Pineapple Cream Cheese Pig Shots

13 reviews

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These Pineapple Cream Cheese Pig Shots are the perfect appetizer for holiday dinner parties and potluck summer BBQs. Everybody loves a good appetizer and when that appetizer includes bacon, well, let’s just say you’d better make a double batch just to be safe. These pig shots are beyond tasty and won’t last long.

Bacon wrapped cream cheese topped with pineapple. Text overlay says "Cream Cheese Smoked Pig Shots."

What are Pig Shots?

In a nutshell, pig shots are like a little BBQ shot of pork goodness. I don’t know the true origin of the “Pig Shot” as a recipe. I searched deep into the underbelly of the internet yesterday and found some pretty awesome versions (like these guys with green chiles and cheese), but I couldn’t determine who created them originally. Maybe pig shots are just one of those BBQ recipes that have become common intellectual property, like Bacon Wrapped Jalapeno Poppers or 3-2-1 Ribs.

Wherever they came from, I am grateful, because these little bites of heaven are going to be a permanent fixture at our BBQ spreads from here on out.

bacon rolled into little cups and held together with toothpicks.

Smoked Pig Shots

These pig shots are small rounds of sausage wrapped up in bacon to form perfect little shot glasses of meat. (Just being able to write that sentence means that I officially have the best job in the universe.) Our meaty shot glasses are filled with a sweet and savory filling of cream cheese, pineapple, and brown sugar. YUM!

Next, each cup gets a pineapple topping and a gorgeous dusting of my Homemade Sweet Rub. If you’ve been around a while, you know this rub is my go-to rub for a ton of my recipes and I keep it on hand at all times. I recommend you make a big batch and do the same! You can also save yourself some time and purchase this rub (plus many of my other award-winning rubs and sauces) pre-made from Patio Provisions

Cream cheese getting piped into the little bacon cups.

How to Make Pineapple Cream Cheese Pig Shots

Ready to make your own amazing pig shots? Follow the instructions below, and scroll to the bottom of the page for a full printable recipe.

  1. Assemble the “shot glasses.” Slice sausage into 1/2-inch thick rounds, and wrap each slice of sausage with half a slice of bacon. Season with a few sprinkles of Sweet Rub.
  2. Fill the shots. Beat together cream cheese, brown sugar, and pineapple chunks in a bowl. Pipe the pineapple cream cheese mixture into the “shot glasses.” Top with additional crushed pineapple and extra Sweet Rub.
  3. Smoke. After the assembly process, these bites get lots of love from my grill. I cook these over indirect heat in my Camp Chef pellet grill, but you can cook them on any indirect grill you like. I recommend using fruit or hardwoods like apple, cherry, hickory or maple to add smoke to these beauties.
  4. Serve. Allow the pig shots to cool slightly before serving warm.

Tray full of filled bacon cream cheese next to a bottle of Sweet Rub.

Tips for Making Pig Shots

Before you dive into this recipe, here are a few tips I’ve found help the process of making these appetizers that much easier.

  • Use thick cut bacon. The thick cut stuff stands up better on the smoker and holds all the filling in good and tight.
  • Don’t forget the toothpicks! I recommend using a toothpick or two to secure the bacon. Remember how many you used so you can remove them prior to serving them to your guests.
  • Assemble on a flat cooling rack (like you use for cookies). Use a flat cooling rack to assemble your pig shots. This makes it easier to get them on and off the smoker.

There you have it! You should be good to go! Make sure to scroll below to leave me a comment after you make these bad boys. I’d love to hear how they turned out for you!

Can You Make Pig Shots in the Oven?

Pineapple cream cheese pig shots are excellent on the smoker, but if you are holed up inside for the winter or you don’t have a smoker you can make these in the oven as well.

To cook these pig shots in the oven, simply follow the time and temperature instructions in the recipe below. Keep an eye on the pig shots as they cook to make sure they don’t burn.

Cooked Bacon wrapped cream cheese topped with pineapple on a cooling rack.

More BBQ Bacon Recipes

Bacon, man. It’s a glorious addition to any grilled or smoked meat (and it tastes pretty darn good on its own, too!). For more awesome bacon recipes from Hey Grill Hey, check out these links below:

Pineapple Cream Cheese Pig Shots Recipe

 

Pineapple Cream Cheese Pig Shots

4.85 from 13 votes
These Pineapple Cream Cheese Pig Shots are the perfect appetizer for holiday dinner parties and potluck summer BBQs. Everybody loves a good appetizer and when that appetizer includes bacon, well, let's just say you'd better make a double batch just to be safe. These pig shots are beyond tasty and won't last long.
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time1 hour 15 minutes
Total Time1 hour 30 minutes
Servings20 people

Video

Ingredients
 

  • 1 package smoked pork sausage or kielbasa
  • 2 8 oz packages cream cheese softened
  • 1 cup crushed pineapple
  • ½ cup brown sugar
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 2 Tablespoons Signature Sweet Rub
  • 1 pound bacon cut in half width wise

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the smoker. Preheat your smoker to 300 degrees F. This method is also adaptable for the oven if you don't own a smoker. Simply preheat to the same temperature.
  • Make the pig "shot glasses." Slice the sausage into 1/2 inch thick rounds. Wrap each slice of sausage with a half of a slice of bacon so it forms a little "shot glass" of meat. Season the shots with the sweet rub.
  • Make the pineapple cream cheese filling. In a medium bowl, beat together the cream cheese, brown sugar, and most of the pineapple chunks, reserving a couple of tablespoons of the pineapple to top the shots with later.
  • Fill the pig shots. Transfer the cream cheese mixture to a quart sized zip top bag and snip off the bottom corner. Fill each shot glass with some of the mixture, leaving just a little room at the top. Spoon the remaining crushed pineapple into the top of each shot and season them all again with a little sweet rub.
  • Smoke the pig shots. Carefully transfer the shots to the grill grates (or a foil lined pan if using your oven) and cook for 75-90 minutes, or until the bacon gets crisp.
  • Serve warm. Serve the pineapple cream cheese pig shots warm with plenty of napkins. Enjoy!

Nutrition

Calories: 127kcal | Carbohydrates: 9g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 15mg | Sodium: 153mg | Potassium: 77mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 53IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 22mg | Iron: 1mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Like this? Leave a comment below!

**This post was originally published in December 2016. We recently updated it with more information and helpful tips. The recipe remains the same.

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About

FOUNDER/BBQ BOSS LADY

Susie is the BBQ Brain behind the Hey Grill Hey website. Her passion for smoked meats and developing fun, new recipes have landed her on the Food Network, cooking turkeys with Shaq, and on a couple of Guinness World Records. When she’s not grilling, she is hanging out with Todd and their three kids, preferably outdoors!

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Reader Reviews

50 Reviews

  1. Lynn Johnson says:

    Excellent. Second time around I seasoned more heavily and dipped in BBQ sauce mixed with Hawaiian sauce. Made all the difference. Yum!

  2. Smokin John says:

    Nice recipe! Great flavor! Easy to follow and the filling tastes great. I smoked mine at 250 and were good at 1 1/2 hour.

  3. Jim Cogelow says:

    Made for the first time in 2021. Planned to serve to Thirsty Thursday group. They did not survive the taste testing. Never had an appetizer disappear so quickly.