Go Back
+ servings

Smoked Pig Shots on the Pellet Grill

Whether you call them pig shots or pork shots, these little nuggets of bacon wrapped kielbasa stuffed with cream cheese, cheddar cheese, and diced jalapeños are fantastic! Add your favorite barbecue seasoning and a drizzle of sauce for a delicious and easy appetizer that’s sure to be a crowd favorite!
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time1 hour
Total Time1 hour 15 minutes
Course: Appetizer
Cuisine: American
Keyword: pig shots, pig shots recipe, pork shots, smoked pig shots
Servings: 8 people

Ingredients

  • 14 oz kielbasa sausage
  • 10-12 strips thick cut bacon
  • 4 oz cream cheese softened
  • 4 oz sharp cheddar cheese freshly grated
  • 2 tablespoons diced pickled jalapenos
  • few dashes hot sauce
  • 1 tablespoon barbecue seasoning
  • barbecue sauce *For drizzling on top of the pig shots

Instructions

  • Preheat the smoker or grill to 300 degrees F.
  • Make the cream cheese filling. Combine softened cream cheese, shredded cheddar cheese, diced jalapeños, barbecue seasoning, and a few dashes of hot sauce in a medium bowl. Mix together well and set aside.
  • Cut the sausage into slices that are about ¼ – ½" thick. Be sure to cut the sausage straight down, not diagonally, because it's easier to wrap the bacon around if the sausage slices are not slanted. Cut each piece of bacon in half crosswise.
  • Wrap one piece of bacon around one piece of sausage, with one edge of the bacon lining up with the bottom of the sausage slice, to form a "shot glass". Overlap the ends of the bacon slightly. Insert a toothpick through the sausage slice and the two ends of bacon to secure the shot glass shape.
  • Scoop the cream cheese mixture into a gallon-sized zip top bag or piping bag. Twist the Ziploc bag into a cone shape so that the cheese mixture is in one corner of the bag. Use scissors to snip off a corner of the Ziploc bag. *Start off somewhat small and cut the hole bigger if you need to.
  • Pipe the cheese mixture into the sausage cups, filling them to just below the top of the bacon.
  • Cook the pig shots on the smoker or grill for 30 minutes at 300 degrees F. Then, turn the temperature up to 350 degrees F and cook for an additional 30-45 minutes, or until the bacon is crispy and the top of the cheese is slightly browned.
  • Remove the pig shots from the smoker or grill and drizzle with a thin barbecue sauce. Let cool for 10 minutes before serving.

Notes

  • To make pig shots in the oven, bake at 350 degrees F for 45-60 minutes, or until bacon is crispy and top of the cheese is lightly browned.
  • Do NOT try this recipe with regular bacon.  You will need thick slice bacon for the sausage cups to retain their shapes.
  • I prefer using a thinner barbecue sauce to drizzle on the finished pig shots for extra garnish and flavor.