This Traeger Smoked Bacon-Wrapped Meatloaf is not your mommas meatloaf! It’s juicy, smoky and there’s no ketchup in sight! As with most things on the smoker – set aside a couple of hours to make this – but it will be worth it!
Side note: My mom made the WORST meatloaf – our stray cat wouldn’t even eat it! That said – I’ve had a hard time finding just the right recipe – but this is it! I love the slight crunch of green pepper and onion – I use breadcrumbs and oats as well as eggs to hold it all together – then top it all with bacon!
What’s in Smoked Bacon-Wrapped Meatloaf?
Well – you’ve got a decent amount of ingredients here – but they’re all likely in your kitchen already!
- Ground beef & pork sausage – such a great combo! You can use a lot of different proteins – Italian sausage, ground turkey or even venison – a combination of lean and fatty cuts work well together
- Diced onion & green bell pepper – makes me think of the old Eddie Murphy routine about how his mom made a house burger with green pepper that was better than McDonalds!?!
- Rolled Oats & bread crumbs – holds everything together
- Eggs & BBQ Sauce – keeps it all moist and works with the binder – no fall-apart meatloaf here!
- Worcestershire Sauce – always a favorite!
- Parsley, salt, garlic & pepper – seasoning 101
- Bacon
- Historic BBQ Red Seasoning – you can use any bbq rub you like – but this is my favorite!!!
- Williamson Bros BBQ Sauce – as with the seasoning – use your favorite – mine is this light sauce from Atlanta
Tell me about the seasoning & sauce in this delicious comfort food!
Okay – you can use any bbq seasoning or sauce you like – and I urge you to use your favorites. But I’m telling you – Historic BBQ and Williamson Bros – they are THE BEST! Let me give you just a bit of info about them:
- Historic BBQ – they’re a local championship bbq team and I’m obsessed! Their red seasoning is made for pork/poultry and is just perfection. I use it on everything pork & poultry! Sprinkle it on and it’s going to make everything perfect!
- Williamson Bros – this sauce is from a bbq restaurant in Georgia but you can get it online at Walmart! It’s a very light sauce – which I love. So many sauces are super thick – but this is very runny and packed with so many spices – it’s just a heavenly mix!
So if you’re in the market for a BBQ rub or sauce – try these out!
How do you make Traeger Smoked Bacon-Wrapped Meatloaf?
- Turn Traeger to smoke for five min or so – once the smoke dissipates, adjust temp to 225 (if it creeps higher that’s fine – mine goes between 225-250 at this setting).
- Place beef, sausage, diced onion and green pepper to a large bowl. Mix with your hands – get in there!
- Add bbq sauce, eggs, oats, breadcrumbs, Worcestershire and seasonings to the beef mixture.
- Dig in with your hands and mix together and set aside.
- Form meat into loaf shape and place in a pan a bit larger than the loaf – there will be a decent amount of grease coming out and you want it to have somewhere to go
- Lay bacon slices over top of meatloaf along and tuck under loaf – I trimmed the edges with scissors and saved them to make for breakfast
- Sprinkle top of bacon with Historic BBQ Red
- Place pan on grill racks for 2 hours at 225 or until the internal temperature is 135 degrees.
- Open your pellet grill – and using a large spatula – transfer your meatloaf (carefully!) to a grill pan with holes (preferably), a wire rack or directly onto the grill. This will get your meatloaf out of the grease!
- Baste the outside of the meatloaf with your favorite bbq sauce to make an amazing glaze.
- Continue cooking for 30-60 minutes more or until the internal temperature is 165 degrees.
- Remove from the smoker, cover with a piece of tin foil and let rest for 15 minutes and serve!
This Traeger Smoked Bacon-Wrapped Meatloaf is big – but one of the best parts of meatloaf are the leftovers! My family always made sandwiches – but I like to break up the meatloaf and serve it with pasta!
Tips, Tricks & FAQs
Have a meat thermometer on hand – then you’ll know when your meatloaf is done. I can give you the times that I used – but sometimes – food has it’s own plan – and you don’t want a dried out meatloaf because I said 2.5 hours but you only needed 2 hours!
2.5 hours or so
I typically always use 225 degrees for smoking food – low enough to get the smoke flavor but won’t take all day to cook.
You can use more oats or even torn up slices of bread soaked in milk.
You can use torn up slices of bread soaked in milk.
Sure! I would form the bottom of the loaf and layer thick slices of cheese and then add the rest of the meatloaf to the top. Be sure to seal all sides so no cheese is sticking out – keep it in the middle of the loaf.
There are many flavors of pellets that work in your Traeger pellet grill. I keep it simple and always use the Traeger Signature Blend which is a blend of Maple and Cherry. That said if you’re looking for something specific for ground beef – the best are Hickory, Mesquite or Pecan.
The meatloaf makes enough for 6-8 thick slices. That said – you might have leftovers! Store in an airtight container and refrigerate up to a week – or put in freezer for up to three months. Reheat in the microwave for 2-3 minutes or in air fryer for 6-8 minutes.
What if I don’t have a pellet smoker? How would I make this on a regular grill? Or what if I want MORE smoky flavor?
If you want more smoky flavor – you’ve got a couple of options! Both of these options work on a regular charcoal or gas grill – or will ADD MORE smoke to your smoker.
- Wood chips – Soak them in water for 30 minutes before starting the grill. One cup of wood chips will last for about 20 minutes. Keep adding chips to the grill throughout the process.
- If you use a charcoal grill, light the coals, when the coals are ready, place them on one side of the grill. Place some of the wood chips on top of the coals. Place your food on the side without the coals to cook it with indirect heat.
- Smoker Tubes – My friend Nick introduced me to the wonderment of a smoke tube! It’s a metal tube with holes – fill that tube with Traeger pellets and then light it with a butane lighter. Once the pellets catch fire – let them get started – then blow the flames out. Set them in the grill and shut the lid. The smoke flavor is all those tubes will leave behind!
What to serve with this smoked meatloaf recipe?
Other fantastic Traeger recipes
Traeger Smoked Bacon-Wrapped Meatloaf
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground beef
- 1 lb pork sausage or ground pork
- 1/2 onion diced
- 1/2 green pepper diced
- 1 cup rolled oats
- 1/2 cup breadcrumbs
- 2 eggs
- 1/4 cup Williamson Bros. BBQ sauce
- 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tsp dried parsley
- 2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 2/3 lb thick cut bacon
- 3-4 tbsp Historic BBQ Red seasoning
- 3-4 tbsp Williamson Bros. BBQ sauce
Instructions
- Turn Traeger to smoke for five min or so – once the smoke dissipates, adjust temp to 225 (if it creeps higher that's fine – mine goes between 225-250 at this setting).
- Place beef, sausage, diced onion and green pepper to a large bowl. Mix with your hands – get in there!1 lb ground beef, 1 lb pork sausage, 1/2 onion, 1/2 green pepper
- Add bbq sauce, eggs, oats, breadcrumbs, Worcestershire and seasonings to the bowl.1 cup rolled oats, 1/2 cup breadcrumbs, 2 eggs, 1/4 cup Williamson Bros. BBQ sauce, 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce, 1 tsp dried parsley, 2 tsp salt, 1 tsp garlic powder, 1/2 tsp black pepper
- Dig in with your hands and mix together and set aside.
- Form meat into loaf shape and place in a pan a bit larger than the loaf – there will be a decent amount of grease coming out and you want it to have somewhere to go
- Lay bacon slices over top of meatloaf along and tuck under loaf – I trimmed the edges with scissors and saved them to make for breakfast2/3 lb thick cut bacon
- Sprinkle top of bacon with Historic BBQ Red3-4 tbsp Historic BBQ Red seasoning
- Place pan on Traeger for 2 hours at 225 or until the internal temperature is 135 degrees.
- Open the Traeger – and using a large spatula – transfer your meatloaf (carefully!) to a grill pan with holes (preferably) – or directly onto the grill. This will get your meatloaf out of the grease!
- Baste the outside of the meatloaf with your favorite bbq sauce.3-4 tbsp Williamson Bros. BBQ sauce
- Continue cooking for 30-60 minutes more or until the internal temperature is 165 degrees.
- Remove from the smoker, cover with a piece of tin foil and let rest for 15 minutes and serve!
Jeff says
This sounds like a great idea. The bacon will add a really nice flavor.
Anjali says
Wow this recipe looks so comforting and satisfying!! Love the smoky flavors and that it’s so much more interesting than traditional meatloaf!
Keri Bevan says
This is the ultimate meatloaf! Thanks for another great recipe!
Jacqueline Meldrum says
I’ll have to have a good look for that sauce and seasoning. Thanks for the tips
Sandhya S says
Sounds so comforting! I will be back for your seasoning recipe and all the tips.