Smoked Shotgun Shells
by Sommer Collier — last updated on Mar 12, 2026 
My smoked shotgun shells are bacon-wrapped manicotti stuffed with sausage and melty cheese, then smoked and brushed with rich barbecue sauce. I love serving these easy make-ahead BBQ appetizers with creamy dipping sauces for cookouts, parties, and game days.
My smoked shotgun shells are a decadent meaty snack that have been popping up on social media and in local barbecue joints. They’re made with manicotti stuffed with meat, cheese, and bold seasonings, then wrapped in bacon, slathered in barbecue sauce, and smoked! These dense little packages of pasta, meat, and cheese are ridiculously addictive, and like my famous cream cheese stuffed mushrooms, they are much easier to make than you might think! I have no idea who originally created this smoked shotgun shell concept, and I wasn’t able to find anything online to offer credit. But whoever you are… Thank you! You are a culinary genius. This is my personalized version.
Martin – ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ It’s best to make these the day before and smoke the next day. The moisture from the bacon and stuffing will guarantee the shells won’t be tough after they are smoked.
Table of Contents
Sommer’s Recipe Highlights
No-Boil Pasta – I pack the meat and cheese filling into dried manicotti shells for easy assembly. (Through trial and error, I discovered that if the manicotti are cooked, this is really tricky to do without ripping the soft shells.) Then I wrap each manicotti shell in bacon and soak it in barbecue sauce before smoking. Therefore, the fatty moisture from the meat and cheese on the inside and outside of the pasta shells, along with the barbecue sauce moisture, allows the pasta to soften and cook as the shotgun shells are smoking.
Make-Ahead Friendly – I absolutely love making this recipe ahead of time, then I rewarm them on the smoker or grill. Sometimes I also freeze them and rewarm them later!
Sweet and Smoky – Every bite of this hearty dish packs a serious punch of sweet and smoky flavor. The caramelized barbecue sauce pairs perfectly with the smoky, crunchy texture of the bacon.
Key Ingredients and Tips
- Manicotti shells – These are the perfect shotgun shell-esque size for stuffing and smoking.
- Ground pork sausage – The type you use is totally up to you. I go for either a mild or spicy sausage, or if I’m trying to keep the flavors a bit more subtle, Italian sausage is also a safe bet.
- Cream cheese – To get that delicious creaminess, I always use softened, regular cream cheese. You can use low-fat, but why?
- Cheddar cheese – Shredded cheddar adds that sharp and bold flavor that balances out all the smokiness of the bacon and bbq sauce. You can swap in pepper jack if you want.
- BBQ rub seasoning – I usually go with my homemade steak seasoning, but you can totally use store-bought seasoning instead. This boosts the overall smoky flavor profile.
- Pickled jalapeño – For a tangy, slightly spicy kick, I add in some homemade pickled jalapeños or store-bought, mild or hot.
- Bacon strips – The key here is to use thinly sliced bacon. If you use thick-cut bacon, it won’t wrap around the shells well, and it will take a lot longer to cook.
- BBQ sauce – And for that sweet, sticky, and tangy flavor, use your favorite bbq sauce, like “sweet heat” that I use here.
How to Make
Find the full recipe with ingredient proportions, detailed instructions, and a video tutorial in the printable form at the bottom of the post.
Mix the filling – I grab a big bowl and toss in the sausage, cream cheese, sharp cheddar cheese, barbecue seasoning, and diced jalapeños. Then, I mix everything together until well incorporated.
Pack the shells – This is probably my favorite part. I grab some of the filling and pack it gently into the manicotti shells, making sure that I leave zero air pockets.
Wrap – Once all the shells are stuffed, I wrap them up with those delicious, smoky slices of bacon. Since we only want one slice of bacon per shell, you really have to stretch it out to cover the manicotti from top to bottom.
Soak – Once all the shells are wrapped, I place them in the baking dish and douse them in sweet and smoky bbq sauce. It’s important to let the shells soak in the sauce for half an hour so the shells suck up the mositure.
Prep the smoker – As the stuffed shells soak, now is the time to heat up the smoker. I preheat the Traeger smoker to 250°F.
Transfer the shells – After the shells are done soaking, I move them carefully from the baking dish and onto the smoker grates. Some of the bbq sauce might drip, so I usually brush extra on top before I pop these babies in the smoker.
Smoke – And finally, I smoke them for about 90 minutes, or until the pasta is al dente. By this point, the smells are just incredible!
Recipe Variations
- Meat filling – Feel free to swap pork sausage with ground beef, chicken, or turkey sausage. You can even use leftover pulled smoked pork butt or chicken, if you like!
- Cheese – Substitute or do a half-and-half mix of cheddar with shredded colby jack, Monterey jack cheese, mozzarella cheese, or spicy pepper jack cheese.
- Jalapeños – Omit if they are too spicy. Or sub with even hotter peppers, like habanero, for a super big kick of heat
- Barbecue sauce – Here you can use any type of bbq sauce you want… Spicy, mild, hickory, whiskey-flavored, Carolina gold, low sugar, or whatever.
Serving Suggestions
Serve these little guys warm as-is, or with a variety of creamy dipping sauces and comfort side dishes for a full Southern meal. These smoked shells are a fabulous appetizer or game-day snack to get any party going! Here are some of my favorite sides:
- Serve them alongside your favorite dipping sauce like ranch dressing, blue cheese dressing, or my homemade Caesar dressing.
- Pair them with cold and creamy salads like traditional coleslaw, deviled egg potato salad, or macaroni salad.
- For warm sides you can’t go wrong with classics like my macaroni and cheese, spicy collard greens with turnips, baked beans (my fave Instant Pot recipe), or crispy fried okra.
Storing
Homemade smoked shotgun shells will keep well for up to 3-5 days in the refrigerator. Place the leftovers in a container with a lid, or wrap them individually in plastic wrap before sealing them in a bag. They’ll keep well in the freezer for up to 3 months sealed in an airtight bag. Thaw them in the fridge overnight before rewarming them. If possible, I suggest reheating briefly on the smoker, or in the oven for 5-10 minutes. You can even air fry the shotgun shells for 3-4 minutes to get the bacon a bit crisp again!
Frequently Asked Questions
No smoker? No problem! You can easily make this smoked shotgun shell recipe in the oven. Prepare them the same way you would if smoking on a Traeger, then spread them out on a prepared baking sheet with a rim. Bake at 325 degrees for about 1 hour, until the bacon and filling are completely cooked.
Sure, you can. It just makes them harder to stuff. I prefer to fill the hard pasta shells, then soak them in sauce to soften.
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Smoked Shotgun Shells
Ingredients
- 8 ounce box manicotti shells
- 16 ounces ground pork sausage or ground beef
- 8 ounces cream cheese
- 1 cup sharp cheddar cheese shredded
- 1 ½ tablespoon BBQ rub seasoning or steak seasoning
- 1/3 cup pickled jalapeno diced
- 16 ounces long thin-sliced bacon strips NOT thick-cut
- 18 ounces BBQ sauce
Instructions
- Set out a large mixing bowl and a 9 x 13-inch baking dish. In the bowl, combine the sausage, cream cheese, sharp cheddar cheese, barbecue seasoning, and diced jalapeños. Mix by hand until very smooth.
- Use your hands to pack the meat mixture into the manicotti shells. Make sure there are no air pockets inside the manicotti – I find it best to pack the meat mixture from one end and push it all the way through to the other end.
- Wrap each manicotti with a thin long strip of bacon. Stretch the bacon so that it fully covers the manicotti shell and can be tucked under on both ends.
- Place the stuffed and bacon-wrapped manicotti shells in the baking dish. Pour the barbecue sauce over the top and allow the pasta shells to soak in the sauce for at least 30 minutes.
- Once the manicotti are wrapped and soaking in barbecue sauce, preheat the smoker to 250°F.
- After 30 minutes of soaking, gently move the shotgun shells out of the baking dish and onto the smoker grates. Try to retain as much barbecue sauce on the shotgun shells as possible. If needed, brush/pour extra over the top so there's a nice thick coating.
- Smoke the shotgun shells at a consistent 250°F for 90 minutes. At this point check one of the shotgun shells by squeezing to see if the pasta inside is soft. It should be a perfect al dente, slightly firm but fully cooked through. If they need a little longer, leave them on the smoker for another 10 to 20 minutes.
It’s best to make these the day before and smoke the next day. The moisture from the bacon and stuffing will guarantee the shells won’t be tough after they are smoked.
Hi Sommer,
Just tried this. My shells were EXTREMELY tough. Too tough to eat. Followed your recipe to the letter, even reviewing it after completion. Very disappointing result for what should have been an awesome dish, by all accounts.
How have you done this before to a successful result? Did you WATER DOWN the BBQ sauce to provide sufficient moisture?
Thanks!!
Hi Rob,
I’m sorry to hear that! Yes, we test every recipe we post (usually multiple times) before it makes it to the site. We did not water down the barbecue sauce. My guess is that your dried shells and/or bbq sauce were a thicker variety than what I used – Rienzi shells, and Stubbs sweet-heat bbq sauce. Adding 1/4 – 1/2 water to the sauce would not be a bad idea to ensure the shells are soft, if you want to try it again.
Hey Sommer!
Just completed my second attempt and they came out fantastic. The secret was indeed adding 3/4 cup of water with the sauce, warming the mixture and soaking them overnight. In the morning, the shells absorbed a lot of moisture. They actually somehow cooked faster this time as well. Thanks!!
This may sound like an odd question, but are the shells cooked before stuffing? Thanks…
Hi Dee!
No, they will absorb the moisture from the filling and the sauce, add cook as they smoke.
My husband said this is his favorite recipe that I make now. Thank you!
This is bursting with flavors! A new fam favorite 😍
oh my goodness, these were everything that I wanted them to be and more! thank you so much for sharing this amazing recipe