Crock Pot BBQ Cocktail Sausage (Print version)

Smoked cocktail sausages slow-cooked in tangy BBQ sauce with apricot jam, onions, and bell peppers for a sweet and savory comfort dish.

# What You Need:

→ Meats

01 - 1 lb smoked cocktail sausages, sliced into bite-sized pieces

→ Vegetables

02 - 1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
03 - 1 red bell pepper, diced
04 - 2 cloves garlic, minced

→ Liquids & Bases

05 - 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
06 - 1 cup tangy-style BBQ sauce
07 - 1/2 cup apricot jam or preserves
08 - 1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes, drained

→ Seasonings

09 - 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
10 - 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
11 - 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
12 - 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper, optional
13 - Salt to taste

# How to Make:

01 - Add sliced cocktail sausages, chopped onion, red bell pepper, and minced garlic to the crock pot.
02 - Pour in chicken broth, BBQ sauce, and apricot jam. Stir until jam is fully dissolved and mixture is well combined.
03 - Incorporate drained diced tomatoes, Worcestershire sauce, smoked paprika, black pepper, and cayenne pepper if desired. Stir gently to distribute seasonings evenly.
04 - Cover crock pot and cook on low for 4 hours until vegetables are tender and flavors have melded together.
05 - Taste and adjust salt as needed. Serve hot, garnishing with chopped parsley if desired.

# Expert tips:

01 -
  • It practically cooks itself in the slow cooker while you handle everything else on your to-do list.
  • The flavor balance is genuinely addictive, with apricot sweetness playing against smoky sausages in a way that keeps people guessing what makes it so good.
  • You can throw it together in 15 minutes, making it feel fancy without the stress.
02 -
  • Do not skip the draining step with the tomatoes—I learned this the hard way when my soup tasted thin and watered-down, and I realized I'd never accounted for all that liquid hiding inside the can.
  • The jam works best when you stir it in with the broth while everything is still relatively cool; if you pour hot broth directly onto cold jam, it can clump up and take forever to dissolve.
03 -
  • Let it sit for 10 minutes after turning off the slow cooker before serving; the flavors continue to develop and settle in that quiet time.
  • Make this the day before a gathering so you can reheat it gently on the stovetop—the flavors only deepen as it sits, and you'll be stress-free when guests arrive.
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