Who has time for basic onion rings when you can have Bacon Wrapped Smoked Onion Rings? This over-the-top twist on an American classic can be served as an appetizer, party snack or as a decadent side dish! We suggest you max out the flavor with a light dusting of Cimarron Docs Sweet Rib Rub and a trio of Duce’s Wild sauces.

Follow this recipe closely, it rewards cooks who carefully mind the meat and the heat — just like frying bacon in a pan. With the pro tips from Smoke Freaks, the BBQ Pro Shop Factory Team, you’ll up your chances of nailing perfect results the first time.

Prep time: 20 minutes

Cook time: 45-60 minutes

Ingredients

• 2 large sweet onions
• 1 pound bacon (standard thickness)
• Cimarron Docs Sweet Rib Rub
• Duce’s Wild Alabama White Gold Sauce
• Duce’s Wild DQ Glaze
• Duce’s Wild Original Mustard Sauce

Instructions

1. Preheat smoker or indirect grill setup to 300 degrees F.
2. Cut onions into 1/2″ thick slices, separate, and select 15 rings about 3” diameter each.
3. Wrap 1 bacon slice around each onion ring, winding it as you move around the circumference.
4. Secure ends of bacon to onion ring with a toothpick. (See pictures below)
5. Repeat wrapping process with remaining onion rings and bacon slices, arranging them on a cooling rack or a pizza screen as you go.
6. Dust lightly with Cimarron Docs Sweet Rib Rub.
7. Place the whole rack in your cooker at 300 degrees F.
8. After 30 minutes, gradually increase cooking temperature until bacon starts to gently sizzle — typically around 325-350 degrees F.
9. Continue cooking for another 15 minutes, or until bacon is fully cooked and crisped to your liking.
10. Remove from cooker, pull toothpicks and serve immediately with a trio of Duce’s Wild sauces.
11. Freak ON!

Factory Team Cooking Tips:

• The goal is to achieve fully cooked bacon without overcooking the onions. Thick rings and thin bacon are your friends, but the real key is finding the exact temperature where the bacon just barely sizzles. Listen carefully at the exhaust to find this magic temperature in your particular cooker.
• Flare-ups and grease fog are NOT your friends for this recipe, so make sure your setup won’t result in bacon fat dripping into your fire. Go indirect if you’re cooking on a grill. If using a vertical smoker, try placing a pan below the cooking grate to catch drippings.
• Finally, you can wrap your rings in advance and keep them in the fridge until they’re ready to cook. In this case, remove them from the fridge about 15 minutes before cooking and apply your light coat of rub right before they go on.