Sausage Bites with Sweet & Sour Dipping Sauce
Need a delicious, quick appetizer for the holidays? Try our Sausage Bites with Sweet & Sour Dipping Sauce as an appetizer! These are delicious, moist, and tender little bites served with a sweet and sour sauce that’s easy to make and addicting! Make it ahead and easy to reheat, too.
Whether you are planning to stay home to ring in the new year, or plan to host a soiree with a few friends, it’s a good idea to have something more substantial served as an appetizer, especially if you are only serving appetizers and cocktails.
Let’s face it – the men in our lives need something more than a hummus dip with veggies or crackers. Right?
Italian sausage links are the easiest meats to bake (or grill) and serve! They’re also budget-friendly!
So why not turn plain simple sausage links into little sausage bites and serve them as an appetizer and ring in the new year?
Only this time, serve them with an easy and delicious Sweet & Sour Dipping Sauce!
Sausage Bites with Sweet & Sour Dipping Sauce is super easy to make!
- Sausage Bites involves no prep work at all (compared to making cocktail meatballs).
- It’s simply a package of Italian sausage links (the large ones), thrown into a baking pan, and baked until they are fully cooked.
- Then cut each link into 4 equal parts and coat them with a warm sweet and sour sauce (recipe below)
- Place pretty cocktail toothpicks in them, and serve.
I’ve been baking sausages for years and never thought to post them as an easy, bite-size appetizer, until two years ago!
So I decided to revive this recipe from our archives.
In the past, we always enjoyed serving them with our Mom’s Quick Marinara Sauce as the dipping sauce. But this time, instead of using our usual tomato sauce, I wanted to try something completely different.
And a sweet and sour sauce sounded just the thing!
How to Make Sweet & Sour Dipping Sauce?
As I searched the web for a few recipes, I decided to come up with my own concoction.
The sauce is made with only 4 simple ingredients.
I decided to try my favorite bottle of teriyaki marinade sauce along with brown sugar, ketchup, and vinegar. Super EASY!!
If you haven’t heard of or even tried my favorite Soy Vay Teriyaki Marinade & Sauce, I have to tell you it’s my “go-to” sauce for marinating meats and fish.
I use it often in my stir-fry dishes, or as a simple dip. It’s Kosher certified, preservative-free, and contains NO high-fructose corn syrup.
And it’s delicious!
Sausage Bites with Sweet & Sour Dipping Sauce make the perfect appetizer!
Try this recipe, I think your family and guests will enjoy them as much as we do!
CHEERS!!
More Tasty Appetizer Ideas!
- Roasted Spicy Maple Chicken Wings
- Easy Fried Ravioli
- Everything Baked Potato Dip
- Spinach and Kale Bites
- Easy Baked Shishito Peppers
… Thanks for Pinning!
Also, did you know… that eating “Pork and Lentils” is an Italian tradition and considered GOOD LUCK on New Year’s Eve? Well, it’s true!
In Italy, the feast of Saint Sylvester is traditionally celebrated on New Year’s Eve night when Italians believe they should eat pork as a symbol of life’s fullness and lentils as a symbol of wealth.
So take a look at some of our recipes as our tradition for…
and Enjoy!!
Yield: 16 to 20 bites
Sausage Bites with Sweet & Sour Dipping Sauce
Sausage Bites with Sweet & Sour Dipping Sauce ~ delicious bite-size appetizers you can easily bake, make ahead and reheat just minutes before guests arrive. Super quick and perfect to serve at your next party!
Prep Time
5 minutes
Cook Time
30 minutes
Total Time
35 minutes
Ingredients
- 1 package of Italian sweet sausage links (4 to 5 large links)
Sweet & Sour Sauce:
- 1/3 cup of Teriyaki Marinade & Sauce ( I used Soy Vay)
- 3 Tbsp. packed light brown sugar
- 1 Tbsp. ketchup
- 2 tsp. apple-cider vinegar
Garnish:
- Dried or fresh chopped chives
Instructions
- Remove the sausages from the package and allow them to warm up to room temperature for a few minutes.
- Preheat oven to 400 F degrees.
- Layer a baking pan with aluminum foil or parchment paper.
- Place the sausages in a single layer on the prepared baking pan, but separate them, should not be touching.
- Take a fork and lightly prick each one a few times, about 3 times in each link.
- Bake sausages for 25 - 30 minutes, until they are fully brown and cooked through.
- Remove from the oven. Use a fork and sharp knife to slice them into 4 equal parts.
Sweet & Sour Dipping Sauce:
- In a small saucepan, and on low heat, stir Teriyaki Marinade & Sauce with light brown sugar, ketchup, and vinegar, until the sugar is fully dissolved and allow the sauce to thicken a little, about 2 minutes. Turn off heat.
- Drop a few already cooked sausage bites (in small batches) into the heated sauce to coat them. Pick up each sausage bite (allowing the excess sauce to drip back into the pan) and place it onto a serving platter. Place toothpicks into each one. Garnish with a sprinkle on top with dried or fresh chopped chives and serve. If you need more dipping sauce, repeat the ingredients and heat up the additional sauce.
- Serve warm with extra dipping sauce on the side.
Notes
* If the sausage links are frozen, place them into the refrigerator the night before to allow them to fully defrost. Or if you're short on time, you can take them and run them under cold running water for a few minutes to help them defrost.
* You can grill them on your outside gas grill for 15 to 20 minutes until they are fully browned and cooked.
* Don't have time to make your own dipping sauce? You can buy your favorite brand of sweet & sour sauce from your local supermarket. Just heat up about 1/2 cup or more and coat the sausage bites with the warm sauce before serving.
* Sausage bites will reheat very nicely. Warm them in a 350 F degrees oven for about 10 minutes and heat up the sauce before serving.
Wow, what a great take on the old classic meatballs. The dipping sauce sounds wonderful! Happy New Year to you both!
Yes, so true…. and Thank you so much, Susan and a healthy and happy to yours!
These sausage bites look so simple and delicious! Love the idea of the sweet and sour dipping sauce 🙂
Thank you so much, Michelle! .. and welcome to our blog, it’s so nice to meet you! 🙂 Looking forward to hearing from you again. Have a great day!
The man in my life would quickly devour your sausage bites…especially with that dipping sauce. Happy New Year to you and yours.
Thanks so much, Karen! Healthy and Happy New Year to you as well! 🙂
This looks like such an easy but classy idea! That dipping sauce sounds yummy. Perfect delicious party appetizer !!
Thank you Rahul! This recipe is definitely easy and effortless and I think you will enjoy it as much as we do! Happy and Healthy New Year!
Thanks so much!
Wow !! they look extra delicious!! taste too!! I love this recipe! When we made it for Dad’s office party at custom essay writing service it was the best dish. I wanted to make it for our next family dinner so everyone could try it. It is a keeper! I may have to make it again soon!