Nashville Hot Bacon-Wrapped Pickles

Bite into these snappy, smoky, and spicy Nashville Hot Bacon-Wrapped Pickles that will ignite your taste buds and have them dancing with the flavor and texture. These smoked pickles are as vibrant as Nashville’s famed Broadway Street and are guaranteed to quench any snack attack.

Bacon really does make everything better, including the favorite sidekick to every smoked burger. Crispy, juicy, briny, and totally crave-worthy, this simple munchie is an entire experience and an explosion of flavors in just a couple of bites. Make these spicy bacon-wrapped pickles for your next tailgate party, happy hour at home, or just because you made it through the week. But make them, and go ahead and share.

Why This Recipe Works

• Simple process. These smoked bacon-wrapped pickles come together in just three easy steps. Wrap, season, and smoke. Anyone level of griller can make these. They can also be prepared ahead of time up to the point of smoking making the process that much easier.
• Minimal ingredients. You only need three ingredients to make these smoked pickles. Fire these up for your next game day, and with the extra Nashville Hot Seasoning go ahead and throw in a side of Nashville Hot Grill-Fried Chicken Wings.
• Balance of flavors and textures. Some recipes for bacon-wrapped smoked pickles have you starting at a lower temperature. For this smoked pickle recipe you are smoking them at 300°F the entire time giving you that balance of crispy bacon, pickles that still have snap and aren’t dried out, and that magical ingredient of smoke that permeates every bite.

Important Tips

• With only three ingredients, the quality of each component matters. When it comes to the pickles reach for high-quality pickles that have smaller seeds, aren’t soggy, and ideally aren’t dayglo green like the bright neon of Nashville’s famed bars. There are great options when it comes to refrigerated pickles. They usually still have the crunch of fresh cucumber, contain fewer preservatives, and are made with more minimal ingredients. 
• The sizing will vary for both the pickles and the bacon. Pick larger, fatter spears if possible, and skip the thick-cut bacon for this recipe. Thicker bacon will not only take longer to become crispy but by the time the bacon has crisped you risk the pickles being dehydrated and dry.

• When you’re making your Nashville Hot Seasoning for these bacon-wrapped smoked pickles, you can control the heat. Want it Nashville hot? Add additional cayenne and chipotle pepper. If you just want that slow, lingering whisper of a kick, go with the base recipe. You are in control.
• While the hot and spicy pickles are perfect on their own, they are begging to be dipped in a cooling sauce. Homemade ranch and Alabama white sauce are both excellent options. We won’t even judge if you double dip.

Step 1: Wrap the Pickles

Make sure your pickles are dry, patting them down with paper towels. This will help prevent the finished product from being soggy and give you that bite you crave. It also makes it easier for the bacon to cling to the pickles.

Lay out a strip of bacon and wrap it around a pickle spear for a quick measurement check. It should take half a strip of bacon per spear, but the sizes of both the bacon and pickles will vary. Proceed to cut your bacon and half and wrap each spear.

You can use a toothpick to secure the bacon if desired, but placing the bacon-wrapped pickles seam-side down helps to hold them together.

Proceed with the remaining pickles placing them on a wire rack. This rack will go on the smoker, making it easy to transfer the food in and out.

Step 2: Season the Bacon-Wrapped Pickles

Channel your inner Salt Bae. Sprinkle all sides of the wrapped pickles with the Nashville Hot Seasoning. You can do this step several hours in advance, allowing them to dry out on the wire rack fitted into a baking sheet.

Not only does this make them great for prepping ahead, but it also encourages the bacon to hold its new shape.

If by chance you want something less spicy, try the Signature Sweet & Smoky Rub.

Step 3: Time to Smoke

Preheat your smoker to 300°F degrees. Pick mild-flavored wood such as pecan, cherry, maple wood, or your favorite blend so the smoke doesn’t overpower the bright flavor of the pickles.

Transfer the rack with the spicy bacon-wrapped pickles into the smoker and close it up. Kick back and leave the smoked pickles alone for 45 minutes.

Cook Until Bacon is Crispy

After 45 minutes check on the bacon. It should be on its way to being crispy. You will notice that it is darker in color. Keep checking it every 15 minutes at this point until the bacon is done to your liking.

Depending on your smoker and the thickness of your bacon it should take between an hour to an hour and a half for them to be done.

Cool off before you bite! This is the most difficult part of the entire process. These pickles are going to be hot when they come off the smoker, but they will be beckoning you to take that big bite.

While we encourage you to let the Nashville hot bacon-wrapped pickles cool off a little so you don’t singe off a few taste buds, we know how tempting they are. Just remember the warning.

Frequently Asked Questions

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