Are you ready for something extraordinary? Then you have to try these Smoked Shotgun Shells on Pellet Smoker! They will surely be the star of any gathering, from game night to family get-togethers! Imagine smoky, savory shells with a hint of sweetness - not just your average appetizer! With minimal ingredients and effort, your guests will be impressed with this unique dish that will have everyone coming back for more!
Smoked shotgun shells are a delicious and easy way to up your grilling game. These are one of my all-time favorite appetizers.
With just a few simple ingredients, you can create an unforgettable dish that will leave your guests begging for more!
A mixture of ground pork and ground beef is mixed with a homemade spice blend and shredded cheese, then stuffed inside uncooked manicotti shells and wrapped in bacon.
Then just let the pellet grill work its magic. Finally, brush the shells with barbecue sauce just before taking them off the grill.
This recipe is so easy to make, and the outcome is unforgettable! And any smoker will work! I have cooked them on my Traeger grill and my Pit Boss, and they turn out perfect every time.
The hardest part of the entire recipe is waiting a minimum of four hours before smoking them.
These BBQ shotgun shells are an amazing smoked appetizer for Game Day, or the perfect appetizer for any meal. Serve them alongside Buffalo Chicken Dip Without Cream Cheese and Spinach Dip!
I've even served them as a main dish! They go perfect with Smoked Corn on the Cob, Smoked Baked Beans, and Coleslaw.
Jump to:
❓ What Are Shotgun Shells?
Smoked shotgun shells are manicotti stuffed with ground beef and cheese, wrapped in bacon, and smoked.
The meat is cooked perfectly inside, and the pasta tubes hold everything together perfectly.
You will love the tender meat wrapped with crispy bacon. I will warn you, though, they are addicting!
❤️ Why You Will Love This Recipe
- Unique flavor - Smoked shotgun shells have a fantastic flavor from the smoked bacon, sweet barbeque sauce, and the meaty filling mixed with a sweetened barbecue rub.
- Quick and easy - This recipe takes just minutes to prepare, which makes it perfect for busy days!
- Versatility - Smoked shotgun shells can be served as an appetizer or main dish, and make a great addition to Game Day, weekend barbecues, or family dinners.
- Perfect for entertaining - Whether you’re hosting a gathering or looking for something special to keep your guests happy, these smoked shotgun shells are sure to hit the spot.
- Easy to increase - This recipe can be doubled or tripled to feed a large crowd. I like to make these in big batches, they don't last long! Plus, they reheat really well the next day!
🥓 Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
This delicious appetizer is made with simple ingredients that you can easily find at any grocery store.
- Ground meat mixture. I used a combination of extra lean ground beef and ground pork. You could also use Italian sausage, pork sausage, or ground venison.
- Cheddar cheese. I used coarsely shredded sharp cheddar cheese. You could also combine different types of cheese like mozzarella cheese, Monterey Jack cheese, or Colby Jack cheese.
- Green chilies. I used a can of green chilies, but you could also use chopped jalapeno peppers, or omit them entirely if you are not a fan. The chilies don't add a lot of heat; however, they add fantastic flavor.
- BBQ rub. I used my homemade Smoked Pork Rub recipe for the seasoning. It has the perfect amount of sweetness to complement the ground meat. Feel free to use your favorite BBQ seasoning.
- Bacon. The cook time is based on regular-cut bacon. If you use thin-cut bacon, you may need to reduce the cooking time. If you use thick-cut bacon, you may need to increase the cooking time.
- Manicotti pasta. The great thing about this recipe is that you don't have to precook the manicotti tubes first. You can also use cannelloni shells instead of manicotti.
- BBQ sauce. I prefer a sweet BBQ sauce, but feel free to use your favorite sauce.
See the printable recipe card for exact measurements and a full list of ingredients.
♨️ How To Make Smoked Shotgun Shells
First, combine ground beef, ground pork, and shredded cheese in a large mixing bowl.
Add the BBQ rub and green chilis, and mix with your hands until well combined.
Next, stuff the shells with the beef and cheese mixture.
Finally, wrap stuffed shells with two slices of bacon. Make sure to cover the entire shell with bacon. Overlap the edges of the bacon as you wrap it around the shell.
Sprinkle the remaining barbecue rub evenly over the stuffed shells.
Place the shotgun shells onto a cooling rack or grilling rack, and place the rack on a sheet pan.
Cover tightly with plastic wrap and place the stuffed shells in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours, or overnight.
The moisture in the meat inside and the bacon outside softens the hard pasta shell, which will take 4 hours at the very least.
I prefer to make them the day before and let them sit in the fridge overnight. When I do this, the pasta shells are always soft when cooked.
When you are ready to cook the bacon-wrapped shotgun shells, preheat the pellet grill to 300 degrees F.
Place the wrapped shells on the grill grate of the preheated smoker. Close the lid and let them smoke for one hour.
After an hour, the bacon should start to be crispy, and the internal temperature of the meat should be at least 165 degrees F.
Brush the top of the smoked shells with your favorite bbq sauce. Close the lid and continue to smoke for 5 minutes longer.
After 5 minutes, carefully flip the shotgun shells over, brush the top with barbecue sauce, and let them cook for 5 minutes more.
When the 5 minutes are up, remove the smoked shells from the smoker, and serve immediately with extra barbecue sauce.
Enjoy!
💭 Expert Tips
- Make sure you cover the pasta tube with bacon, otherwise the pasta will be crispy and not soft.
- After you stuff and wrap the shells, place them in the refrigerator in a covered container for at least 4 hours or overnight.
- Use a digital meat thermometer to check the internal temperature of the shells - you want them to reach 165 degrees F.
❓ Recipe FAQs
Smoke shotgun shells on the pellet grill at 300 degrees F.
Let the shotgun shells cool to room temperature, then place them in an airtight container. They will keep in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
The best way to reheat smoked shotgun shells is to place them in an oven-safe dish and heat them in the oven at 350 degrees F for about 10 minutes. You can also heat them in the microwave or the air fryer.
The type of wood pellets you use will vary depending on the flavor you want to achieve. For a classic BBQ flavor, hickory or mesquite pellets work best. For a more subtle smoky taste, use oak or cherry pellets. If you're looking for something with a sweeter flavor, apple and pecan are good choices.
👩🏻🍳 More Bacon-Wrapped Recipes You'll Love
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📋 Recipe
Easy Smoked Shotgun Shells on Pellet Smoker
Equipment
- 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
- Combine ground beef, ground pork, and shredded cheese in a large mixing bowl. Add the can of green chilies and ¾ tablespoon of sweet pork rub. Mix with your hands until well combined.
- Stuff the manicotti shells with the beef and cheese mixture.
- Wrap stuffed shells with two slices of bacon. Make sure to cover the entire shell with bacon. Overlap the edges of the bacon as you wrap it around the shell.
- Sprinkle the remaining barbecue rub evenly over the stuffed shells.
- Place the shotgun shells onto a cooling rack or grilling rack, and place the rack on a sheet pan. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and place the stuffed shells in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours, or overnight.
- When you are ready to cook the bacon-wrapped shotgun shells, preheat the pellet grill to 300 degrees F.
- Place the wrapped shells on the grill grate of the preheated smoker. Close the lid and let them smoke for one hour.
- After an hour, the bacon should start to be crispy, and the internal temperature of the meat should be at least 165 degrees F. Brush the top of the smoked shells with your favorite bbq sauce. Close the lid and continue to smoke for 5 minutes longer. After 5 minutes, carefully flip the shotgun shells over, brush the top with barbecue sauce, and let them cook for 5 minutes more.
- When the 5 minutes are up, remove the smoked shells from the smoker, and serve immediately with extra barbecue sauce.
- Enjoy!
Video
Notes
- Make sure you cover the pasta tube with bacon, otherwise the pasta will be crispy and not soft.
- After you stuff and wrap the shells, place them in the refrigerator in a covered container for at least 4 hours or overnight.
- Use a digital meat thermometer to check the internal temperature of the shells - you want them to reach 165 degrees F.
Kim
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
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
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
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
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
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! 🙂