Pellet Grill Smoked BBQ Shotgun Shells
Looking for a smoked appetizer? These bacon wrapped bbq shotgun shells make for a delicious appetizer yet come from a simple but tasty recipe!
Manicotti piped with a ground beef filling, wrapped in bacon, and brushed with bbq sauce; smoked shotgun shells never tasted so good!
Why My BBQ Shotgun Shells Are The Best
Made with pasta, ground beef, cheese, onion, jalapenos, and more, these shells make for an insane barbecue snack you won’t stop eating.
Looking for more easy smoker recipes? Check out Smoked Bacon Wrapped Oreos, Smoked Chicken Wings (0-400 method), and The Best Smoked Cream Cheese on the Pellet Grill!
It is my not-so-humble opinion that everything cooked in a smoker is delicious.
These shotgun shells, however manage to come out extra incredible.
The best part is … you can prep this recipe ahead of time and toss them in the smoker when you are ready to cut down on the time you spend in the kitchen while you are entertaining.
Ingredients for BBQ Shotgun Shells
- Pasta: Manicotti is the Vessel for all of the deliciousness.
- Bacon: This is one of the few times Ill say this but buy thin cut bacon for this recipe so it gets crispier fast.
- Filling: Ground Beef, Corn, Diced Onion, Tomatoes, Jalapeños, BBQ dry Rub, Cream cheese and Shredded Cheese
- BBQ Sauce: Use your favorite sauce to baste the shotgun shells once the bacon is fully cooked.
How to Make Smoked BBQ Shotgun Shells
- Make the filling. Combine all of the filling ingredients and place them into piping bags.
- Prep the pasta shells. Pipe the filling into the uncooked manicotti shells, then wrap each manicotti with bacon and chill in the fridge overnight or for at least 3-4 hours. The bacon will soften the pasta.
- Smoke. Place the shotgun shells on the smoker at 275 degrees f for about 1 hour. Brush with your favorite barbecue sauce and continue cooking for another 15 minutes.
- Let cool and enjoy! Let the shotgun shells rest for 5 minutes before serving with a delicious side of southwest ranch dressing for dipping.
FAQ
Almost any recipe that I make using a pellet grill can be made in the oven or air fryer. You won’t have that smoky grilled flavor but they are still tasty and often take a lot less time.
You can substitute any ground meat you like, Deer, bison, sausage turkey or chicken just to name a few. you can also chop up leftover brisket or pulled pork.
Helpful Tips
Store the leftover bbq shotgun shells in the fridge for up to 5 days in a sealed container. You can freeze the leftovers for up to 90 days.
I recommend reheating your leftover stuffed shells in the air fryer to bring back that same great taste and crispy bacon.Toss them in the air fryer basket at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 8 minutes, and before your know it, your shells are as good as new!
You can substitute any meat you like for this recipe, some people do ground turkey or breakfast sausage. You can also chop up leftover brisket or pulled pork.
If you don’t have a smoker, you can still make this recipe in your oven or air fryer. Just cook at 300 degrees F. for about 25 minutes
More Simalar Recipes
Make sure to PIN this recipe and share with someone who loves tailgate appetizers.
BBQ Shotgun Shells
Ingredients
- 24 Manicotti Shells
- 1 lbs Bacon thin cut
- 3/4 cup BBQ Sauce
Filling
- 2 lbs Lean Ground Beef
- 1 cup Shredded Cheddar Cheese
- 8 oz Cream Cheese Softened
- 2 tbsp BBQ Dry Rub
- 1/2 cup Tomatoes Diced
- 1/2 cup Corn
- 1/2 cup Scallions sliced
- 1/4 cup Jalapenos diced
Instructions
- Brown off the ground beef in a skillet and drain any excess liquid. Transfer the ground beef to a large bowl and fold in softened cream cheese.
- Add remaining filling ingredients and mix until smooth. Transfer the filling into piping bags (freezer bags will work as well)
- Cut the tip off the piping bag and fill the raw manicotti shells with the ground beef mixture. Once you have all of the shells filled, wrap each shell with a slice of bacon. Make sure the bacon is wrapped tightly and covers the entire shell.
- Refrigerate overnight or for at least 8 hours. This step is key because the bacon will soften the manicotti shell so that the shotgun shells are tender when you smoke them.
- To prepare the shotgun shells, preheat the pellet grill to 275 degrees and place the shells on the grill at least 1 inch apart. Cook for about 1 hour until the bacon is fully cooked and the filling has reached an internal temperature of 170 degrees F.
- Brush on a coat of your favorite bbq sauce, then cook for another 10-15 minutes until the sauce has caramelized. Serve with a creamy dipping sauce like my Southwest Ranch, and enjoy!!!
Can you fix them in a oven
Sure, or the air fryer
How well do they freeze uncooked ?
You know I have not tested them frozen. I would cook them all, Freeze the leftovers and reheat them in the oven or air fryer
Just a question. When reading the whole page you say thick bacon but in the recipe itself you call for thin bacon. Which one is it?
I apologize, I do recommend thin bacon for crispier results, I will get that fixed