With only 4 ingredients and 5 minutes of hands-on time, these Chicken Apple Sausage Appetizers make the best party snack! Start with Aidells chicken apple sausages (or a similar brand), cover in a ridiculously delicious maple mustard glaze, then warm in the slow cooker. Perfect for potlucks, brunch, parties, and game day!
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The holidays are filled with parties, potlucks, and get-togethers. Instead of wasting time with endless brainstorming and complicated potluck dishes, I like to have a few super simple appetizers in my back pocket. This Aidells Chicken Apple Sausage recipe is one of those easy appetizers I come back to again and again - SO GOOD!
For more easy sausage appetizers I recommend cocktail sausages wrapped in puff pastry (fancy pigs in a blanket). My list of quick and easy appetizers also includes this 3-Ingredient Cheese Ball, or you can check out our page of snack and drink recipes for more ideas.
🥇 Why they're great
- They are super EASY and absolutely DELICIOUS. We always get amazing reviews when we serve these to guests.
- The ingredients can be stored in your pantry at all times or frozen so that you can have sticky, glaze-covered sausage bites in no time!
- They hold well so you can make them in advance and serve them for hours.
- They are easily prepped ahead so the day you need them it’s toss and go.
🍎 Ingredients
- Chicken apple sausages: Aidells chicken apple sausages are the national brand and are delicious. However, I have also used Sam's Club brand with great success. As long as the flavor of the sausage is good on its own, then they will be delicious tossed in the maple mustard glaze. Note: These are the sausages that are precooked in the package. This recipe is not written for raw sausage.
- Maple syrup: Real maple syrup here. Pancake syrup will not work.
- Mustard: Stone ground mustard is my top choice but spicy brown or dijon will work as well.
- Dried thyme: Using dried herbs makes this easy to throw together, but fresh thyme can be substituted.
🔪 How to make Chicken Apple Sausage Appetizers
Put your seatbelt on because this is going to go fast!
- Cut sausages into ½ inch pieces, approximately 10 per link.
- Toss in the slow cooker (affiliate) for 1 hour on low without any liquid. We are only trying to heat them. Stir halfway through.
- Mix up the glaze ingredients and pour it over the sausages. Serve.
👨👩👧👦 For a crowd
This is the perfect quick and easy appetizer for a crowd! It doesn’t take much longer to cut additional sausages for a large group and toss them in the slow cooker. If you're making an extra large batch, make sure to use a large slow cooker and stir a few additional times to help them warm up evenly.
🙋 Questions and Answers
You do not need to cook Aidells chicken apple sausages because they come fully cooked. You just want to warm them gently before serving.
Up to 2 days ahead you can slice the chicken apple sausages and mix up the syrup. Store them separately in the refrigerator. On the day of serving, proceed with the recipe as written.
Yes. You can freeze the sausages, sliced or whole, and the syrup mixture, but keep them separate. When ready to serve, thaw at room temperature. Then proceed with the recipe as written.
These are great in small batches on the stove. Just be careful to keep the heat low. If the sausages get too hot the casing gets tough. If you are serving a crowd the slow cooker is an easier option.
We have served these at baby and bridal showers, brunches, holiday potlucks, and casual get togethers. They make an excellent option because you can line them on a plate with little serving utensils, or you can leave them in a slow cooker on warm and they hold for hours.
👨🏼🍳 Tips & Tricks
- Make sure to warm the sausages on low heat. If the casing gets too hot it becomes tough.
- Use real maple syrup. With only a handful of ingredients it's important that each one is high quality.
📖 Other quick appetizers and snacks
- White Chocolate Popcorn with Cinnamon and Sugar
- Roasted Pineapple Habanero Salsa
- Red Robin Copycat Campfire Sauce!
- 3-Ingredient Cheeseball
👋🏻 Connect with us!
If you try this recipe, please leave a comment and star rating to let us know how it is! We’d also love to connect with you on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest. Tag @borrowedbites or hashtag #borrowedbites to show us your food!
📋 Recipe
Chicken Apple Sausage Appetizers with Maple Glaze
Equipment
- Slow Cooker
Ingredients
- 1 pound chicken apple sausages
- 3 tablespoon maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon stone ground mustard
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
Instructions
- Cut sausages into ½ inch pieces (about 10 per link).
- Place in slow cooker without any additional liquid. Heat for 1 hour on low stirring occasionally. Then turn slow cooker to "keep warm".
- Mix maple syrup, mustard, and thyme in a glass measuring cup. Pour over sausages, stirring to combine. Cover and keep warm until serving.
- We love comments! Please come back and leave us one after you’ve tried this recipe.
Notes
- Make sure to warm the sausages on low heat. If the casing gets too hot it becomes tough.
- Use real maple syrup. With only a handful of ingredients it's important that each one is high quality.
Nutrition
All nutrition information is provided by a third party and is an estimate only. Use your own nutritional calculator for more specific measurements.
Naomi says
If I am making for a large group do I double all of the ingredients.
Misty says
Hi Naomi! It just depends on how many people you're hoping to serve. Once recipe serves 10 people. You can double all the ingredients to serve 20, or triple it to serve 30. You may have to stir it a few extra times to ensure everything is heated evenly.
Deborah says
What would you suggest as a side dish if thinking of making for dinner?
Thank you,
Deborah
Ellie says
I had the same question. You asked 4 months ago, yet it appears you never received a reply. That sucks.
Danielle says
Goodness! So sorry that the previous comment slipped through the cracks. We try so hard to answer every single one, but occasionally something slips through.
• For more of a breakfast for dinner, I would serve simple scrambled eggs and hash browns or this baked egg dish https://borrowedbites.com/breakfast-egg-bake-with-bacon-and-green-chilis/ .
• If you are looking for more of a traditional dinner, maybe crispy potatoes - https://borrowedbites.com/incredibly-crispy-smashed-potatoes/ - or scalloped potatoes - https://borrowedbites.com/cheesy-scalloped-potatoes/. This chopped salad - https://borrowedbites.com/autumn-chopped-salad/ would be delicious on the side.
Again,
Genuinely sorry we missed that first comment. Hopefully this helps. If not, feel free to reach out again.
Danielle says
It came to my attention today that this comment was never answered. I am so sorry! Here is the answer I left the other person with this same question. Again, so sorry!
• For more of a breakfast for dinner, I would serve simple scrambled eggs and hash browns or this baked egg dish https://borrowedbites.com/breakfast-egg-bake-with-bacon-and-green-chilis/ .
• If you are looking for more of a traditional dinner, maybe crispy potatoes - https://borrowedbites.com/incredibly-crispy-smashed-potatoes/ - or scalloped potatoes - https://borrowedbites.com/cheesy-scalloped-potatoes/. This chopped salad - https://borrowedbites.com/autumn-chopped-salad/ would be delicious on the side.
Again,
Genuinely sorry we missed that first comment. Hopefully this helps. If not, feel free to reach out again.
Margaret says
These are delicious little bites of goodness! Thanks for the easy recipe.