on December 2, 2023

Updated on December 29, 2025

Looking for a standout appetizer for your BBQ dinner party. Try these. Utilizing Polish Sausage and Bacon always creates a satisfying result. Give this Pig Shots appetizer a try and you will find that is a a true crowd-pleaser. The ingredients are basic and easily available at any grocery store and it doesn't take long to make.

Prep Time: 25

Cook Time: 45

Total Time: 1 10

Course: Appetizer, Side Dish

Cuisine: American, BBQ

Keyword: Bacon recipe, bbq appetizers, sausage appetizer

Servings:

Calories: 530kcal

Smoked Pig Shots: Weird Name, Awesome Appetizer

Ingredients

8 oz of cream cheese softened
½ cup shredded cheddar cheese you can substitute with or mix in pepper jack for a little extra heat
1 TBSP BBQ Dry Rub I used Fire And Smoke Society’s Sweet Preacher Rub
½ Onion Diced
12 oz Polish Sausage you can substitute your favorite smoked sausage
10 oz Bacon Thick Cut
Extra cheddar cheese cubed into ¼ inch cubes (can substitute with pepper jack cheese)

Equipment

Smoker (I used a pellet grill for consistent temperature)
Mixing bowl
Fork
Knife
Toothpicks
Pastry piping bag (or sandwich bag)

Instructions

Preheat smoker to 350°F.

Get your smoker fired up and preheated to 350ºF.

Make the Cream Cheese Mixture

Remove cream cheese from fridge to soften. Once cream cheese is softened, add to mixing bowl. Add dry rub, shredded cheese, and diced onion. Mix thoroughly until combined.

Slice the sausage and wrap in bacon

Slice sausage into ½ inch thick slices and slice bacon in half.
Wrap each slice of sausage with each half-slice of bacon to form shot glass-like cup. Secure bacon to sausage slices with toothpick.

Load Your Pig Shot

Spoon seasoned cream cheese mixture into your piping bag. Pipe mixture into each pig shot. Do not fill to the top because mixture will expand during the cooking process.

Smoke The Pig Shots

Place pig shots on smoker and smoke for approximately 40 minutes.

Drop a Shot of Cheese

Add single cube of cheese to each shot and cook for another five minutes to melt.
Remove pig shots and let cool for five minutes, and then enjoy! Serving size is 2-4 pig shots per person.

Notes

Cut the sausage and bacon as uniformly as possible. When wrapping them together, make sure it is tight so the melted cheese will stay in the shot.
Smokers have hot and cold spots. Try to smoke the pig shots evenly so they all finish at the same time. Move them around the grill area to cook evenly.
If you have extra cheese filling left over, a great way to use it up is with some mini bell peppers. Pipe the mixture onto the bell pepper and smoke at 350°F until the pepper is cooked. You can add a couple of small cubes of cheese at the end as well. This is great for people who aren’t big fans of pork but want to enjoy a BBQ-style appetizer.

Nutrition

Substitutes

Cheddar Cheese to Pepper Jack
Polish Sausage to Garlic or Farmer Sausage
Green Chili
Add Jalapeño Peppers to the top for a little kick
Add a bit of BBQ sauce to the cream cheese mixture for added flavor

What To Serve Pig Shots With

Pig shots are a very versatile side and complement many other food items. Here are my favorite pairings. If you need some vibrant colors in your food, give this smoked burrata with roasted cherry tomato bruschetta recipe a try.

1. Prime Rib

Pig shots make an excellent starter or even side to beef cuts. Try it with our smoked prime rib recipe.

Smoked Prime Rib Recipe

Complete guide on smoking a prime rib (standing rib roast) on a pellet grill. How to keep it juicy and tender.

Check out this recipe

2. Mac And Cheese

Try these pig shots with smoked mac and cheese. They complement each other well and the pig shots bring protein to the meal.

Smoked Mac And Cheese

This isn't a "lite" recipe, but it's by far the best smoked mac and cheese recipe around.. Combining 4 different cheeses; this recipe is full of flavor. A perfect side to smoked ribs, pulled pork, or brisket.