Slow Cooker Recipe: Sweet and Spicy Bbq Sausage (2024)

September 2, 2014 By Nicole Harris 47 Comments

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This Slow Cooker Appetizer Recipe for Sweet and Spicy Bbq Sausage is perfect for game day, family gatherings or an easy dinner! Load up your slow cooker with Butterball Turkey Sausage, barbecue sauce, apricot jam and hot sauce for an easy appetizer or meal.

Crockpot Sausage Recipe

I love appetizers more than any meal. Snackable little bites are so fun to eat and perfect for any occasion.

Whether you need a tailgating slow cooker recipe or a quick weeknight meal, this Butterball Turkey Sausage slathered in sauce will be a guaranteed crowd pleaser. Forget the version that uses grape jelly. This sauce made with apricot jam is to die for!

This Slow Cooker Sweet and Spicy Bbq Sausage works for dinner too. Just serve the flavorful sausage over rice with a vegetable on the side and dinner is done!

Butterball turkey products allow you to make better choices for your family without sacrificing any flavor. Wholesome, budget friendly meals that taste fantastic!

Slow Cooker Appetizer Recipe: Sweet & Spicy Bbq Sausage

Yield: 1

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 4 hours

Total Time: 4 hours 5 minutes

This Slow Cooker Appetizer Recipe for Sweet and Spicy Bbq Sausage is perfect for game day, family gatherings or an easy dinner! Load up your slow cooker with Butterball Turkey Sausage, barbecue sauce, apricot jam and hot sauce for an easy appetizer or meal.

Ingredients

2 Packages Turkey Sausage, cut into 1½ inch pieces
1½ Cups Barbecue Sauce
1 Cup Apricot Jam
2 teaspoons Sriracha Hot Sauce for mild, 3-4 tsp for spicy
1/4 Cup Water

Instructions

Combine all ingredients in slow cooker. Cook on low 5-6 hours. Increase heat to high the last 30 minutes. (or cook on high 3-4 hours)
Stir every hour while cooking to rotate sausages from top to bottom.

Nutrition Information

Yield 8Serving Size 1
Amount Per ServingCalories 226Total Fat 2gSaturated Fat 0gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 1gCholesterol 17mgSodium 735mgCarbohydrates 48gFiber 1gSugar 35gProtein 5g

Nutritional information on WonkyWonderful is provided as a courtesy and is approximate only. We cannot guarantee the accuracy of the nutritional information given for any recipe on this site.

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Reader Interactions

Comments

Christine at Cook the Story says
September 3, 2014 at

You’re right… these are perfect for game day!
Reply
- Nicole Harris says
  September 4, 2014 at
  
  Thanks Christine!
  Reply
Chris @ Shared Appetite says
September 5, 2014 at

Love this simple and easy app idea! That glaze looks amazing!!
Reply
- Nicole Harris says
  September 5, 2014 at
  
  Thanks Chris!
  Reply
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Leslie says
September 8, 2014 at

Ohhh, YES! The perfect little party appetizer!
Reply
Marnely Rodriguez-Murray says
September 8, 2014 at

These look like the perfect party treat!
Reply
- Nicole Harris says
  September 8, 2014 at
  
  Thanks Marnely!
  Reply
Amanda says
September 8, 2014 at

I had no idea Butterball made so many products! I just added these to my grocery list, as your recipe is mouth watering1
Reply
- Nicole Harris says
  September 8, 2014 at
  
  Thanks Amanda! The Butterball Sausage is a nice alternative to the beef sausages. Enjoy!
  Reply
Lisa+@+Garnish+with+Lemon says
September 8, 2014 at

Perfect football food!
Reply
- Nicole Harris says
  September 8, 2014 at
  
  It’s all about the appetizers on game day! Thanks Lisa!
  Reply
Cookin Canuck says
September 8, 2014 at

Perfect for game day! And I love the kick of sriracha in there.
Reply
- Nicole Harris says
  September 8, 2014 at
  
  Thanks! I would even add more sriracha if I could. But I wanted the kiddos to eat it too 🙂
  Reply
Brenda @ a farmgirl's dabbles says
September 8, 2014 at

Perfectly simple. And I gotta love that sriracha!!
Reply
- Nicole Harris says
  September 8, 2014 at
  
  Thanks Brenda! Everythings better with Sriracha!
  Reply
Shawn @ I Wash You Dry says
September 8, 2014 at

These look wonderful! Perfect game-day appetizer!
Reply
- Nicole Harris says
  September 8, 2014 at
  
  Thanks Shawn!
  Reply
Deborah says
September 9, 2014 at

Oh my goodness – I could eat a whole bowl of this!
Reply
- Nicole Harris says
  September 9, 2014 at
  See Also
  How Do I Convert Recipes To Sourdough? #AskWardee 043
  
  Yep! I did eat a whole bowl 😀
  Reply
Lori @ RecipeGirl says
September 9, 2014 at

Perfect for game day! I’m loving that sauce!
Reply
- Nicole Harris says
  September 9, 2014 at
  
  Thanks Lori! It’s all about the sauce!
  Reply
Miss @ Miss in the Kitchen says
September 9, 2014 at

My guys would love these and I love that you make them in the crockpot!
Reply
- Nicole Harris says
  September 10, 2014 at
  
  This is definitely a great guy food! Thanks!
  Reply
Kristen says
September 9, 2014 at

These would be so good this football season! Love the creativity!
Reply
- Nicole Harris says
  September 10, 2014 at
  
  Thanks Kristen!
  Reply
Lauren @ Healthy Delicious says
September 11, 2014 at

I had no idea butterball made sausage! Love the sweet and spicy combo you have going on here – my husband would love this!
Reply
- Nicole Harris says
  September 15, 2014 at
  
  Thanks Lauren! The Butterball sausage tastes great!
  Reply
victor says
October 13, 2014 at

this will make an easy addition to tailgate times!
Reply
- Nicole Harris says
  October 13, 2014 at
  
  Sure will, Enjoy!
  Reply
Todd Neill says
November 7, 2014 at

I’m crockpotting this now for the Blackhawks game….look forward to power graising it!!!!
Reply
- Nicole Harris says
  November 11, 2014 at
  
  Awesome!!!
  Reply
I_Fortuna says
December 21, 2014 at

Great recipe. This is also great using Oscar Meyer Select hot dogs (no nitrates or nitrites). When I make them, I don’t use the BBQ sauce but I use apricot jam and a splash of cognac or any brandy. They are delicious as well.
Reply
- Nicole Harris says
  December 22, 2014 at
  
  That does sound delicious!
  Reply
Ana says
January 29, 2015 at

What kind of BBQ sauce did you use?
Reply
- Nicole Harris says
  January 29, 2015 at
  
  I usually use either Sweet Baby Ray’s or KC Masterpiece. I think I used Sweet Baby Ray’s for this recipe. Enjoy!
  Reply
Nadine says
October 25, 2016 at

Hi Nicole,
Can little smokies be used in this recipe or will it mess up the flavor since they aren’t turkey? Thanks,
Reply
- Nicole Harris says
  October 27, 2016 at
  
  Lil Smokies are perfectly fine. I love Them!
  Reply
Karla says
June 8, 2017 at

How many people does this recipe serve?
Reply
- Nicole Harris says
  June 8, 2017 at
  
  I suppose it depends on how hungry everyone is but it should serve 10-12 🙂
  Reply
hinh nen says
June 30, 2017 at

I like Slow Cooker Appetizer Recipe Sweet & Spicy Sausage I am so excited to try these recipes. I have wrote down a bunch and bookmarked your page just incase I lose the pages!! It all looks so good.
Reply
- Nicole Harris says
  July 3, 2017 at
  
  Thanks! I hope you enjoy 🙂
  Reply
Anna says
July 18, 2017 at

I love your recipes, the pictures to go along with the step by step instructions are great.
Reply
- Nicole Harris says
  July 19, 2017 at
  
  Thanks!
  Reply
Sydney says
January 25, 2018 at

This sounds super easy and yummy, do you think I could substitute the apricot jam for raspberry or strawberry jam and substitute the turkey sausage for pork sausage links and it still taste as good??
Reply
- Nicole Harris says
  January 26, 2018 at
  
  Absolutely! In fact, that sounds delicious 🙂
  Reply
Matt says
March 8, 2018 at

How many ounces of meat? Your picture shows 40 oz packages… Is it really 80 oz total?
Reply
- Nicole Harris says
  March 12, 2018 at
  
  This is meant for a party or feast! But, feel free to halve the recipe for a smaller family get-together 🙂
  Reply

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Slow Cooker Recipe: Sweet and Spicy Bbq Sausage (2024)

FAQs

Why brown sausages before slow cooking? ›

Technically you don't need to brown the sausages before placing in the crock pot, but the caramelization gives the dish a delicious depth of flavor. Plus Aunt Mary always did it so we should too.

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How to slow cook BBQ? ›

A solid barbecue with a lid is essential, and the ideal temperature for slow cooking is 90-110°C. You need to cook indirectly by positioning the meat away from, and not over, the coals or wood. Moisture is important, so sit a tray full of water (or even beer) under the meat.

Learn More Now ›

Can I keep breakfast sausage warm in a crockpot? ›

It really depends on how warm the warm setting keeps the food. If it's over 60 degrees Celsius, you should be fine, but for something like pork I would want it to be considerably over that temperature to be on the safe side, and then you're into cooking territory rather than 'keeping warm' territory.

Discover More Details ›

How do you keep sausages warm for a party? ›

Place the hot dogs that have been grilled comfortably in a heatproof dish and cover it with aluminum foil over. The lid should be placed snugly on the dish to make an oven-like mini, ideal for keeping your hot sausages warm.

What happens if you don't brown meat before a slow cooker? ›

While searing meat before slow cooking can enhance flavors by developing a caramelized crust, it's not strictly necessary. If you skip searing, the meat may lack some depth of flavor, but it will still cook and become tender in the slow cooker.

Explore More ›

Is it OK not to brown meat before slow cooking? ›

Browning Is Better

And if you dredge the meat in flour before you brown it, your sauce will thicken up to make a gravy. You should always brown ground beef or any ground meat in a skillet before adding it to your slow cooker to prevent the meat from clumping up or from adding excess grease to your cooked dish.

What is the low and slow BBQ method? ›

There is no particular magic in low and slow cooking method, but it is all about the science of cooking. Here is how it works: the meat is cooked at a temperature between 200 °F - and 250 °F. This cooks the meat slowly, allowing the connective tissue to cook and break down at about 160 °F.

Explore More ›

What is the best liquid to cook pulled pork in? ›

Transfer everything to a large slow cooker and add a splash of liquid — water is great, but so is broth, apple juice, or beer if you have them handy. Cover and cook on low until the meat is tender and pulls apart easily.

Read On ›

What temperature is a slow cook BBQ? ›

Temperatures in the range of 110-135°C (230-275°F) are a good guide for low and slow cooking.

Explore More ›

Is 4 hours on high the same as 8 hours on low in a slow cooker? ›

The difference between "High" and "Low" on slow cookers seems to differ with every brand and model. One thing that is consistent, though, is that food takes seven to eight hours to reach a simmer point (around 210°) on low; versus three to four hours on high.

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Can I leave my crockpot on low overnight? ›

Is it safe to leave a slow cooker on for 12 hours? Yes, you can use your slow cooker for longer than eight hours, as long as you keep an eye on it. Many slow cookers do have an automatic shutoff after 24 hours.

Get More Info Here ›

Is it okay to leave a slow cooker on warm overnight? ›

Don't leave it on 'warm' all day

Most appliances will automatically shut off after 20 or so hours on this setting, but you shouldn't leave food in a slow cooker for an extended length of time. The general rule of thumb is that 2-4 hours is the maximum length of time you can leave food in a slow cooker on warm.

Tell Me More ›

How to reheat sausage in a crockpot? ›

Reheating leftovers in a slow cooker is not recommended. Cooked food should be reheated on the stove, in a microwave, or in a conventional oven until it reaches 165 °F.

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How do you keep sausage moist? ›

Cook gently and only to a max 145-150ºF over a low to moderate heat or with the simmer then brown method. The main benefit from either of the methods we recommend is that you will lose only about half of the moisture when compared to a fast high cook approach and this means immeasurably better results, every time.

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Do sausages need to be cooked before a slow cooker? ›

1 Answer. There's no health issue here, the sausages will be cooked enough to be safe. The reason you fry off the sausages first is that you make the casings more edible, get flavor from maillard reactions and browning, and maybe get rid of some of the fat (if you discard the fat that comes out of the sausages that is) ...

Do sausages have to be brown all over to be cooked? ›

Instead, it should be brown all the way through. Once the sausages are done cooking, they will be ready to eat. As mentioned before, boiling sausages isn't ideal if you want the sausages to have a lot of flavour. However, there is a simple way to add more flavour to boiled sausages: fry them.

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Do sausages have to be brown to be cooked? ›

Keep cooking for 15-20 mins, moving them around in the pan and turning them over regularly so they all cook evenly. The sausages are ready when the outside is a deep golden brown and the inside is pale, with no pink meat. Any meat juices running off should be clear.

Get More Info ›

Do you have to brown sausages? ›

Do you really have to brown the sausages at the start? It helps with colour, flavour and texture. You could skip it but it's worth doing for nicer results.

View Details ›

Slow Cooker Recipe: Sweet and Spicy Bbq Sausage (2024)

Crockpot Sausage Recipe

Ingredients

Instructions

Nutrition Information

Reader Interactions

Comments

Leave a Reply

FAQs

Why brown sausages before slow cooking? ›

Can I leave my crockpot on low overnight? ›