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Get ready to wow your taste buds with Pig Shots! These bite-sized creations feature smoky bacon wrapped around savory sausage, filled with a creamy, flavorful cream cheese mixture. Shaped like mini shot glasses, they’re the perfect snack for game day, parties, or anytime you’re looking for a unique appetizer.
Reasons You’ll Love This Recipe
- Savory Flavor Explosion: Each bite of these pig shots bursts with bold, meaty flavors complemented by a creamy, slightly spicy kick that enhances the savory goodness.
- Easy to Make Ahead: You need just a handful of simple ingredients, and you can make these ahead of time for a stress-free party day.
- Perfect Party Appetizer: Bite-sized and packed with flavor, these are a crowd-pleasing snack for game days and other get-togethers. If you want to serve them with a full spread, include my Rotel dip, crispy potato skins, and little smokies!
Game Day Appetizer
I don’t know what it is about football and appetizers, but they just go hand in hand! Especially anything to do with pork! There is just something about watching men throwing around a “pig skin” while eating all things pig! These pig shots have sliced pork sausage wrapped in thick-cut bacon! Trust me when I say make these for the next game day celebration, and everyone will be raving about them!
Ingredients Needed
How to Make Pig Shots
This pig shots recipe is very simple to make! Just plan a little extra time for rolling the bacon around the sausage slices and filling each “shot.” You can even let the kids help!
- Prep and slice sausages: Preheat the oven to 375ºF and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. You may add a baking rack to the pan if desired, just give it a light spray with pan spray. Slice the sausage into about 24 slices, or double the amount of bacon slices you have.
- Bacon: Cut the bacon in half.
- Make the Rolls: Roll each sausage round up in a half-slice of bacon so the edge of the bacon matches up with the bottom edge of the sausage. Use a toothpick skewered through the bacon and entire piece of sausage to secure the two together. The result should look like a cup.
- Set Aside: Set the little cups on the prepared baking sheet and set aside.
- Make the Filling: Combine the cream cheese, cheddar cheese, jalapeños, and barbecue rub seasoning.
- Fill: Scoop the cream cheese filling into a piping bag or large ziplock bag, snip the corner, and squeeze the filling into the bacon-wrapped sausage cups until they are nearly full. Don’t overfill them! The filling will expand as it bakes.
- Add Jalapeño Slices: If desired, place sliced jalapeno on top of some or all of the pig shots.
- Make the Glaze: Combe the bbq sauce, maple syrup, and brown sugar in a small bowl.
- Bake: Brush the tops of the pig shots with the glaze and bake for 35-45 minutes or until the bacon is crisp and rendered. Let them cool for a few minutes before serving. I recommend removing the toothpicks before serving.
Smoking Instructions for Pig Shots
Smoke Them! Traditional pig shots are smoked, not baked. I baked mine in order to make the recipe more accessible, but you absolutely can smoke these babies! Smoke the pig shots at 275-300 degrees Fahrenheit for 75-90 minutes or until the bacon is crisp. Brush the glaze on them in the last 15 minutes of smoking.
Tips and Variations for Making Pig Shots
Pig shots are the ultimate appetizer! Here are a few tips and ways you can customize them to make them perfect for you.
- How to prevent blackened bottoms? You may find the bottoms of the pig shots get very black when baked directly on the parchment-lined sheet pan, but this is just because the sugar in the glaze caramelizes! They aren’t burned and will still taste amazing. To avoid blackened bottoms, you can use an oven-safe baking rack on top of the sheet pan to prevent the pig shots from sitting in the glaze as they melt and caramelize.
- What sausage should I use? You can use any kind of smoked sausage, such as Kielbasa or Bratwurst. I recommend using a pork-based sausage to keep the ‘pig’ in these pig shots.
- What Bacon should I use? You can use regular-cut bacon for these, and they will likely end up slightly crispier. But, I found that thick-cut bacon held its shape so much better and it is the traditional cut used for pig shots.
- Add Extra Flavor! Sprinkle some BBQ seasoning on top of them before baking for added BBQ flavor.
- Cheese Recommendations: You can swap out the cheddar cheese for any number of different cheeses, but I suggest trying pepper jack, Monterey Jack, or even substituting a portion of the cheese for grated parmesan.
- Add-Ins for the Glaze: Mix 1-2 tablespoons of bourbon into the glaze to change up the flavor, or add a pinch or two of cayenne pepper.
How to Store Leftovers
- In the Refrigerator: You may store pig shots in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
- Reheating Reheat them in the air fryer at 375 degrees Fahrenheit for 2-3 minutes or in the microwave for 30-60 seconds.
- Assemble Ahead: You can assemble pig shots up to 24 hours before cooking them. Keep them stored in an airtight container in the fridge, and wait until you are ready to bake them before brushing them with the glaze.
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Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. You may add a baking rack to the pan if desired, just give it a light spray with pan spray.
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Slice 12 ounces smoked sausage into about 24 slices, or double the amount of bacon slices you have.
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Cut 1 pound thick-cut bacon in half. Roll each sausage round up in a slice of bacon so the edge of the bacon matches up with the bottom edge of the sausage. Use a toothpick skewered through the bacon and entire piece of sausage to secure the two together. The result should look like a cup.
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Set the little cups on the prepared baking sheet and set aside.
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Make the filling by combining 8 ounces cream cheese, 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese, ¼ cup diced jalapeno, and 1 teaspoon barbecue rub seasoning. Scoop the filling into a large ziplock bag, snip the corner, and squeeze the filling into the cups until they are nearly full. Don’t overfill them! The filling will expand as it bakes.
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If desired, place sliced jalapeños on top of some or all of the pig shots.
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Make the glaze by combining ⅓ cup barbecue sauce, 1 tablespoon real maple syrup, and 2 tablespoons brown sugar in a small bowl.
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Brush the tops of the pig shots with the glaze and bake for 35-45 minutes or until the bacon is crisp and rendered. Let them cool for a few minutes before serving. I recommend removing the toothpicks before serving.
Calories: 188kcalCarbohydrates: 5gProtein: 6gFat: 16gSaturated Fat: 7gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 6gTrans Fat: 0.02gCholesterol: 37mgSodium: 347mgPotassium: 96mgFiber: 0.1gSugar: 3gVitamin A: 205IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 50mgIron: 0.3mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
