Easy Smoked Bacon-Wrapped Shrimp
An EASY Smoked Bacon Wrapped Shrimp recipe just in time for summer! This crowd-pleasing appetizer showcases juicy seasoned jumbo shrimp wrapped in bacon strips and smoked to perfection. Smoked bacon-wrapped shrimp on a Traeger or Recteq is simple and delicious! Grilling instructions included.
Bacon-wrapped shrimp is a welcomed appetizer at basically any gathering, and for a good reason! It’s as simple as succulent shrimp tucked inside savory bacon, but the combination of flavors and textures is incredible. With this simple recipe, you’ll make bacon-wrapped shrimp in a smoker that are seriously irresistible.
The secret to my take on bacon-wrapped shrimp? Spice and smoke! Adobo seasoning adds Southwest heat, and smoking infuses smoky, charred flavored excellence into bacon and shrimp. No lie, I could eat these smoked bacon-wrapped shrimp every day. Let’s fire up the smoker and get cooking!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- It’s quick, easy, and perfect if you’re new to smoking foods.
- Crispy smoked bacon and juicy shrimp!
- What’s not to love about surf and turf? Perfect for an appetizer or main dish.
- It’s gluten-free (when made with GF seasonings).
- It’s VERY keto-friendly! It’s an almost zero-carb recipe.
- Very easy to customize for your tastebuds!
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Jumbo Raw Shrimp: There are roughly 20 to 25 shrimp in a pound of jumbos. You can use a different size, but I don’t recommend going smaller as they tend to overcook easily and may slip through the grates. Feel free to use extra-large jumbos and even colossal -just smoke the bacon-wrapped shrimp a few minutes longer on each side.
- Adobo Spice Blend: Adobo blends vary, but they usually have onion powder, garlic powder, oregano, citrus, and something spicy. It gives the shrimp a little kick without overpowering the shrimp’s naturally sweet, succulent taste. See below for Adobo alternatives.
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil: EVOO is perfect for smoking shrimp. When heated past its smoked point, it remains relatively stable, and the shrimp stay soft and tender.
- Bacon – Try not to use the straggly fatty pieces in your package of bacon if there are any. Normal-sliced, meaty strips with light marbleization work best.
- Toothpicks – You’ll also need wooden toothpicks soaked in water for at least 30 minutes before using them.
How To Smoke Bacon-Wrapped Shrimp
Step 1: Preheat the smoker. First, preheat your smoker to 350F.
Step 2: Parcook bacon. While the smoker preheats, cook the bacon slices using your preferred method. Cook until the fat begins to melt, but the strips are still flexible enough to wrap around the shrimp. Set the bacon aside while you prep the shrimp (while the smoker preheats is also a good time to peel and devein your shrimp, if you haven’t already).
Step 3: Season shrimp and wrap with bacon. Toss peeled and deveined shrimp with oil and seasoning blend. Coat well. Then, wrap the bacon slices around each shrimp and secure the seam with a toothpick. Set the shrimp aside while you work through the entire batch.
Step 4: Smoke bacon-wrapped shrimp. Lastly, place the shrimp seam side down on the hot smoker and cook until the bacon is crisp and the shrimp is pink and opaque, flipping halfway through (8 to 10 minutes per side). Remove promptly from the smoker and enjoy with your favorite dippers!
How To Grill Bacon-Wrapped Shrimp
Step 1: Preheat the grill. First, preheat your grill or grill pan on high heat. The grates need to be HOT, so let them preheat for at least 10 minutes.
Step 2: Parcook bacon. While the grill preheats, cook the bacon slices using your preferred method until the fat begins to melt, but the strips are still flexible enough to wrap around the shrimp. Set the bacon aside while you season the shrimp.
Step 3: Season shrimp and wrap with bacon. Toss peeled and deveined raw shrimp with olive oil and Adobo seasoning mix. Coat well. Then, wrap the bacon slices around each shrimp and secure the seam with a toothpick. Set the shrimp aside while you work through the entire batch.
Step 4: Grill bacon-wrapped shrimp. Last but not least, place the shrimp seam side down on the hot grill and cook until the bacon is crisp and the shrimp is pink and opaque (2 to 3 minutes per side). Remove promptly from the grill and serve.
Recipe Tips
- Precooking bacon – Lay the bacon strips out on a parchment-paper-lined baking sheet and bake in a 375F oven until the slices are about half-cooked and still very floppy.
- Use regular sliced bacon – Thick sliced bacon isn’t as pliable and will need more time to cook.
- Big shrimp are best – Save small shrimp for stir-frys. For smoking and grilling, use jumbo shrimp that are at least 3″.
- Adobe spice recommendation – I use Adobe Ole’ Spice Blend from Dangold’s Gourmet Collection for smoked bacon-wrapped shrimp, among other things. It’s a mixture of salt, paprika, pepper, onion, oregano, cumin, garlic, and chili powder.
- Marinate shrimp – If you aren’t in a rush, coat the shrimp in oil and seasonings, cover, and let marinate in the fridge for at least 30 minutes to an hour.
Variations & Serving
Spices & seasonings – Adobo seasoning is ideal, but feel free to switch up the blend. All-purpose seasoning, Cajun spice, chili seasoning, blackened seasoning, and seasoned salt are tasty alternatives.
BBQ bacon-wrapped shrimp – Baste the shrimp in bbq sauce before wrapping it with bacon and cooking it in the smoker or grill.
Serving bacon-wrapped smoked shrimp – You can serve these alone for a high-protein snack or with dipping sauces. See below for dipper ideas:
Storing & Freezing
Storing: Smoked shrimp are best enjoyed straight from the smoker. Store any extra in a sealed container in the fridge and enjoy within a day or two.
Freezing: not recommended.
Recipe FAQ
It depends on the shrimp size and the smoker’s temperature. At 350 degrees, jumbo to extra-jumbo shrimp will take about 20 minutes, flipping halfway through.
Up to you! As a finger food, I don’t mind the tails, but feel free to serve them either way.
Once defrosted, yes -you can use frozen shrimp. To thaw frozen shrimp quickly, place them in a bowl under cool running water until thawed.
Shrimp Appetizers You’ll Love
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Smoked Bacon-Wrapped Shrimp
Ingredients
- 1 lb jumbo raw shrimp peeled and deveined (about 16-20 prawns)
- 2 tbsp Adobo spice blend
- 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 lb uncured bacon slices cut in half
- wooden toothpicks soak in water for about 30 minutes prior to using
Instructions
- Preheat the smoker to 350 degrees.
- While the grill preheats, cook the bacon slices using your preferred method until the fat begins to melt, but the strips are still flexible enough to wrap around the shrimp. Set the bacon aside while you season the shrimp.
- Toss peeled and deveined shrimp with oil and seasoning blend. Coat well. Then, wrap the bacon slices around each shrimp and secure the seam with a toothpick. Set the shrimp aside while you work through the entire batch.
- Lastly, place the shrimp seam side down on the hot smoker and cook until the bacon is crisp and the shrimp is pink and opaque, flipping halfway through (8 to 10 minutes per side). Remove promptly from the smoker and enjoy with your favorite dippers!
Notes
- Precooking bacon – Lay the bacon strips out on a parchment-paper-lined baking sheet and bake in a 375F oven until the slices are about half-cooked and still very floppy.
- Use regular sliced bacon – Thick sliced bacon isn’t as pliable and will need more time to cook.
- Big shrimp are best – Save small shrimp for stir-frys. For smoking and grilling, use jumbo shrimp that are at least 3″.
- Adobe spice recommendation – I use Adobe Ole’ Spice Blend from Dangold’s Gourmet Collection for smoked bacon-wrapped shrimp, among other things. It’s a mixture of salt, paprika, pepper, onion, oregano, cumin, garlic, and chili powder.
- Marinate shrimp – If you aren’t in a rush, coat the shrimp in oil and seasonings, cover, and let marinate in the fridge for at least 30 minutes to an hour.
Nutrition
*This post has been updated with recipe enhancements from the original post published June 20, 2013.
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This is my kind of dish-yum!
Love this, Amee! Sharing over my way: )
Yummy. Delicious looks dish. I like to follow above recipe in this weekend.
oh how yummy tasty creation for the grill.
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Thank you so much ladies!! Glad you love the recipe!
can this be done in the oven as well?
Yes, it can Dawn. I would broil them and watch closely so they don’t burn. The shrimp won’t take long to cook and you want the bacon to get a little crispy.