Smoked Sweet Potato Casserole with Candied Bacon and Pecans
On October 23, 2020 (Updated May 11, 2024)
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This Smoked Sweet Potato Casserole is that classic sweet potato casserole that is perfect for Thanksgiving or anytime you have a hankering for a fall-inspired side. Topped with candied bacon and pecans and cooked on the smoker, this is a side fit for a BBQ king!
Smoked Sweet Potato Casserole
Sweet potato casserole is a must-have on Thanksgiving. But I’m of the opinion that that boring, old casserole recipe simply won’t do. Since we’re in the business of BBQ, most of our Thanksgiving dishes are cooked on the grill, and this casserole is no exception!
Smoking a sweet potato casserole gives it the most incredible flavor without overpowering the sweetness of the dish itself. Baking on your grill or smoker is easy as well, and it’s an added bonus when you can cook your main dish and sides all in the same place.
Oh, and did I mention that this skillet can be cooked in your oven as well? Simply preheat your oven to the same temperature as specified in the recipe card (275 degrees F) and follow the instructions as they are written.
How to Smoke Sweet Potato Casserole
Alright, let’s get right to smoking this amazing casserole. As always, a full printable recipe is available at the bottom of this post.
- Preheat your smoker (or oven). Preheat either your smoker or oven to 275 degrees F.
- Start with the sweet potatoes. Begin by boiling the peeled and cubed sweet potatoes for 10-15 minutes until soft. Drain the water and allow to cool slightly. Transfer the potatoes to a large mixing bowl and whip them together with milk, melted butter, vanilla and salt. Add in two eggs and finish beating.
- Make the candied bacon and pecan streusel topping. Preheat a 12-inch cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add bacon pieces to the skillet and cook. Remove the bacon to a plate lined with a paper towel, then transfer bacon and pecans to a mixing bowl. Do not drain the bacon grease. Mix together with flour, brown sugar, melted butter, and salt. Stir well to combine.
- Smoke the casserole. Place the whipped sweet potatoes topped with the streusel topping back in the cast iron skillet and smoke for 1 hour or until the internal temperature of the casserole reaches 175-185 degrees F as measured with an instant read thermometer.
- Serve. Remove the smoked sweet potato casserole from the heat and allow to cool slightly. Serve warm.
Tips for Making Sweet Potato Casserole
Take note of these tips prior to making your smoked sweet potato casserole to ensure your dish comes out cooked to perfection:
- Wood choice matters. My favorite wood for this recipe is pecan (because it ties in beautifully with the pecans on top), but any mild wood like apple, cherry, or maple would work great for this dish. I would avoid mesquite, hickory, or oak as these woods will likely be a bit too strong.
- Prep in advance. If you’ve got a busy day (like Thanksgiving or another big event), make the filling and streusel up to two days in advance and refrigerate. Top the casserole with the streusel right before baking.
- Double duty dish. This works beautifully as a side dish, but also doubles as a delicious dessert. If you want to sweeten things up for dessert, add in a bit more brown sugar to the filling and 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream!
More Sweet Potato Recipes
Whether you’re looking for the perfect sweet potato recipe for Thanksgiving, or you’re just a super fan of this tasty vegetable
Smoked Sweet Potato Casserole Recipe
Smoked Sweet Potato Casserole with Candied Bacon and Pecans
Video
Equipment
- Electric Mixer
Ingredients
Sweet Potato Filling
- 6 large sweet potatoes peeled and cut into 2-inch cubes
- ¾ cup milk
- 6 Tablespoons salted butter melted
- ⅓ cup dark brown sugar packed
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 large eggs
Candied Bacon and Pecan Streusel Topping
- ½ pound bacon chopped
- ¾ cup pecans chopped
- ½ cup all purpose flour
- ½ cup dark brown sugar packed
- 4 Tablespoons salted butter melted
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Preheat the smoker or oven. Preheat your smoker to 275 degrees F with your favorite hardwood. Pecan is my wood of choice for this recipe. You can also cook this in your oven preheated to the same temperature.
- Boil the sweet potatoes. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Carefully transfer the peeled and cubed sweet potatoes to the water and boil for 10-15 minutes, or until easily pierced with a fork.
- Make the streusel topping. While the potatoes cook, prepare the streusel topping. Preheat a 12-inch cast iron skillet over medium high heat. Add in the bacon and cook until crisp. Remove the bacon to a plate topped with a paper towel to drain. Turn the heat off of the pan, but leave the bacon drippings in the pan for later. Place the bacon pieces and chopped pecans in a medium sized mixing bowl. Add in the flour, brown sugar, melted butter, and salt. Stir until the flour and sugar clumps up around the pecans and bacon. Set aside.
- Whip the sweet potatoes. Once the potatoes have softened, drain off the water and let them cool slightly. Transfer the potatoes to a large mixing bowl and pour in the milk, melted butter, vanilla, and salt. Using an electric mixer, whip the potatoes until all of the filling is a smooth consistency and has cooled a little more. Add the two eggs and beat together again.
- Transfer the sweet potatoes and streusel to a cast iron skillet. Pour the smooth filling into your 12 inch cast iron skillet with the bacon grease still in the pan. Sprinkle the top of the sweet potato casserole filling with the candied bacon and pecan streusel, making sure it is evenly covered.
- Smoke the sweet potato casserole. Place the skillet in the preheated smoker and cook with the lid closed for about 60 minutes, or until the internal temperature of the casserole reads 175 to 185 degrees F. This will ensure your eggs are cooked through and the casserole is set without being dry.
- Serve warm. Remove your casserole from the smoker and serve warm.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
The bacon really took this dish to a whole new level. Star of the show this Thanksgiving. Can’t rave enough about it. Wow.
Happy Thanksgiving…Made this last year and by popular demand making it again. I have to make it ahead of time and transfer to another dish so working out those logistics. So much easier when I’m hosting. I enjoy trying your recipes, next up “Thanksgiving Burnt Ends” or whatever you called those bacon wrapped thanksgiving dinner bites.
Made this last year and everyone loved it. Came here to print the recipe because I was asked to make it again. Yum
I have made this twice. Each time was for a large event and each time it was the hit of the food table. I am making this again as I have my Commanding Officer at my house for dinner. It will not disappoint!
We tried this recipe on Thanksgiving with a brisket as our protein our guests absolutely loved it. Personally I am not a real sweet eater and I loved the balance of the sugar and bacon combination all of my guests asked for the recipe.
Love this recipe so much. Made it for the family Thanksgiving dinner and now have been requested to make it for Christmas Day too. Thanks Susie, keep the great recipes coming.
This was ok. I would not leave the bacon grease in the pan and add the sweet potatoes whip. The bacon over powered the potatoes . I would try again with a different sweet potato whipped recipe and use the pecan chips. Not sure I would add the crumble but it might work if you omit the grease.
Thanks for the feedback. This is definitely a recipe for people who love the bacon/sweet potato flavor combo. Sounds like it may not have been a fit for your tastes.