Smoked Sausage Bacon Shots
Crispy bacon wrapped around fat chunks of kielbasa topped with hot and smoky cream cheese. Bet you can’t eat just one of these Smoked Sausage Bacon Shots!
This is the ultimate tailgating snack!
Smoked Sausage Bacon Shots Recipe
My guys are total carnivores. And since we do raise beef, this is a good thing!
I’m always looking for easy and delicious meat recipes, whether it’s beef, pork, bison, or venison, especially those I can make on the smoker or grill.
Save this Recipe
Enter your email address and we will send you this recipe to your mailbox for easy reference! Plus, we will send you our latest recipes every week!
You can assemble these shots ahead of time, then smoke/grill when it’s time to get the party started.
And, we also adore Smoked Queso Dip. This is an appetizer we make almost every time we crank up the smoker.
Here are the ingredients you need
- Kielbasa sausage (any kind of smoked sausage will work fine)
- Bacon
- Your favorite pork rub
- Cream cheese
- Spices – garlic powder and paprika
- Cheddar cheese
- Honey
- BBQ sauce, optional
How to make smoked sausage bacon shots
Preheat your smoker to 180 degrees F.
Place the block of cream cheese on a sheet of non-stick foil or into a foil pan.
Sprinkle with granulated garlic and paprika; smoke for 1 1/2 – 2 hours.
Cut the bacon slices in half to make a total of 16 pieces of bacon. Season each one with a light sprinkle of your favorite pork rub.
Wrap the seasoned bacon slices around the sausage chunks.
Allow the bacon to protrude about 1/4-inch above the top of each one. Secure the bacon ends with a toothpick.
Turn the smoker up from 180 degrees F. to 350 degrees F.
In a mixing bowl, combine the smoked cream cheese with the shredded cheddar.
Using a small cookie dough scoop, place dollops of the cream cheese mixture on top of the prepared bacon-wrapped sausages.
Nestle it down into the bacon that’s protruding at the top of each one. Drizzle with a bit of honey, as desired.
Place the prepared sausage shots onto the smoker or grill rack.
Smoke for 30 minutes to an hour or so, or until the bacon is as crispy as you like it.
Serve the shots warm, with bbq sauce on the side for dipping, if desired.
Which tools are helpful for making this appetizer on the smoker?
Cookie dough scoop – A handy-dandy cookie dough scoop really makes placing the cream cheese mixture into the wrapped bacon an easy task. I use one that holds about 1 tablespoon at a time.
Long-handled tongs – Whenever you’re grilling or smoking foods, a good pair of long-handled tongs (or two!) are essential for transferring and turning food or moving it around on the rack. These have silicone tips for good gripping!
Is Kielbasa sausage the same thing as polish sausage and smoked sausage?
“Kielbasa” is the polish word for “sausage.”
Polish sausage and Kielbasa sausage are the same thing, and you may see one or both names on the sausage packaging.
Both kielbasa and polish sausage are typically sold (though not always) as cured (or smoked) sausages.
This means they are fully cooked at the time of purchase.
Be sure to check the packaging to be sure.
Fully cured sausages are handy since they are already cooked at the time of purchase.
This saves a lot of time when you are preparing them at home.
You really just need to brown them off on the exterior and reheat in order for the sausages to be ready to eat.
Can I make these bacon shots using any type of smoked sausage?
Yep. Just keep in mind that if you’re using sausages that are uncooked ahead of time (not smoked or cured sausage like Kielbasa).
You’ll need to make sure you cooke them until an internal temperature of 160-165 degrees F.
To check the internal temperature of the sausages, I prefer an instant-read probe, but a traditional meat thermometer works fine, as well.
For larger cuts of meat on the smoker, it’s also handy to use a digital thermometer that has dual probes that can notify you when the meat raises to the temperature you’ve programmed for.
Need more kielbasa dinner recipes? Here you go!
We love kielbasa dinners! Because kielbasa is fully cooked at the time of purchase, you can add it to tons of recipes to make a complete meal in just minutes.
For instance, we always enjoy a one-pan dinners like this Sausage Potato and Cabbage Sheet Pan Meal and Honey-Thyme Sausage and Veggie Sheet Pan Dinner.
If you’ve got an Instant Pot and want a couple of EXTRA speedy meals, give Instant Pot Kielbasa Sausage with Potatoes and Green Beans and Instant Pot Mac and Cheese with Kielbasa a shot.
These meals originated from my Grandma Lucille and are both long-time family favorites.
More favorite MEAT recipes to enjoy
Some of our favorite meat recipes for appetizers include Saucy Venison Bacon Poppers, Air Fryer Marinated Steak Bites, Meatball Sub Sliders, Sweet and Spicy Sausage Kielbasa Bites, and Smoked Sausage Skewers.
- SMOKED POT ROAST BURNT ENDS
- WHOLE SMOKER CHICKEN WITH STEP-BY-STEP SPATCHCOCK INSTRUCTIONS
- HOW TO MAKE TENDER AND JUICY SMOKED BEEF TRI TIP ROAST (STEAK!)
- SMOKER STUFFED MEATLOAF AND OINKER MEATBALLS
- CAJUN FIRECRACKER SKILLET SHRIMP
- HOMEMADE BOTTOM ROUND ROAST JERKY
Smoked Sausage Bacon Shots
Ingredients
- 8 oz. cream cheese
- 1 tsp. garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp. smoked paprika
- 2 lb. fully cooked smoked or kielbasa sausage, cut into 16 chunks
- 8 pieces center-cut bacon
- 1-2 Tbs. of your favorite BBQ rub
- 1 cup shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
- 1/2 cup honey
- 1/4 cup of your favorite BBQ sauce, for drizzling over the shots or to brush the bacon
Instructions
- Preheat your smoker to 180 degrees F. Place the block of cream cheese onto a sheet of non-stick foil or into a greased foil pan; sprinkle with granulated garlic and paprika; smoke for 1 1/2 – 2 hours.
- Cut the bacon slices in half so you now have 16 pieces of bacon; season each one with a light sprinkle of your favorite pork rub.
- Wrap the seasoned bacon slices around the sausage chunks, allowing the bacon to protrude about 1/4-inch at the top of each one; secure the bacon ends with a toothpick.
- Turn the smoker up from 180 degrees F. to 350 degrees F.
- In a mixing bowl, combine the smoked cream cheese with the shredded cheddar. Using a small cookie dough scoop, place dollops of the cream cheese mixture on top of the prepared bacon-wrapped sausages, nestling it down into the bacon that’s protruding above each one; drizzle with a bit of honey.
- Place the prepared sausage shots onto the smoker or grill rack; smoke for 30 minutes to an hour, or until the bacon is as crispy and as smoked as you like it. Serve the shots warm, with bbq sauce on the side for dipping, if desired.
Notes
Nutrition
