Slow Cooker Smoked Sausage

Jump to Recipe

This slow cooker smoked sausage is an easy, delicious recipe we love to make for both dinner and parties. With smoked sausage and a simple mix of jelly and Thai sweet chili sauce, this recipe has a complex depth of flavor with simple ingredients, and it’s just as good as a main over rice as it is a party snack with toothpicks.

A white surface with a white round bowl with blue trim filled with a serving of smoked sausage.

Growing up, we never understood why our mom loved slow cooker recipes so much. Then, we grew up and quickly realized that slow cookers make it easy and convenient to cook dinners and other dishes when you just don’t have that time to squeeze one more thing into the day. We love making easy, hearty recipes like slow cooker chicken and rice or slow cooker flank steak and peppers for dinner, and our crock pot Italian sausage queso is always a big hit at parties.

Now, we’ve added a new recipe to our slow cooker rotation. Our sweet and tangy slow cooker smoked sausage is perfect for dinners or parties, and it’s so easy to make. It’s the perfect dish for busy families or busy people in general, and it doesn’t hurt that it’s so darn good!

Three white bowls with blue trim on a white surface filled with slow cooked smoked sausage.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

Limited Ingredients: We should say ultra-limited because it only takes three ingredients to make this recipe.
Easy: All you need to do is brown the sausage and let the slow cooker do the rest.
Versatile: This is an unexpected treat as a main course when served over rice and a classic appetizer for any event.
Customizable: Play with the ingredients to create all kinds of variations.

Ingredients

Smoked Sausage: Sliced smoked sausage is pan-fried to give it a nice color and a deeper flavor.
Grape Jelly: Grape jelly makes the sausage sweet and works well with the chili sauce.
Thai Sweet Chili Sauce: Thai sweet chili sauce has a touch of heat to go with its sweetness.

See the recipe card at the end of the post for a full list of ingredients and their exact measurements.

Slow cooked smoked sausage in a white bowl with blue trim.

Flavor Variations

Smoked Sausage: You can use any variety of smoked sausage you prefer. There is a wide range of options, and they all bring their own unique flavor to the dish.
Jelly: Any fruit jelly will work well with the smoky, slightly spicy flavors in this recipe.
Aromatics: If you want to make this as a main course, try adding onions and garlic to the sausage as you cook it for even more savory flavor.
Spicy: Add a bit more heat with a little red pepper flakes.

Instructions

Pan-fry half of the sausage in a large pan over medium heat with ½ cup of water until the sausage is lightly browned and the water has evaporated. Repeat with the other half of the sausage.
Combine all the ingredients in the slow cooker and cook on high or low until the sausages are hot and the sauce is fully combined.

Grape jelly, sweet chili sauce, and three smoked sausage links on a white surface.

All three of the ingredients for slow cooker smoked sausage in the slow cooker.

Hint

The sausage is already cooked, so you can transfer it to the slow cooker as soon as it has a nice color. There’s no need to check for doneness.

Storage

Refrigerate leftovers for up to 4 days in an airtight container. For longer storage, freeze the sausage for up to 2 months in an airtight, freezer-safe container.

To reheat, defrost the sausage overnight in the refrigerator if frozen. Then, add it to a slow cooker and set it to high until heated through. You can also microwave individual portions at 1-minute intervals until hot.

A slow cooker filled with smoked sausage after it has finished slow cooking.

Pairing Suggestions

Serve this sausage over rice with garlic toast as a tasty main course. It’s also a delicious addition to a larger appetizer spread alongside other zesty snacks like spicy Italian sausage mozzarella sticks, sausage pepperoni pizza sliders, or crispy fried tortellini.

Tips

If your sausage doesn’t have as much color as you’d like by the time the water evaporates, just let it cook in the pan for about a minute per side.
We like to give everything a stir about an hour after adding it to the slow cooker to make sure everything mixes well.

A white bowl with blue trim filled with a serving of smoked sausage slices.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can you eat raw smoked sausage?

Yes, you can because smoked sausage is already fully cooked. The smoking process not only adds flavor, but it cooks the sausage with indirect heat, so it’s perfectly safe to eat without heating.

How do I get good color on my smoked sausage?

The key to good color on pan-fried smoked sausage is starting out with water. Cooking the sausage with a little simmering water in the bottom of the pan allows it to heat through without drying out. Then, it can begin to brown while still remaining juicy.

Is sweet chili sauce hot?

Warm is a better way to describe sweet chili sauce. While it’s made with chili peppers, the sauce is more sweet than anything else. It has such a mild heart that even kids generally love anything it’s used in.

Three white bowls with blue trim on a white surface filled with sliced smoked sausage with the slow cooker in the background.

Try This Slow Cooker Smoked Sausage Recipe

This slow cooker smoked sausage recipe is as easy as it is delicious. With smoky sausage and a sweet, tangy, slightly spicy sauce, it’s the perfect dish for a fun weeknight dinner or a simple appetizer for your next event. AND because it’s a slow cooker recipe, it won’t take a ton of time to make. You can’t bet a combo like that. Give it a try!

More Delicious Sausage Recipes You’ll Enjoy

If you try this recipe and love it, please be sure to leave a 5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating below and comment! You can also pin it to save it for later. Also, you can follow us on Pinterest, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube. Remember to “like” or “follow” us on all social media.