Bourbon Franks

Hey, y'all! There are few southern appetizers that I love more than Bourbon Franks. It's that extra touch of Kentucky -- or, better said, the ¾ c. of bourbon -- that really takes them over the edge. This is a recipe that my family has made for generations and is the first official recipe in my #CookingLikeJJ Series. For those unfamiliar with the series, you can read more here.

Bourbon Franks

Frequently Asked Questions

Ingredients, Shopping List: Bourbon Franks

Meat: 1 lb. cocktail smokies (small size).

Condiments: Ketchup.

Produce: Vidalia onion.

For Cooking: Butter.

Dry Ingredients: Brown Sugar.

Seasonings: Garlic Powder.

Bourbon: Of choice.

How to Make Bourbon Franks

1. Over medium heat, cook diced onion in butter for 5 minutes. Add ketchup, brown sugar, and bourbon. Simmer for 20-30 minutes.
2. Add in cocktail smokies and simmer for 1 hour, stirring occasionally.
3. Serve warm and enjoy!

Bourbon Franks: Tips and Tricks

1. Do not cook with the same bourbon that you drink; I always use lower-tier bourbon when cooking.
2. Do not shorten the cook time; it is important to reach the correct consistency for the sauce.
3. I like cooking the onions in butter; that said, you can also use extra virgin olive oil.

What To Serve with Bourbon Franks: Other Southern Appetizers

1. The Best Pimento Cheese
2. Kentucky Hot Brown Dip
3. Bacon Ranch Crack Dip

The Recipe

Bourbon Franks

JC Phelps

Looking for the perfect southern appetizer? Pack a Kentucky punch and serve my Bourbon Franks, a family favorite for decades!

5 from 33 votes

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Prep Time 5 minutes mins

Cook Time 1 hour hr 30 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr 35 minutes mins

Course Appetizer

Cuisine American, Southern

Servings 6 servings

Calories 272 kcal

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• ¾ c. Kentucky bourbon
• 1 lb. cocktail smokies
• ½ vidalia onion chopped
• ½ c. ketchup
• ⅓ c. brown sugar
• 1 tbsp. butter
• 1 tsp. garlic powder

Instructions

 

• Over medium heat, cook diced onion in butter for 5 minutes. Add ketchup, brown sugar, and bourbon. Simmer for 20-30 minutes.
• Add in cocktail smokies and simmer for 1 hour, stirring occasionally.
• Serve warm and enjoy!

Notes

• Do not cook with the same bourbon that you drink; I always use lower-tier bourbon when cooking.
• Do not shorten the cook time; it is important to reach the correct consistency for the sauce.
• I like cooking the onions in butter; that said, you can also use extra virgin olive oil.

Nutrition

Calories: 272kcalCarbohydrates: 26gProtein: 13gFat: 7gSaturated Fat: 2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 53mgSodium: 914mgPotassium: 119mgFiber: 1gSugar: 20gVitamin A: 105IUVitamin C: 2mgCalcium: 53mgIron: 1mg

Keyword appetizers, bourbon, bourbon franks

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

About the Series: Cooking Like JJ

My Auntie JJ was the quintessential southern woman. She was classy, tasteful, always refined; an amazing cook and hostess; and did everything that she balanced - teaching, running businesses, raising a family, and keeping an immaculate home - with ease. She is one of the main inspirations behind JCP Eats, as she was the one who taught me about timeless, southern food and entertaining. When JJ passed away, I planned this series as a way to pay homage to her 91 years here on Earth; in a way, it's a form of mourning - in another, it seems like my final gift to her. I hope y'all will enjoy this deep dive into the culinary archives of my family + Phelps Acres Farm. While I'll never be able to cook as good as JJ, I can only strive to cook like JJ (hence the title of the series). Learn more here.

Y’all come back now, ya hear?

My best,

JC

Keep Up With JCP Eats

Thank you so much for visiting the blog today! I’d love to keep in touch via social media. You can follow my content on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, Tik Tok, Twitter, and LinkedIn. I also author a sister website to JCP Eats, Unabashedly Southern, on which I write about southern lifestyle. Read Unabashedly Southern here.