With smoked sausage wrapped in bacon and a creamy cheese filling, these Baked Pig Shots make an excellent appetizer that cooks quickly in the oven, smoker, or air fryer.
You might also like these Cream Cheese Stuffed Peppers or this Bacon Jalapeno Cheese Ball.
These flavor bombs will be a hit at your next get-together. I mean, what’s not to enjoy about bacon wrapped around smoked sausage and loaded with cream cheese? The entire thing is just one bite, making it ideal finger food for a party.
If you’ve never heard of pig shots before, you’re in for a treat. They’re similar to jalapeno poppers – aka everyone’s favorite finger food – but without the jalapeno. Instead, we mix green chilis into the cream cheese and stuff it inside. Yum!
While these do take a bit longer to prepare than your typical appetizers, they are well worth the wait and will impress your guests for sure. We usually bake them or make them in the air fryer, but you can also smoke them or put them on the grill alongside your barbecue favorites.
Ingredients You Need
- Cream Cheese – Don’t bother with a low fat version. It’s not good. And make sure you take this out of the refrigerator at least 30 minutes before working with it, so it can soften.
- Green Chilies – I use canned green chilis most of the year, unless Hatch chilis are in season. I can’t resist them.
- Cheddar Cheese – Shredded or block cheese can be used. Tillamook is my favorite. If you want to add a bit more heat, try Monterrey Jack cheese.
- BBQ Dry Rub – This is my favorite homemade dry rub. I use it on everything. You can buy or make your own dry dry rub.
- Bacon – Use your favorite brand of bacon. I tend to use a thin, long strip, rather than a thick cut.
- Sausage – I use Hillshire Farms Smoked Sausage.
How to Make Baked Pig Shots
Preheat the oven to 350° F. Prepare a baking sheet with a piece of parchment paper or a silicon mat and top with a baking rack. I don’t like to bake these directly on the baking sheet because they can make a bit of a mess when the cream cheese decides to ooze out. The baking rack will keep the pig shots out of the grease that will accumulate as they cook.
Combine the softened cream cheese, green chilis, cheddar cheese, and half the dry rub in a bowl. Stir to combine. Fill a gallon size Ziplock bag with the corner cut off or a piping bag with the cream cheese mixture.
Cut the smoked sausage into 1/2 inch pieces. If you cut them any smaller it won’t hold the bacon up well. Cut the package of thick cut bacon in half and separate the pieces.
Wrap a piece of bacon around a slice of smoked sausage to form a cup. Secure the bacon with a toothpick. As the bacon warms up it will have a harder time holding it’s shape. You can put them in the refrigerator to chill half way through the process if you need to.
Fill the inside of the cup with the cream cheese mixture, about 1 teaspoon per shot.
Place the cups on the baking rack. Sprinkle with the remaining dry rub and top with jalapeno slices if desired. Bake for 45-55 minutes, until crispy.
Let rest for 5 minutes before serving. The filling is extremely hot.
Possible Additions
You can add more filling to your pig shots if want by doubling the cream cheese recipe or add more variety by using one of these mix-ins . Try one of these options:
- Sun-Dried Tomatoes
- Shredded Pulled Pork
- Pineapple Pieces
- Chopped garlic
- Jalapenos
Additional Helpful Tips
- You may need to cook these for a little longer to crisp up the bacon if you’ve used a thicker cut bacon. If the bacon isn’t cooking quickly enough, I broil it to make it extra crispy.
- When working with chilis, it’s a good idea to use some form of protective gloves. Getting any of the juices or oils in your eyes is painful.
- Prepare these baked pig shots ahead of time and bake them when you need them.
- Don’t overfill the shots with cream cheese. It has a tendency to ooze out the top when baking.
- If you want to use the air fryer, place the shots in the basket and air fry at 375° F for about 10 minutes. Check on them frequently so you don’t overcook them.
- You can throw these tasty bites on the smoker at 350° F for 55-65 minutes.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are Baked Pig Shots freezable?
We don’t recommend freezing them. Cream cheese takes on a different texture after it’s been frozen that isn’t very appetizing. You can make them up ahead of time and store them in the refrigerator until you are ready to bake them.
Which dipping sauces are recommended?
Lots of dips work perfectly for these, but some favorites are BBQ Sauce, Blue Cheese Dip, or Honey Mustard. You could even have a selection so your guests can choose, this also looks great for presentation purposes.
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Baked Pig Shots
With smoked sausage wrapped in bacon and a creamy cheese filling, these Baked Pig Shots make an excellent appetizer that cooks quickly in the oven, smoker, or air fryer.
Ingredients
- 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
- 1 can diced green chilies
- 4 ounces cheddar cheese, shredded
- 1 tablespoon BBQ dry rub
- 1 package thick cut bacon
- 1 package Hickory Farms smoked sausage, sliced into 1/2" pieces
- Jalapeno slices, optional
- Toothpicks
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350° F. Cover the baking sheet with tin foil or parchment paper and then add a baking rack on top.
- Combine the cream cheese, green chilis, cheddar cheese, and half the dry rub in a bowl. Stir to combine.
- Fill a gallon size Ziplock bag with the corner cut off or a piping bag with the cream cheese mixture.
- Cut each piece of bacon in half.
- Cut the smoked sausage into 1/2 inch pieces.
- Wrap a piece of bacon around a slice of smoked sausage to form a cup. Secure the bacon with a toothpick.
- Fill the inside of the cup with the cream cheese mixture, about 1 teaspoon per cup. Place the cups on the baking rack. Sprinkle with the remaining dry rub and top with jalapeno slices if desired.
- Bake for 45-55 minutes, until crispy.
- Let rest for 5 minutes before serving. The filling is extremely hot.
Notes
The pig shots may need more or less cooking time depending on the thickness of the bacon.
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Laura is the founder and editor of the travel blogs Savored Sips and Savored Journeys. She is dedicated to sharing the best information about drinks found around the world.