Look, Little Smokies simmering in some sauce in a crockpot is an omnipresent party staple, I know. But I, for one, have never ever been upset to see them. They are a welcome and well-loved part of the party spread and, besides, they don’t always have to be the same Little Smokies. Say goodbye to the grape jelly and switch up your flavors and they’ll feel like a totally new appetizer again. Case in point, these Pineapple Teriyaki Little Smokies. They’re a far cry from Grandma’s cocktail wienies!

What Do I Need To Make Pineapple Teriyaki Little Smokies?

Not a lot! For a 1 1/2 quart slow cooker, you’ll need:

• 2 packages of Little Smokies
• A can pineapple of chunks
• Some kind of teriyaki marinade sauce (Sweet Baby Rays or KC Masterpiece work great)
• some sweet Asian chili sauce
• cornstarch
• Green onions and sesame seeds

How Do I Make Pineapple Teriyaki Little Smokies?

It’s easy! First you want to drain the pineapple chunks but reserve the juice. Then, you’ll add the pineapple and the Little Smokies to the slow cooker. Add the teriyaki sauce and the sweet chili sauce and stir. It’s just barely going to fit, but with some care you can make it work. Set it on high for two hours and walk away (maybe stopping by a time or two to stir).

At that point, you’ll stir the cornstarch into a quarter cup of reserved pineapple juice and stir it into the mixture in the slow cooker. Again, it’ll be full, be careful. Let it cook a while to thicken up and then stir in the green onion and sesame seeds and dig in! (And that’s the best part, for sure.)

What If I Don’t Have a Slow Cooker?

No crockpot, no problem! All you have to do is combine the sauces and the smokies in saucepan and set it over medium-high heat. Once it’s simmering, stir the cornstarch into the pineapple juice and add it to the simmering mixture. Let it bubble away until it thickens to your liking and you’re ready to serve. The stovetop method is much faster but doesn’t have the nice party-benefit of staying warm as long as you need it to.