Smoked Pig Shots

Bacon-wrapped smoked sausage cups filled with creamy cheese and topped with jalapeño, smoked until crispy for an irresistible game day or party snack.

Course Appetizer, Snack

Cuisine American

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 1

Total Time 1 15

Servings people

Calories 708kcal

Author Rosalie Bradford

Ingredients

12 oz smoked sausage beef, pork, andouille, or kielbasa kielbasa sausage, see Note 1
1 lb thick-cut bacon
2 tbsp BBQ Rub use your favorite store-bought rub or make a batch of our sweet bbq rub
12 oz cream cheese softened
¼ cup shredded cheddar cheese or pepperjack
1 jalapeño thinly sliced, see Note 2

Instructions

Preheat your smoker to 250°F.
Slice the smoked sausage into ¾ to 1 inch pieces. Cut bacon strips in half lengthwise. Wrap each piece of bacon around a sausage slice to form a cup. Stick a toothpick through the bottom to secure the bacon seam to the sausage.
Arrange pig shots on a wire rack set over a sheet pan and sprinkle with BBQ rub. Smoke at 250°F for 30–45 minutes, or until the bacon is fully rendered and crisp.
While the cups smoke, mix softened cream cheese, shredded cheddar, BBQ rub. Spoon mixture into a piping bag or zip-top bag with the corner snipped off.
Remove pig shots from the smoker. Discard toothpicks. Pipe the filling into each cup just below the top of the bacon to avoid overflow. Top with a jalapeño slice and an extra pinch of rub.
Increase smoker temperature to 300°F. Return pig shots to the smoker for 10 minutes, or until jalapeños have softened and filling is warmed through.
Remove from the smoker and finish with a drizzle of hot honey. Let cool slightly before serving.
Serve warm as a smoky, spicy bite-sized appetizer.

Video

Notes

1. Smoked sausage alternatives: We originally made this recipe using kielbasa, but after testing a few variations, we now prefer smoked sausage for its deeper flavor and firmer texture. Beef, pork, or even andouille all work great. Or go for Italian sausage for a herby twist, or even little smokies for a mini pig shot.

2. Use diced jalapeño for more even heat: You can mix 1–2 tablespoons of finely diced fresh (or pickled) jalapeño into the cream cheese filling. This works well if you want to distribute the spice instead of concentrating it on top. If you do this, you might want to skip the jalapeño slice topping if you’re serving spice-sensitive guests.

3. Update in 2025: This recipe previously called for assembling and filling the pig shots before smoking them at 350°F. After further testing, I found better results by smoking the bacon-wrapped sausage cups first at 250°F, then filling and finishing at a higher temp. This two-step method helps the bacon stay crisp and keeps the filling from melting out.

Nutrition