Smoked shotgun shells are one of the best BBQ appetizers you can make on a pellet grill. These bacon-wrapped manicotti are stuffed with a savory meat and cheese filling, then smoked until tender inside with crispy bacon on the outside. You'll impress your guests with this unique dish that will have everyone asking for seconds!
Whether you're making Pit Boss shotgun shells or using a Traeger, this recipe works on any pellet grill or smoker.
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Recipe at a Glance
- Method: Pellet grill / smoker
- Cook Time: 1 hour + 10 minutes
- Temperature: 300°F
- Chill Time: 4 hours (or overnight)
- Total Time: About 5 hours
- Flavor: Smoky, savory, slightly sweet
- Texture: Crispy bacon, tender pasta, juicy filling
- Difficulty: Easy
- Best For: Game day, parties, BBQ appetizers
Jump to:
- Recipe at a Glance
- What Are Smoked Shotgun Shells?
- Why do smoked shotgun shells need to rest before smoking?
- Why You'll Love Them
- Smoked Shotgun Shells Ingredients
- How to Make Smoked Shotgun Shells on a Pellet Grill
- Jeri's Top Tips
- Variations
- Can You Make Shotgun Shells on Any Grill?
- Serving Suggestions
- FAQs
- More Bacon-Wrapped Recipes
- More Smoked Appetizer Recipes
- Printable Recipe
- Comments
What Are Smoked 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 do smoked shotgun shells need to rest before smoking?
The refrigeration step is key. As the stuffed shells sit, moisture from the meat and bacon softens the dry pasta so it cooks perfectly on the smoker.
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 on a Pellet Grill
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 mixing bowl.
- Step 2: Stuff the Shells: Fill uncooked manicotti shells with the meat and cheese mixture. To make it easy, use a small spoon, a piping bag, or a Ziploc bag with the corner cut off.
- 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°F and the bacon is crispy.
- Step 6: Add BBQ Sauce: Brush the smoked shells with your favorite BBQ 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.
Jeri's Top 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.
Variations
- Spicy: Add jalapeños or hot sauce to the filling
- Italian-style: Use Italian sausage and mozzarella
Can You Make Shotgun Shells on Any Grill?
Yes! These BBQ shotgun shells can be made on:
- Pellet grills (Pit Boss, Traeger, etc.)
- Electric smokers
- Charcoal grills (with indirect heat)
You can even bake them in the oven if you don't have a smoker.
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.
FAQs
About 1 hour, plus 10 minutes after adding BBQ sauce, or until the internal temperature reaches 165°F and the bacon is crispy.
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 recipe? 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
- 12 Manicotti pasta shells (uncooked)
- ½ pound ground beef
- ½ pound ground pork
- 1½ cups cheddar cheese shredded
- 1 can green chilies 127 mL
- 1¼ tablespoons sweet pork rub seasoning divided
- 24 slices regular-cut bacon (2 per shell)
- ½ cup BBQ 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: Carefully fill the uncooked manicotti shells with the meat mixture. Be sure they are full from end to end with no air pockets. To make it easy, use a small spoon, a piping bag, or a Ziploc bag with the corner cut off.
- Wrap with Bacon: Wrap each stuffed shell with two slices of bacon. Overlap the edges slightly to ensure the pasta is completely covered so it softens properly.
- Season: Sprinkle the remaining barbecue rub evenly over the stuffed shells.
- Refrigerate: Place the shotgun shells on a rack over a sheet pan. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 4 hours (overnight is better!) to let the pasta soften.
- Preheat Grill: When ready to cook, preheat your pellet grill to 300°F.
- Smoke the Shells: Place the wrapped shells directly on the grill grates. Close the lid and smoke for one hour until the internal temperature hits 165°F.
- Glaze: Brush the tops of the smoked shells with your favorite BBQ sauce, close the lid, and smoke for an additional 5 minutes. 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.
Video
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Notes
- Make Ahead: For the best results, assemble these a day in advance. Letting them sit in the refrigerator overnight ensures the pasta completely softens from the moisture in the meat and bacon, resulting in a perfectly tender bite without any "crunch."
- Bacon Selection: Use regular-cut bacon. Thick-cut bacon takes much longer to render and can result in the meat filling overcooking before the bacon is crispy.
- Stuffing Tip: To make stuffing the manicotti easier and mess-free, place your meat mixture into a large Ziploc bag and snip off the corner. Use it like a piping bag to fill the shells from both ends.
- Smoker Differences: Keep an eye on your internal temperature. I've found that my Pit Boss pellet smoker often cooks these about 5-10 minutes faster than my Traeger at the same 300°F setting.
- Full Coverage: Ensure the bacon is wrapped tightly and covers every bit of the pasta. Any exposed pasta will stay hard and dry during the smoking process.
- Storage and Reheating: Leftovers store well in the fridge for up to 3 days. To keep the bacon crispy when reheating, use an air fryer at 350°F for 3-5 minutes.
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.
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Toby says
Just wondering if these can be made in andvance and frozen until ready to cook?
Jeri Walker says
Hi Toby! Great question! I would set them in the fridge to soften for at least 4 hours first, then flash freeze them on a baking sheet. I would defrost them in the fridge overnight before cooking them on the smoker though.
Penny says
Could you cook these in an oven or bbq if you don’t have a smoker?
Jeri Walker says
Hi Penny! Yes, you can! Bake in a 350°F oven on a wire rack placed 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. I wouldn't use a BBQ as the bacon grease dripping down will caused flare-ups and may burn them.
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! 🙂