If you’re looking for an easy smoked appetizer that delivers big flavor with minimal effort, these Smoked Sausage Balls are a must-try! Made with savory breakfast sausage, sharp cheddar cheese, baking mix, and a few simple seasonings, these bite-sized snacks are taken to the next level with the addition of smoky BBQ flavor. They’re tender on the inside, packed with cheesy goodness, and perfect for serving straight off the smoker at your next backyard cookout, tailgate, game day party or even holiday enternaining.
Looking for more appetizer recipes then try my sweet Grilled Brie Bites, Smoked Stuffed Shrimp, or these homemade BBQ cocktail meatballs.
Why You’ll Love This Smoked Sausage Balls Recipe
Easy to make with simple ingredients. You don’t need a long list of ingredients or complicated cooking techniques to make delicious smoked sausage balls. A simple 4 ingredient recipe that’s easy to prepare ahead of time.
A smoky twist on a classic appetizer. Traditional sausage balls are usually baked in the oven, but cooking them on a pellet smoker or another type of smoker adds a delicious wood-fired flavor.
Perfect for parties and game day. These bite-sized sausage balls are easy to serve, easy to share, and filling enough to keep everyone happy while the main meal finishes cooking.
Cheesy, savory, and packed with flavor. The combination of seasoned sausage and cheddar cheese creates a rich, satisfying flavor in every bite. The cheese adds moisture and sharpness, while the sausage brings plenty of savory goodness.
Easy to customize. Switch up the cheese, adjust the seasonings, or add a little heat with jalapeños or crushed red pepper flakes. You can also experiment with different BBQ rubs to give the sausage balls your own signature flavor.
Ingredients needed to make Smoked Sausage Balls
- Breakfast sausage: the foundation of this recipe, providing rich pork flavor and seasoning throughout each bite
- Biscuit mix: the Red Lobster biscuit mix is ideal for this recipe for it’s flaky buttery flavor. It adds structure without requiring you to measure out several separate dry ingredients.
- Cheese: a sharp cheddar cheese adds a bold, cheesy flavor that pairs perfectly with the sausage.
- Milk: a little milk can help bring the mixture together if it feels too dry or crumbly.
How to Make Smoked Sausage Balls
These Smoked Sausage Balls are a crowd favorite. With only 4 simple ingredients, you can make a cheesy, savory appetizer that is perfect from backyard BBQ parties, tailgating to the next holiday party.
Mix the ingredients
In a large bowl add raw breakfast sausage, shredded cheddar cheese, milk and Red Lobster Biscuit mix. With your hands, starting combining the ingredients until everything is evenly mixed.
A mini muffin pan is ideal to form the small bite size Smoked Sausage Balls. Make sure to spray the pan with butter to avoid the bites sticking to it.
Scoop out a tablespoon of the cheesy sausage mixture and roll it into a round ball. Place each ball into into a cavity.
Smoke the Sausage Balls
Traditionally, Sausage Balls are baked in the oven. I wanted to infuse them with some smokey flavor, so I decided to make mine on my pallet smoker.
Recipe Tip
You can use any grill as long as it’s set for indirect heat.
Using an oven is also a great option.
Preheat the grill to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. If you are not using a smoker, make sure the grill is set for indirect heat.
Place the muffin pan with the sausage balls on the grates and smoke for about 25-30 minutes or until golden brown.
Serve and enjoy
Once the Smoked Sausage Balls are fully cooked, remove them from the smoker and let them rest briefly before serving. Arrange them on a platter with BBQ sauce, ranch dressing, or your favorite dipping sauce.
They’re delicious served warm while the cheese is still soft and the smoky sausage flavor is at its best. Add them to a larger appetizer spread with smoked wings, jalapeño poppers, armadillo eggs, and other BBQ favorites for a crowd-pleasing party menu.
Serving Suggestions
These Smoked Sausage Balls are versatile enough to serve as a standalone snack or as part of a full BBQ appetizer spread.
- BBQ sauce: A sweet, smoky, or spicy barbecue sauce is an easy dipping option that complements the pork and cheddar.
- Ranch dressing: Cool, creamy ranch balances the savory sausage and works especially well if you add jalapeños or spicy seasoning.
- Jalapeño poppers: Add another cheesy, smoky appetizer to your game day menu.
- Smoked maple bourbon chicken wings: Pair the sausage balls with wings for a hearty spread of smoked party favorites.
- BBQ shotgun shells: If you’re hosting a backyard BBQ, these pasta shells stuffed with meat and wrapped in bacon are the must have for any cookout.
- Grilled Steak Bruschetta: Perfect bite size, savory, tangy and refreshing snack that is just too hard to resist.
Final Thoughts
These Smoked Sausage Balls are proof that a simple appetizer can deliver big BBQ flavor. With just 4 ingredients, upgrade your spread for your next cookout game day or family party.
What I love most about this recipe is how easy it is to customize. Use your favorite breakfast sausage, experiment with different cheeses, or add a little jalapeño for extra heat. Serve them with barbecue sauce or ranch, and you’ve got a bite-sized appetizer that works for everything from casual family gatherings to football parties.
The next time you’re firing up the smoker, make room for a batch of smoked sausage balls. They’re simple to prepare, easy to share, and packed with the kind of smoky, cheesy flavor that keeps everyone coming back for another one! Enjoy!
Frequently Asked Questions:
What temperature should I remove the smoke sausage balls at? Always use a thermometer and cook the ground pork to an internal temperature of 160 degrees.
Can I bake the sausage balls in the oven instead? Yes. If you don’t have a smoker, you can bake sausage balls in a conventional oven. You won’t get the same wood-fired flavor, but they’ll still be cheesy, savory, and delicious. Use the same temperature and time for guidence.
If you tried this Smoked Sausage Balls or any other recipe on my blog, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the📝 comments. I love hearing from you!
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Smoked Sausage Balls
Make smoked sausage balls for your next BBQ or holiday party. This easy appetizer is a crowd favorite that's savory cheesy and crispy.
Course Appetizer, Side Dish, Snack, holiday meal, brunch, party food
Cuisine American, Barbecue
Keyword cheesy, smoked sausage balls, breakfast sausage, biscuit mix, red lobster, easy appetizer, smoked appetizer, grilling with dad recipes., grilling recipe, crispy, party appetizer
Prep Time 10 minutes minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes minutes
Servings 6 People
Calories 626kcal
- 16 oz Jimmy Dean breakfast sausage
- 11.36 oz Red Lobster biscuit mix
- 8 oz Shredded cheddar cheese
- 1/2 cup Milk
In a large bowl add raw breakfast sausage, shredded cheddar cheese, milk and biscuit mix. With your hands, starting combining the ingredients until everything is evenly mixed.
Spray the muffin pan with butter.
Scoop out a tablespoon of the cheesy sausage mixture and roll it into around ball. Place each ball into a cavity.
Preheat the grill to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and set for indirect heat.
Smoke the sausage ball for about 25-30 minutes or until golden brown.
Remove from the grill, and serve with your choice of dip.
To add some heat to the sausage balls, add finely chopped jalapeno or hot sauce to the mixture.
You can use any grill as long as it’s set for indirect heat.
Using an oven is also a great option. Calories: 626kcal | Carbohydrates: 36g | Protein: 25g | Fat: 42g | Saturated Fat: 16g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 16g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 96mg | Sodium: 1421mg | Potassium: 335mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 471IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 395mg | Iron: 2mg
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