Easy Smoked Shotgun Shells on Pellet Smoker

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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 stacked up in a pyramid and placed on a wooden cutting board.

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.

I've even served them as a main dish! They go perfect with Smoked Corn on the Cob, Smoked Baked Beans, and Coleslaw.

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❓ What Are Shotgun Shells?
❤️ Why You Will Love This Recipe
🥓 Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
♨️ How To Make Smoked Shotgun Shells
💭 Expert Tips
❓ Recipe FAQs
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📋 Recipe

❓ 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.

The ingredients for smoked shotgun shells measured out and placed on a wooden table.

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.

The filling for the shells in a glass mixing bowl.

The filling for the shells mixed together in a glass bowl.

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.

Hands stuffing the meat mixture into the pasta tubes.

A hand wrapping bacon around each stuffed shotgun 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.

The stuffed and wrapped shotgun shells covered in spice rub and placed on a cooling 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.

The stuffed shells on the pellet grill rack.

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.

A basting brush adding barbecue sauce to the top of the shotgun shells.

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!

The cooked shotgun shells on the smoker after they have been covered in barbecue sauce.

💭 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

At what temperature do you smoke shotgun shells?

Smoke shotgun shells on the pellet grill at 300 degrees F.

How do you store leftover smoked shotgun shells?

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.

How do you reheat smoked shotgun shells?

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.

What wood pellets go best when making smoked shotgun shells?

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.

The shotgun shells on a wooden cutting board, stacked in a pyramid, with one cut in pieces to expose the inside.

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