My smoked meatball pig shots are loaded with juicy meatballs, crispy bacon, creamy cheese filling, spicy jalapeños, and a sweet honey barbecue glaze.
Whether you’re hosting a backyard barbecue, planning a game day spread, or looking for a fun appetizer to throw on the smoker, these bacon-wrapped meatball pig shots are always a crowd favorite. They’re easy to make, loaded with smoky goodness, and have just the right balance of sweet, savory, creamy, and spicy.
If you love bold smoker recipes, be sure to check out my smoked pork roast, bacon-wrapped smoked mini meatloaf, or this sweet smoked cherry cobbler.
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Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Easy appetizer for parties and cookouts
- Loaded with smoky, cheesy flavor
- Sweet and spicy barbecue glaze
- Perfect for game day gatherings
- Simple ingredients
- Great make-ahead appetizer
- Always a crowd pleaser
Key Ingredients
You’ll find a full list of ingredients and their exact amounts in the recipe card at the end of the post.
- Frozen Meatballs: Make these bites hearty, flavorful, and easy to prepare with minimal extra work.
- Thick-Cut Bacon: Wraps around the meatballs, gets crispy on the smoker, and adds that irresistible smoky, savory flavor.
- Cream Cheese: Creates the rich, creamy filling that makes these pig shots extra indulgent and balances the smoky bacon.
- Jalapenos: Bring a fresh kick of heat and a little crunch that cuts through the richness of the bacon and cheese.
- Sour Cream: Helps smooth out the cheese filling and adds a subtle tang that keeps it from feeling too heavy.
- Slap Ya Mama Seasoning: Adds a little extra savory spice and helps bring all the flavors together without overpowering the dish.
- BBQ Sauce & Honey: Form the base of the sweet, smoky, tangy glaze that gives the shots their caramelized finish.
Variations
- Mild: Omit the jalapenos for a mild version.
- Extra Spicy: Add diced jalapenos to the cheese mixture or drizzle with hot sauce before serving.
- Sweet Heat: Use a spicy honey BBQ sauce for extra kick.
How to Make Smoked Meatball Pig Shots
1: Mix the glaze ingredients and set aside.
2: Cut the bacon into thirds. Wrap a strip around each frozen meatball and secure with a pick, leaving a cup-like opening at the top.
3: Mix the filling, transfer it to a baggie, and snip the tip to pipe it onto the pig shots. Alternatively, you can spoon the filling on.
4: Top with jalapenos and brush with the glaze.
5: Cook the shots on a baking sheet in the smoker until cooked through.
6: Brush with more glaze and continue smoking until the bacon is crispy. Enjoy!
Expert Tips
- Using thick-cut bacon helps the pig shots hold their shape while smoking and creates that signature crispy exterior.
- A little cheese filling goes a long way. Overfilling can cause the cheese mixture to spill over during cooking.
- Make sure the bacon is tightly wrapped and secured with sturdy toothpicks before placing on the smoker.
- If you’d like extra-crispy bacon, slightly increase the smoker temperature during the final 15-20 minutes.
Smoked Meatball Pig Shots FAQs
Pig shots get their name from their shot glass-like shape, which is traditionally made from bacon. The bacon forms a small cup that holds a flavorful filling.
Thick-cut bacon is recommended because it holds its shape better during smoking and creates a crispier exterior.
Absolutely. You can assemble them several hours in advance and keep them covered in the refrigerator until you’re ready to smoke them.
Hickory, apple, pecan, and cherry wood all pair well with the bacon, barbecue glaze, and cheese filling.
Yes. Bake them at 350°F until the bacon is crispy, and the filling is hot and bubbly, usually about 60 to 75 minutes.
Store leftover pig shots in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Yes. Allow them to cool completely, then freeze in a freezer-safe container for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
Reheat in a 350°F oven or air fryer until heated through and the bacon becomes crispy again.
Great Pairings for Your Pig Shots
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Smoked Meatball Pig Shots
Ingredients
- 24 ounce bacon, thick cut, cut into thirds
- 50-60 frozen meatballs
- 1 cup barbecue sauce
- ¼ cup honey
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 4 jalapenos, sliced ¼ inch thick
- 4 ounce cream cheese
- ½ cup sharp cheddar cheese
- ¼ cup sour cream
- 1 teaspoon Slap Ya Mama seasoning
Instructions
- Preheat the smoker to 350 degrees.
- In a small bowl, mix barbecue sauce, honey, and brown sugar together. Set aside.
- Cut the bacon into thirds and wrap each meatball with a strip of bacon. Secure with toothpicks, leaving a little cup-like space on top.
- Place each bacon wrapped meatball on a foil lined baking sheet.
- In a medium bowl, mix cream cheese, sour cream, sharp cheddar cheese, and seasoning together until combined.
- Add mixture to a quart size baggie and clip the corner, or using a spoon, squeeze cheese mixture into the cup-like space on top of each meatball.
- Add a sliced jalapeno on the top of each one and brush the whole pig shot with the barbecue honey mixture.
- Place the baking sheet on the grill grates and smoke for 60-75 minutes.
- Brush with additional barbecue mixture, and smoke until the bacon is crispy, approximately 15-20 additional minutes.
- Carefully remove from the smoker, and enjoy!
Notes
- Using thick-cut bacon helps the pig shots hold their shape while smoking and creates that signature crispy exterior.
- A little cheese filling goes a long way. Overfilling can cause the cheese mixture to spill over during cooking.
- Make sure the bacon is tightly wrapped and secured with sturdy toothpicks before placing on the smoker.
- If you’d like extra-crispy bacon, slightly increase the smoker temperature during the final 15-20 minutes.
Nutrition
I tried these last night and they were so juicy and packed with flavor. The smoke flavor is perfect. Definitely making these again!
These are the perfect appetizer- sweet, salty, spicy. Literally the perfect bite. I cannot wait to make these again.
These were such a good mix of smoky, creamy, spicy, and sweet. The bacon-wrapped bite with that honey BBQ glaze made them impossible to stop grabbing.
These smoked meatball pig shots were smoky, cheesy, and packed with flavor. The crispy bacon, jalapeños, and sweet honey BBQ glaze made them such a fun bite.
Boom! These are a flavor bomb in your mouth, and I love it! I made them this weekend for a party we had, and they were gone in no time.
I made these last night, and they’re delicoius. SO easy, too!