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American

Smoked Sausage Bites with Bourbon Glaze

Bite-sized smoked sausage in a sweet and savory bourbon-brown sugar glaze

hot_biteEasyAmerican
Prep10 minCook20 minTotal30 minServes16Temphot
✓ gluten-free✓ dairy-free
Recipe
Ingredients
  • 2 lbssmoked sausage(kielbasa or similar, sliced into coins)
  • 0.5 cupbourbon
  • 0.5 cupbrown sugar(packed)
  • 0.25 cupDijon mustard
  • 2 tbspWorcestershire sauce
  • 2 tbspbutter
  • 0.25 tspcayenne pepper
  • 2 tbspfresh parsley(chopped, for garnish)
Make Ahead

Best served immediately. Can keep warm in slow cooker on low setting.

Instructions
  1. 1Slice sausage into 1/2-inch coins
  2. 2In large skillet over medium-high heat, brown sausage in batches until caramelized
  3. 3Remove sausage to plate
  4. 4Reduce heat to medium and add bourbon to deglaze pan - careful of flame
  5. 5Add brown sugar, mustard, Worcestershire, butter, and cayenne
  6. 6Stir until sugar dissolves and sauce begins to thicken
  7. 7Return sausage to pan and toss to coat in glaze
  8. 8Cook 3-5 minutes until sauce is sticky and coats sausage
  9. 9Transfer to serving dish and garnish with parsley
  10. 10Serve hot with toothpicks
Notes
Pro Tips

Use quality smoked sausage - kielbasa, andouille, or any fully-cooked smoked variety. Brown sausage well for extra flavor. Be careful adding bourbon to hot pan - it may flame. Let the glaze reduce until it coats a spoon. The sauce should be sticky, not runny. Serve while hot and glossy.

History & Origin

Glazed sausage bites are a modern evolution of the classic cocktail weenie, elevated with bourbon and better ingredients. The combination of smoky sausage with sweet-savory glaze hits all the right notes for game day snacking. The bourbon adds depth and pairs naturally with the smoked meat.

Cocktail Pairings
Pairs Well With
bourbonbeerwhiskeyrye
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American◆Easy