Smoked onion bombs deliver everything you want in a crowd-pleasing appetizer: bold flavors, impressive presentation, and simple preparation. These bacon-wrapped onions are stuffed with a savory meat and cheese mixture, then smoked until the onions are tender and the bacon is crispy.
Perfect for game day parties, backyard barbecues, tailgating, or any gathering where you want to serve something memorable, these onion bombs work well alongside other grilled favorites. The combination of sweet, smoky onion and savory filling creates a satisfying bite that keeps people coming back for more.
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Easy Traeger Onion Bomb Recipe
This smoked appetizer works great for weekend cookouts, holiday gatherings, football parties, camping trips, or any time you’re firing up the smoker. This Traeger recipe scales easily, whether you’re feeding a small group or a large crowd.
You can customize the filling with different ground meats, cheeses, or seasonings to match your preferences. The onions can be prepped hours ahead of time, making them convenient for entertaining. Once they hit the smoker, they need minimal attention while developing that perfect combination of tender onion and crispy bacon.
What You’ll Need
- Yellow Onions: Look for large, perfectly round ones. Flat or oblong onions are harder to form into bombs and the rings don’t sit evenly. I pick the biggest ones I can find and hold them up to check the shape.
- Medium Cheddar Cheese (cut into cubes): Cut your own cubes from a block. Pre-shredded has added starch that affects how it melts. You want a clean melt that oozes when you cut the bomb open.
- Pork Sausage Meat: I use pork sausage rather than plain ground pork. The seasoning in the sausage adds flavor to the filling without needing to add much else. If you use plain ground pork, increase the rub and add a pinch of fennel seed.
- Cloves Of Garlic (minced)
- Egg (lightly beaten)
- Milk
- Breadcrumbs
- Your Fav Rub
- BBQ Sauce
- Bacon
- Worcestershire Sauce
- Brown sugar
How To Make Traeger Smoked Onion Bombs
Step 1: Prepare The Onions For Stuffing
Slice both ends off each onion with a sharp knife and remove the paper skin. Slice each onion in half across the equator to create two thick rings. Push the inner layers out from the centre — the easiest way is to push from one cut end and the rings slide out cleanly.
Keep the two or three largest outer rings from each half — those are your shells. Mince the inner pieces finely and set aside for the filling. The minced onion going into the meat mix is what gives the filling its moisture and sweetness — don’t skip it.
Step 2: Make The Onion Bomb Stuffing
Remove the sausage from its casing and place in a large mixing bowl. Add the minced onion, beaten egg, milk, minced garlic, breadcrumbs, BBQ rub, BBQ sauce, brown sugar, and Worcestershire sauce. Mix until just combined — don’t overwork it or the filling will be dense. The mixture should hold together when you press a handful of it but not feel wet or sticky. If it’s too wet add a small handful of breadcrumbs
Tip: At this point in the recipe, you can get creative. Want to use a different kind of meat like leftover brisket or turkey? Go ahead!
What about adjusting the ingredient amounts with what you prefer? Like it hot? Get some cayenne pepper in there!
Step 3: Assemble The Onion Bombs
Scoop a portion of the meat mixture into the bottom ring of each onion shell. Press a cheese cube into the centre of the filling. Top with a second onion ring filled with more meat mixture and press the edges together firmly to seal — any gap will let the cheese escape during the cook.
Press the top and bottom halves together and work the meat out to the edges so there are no gaps. The bomb should look round and even. If it won’t hold its shape, the bacon wrap will hold everything together.
Note: Your stuffed onion bombs should be nice and round!
Step 4: Wrap The Stuffed Onion Bombs With Bacon
Before you start wrapping, set your Traeger to 250°F so it’s up to temperature by the time the bombs are ready. Wrap the first piece of bacon around the equator of each bomb — this is the most important wrap because it holds the two halves together. Pull it tight before securing with a toothpick.
Wrap a second piece from top to bottom and back up, covering the ends where the cheese could leak. Secure with another toothpick. Dust the outside with the remaining BBQ rub, pressing it gently into the bacon.
Step 5: Cook
Place the bombs directly on the Traeger grates with space between each one. Close the lid and smoke at 250°F. Around the 90-minute mark the bacon will have gone from pale to a deeper golden brown and started to tighten around the filling.
The onion shell will have softened and the whole Traeger will smell like hickory smoke, rendered bacon fat, and caramelizing onion — that’s when people start drifting over to ask what’s cooking.
Continue smoking until the internal temperature reaches 155°F, roughly 2.5–3 hours.
Step 6: Basting The Onion Bombs & Finish Smoking
At the 2.5-hour mark, open the Traeger and brush each bomb generously with BBQ sauce. Close the lid and continue smoking until the internal temperature reaches 175°F — approximately 30 more minutes.
The BBQ sauce will caramelize and go sticky in the final stage. When ready, the bacon will be deep mahogany with slightly crisp edges, and the sauce will be lacquered rather than wet. Rest for 5 minutes before serving — the cheese inside is very hot and needs a moment to set slightly so it doesn’t all pour out when you cut in.
What Temperature To Smoke Onion Bombs At
Smoke at 250°F throughout. The internal temperature needs to reach 175°F before serving — ground pork must reach this temperature to be safe, and at 175°F the onion will be fully soft and the filling cooked through. Always use a probe thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the filling, avoiding the cheese centre which will give a false reading.
How Long To Smoke Onion Bombs
Plan for around 3 to 3.5 hours total — approximately 2.5–3 hours to reach 155°F, then another 20–30 minutes after basting to reach 175°F. Actual time will vary depending on the size of your onions and how consistent your Traeger holds temperature.
How To Accurately Monitor The Internal Temp
Place the temperature probes into the thickest part of the largest onion bomb. This ensures that every other bomb will be cooked to perfection.
Note: A Traeger Electric Pellet Grill typically will come with 2 built-in temperature probes. Use them to your advantage!
What Wood Chips to Use for Onion Bombs
My default on these is hickory — the stronger smoke works well with the sweet onion and the fatty bacon. Cherry is worth trying if you want a milder result with a better color on the bacon. I’d avoid apple alone as it can get lost against the richness of the filling — if you want a fruit wood, blend it 50/50 with hickory.
How To Store Smoked Onion Bombs
Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Don’t freeze them — the onion shell releases water when thawed and the bacon goes soft and rubbery. To reheat, place in a 325°F oven for 12–15 minutes until warmed through. An air fryer at 350°F for 5–6 minutes also works well and gets the bacon back close to its original texture.
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What To Serve Onion Bombs With:
For a game day appetizer spread, Baked Buffalo Chicken Dip goes out at the same time — two hot, rich bites on the table at once always works. Smoked Cream Cheese is a lighter dip option alongside. Duck Jalapeño Poppers add heat to the spread.
If serving alongside a main, Cowboy Pork Chops and Smoked Pork Crown Roast both work well — the onion bomb format pairs naturally with pork-forward mains. Cheesy Smoked Potatoes round out the plate.
Or jump straight to a recipe:
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Smoked Onion Bombs Traeger
Equipment
- Traeger pellet grill
- Wood Pellets
- Meat probe
Ingredients
- 2 large yellow onions look for perfectly round ones
- 8 ounces medium cheddar cheese cut into 2-ounce cubes
- 1 pound pork sausage
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 whole egg lightly beaten
- ¼ cup milk
- ¼ cup breadcrumbs
- 2 Tablespoons Rub
- 4 Tablespoons BBQ Sauce
- 1 pound thinly sliced bacon
- 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tbsp Brown Sugar
Instructions
Step 1: Prepare The Onions For Stuffing
- Slice both ends of your onions off with a sharp knife and remove the paper skin.
- Slice the onions in half to create thick rings.
- Remove the inside of your onions and mince them with a fine dice, put aside.
- Place the large rings aside, ready to be stuffed, as they will be the exterior shell for our bombs.
Step 2: Make The Onion Bomb Stuffing
- Combine the sausage meat (after removing the casing) with the minced onion, beaten egg, milk, minced garlic, breadcrumbs, BBQ rub & BBQ sauce in a mixing bowl.
- Season with salt, ground pepper, brown sugar & the Worcestershire sauce.
- Mix until combined.
Step 3: Assemble The Onion Bombs
- Scoop a portion of the stuffing into the bottom round of the onion rings.
- Press gently into the center stuffing and add a cheese cube.
- Top with another onion ring stuffed sausage.
- Seal up the edges to make sure your cheese doesn't fall out.
Step 4: Wrap The Stuffed Onion Bombs With Bacon
- Wrap the seam of each onion bomb with a piece of bacon and secure with a toothpick.
- Wrap a second piece of bacon from the top to bottom and then back up. Make sure you are sealing any holes on the ends.
- Secure with another toothpick.
- Cover with the rest of the BBQ rub.
Step 5: Start Smoking The Onion Bombs On Your Traeger
- Load the hickory pellets, prime, and set the Traeger Pellet Smoker to a temperature of 250°F.
- Place directly on the smoker grates and cook until the internal temperature reaches 155°F (roughly 3 hours)
Step 6: Basting The Onion Bombs & Finish Smoking
- While smoking the onion bombs with the lid down, baste them with BBQ sauce.
- Continue smoking until the bombs reach a further internal temperature of 175°F
- Let them cool slightly before serving!
Smoke On!
Charlie
Author: Charlie Reeves
Hi, I’m Charlie, I have been meat-smoking and grilling for the past 15 years. I have an array of different smokers, thermometers, and have a love for finding the right wood and charcoal combo My favourite recipes are my EXTRA CRISPY smoked pork belly, juicy pulled pork, smoked brisket, duck poppers, and ANY SEAFOOD I grill).
I loves sharing his tips with beginners, helping them navigate the world of smoking. I find it’s not just about cooking; it’s a quest for that perfect smoky flavor.
You will usually find me playing with the kids, perfecting my brisket bark, or sipping beers with boys around the fire. Can’t wait to share all my delicious smoking and grilling recipes with you!
You can read more about me on our About Us page.
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