The Best Shotgun Shells Recipe (Oven Baked, Smoked, or Air Fried)
This shotgun shells recipe is the perfect smoked appetizer. Excellent for your upcoming Super Bowl party, tailgate party, or other occasion, this baked shotgun shell recipe is a winner. Full of perfectly seasoned meat and cheese and wrapped in crispy bacon, these shotgun shells can be enjoyed as a prequel to a bigger meal or can take the stage as the main entree. Sprinkle with parmesan and serve with warm marinara sauce.
No smoker? No problem! Read on to find out how to make oven baked shotgun shells, use your air fryer, or cook them over a gas grill. Add liquid smoke to for a smoky twist.
Why Smoked Shotgun Shells ROCK
Smokey bacon, seasoned ground beef and pork, and melty cheese will have these shotgun shells at the top of your favorite smoked appetizer list.
Key Ingredients + Equipment
cannelloni noodles- I used uncooked cannelloni noodles (oven ready) for this recipe but uncooked manicotti shells will work as well. If your noodles aren’t oven ready, parboil for an extra minute.
cream cheese- softened and cubed for easy mixing
shredded cheese- I love to use Tex Mex shredded cheese but any blend of your favourite cheese will work including cheddar and marble.
bacon- Opt for regular cut bacon to wrap around your shotgun shells to allow for easy wrapping. Thick cut bacon is more rigid and hard to secure.
ground beef + pork-Lean ground beef works best for this recipe. Choose regular, mild, or spicy Italian pork sausage to suit your heat preference.
BBQ rub- Choose your favourite bbq rub for this shotgun shell recipe- I like to use my simple pork rub recipe but this Traeger Rub also works great.
spicy peppers (optional)- finely dice 1-2 jalapeno peppers to suit your spice preference. You may also choose to use chili peppers, serannos, or even habaneros. Choose fresh peppers if you can but canned peppers will work in a pinch! Dehydrated peppers will also work in this recipe- allow them to sit boiling water for 10-15 minutes to rehydrate.
How To Make This Ultimate Shotgun Shells Recipe
Step 1. Preheat your smoker to 275°F (see section above for alternate cooking methods).
Step 2. Prep Noodles. Bring water to a hard boil and parboil the cannelloni shells for 3 minutes. Transfer to a cooling rack in a single layer to prevent the noodles from sticking together when they cool.
Step 3. Prep Filling. Combine all filling ingredients including 1/2 pound of ground beef, 1/2 pound of ground Italian sausage, 3/4 cup shredded cheese, 4 ounces softened cream cheese, 1 tablespoon pork rub, 2 tablespoons finely diced jalapeno peppers, 1 minced garlic clove. Mix well using a stand mixer, hand mixer, or by hand until fully combined. Warm in the microwave on high power for 30 seconds, stir, and microwave for another 30 seconds. This makes the filling more maleable and easier to stuff into the shells.
Step 4. Stuff Noodles. Hold the noodle carefully in one hand and spoon small a mounts of filling into it with the other hand. Turn the spoon around every 1-2 scoops and gently push it further into the noodle. After approximately half of the noodle is filled, turn it over and fill the other half. Be careful not to force the filling into the noodles or you risk tearing and breaking the shell.
Step 5. Wrap. Wrap each noodle with bacon, being careful to leave a small layer of overlap. The goal is to cover as much of the noodle as possible! Any pieces of noodle that are uncovered will be more al dente but still delicious. Sprinkle with the remaining 1 tablespoon of pork rub. A pinch overtop of each shotgun shell will be perfect. Place on a grill mat or baking sheet.
Step 6. Smoke + Glaze. Smoke for 60 minutes at 225°F, brush lightly with bbq sauce, smoke for another 30 minutes. Remove and glaze once more. Allow them to cool slightly before serving. See “Cooking Methods” section below for alternate cooking instructions!
Step 7. Serve. Serve as is or sprinkle with parmesan and marinara sauce for dipping.
Cooking Methods
Shotgun Shells In The Smoker
Preheat your smoker to 275°F. Place the prepared shotgun shells on a grill safe baking sheet or cast iron pan(you may choose to line with aluminum foil for easy cleanup). If you have these Big Chief drying screens, they will work the best, allowing the smoke to swirl all around the shotgun shells without falling through your grill grates. Cook them over indirect heat if possible, or on your second rack. If using a charcoal smoker, keep the shotgun shells on the opposite side of the heat to avoid burning. Smoke for 60 minutes, glaze the tops with bbq sauce, continue to smoke for another 30 minutes. The bacon should be crisp and an inserted meat thermometer (meat probe or infrared thermometer) should read 165 degrees f. Remove them from the grill and glaze once more before serving. Allow to cool for 10 minutes and enjoy!
Shotgun Shells In The Oven
Preheat your oven to 275°F. Place the shotgun shells on a parchment lined sheet pan or baking sheet and cook on the middle rack for 60 minutes, glaze the tops with bbq sauce, continue to bake for another 30 minutes. The bacon should be crisp and an inserted meat thermometer (meat probe or infrared thermometer) should read 165 degrees f. Remove them from the grill and glaze once more before serving. Allow to cool for 10 minutes and enjoy!
Shotgun Shells In The Air Fryer
Preheat your air fryer to 400°F. Glaze the raw shotgun shells and cook for 15-20 minutes or until the bacon is nice and crispy and the internal temperature of the meat and cheese mixture inside of the shells has reached around 165°F. Add time if needed. Once done, glaze once more with bbq sauce and allow to cool for at least 10 minutes before enjoying.
Shotgun Shells On A Gas Grill
Preheat your grill to 275°F. Place the prepared shotgun shells on a grill safe baking sheet or cast iron pan(you may choose to line with aluminum foil for easy cleanup). If you have these Big Chief drying screens, they will work the best, allowing air to circulate all around the shells, crisping the bacon without falling through the grill grates. If possible, preheat one side of your gas or propane grill and place the shotgun shells on the other side for indirect cooking or use the top rack. This will help to avoid over cooking bacon and undercooking the meat and cheese filling! Cook for 60 minutes, glaze, and cook for another 30 minutes. The bacon should be crisp and an inserted meat thermometer (meat probe or infrared thermometer) should read 165 degrees f. Allow to cool for 10 minutes before enjoying!
Tips + Tricks
- Use regular-cut bacon to ensure your shotgun shells can be wrapped with ease. Thick-cut bacon is harder to secure around your stuffed noodles.
- If not crisped enough, reverse sear the shotgun shells at the end of the cooking time by removing them from the grill, cranking up the heat on your smoker to 400°F and replacing them for 1-2 minutes or until sufficiently crisped.
- Bake on a wire rack or these Big Chief Grilling Mats for easy prep and transportation.
- You may use manicotti noodles in place of cannelloni but they are a bit bigger so you will end up with less!
- Choose spicy Italian sausage and add another jalapeno pepper for extra fiery shotgun shells.
- Don’t have ground Italian sausage? Regular ground pork will work in a pinch. Consider adding an extra tablespoon of pork rub.
- Be extra gentle when stuffing your shotgun shells- it is a good idea to have a few extra noodles on hand incase some break.
- The bacon will shrink up a bit while cooking- don’t sweat it!
- I love to use Traeger’s “Texas Spicy” sauce for this recipe just like in my smoked pig shot recipe. If you are using a thicker sauce, consider watering it down by mixing 2 tablespoons bbq sauce with 1 tablespoon
Best Pellets For Smoked Shotgun Shells
Applewood pellets are most commonly recommended for pork. Pork pairs well with almost all types of wood including cherry wood pellets, hickory, pecan, and Traeger’s signature blend. You may choose to use special pellets for your shotgun shells recipe but I personally don’t feel that pellet flavours will make or break your smoked food. They have the potential to add an extra dimension of flavor for smoking enthusiasts.
Check out this wood pellet guide from Traeger to find the best wood pellet food pairings for your smoking endeavours.
Batch + Storage + Reheating Shotgun Shells
Fridge: These bacon wrapped shells can be stored in the fridge in an airtight container for 3-4 days.
Freezer: The shotgun shells recipe can also be stored cooked or uncooked in the freezer for up to 6 months in an airtight container. I love to make an extra batch of these shotgun shells and freeze them uncooked. They are easy to pop out, thaw, and cook fresh without all of the prep and mess.
Reheat in Shotgun Shells: These shells are best fresh! Cover and reheat the shells in the oven or on your grill for 15 minutes, until heated through. Brush on some fresh bbq sauce to freshen them up.
Shotgun Shells Recipe Variations
Cheese Swap: Switch out the tex mex cheese in this recipe for plain mozzarella cheese, cheddar, montaray jack or your other favourite fromage!
Spice it Up: Add extra peppers or consider adding 1/2-1 teaspoon cayenne pepper.
Ranch Drizzle: Drizzle your shotgun shells with spicy ranch after they are done cooking.
Bacon Type: Don’t be afraid to experiment with different types of bacon in this recipe. Peppered bacon, maple bacon, or even turkey bacon would all be great!
Gluten Free: These shotgun shells can easily be made gluten free by using an alternate noodle like brown rice noodles.
Regular Pork Sausage: If you cant find ground Italian pork sausage, consider using regular ground pork and adding an extra 1-2 tablespoons of bbq rub.
Printable Recipe Card
The Best Smoked Shotgun Shells Recipe
Smoked shotgun shells are the perfect smoked appetizer or main. Full of perfectly seasoned meat and cheese and wrapped in crispy bacon, these hearty shotgun shells will impress everyone at your Super Bowl party, as a tailgate snack or at your next family meal. Enjoy one as a prequel to a bigger meal or take a couple as the main entree.
Ingredients
- 14 canneloni shells
- 14 slices regular bacon
- 1/2 pound ground beef
- 1/2 pound ground Italian pork sausage (mild or spicy)
- 2 tablespoons pork rub (separated)
- 4 oz cream cheese
- 3/4 cup packed shredded cheese (tex mex or cheese of choice)
- 2 tablespoons finely diced jalapeno (one large)
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 3 tablespoons bbq sauce
Instructions
- Preheat smoker to 275°F.
- Prep noodles. Bring water to a hard boil and parboil the cannelloni shells for 3 minutes. Transfer to a cooling rack in a single layer to prevent the noodles from sticking together when they cool.
- Prep filling. Combine all filling ingredients including 1/2 pound of ground beef, 1/2 pound of ground Italian sausage, 3/4 cup shredded cheese, 4 ounces softened cream cheese, 1 tablespoon pork rub, 2 tablespoons finely diced jalapeno peppers, 1 minced garlic clove. Mix well using a stand mixer, hand mixer, or by hand until fully combined. Warm in the microwave on high power for 30 seconds, stir, and microwave for another 30 seconds. This makes the filling more maleable and easier to stuff into the shells.
- Stuff Noodles. Hold the noodle carefully in one hand and spoon small a mounts of filling into it with the other hand. Turn the spoon around every 1-2 scoops and gently push it further into the noodle. After approximately half of the noodle is filled, turn it over and fill the other half. Be careful not to force the filling into the noodles or you risk tearig and breaking the shell.
- Wrap. Wrap each noodle with bacon, being careful to leave a small layer of overlap. The goal is to cover as much of the noodle as possible! Any pieces of noodle that are uncovered will be more al dente but still delicious. Sprinkle with the remaining 1 tablespoon of pork rub overtop of each shotgun shell and place on a grill mat or baking sheet.
- Smoke + Glaze. Smoke for 60 minutes at 275°F, brush lightly with bbq sauce, smoke for another 30 minutes for a total of 90 minutes cook time. When measuring with a probe, the internal temperature should be 165°F. Remove and glaze once more. Allow them to cool slightly before serving.
- Serve. Serve as is or sprinkle with parmesan and add a bowl of warm marinara sauce for dipping.
Shotgun Shells In The Oven
Preheat your oven to 275°F. Place the shotgun shells on a parchment lined sheet pan or baking sheet and cook on the middle rack for 60 minutes, glaze the tops with bbq sauce, continue to bake for another 30 minutes. The bacon should be crisp and an inserted meat thermometer (meat probe or infrared thermometer) should read 165 degrees f. Remove them from the grill and glaze once more before serving. Allow to cool for 10 minutes and enjoy!
Shotgun Shells In The Air Fryer
Preheat your air fryer to 400°F. Glaze the raw shotgun shells and cook for 15-20 minutes or until the bacon is nice and crispy and the internal temperature of the meat and cheese mixture inside of the shells has reached around 165°F. Add time if needed. Once done, glaze once more with bbq sauce and allow to cool for at least 10 minutes before enjoying.
Shotgun Shells On A Gas Grill
Preheat your grill to 275°F. Place the prepared shotgun shells on a grill safe baking sheet or cast iron pan(you may choose to line with aluminum foil for easy cleanup). If you have these Big Chief drying screens, they will work the best, allowing air to circulate all around the shells, crisping the bacon without falling through the grill grates. If possible, preheat one side of your gas or propane grill and place the shells on the other side for indirect cooking or use the top rack. This will help to avoid over cooking bacon and undercooking the meat and cheese filling! Cook for 60 minutes, glaze, and cook for another 30 minutes. The bacon should be crisp and an inserted meat thermometer (meat probe or infrared thermometer) should read 165 degrees f. Allow to cool for 10 minutes before enjoying!
Notes
You may use manicotti noodles in place of cannelloni but they are a bit bigger so you will end up with less!
Choose spicy italian sausage and add another jalapeno pepper for extra fiery shotgun shells.
Don't have ground Italian sausage? Regular ground pork will work in a pinch. Consider adding an extra tablespoon of pork rub.
Be extra gentle when stuffing your shotgun shells!
The bacon will shrink up a bit while cooking- don't sweat it!
I love to use Traeger's "Texas Spicy" sauce for this recipe just like in my smoked pig shot recipe. If you are using a thicker sauce, consider watering it down by mixing 2 tablespoons bbq sauce with 1 tablespoon
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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 14 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 476Total Fat: 30gSaturated Fat: 13gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 15gCholesterol: 121mgSodium: 745mgCarbohydrates: 24gFiber: 2gSugar: 5gProtein: 29g
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I can’t wait to try these!!
These look so good. I can’t wait to try them for my next potluck!
WOW! Why does it take so much longer in the oven than the air fryer? 20 minutes in the air fryer compared to 90 minutes in the oven seems like a huge difference.
Hey Tina,
The air fryer is super efficient at heating the food because of the quick circulating air. These are large and the instructions do say to leave them for AT LEAST 10 more minutes. I also recommend checking the internal temperature of the shotgun shells and making sure that they are at 165°. They can be cooked longer and brought above the 165°F internal temperature if you would like to cook them longer. The cook time will also vary based on the size of noodles you use. Cannelloni noodles are smaller than manicotti noodles and take less time. I hope this helps 🙂