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Home » Recipes » BBQ

Texas Shotgun Shells Smoked on the BBQ

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Looking for a unique appetizer for your next gathering? Try Texas Smoked Shotgun Shells. These shells are stuffed with a sausage and cheese mixture, wrapped in slices of bacon, covered with BBQ sauce and smoked to crispy perfection. Whether you're hosting a cookout or a game day get together, these easy-to-make smoked appetizers are amazing.

Texas Shotgun Shells

Try my recipes for Chorizo Stuffed Jalapeño Poppers, Easy Texas Caviar and The Ultimate Queso Fundido.

Jump to:
  • Ingredients
  • Instructions
  • Variations
  • Equipment
  • Storage
  • Top Tip
  • Final Thoughts
  • Related
  • Pairing
  • 📖 Recipe

Ingredients

Filling

  • Mild Italian sausage
  • Sharp cheddar cheese
  • Monterey jack cheese
  • Cream cheese
  • Jalapeño peppers
  • Barbecue rub

Shells

  • BBQ sauce
  • Manicotti shells
  • Bacon
  • Barbecue rub

See recipe card for quantities.

Instructions

Prepare the Shotgun Shells

In a large mixing bowl, combine the Italian sausage, sharp cheddar cheese, Monterey jack cheese, cream cheese, jalapeño pepper and BBQ rub. Mix thoroughly until well combined.

Using a piping bag or small spoon, fill the uncooked manicotti shells with the sausage and cheese mixture, ensuring there are no air pockets inside. There is no need to cook or soak the pasta shells first.

Mix the ingredients for the shotgun shells.

Gently mix the ingredients in a large bowl.

Stuff the dried manicotti shells.

Stuff the dried manicotti shells.

Cut a piece of bacon in half and wrap each piece over the ends of one manicotti shell. Lay a second piece of bacon on a cutting board, place the shell at one end and roll the bacon around the entire shell, securing the end pieces of bacon in place.

Place the bacon-wrapped shells on a wire rack with a baking or cookie sheet lined with aluminum foil underneath. Sprinkle each shell with barbecue rub and cover the tray of shells with plastic wrap. Refrigerate the shells for at least 4 hours to soften the pasta shells.

Wrap the stuffed shells in bacon.

Wrap the stuffed shells in bacon.

Place the bacon-wrapped stuffed shells on a wire rack and sprinkle with BBQ rub.

Place the bacon-wrapped stuffed shells on a wire rack and sprinkle with BBQ rub.

Smoke the Shotgun Shells

Setup your pellet grill or smoker for indirect heat and preheat to 250°F. For extra flavor, add a small handful of wood chips that have been soaked in water for 30 minutes. Place an empty aluminum pan below the grill grate to catch any grease that drips.

Arrange the stuffed shells in a single layer on the grill grates and smoke for 30 minutes. Turn the shells over and smoke for another 30 minutes. For crispy bacon, increase the temperature to 300°F and cook for 10-15 more minutes.

Cook the bacon-wrapped stuffed shells in a smoker.

Once the bacon is crisp, brush barbecue sauce over the shells and cook for another 10-15 minutes until the sauce becomes dry. Check the internal temperature of the shells using an instant read meat thermometer. It should be at least 165°F.

Remove the shotgun shells from the smoker and let them rest for 5 minutes. Serve them whole, sliced in half or sliced into medallions.

Variations

For something different, try a mixture of ground beef and cheddar cheese filling.

Equipment

These were cooked in a Kamado Joe. Any ceramic cooker or smoker would work.

Storage

Store leftover shotgun shells in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days. Reheat in an oven at 300°F until the internal temperature reaches 165°F, about 12-15 minutes.

Top Tip

For the best result, use thin bacon. Thick-cut bacon can take a long time to get crispy.

Final Thoughts

Smoked shotgun shells are tasty and unique appetizer for any gathering. Enjoy!

Related

Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:

  • Chorizo stuffed jalapeño poppers.
    Chorizo Stuffed Jalapeño Poppers with Oaxaca Cheese
  • Fried artichoke hearts.
    Crispy Fried Artichoke Hearts with Panko & Parmesan
  • Carnitas nachos.
    Irresistible Carnitas Nachos - A Tex-Mex Delight
  • Queso Fundido
    Ultimate Queso Fundido with Chorizo: The Perfect Party Appetizer

Pairing

These are my favorite dishes to serve with this recipe.

  • Smoked chicken wings.
    Brined and Smoked Chicken Wings - Texas Style
  • Pulled pork sandwich.
    Apple Cider Brined Pork Shoulder for Pulled Pork
  • St. Louis Spare Ribs
    Mastering St. Louis Spare Ribs With the 3-2-1 Method
  • Smoked meatloaf with BBQ sauce glaze.
    Smoked Meatloaf with Brown Sugar and BBQ Sauce Glaze

📖 Recipe

Texas Shotgun Shells

Texas Smoked Shotgun Shells Recipe

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Looking for a delicious appetizer for your next gathering? Try this Texas Shotgun Shells recipe. These bacon-wrapped shells are stuffed with a meat mixture, wrapped in slices of bacon, covered with BBQ sauce and smoked to crispy perfection.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 20 minutes mins
Cook Time 1 hour hr 30 minutes mins
Resting time 4 hours hrs 5 minutes mins
Total Time 5 hours hrs 55 minutes mins
Servings: 12 servings
Course: Appetizer
Cuisine: American, BBQ
Calories: 403
Ingredients Method Nutrition

Ingredients
  

Filling
  • 1 lb mild Italian sausage
  • 4 oz sharp cheddar cheese shredded
  • 4 oz Monterey jack cheese shredded
  • 2 oz cream cheese softened
  • 1 jalapeño pepper minced
  • 2 teaspoon barbecue rub
Shells
  • 12 manicotti shells uncooked
  • 12 slices bacon thin cut
  • 2 tablespoon barbecue rub
  • ½ cup BBQ sauce

Method
 

  1. In a large mixing bowl, combine the Italian sausage, sharp cheddar cheese, Monterey jack cheese, cream cheese, jalapeño pepper and BBQ rub. Mix thoroughly until well combined.
  2. Using a piping bag or small spoon, fill the uncooked manicotti shells with the meat mixture, ensuring there are no air pockets inside. There is no need to cook or soak the pasta shells first.
  3. Cut a piece of bacon in half and wrap each piece over the ends of one pasta tube. Then, lay a second piece of bacon on a cutting board, place shell at one end and roll the bacon around the entire shell, securing the end pieces of bacon in place.
  4. Place the bacon-wrapped shells on a wire rack with a baking sheet or cookie sheet lined with aluminum foil underneath. Sprinkle each shell with barbecue rub and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate the shells for 4 hours to soften the pasta shells.
  5. Setup your pellet grill or smoker for indirect heat and preheat to 250°F. For extra flavor, add a small handful of wood chips that have been soaked in water for 30 minutes. Place an empty aluminum pan below the grill grate to catch any grease.
  6. Arrange the stuffed shells in a single layer on the grill grates and smoke for 30 minutes. Turn the shells over and smoke for another 30 minutes. For crispy bacon, increase the temperature to 300°F and cook for 10-15 more minutes.
  7. When the bacon is crisp, brush barbecue sauce over the shells and cook for another 10-15 minutes until the sauce becomes dry. Check the internal temperature of the shells using an instant read meat thermometer. It should be at least 165°F.
  8. Remove the smoked shotgun shells from the smoker and let them rest for 5 minutes. Serve them whole, sliced in half or sliced into medallions. Serve them with a Tex-Mex dip like Texas Caviar.

Nutrition

Calories: 403kcalCarbohydrates: 20gProtein: 15gFat: 29gSaturated Fat: 12gPolyunsaturated Fat: 3gMonounsaturated Fat: 11gTrans Fat: 0.03gCholesterol: 66mgSodium: 680mgPotassium: 249mgFiber: 1gSugar: 5gVitamin A: 365IUVitamin C: 3mgCalcium: 190mgIron: 2mg

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Dave
Dave

I'm Dave, just a guy who likes to cook for family and friends and take pictures of what I make. I am not a chef. While some of my recipes might look complicated and intimidating, I assure you that they are all really quite easy. If you can cut an onion, you can make any recipe on this website. Have some fun and make something new.

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