liquid to evaporate, or add a cornstarch slurry. I don’t find that necessary, but it’s an option if you desire.
• Use whatever kind of BBQ sauce you like! I most often use Sweet Baby Ray’s, but any variety you like is fine.
• You can use Heinz chili sauce instead of BBQ sauce if desired, and blackberry jelly is a fine substitute for grape jelly.

See Also

Dutch Oven Pulled Pork