Learn how to make smoked shotgun shells on a pellet grill - the ultimate appetizer for game night or any party. With just a few ingredients and minimal effort, you'll wow your guests with this unique dish that will have everyone asking for seconds!
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What Are Shotgun Shells?
Smoked shotgun shells are one of my favorite appetizers. They are manicotti stuffed with ground beef and cheese, wrapped in bacon, and smoked. The meat cooks perfectly inside, and the pasta tubes hold everything together.
Why You'll Love Them
- Unique flavor: Smoked bacon, sweet BBQ sauce, and a savory meat filling.
- Quick and easy: Prep in minutes, perfect for busy days.
- Versatile: Serve as an appetizer or main dish for any occasion.
- Great for entertaining: This delicious appetizer recipe can be doubled or tripled to feed a large crowd.
Smoked Shotgun Shells Ingredients
A complete list of ingredients and amounts can be found in the printable recipe card below.
- Ground Meat Mixture. Ground beef and ground pork (or use Italian sausage, pork sausage, or ground venison).
- Cheddar Cheese. Sharp cheddar cheese is great, but feel free to use mozzarella, Colby Jack, or Monterey Jack cheese.
- Green Chilies. Use canned green chilies, jalapeno peppers, or chopped cowboy candy.
- BBQ Rub. My homemade sweet smoked pork rub complements the meat perfectly. You can also use your favorite BBQ seasoning.
- Bacon. Regular-cut bacon works best. Thick-cut bacon is too thick and will take longer to cook.
- Manicotti Pasta. No need to precook the shells.
- BBQ sauce. Choose a sweet BBQ sauce for the best flavor.
How To Make Smoked Shotgun Shells
For more detailed instructions with measurements, jump to the recipe card.
- Step 1: Combine Ingredients: Combine ground beef, ground pork, shredded cheese, BBQ rub, and green chilies in a large bowl.
- Step 2: Stuff the Shells: Fill uncooked manicotti shells with the meat mixture.
- Step 3: Wrap with Bacon: Wrap each stuffed shell with two slices of bacon, overlapping the edges. You want to make sure you cover the entire shell with bacon.
- Step 4: Refrigerate: Place the wrapped shells on a cooling rack over a sheet pan and sprinkle the remaining barbecue rub evenly over the stuffed shells. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight.
- Step 5: Smoke: Preheat your pellet smoker to 300°F. Place the shells directly on the grill grates and smoke for 1 hour, or until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees F and the bacon is crispy.
- Step 6: Add BBQ Sauce: Brush the smoked shells with barbecue sauce and smoke for an additional 5 minutes on each side. Remove from the smoker and serve immediately with extra BBQ sauce.
The moisture in the meat inside and the bacon outside softens the hard pasta shell, which will take at least 4 hours. I prefer to make them the day before and let them sit in the fridge overnight.
Serving Suggestions
Serve these BBQ shotgun shells alongside buffalo chicken wing dip without cream cheese and cold spinach dip.
I've even served them as a main dish with Traeger corn on the cob, smoked baked beans, and coleslaw with Miracle Whip.
Expert Tips
- Bacon Coverage: Ensure the pasta is completely covered with bacon to avoid crispy shells.
- Refrigeration Time: Let the wrapped shells sit in the fridge for at least 4 hours to soften the pasta.
- Check Temperature: Use a digital meat thermometer to ensure the internal temperature reaches 165°F.
For this recipe, I originally made them on my Pit Boss pellet grill. Since then, I've also tried them on my Traeger pellet grill with equally excellent results.
Smoked Shotgun Shells FAQs
Smoke at 300°F on a pellet grill.
Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Reheat in the oven at 350°F for about 10 minutes, or use a microwave or air fryer.
Use hickory or mesquite for a classic BBQ flavor, oak or cherry for a subtle taste, and apple or pecan for sweetness.
Yes, you can! Bake in a 350°F oven on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or aluminum foil instead of in a smoker for about 45 minutes, until the bacon is crispy and the internal temperature is 165°F.
You can cook the shotgun shells at 225°F for 1 hour and 45 minutes instead of 300°F. (My reader, Mark, replied in the comment section below that they turned out perfect at this temperature).
More Bacon-Wrapped Recipes
If you loved these smoked shotgun shells, check out my other bacon-wrapped recipes:
More Smoked Appetizer Recipes
Did you make these Pit Boss smoked shotgun shells? If you did, can you do me a big favor and leave a rating and review letting me know how you liked it? This helps my website grow so I can continue to publish free recipes. Thank you! 😊
Printable Recipe
Smoked Shotgun Shells on Pellet Grill
Ingredients
- ½ pound ground beef
- ½ pound ground pork
- 1½ cups cheddar cheese shredded
- 1 can green chilies 127 mL
- 1¼ tablespoon sweet pork rub seasoning divided
- 24 bacon slices regular cut
- ½ cup barbecue sauce
Sweet Pork Rub Ingredients
- 1⅓ teaspoon brown sugar
- ⅔ teaspoon paprika
- ⅓ teaspoon onion powder
- ⅓ teaspoon garlic powder
- ⅓ teaspoon chili powder
- ⅓ teaspoon dry mustard powder
- ⅓ teaspoon kosher salt
- ⅛ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Prepare the Filling: In a large mixing bowl, combine ground beef, ground pork, shredded cheese, a can of green chilies, and ¾ tablespoon of sweet pork rub. Mix with your hands until well combined.
- Stuff the Shells: Fill the manicotti shells with the beef and cheese mixture.
- Wrap with Bacon: Wrap each stuffed shell with two slices of bacon, ensuring the entire shell is covered. Overlap the edges of the bacon as you wrap.
- Season: Sprinkle the remaining barbecue rub evenly over the stuffed shells.
- Refrigerate: Place the shotgun shells onto a cooling rack or grilling rack, then place the rack on a sheet pan. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, or overnight.
- Preheat Grill: When ready to cook, preheat the pellet grill to 300°F.
- Smoke the Shells: Place the wrapped shells on the grill grate. Close the lid and smoke for one hour.
- Add BBQ Sauce: After an hour, check that the bacon is crispy and the internal temperature of the meat is at least 165°F. Brush the tops of the smoked shells with your favorite BBQ sauce, close the lid, and smoke for an additional 5 minutes.
- Finish Cooking: Carefully flip the shotgun shells over, brush the top with BBQ sauce, and smoke for another 5 minutes.
- Serve: Remove the smoked shells from the smoker and serve immediately with extra BBQ sauce. Enjoy!
Video
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Notes
- Bacon Coverage: Ensure the pasta is completely covered with bacon to avoid crispy shells.
- Refrigeration Time: Let the wrapped shells sit in the fridge for at least 4 hours to soften the pasta.
- Check Temperature: Use a digital meat thermometer to ensure the internal temperature reaches 165°F.
Nutrition
The provided nutrition information is automatically calculated. Accuracy is not guaranteed.
**This post was originally published in January 2023. It has been recently updated with more information and helpful tips, but the recipe remains the same.
Kim says
Hi, I was just wondering if you could cook these in the oven because I do not have a smoker? What temperature and for how long
Jeri Walker says
Great question, Kim! It is possible to cook the bacon-wrapped shotgun shells in the oven instead of a smoker. Here's how: Preheat your oven to 350°F. Place the bacon-wrapped shotgun shells on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or aluminum foil. Bake the shells for about 45 minutes or until the bacon is crispy and the internal temperature of the meat is 165°F. Brush the top of the shells with your favorite BBQ sauce and return them to the oven for an additional 5 minutes. Carefully flip the shells over, brush the top with BBQ sauce, and let them cook for 5 minutes more.
When the 5 minutes are up, remove the shells from the oven and serve immediately with extra BBQ sauce. Note: Keep an eye on the shells as they cook in the oven. The cooking time may vary depending on the bacon's thickness and the shells' size. I hope this helps! 🙂
Mark says
If I'm also smoking meat at 225 can I just increase the time for the shotgun shells, or do they have to cook at 300 in order for the bacon to crisp?
Jeri Walker says
Hi Mark,
Smoking shotgun shells at 300°F is optimal for achieving the perfect crisp on the bacon. But if you prefer to keep the temperature at 225°F until the internal temperature of the shells reaches 165°F, you can finish them off under the broiler in your oven for a few minutes to get that crispiness (keep a close eye on them and rotate). Alternatively, you can increase the temperature to 350°F in your smoker at the end of cooking time to crisp the bacon - but you will also need to keep a close eye on them and rotate them to ensure even crisping. I hope this helps!
Mark says
Thanks for your response, Jeri!
I was prepared to follow your advice, but after about an hour and forty-five minutes on the smoker at 225 they were cooked through and the bacon was nice and crispy. Awesome recipe!
Jeri Walker says
You're welcome, Mark! I'm glad the shotgun shells worked out well for you! Thanks for trying out the recipe and I'm happy you enjoyed them! 🙂