Smoked Bacon Roses

Roses are synonymous with Valentine’s Day, but they look pretty for a few days, and then they die.

Instead of buying your Valentine roses this year, whip up these bacon roses! They’re a fun and easy snack that your Valentine will love.

Smoked bacon roses

Ingredients you’ll need

• Thick-cut bacon – Skip the thinner-sliced bacon for this recipe. You want to use a thicker cut variety, as it will hold the shape of the rose better during the cooking process.
• BBQ Rub – To add a burst of flavor to these roses, you want to season the bacon with a bit of BBQ rub. I recommend a rub made for pork with a little sweetness and spice.

Equipment you’ll need

• Smoker or pellet grill – You can cook these on virtually any smoker or pellet grill, but ensure your grill can maintain a steady temperature of 350°F for about an hour. Another option is to cook these in the oven, so if you don’t have a smoker, no worries!
• Wood or pellets – You can use any type of smoke wood for this recipe. Remember that bacon is already pre-smoked, so you’re adding an extra layer of smoky flavor here.
• Wire rack and baking sheet – While you can smoke these directly on the grates of your smoker, I recommend using a wire rack and baking sheet under your roses. It will catch the bacon drippings, prevent flare-ups, and make clean-up a breeze.

How to make smoked bacon roses

1. Season

While you can make these roses without any additional seasoning, I find that a great BBQ rub adds an extra punch of flavor that brings them to the next level.

You can use whatever bacon you like, but make sure to grab a thick-cut variety. Thinner bacon will be more difficult to manage and your roses won’t look as pretty.

Lay out your strips of bacon on a cutting board and sprinkle a bit of the BBQ rub over them.

2. Roll the roses

Once your bacon is seasoned, roll up each slice tightly. Start at one end and roll it tightly in a circular motion.

To ensure the roses keep their shape during the cooking process, secure them with a couple of toothpicks at the bottom in a cross-shape.

This will prevent the bacon from tipping over as it cooks and help maintain its beautiful, rose-like shape.

Once you’ve rolled up all of your roses and secured them with toothpicks, transfer them to a wire rack on top of a baking sheet.

3. Fire up the smoker

I chose to cook them on my Grilla Grills Alpha Connect (AKA: The OG) pellet smoker for this cook.

The type of wood used doesn’t matter much with this recipe. Bacon is already pre-smoked, so you only add an extra layer of smoky flavor while they cook. I used the Bear Mountain Sweet BBQ pellets for this recipe.

Once your smoker hits 350°F, place your rack with the roses onto the grates.

4. Smoke until crispy

These smoked bacon roses will take about an hour to cook.

I recommend checking on them around the 45-minute mark, as temperatures can vary from smoker to smoker.

Pull them off when the fat is fully rendered and the bacon is crisped to your liking.

If you want to add an extra layer of flavor, you can brush a bit of maple syrup or BBQ sauce onto the tops of your roses at the very end.

Since I used maple bacon for this recipe, I skipped adding anything else, but it’s a great way to get creative with flavors!

Serve and enjoy!

You can enjoy your bacon roses immediately, straight off the rack, or assemble them into a bouquet nested inside butcher paper to make a great gift.

I wouldn’t recommend scattering these over the bed, though!

Gifts your BBQ-loving valentine will love

• Butcher blocks and wood cutting boards
• Best knife for slicing brisket
• Best grilling gifts under $50