I genuinely love pork in every form it comes in, ground, chopped, roasted, and especially sausaged and baconed. Keto poppable pork shots give it to me twice over, sausage wrapped in bacon with a spicy cheese center hiding inside.
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This recipe only has a handful of ingredients, which means each one needs to actually be good. Thick-cut bacon, a lean smoked sausage, and sharp cheddar are the three that matter most here.
Use round toothpicks, not flat ones. The flat kind are too flimsy to hold these together through baking.
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Chef Jenn’s Take on Poppable Pork Shots
Regular sliced bacon is the wrong choice here. It tears and shrinks too much through a 30-minute bake, and it will not hold the sausage together the way thick-cut bacon does. Thick-cut is worth seeking out specifically.
Wrap the bacon around the sausage leaving a small pocket of space at the top, that is where the cheese filling goes once everything is assembled. Secure each one with a round toothpick, not a flat one, flat toothpicks are too flimsy and tend to slip loose during baking. A baking sheet with raised edges catches the rendered fat as it cooks off, making cleanup far easier.
Heat level and cheese base are both easy to adjust. Chipotle gives a smoky heat, but jalapeno, canned chilies, or cayenne all work as substitutes. The cream cheese base takes well to pepper jack, a Tex-Mex blend, or Italian blend in place of straight cheddar.
These are genuinely make-ahead friendly. Assemble them, refrigerate until ready, then bake right before serving, and remember to pull the toothpicks before anyone digs in.
What You’ll Love About Poppable Pork Shots
- Flexible with heat level and cheese, so it’s easy to make these your own.
- A double dose of pork, sausage and bacon, in one small, poppable bite.
- Make-ahead friendly, so party day is just sliding a tray into the oven.
Ingredients
- Smoked sausage – A lean variety keeps this from turning too greasy.
- Bacon – Thick-cut specifically. Regular sliced bacon tears and won’t hold together through baking.
- Cream cheese – Full fat, softened so it blends smoothly with the other cheese.
- Cheddar cheese – Sharp, shredded. Pepper jack, a Tex-Mex blend, or Italian blend all work as substitutes.
- Chipotle chili – Jalapeno, canned chilies, or cayenne all work in its place for a different kind of heat.
- Keto-friendly spice rub – Use your preferred one, checking the label for added sugar.
- Smoked paprika – For a finishing sprinkle at the end.
How to Make Poppable Pork Shots
Scroll down for the full recipe card with exact measurements and printable instructions.
Slice the sausage into 1/2-inch rounds. Cut the bacon into halves or thirds, depending on the thickness of your sausage. Wrap a piece of bacon around each sausage round, leaving a pocket of space at the top. Secure with a round toothpick.
Combine the softened cream cheese, shredded cheddar, chopped chipotle, and half the spice rub in a bowl until well blended.
Spoon a rounded teaspoon of the cheese mixture onto the top of each bacon-wrapped sausage. Dust with the remaining spice rub.
Place on a baking sheet with raised edges and bake until the bacon is golden brown and crisp around the edges, about 30 minutes.
Sprinkle with smoked paprika, remove the toothpicks, and serve.
Make It A Meal
Don’t skip a dip. Horsey Sauce is my usual pick for these. For a bigger appetizer spread, add Green Goddess Stuffed Mushrooms and Crab Rangoon Dip to the same table.
Storage
Store baked leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Reheat in a low oven until warmed through. To freeze, assemble unbaked, chill fully in the fridge, then wrap tightly in plastic and foil and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight before baking as directed.
Frequently Asked Questions
This recipe runs about 3 net carbs per 4-piece serving. The number in the recipe card below will recalculate once this post is republished, so use it as an estimate until then.
This isn’t recommended. Regular bacon tears and shrinks too much during the 30-minute bake and won’t hold the sausage together the way thick-cut bacon does.
Yes, assemble them completely, refrigerate, and bake right before serving. They also freeze well unbaked if you want to prep further in advance.
Any sugar-free, keto-friendly spice rub works here, adjusted to your own taste. Check the label for added sugar before buying.
Add Preferred SourcePoppable Pork Shots
Ingredients
- 1/2 pound smoked sausage
- 6 slices bacon thick cut
- 8 ounces cream cheese softened
- 1 cup cheddar cheese shredded
- 1 tablespoon chipotle chili
- 1 tablespoon keto-friendly spice rub no sugar
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
Instructions
- Slice the sausage in 1/2-inch rounds. Cut the sliced bacon into half or thirds (depending on the thickness of your sausage), and wrap a slice of bacon around the sausage so that there’s a pocket of space at the top of the sausage. Secure with a toothpick.
- Combine the softened cream cheese, shredded cheddar, finely chopped chipotle, and half of the keto-friendly spice rub in a bowl until well blended.
- Using a small spoon, place a rounded teaspoon (or so) of cheese mixture onto the top of each sausage. The cheese should be surrounded by bacon.
- Continue until all bacon-wrapped sausages are filled with cheese. Dust with a sprinkle of the remaining spice rub.
- Place the filled Pork Shots on a baking sheet with raised edges. Bake at 400-F for 30 minutes or until the bacon is golden-brown and crisp around the edges.
- Sprinkle with smoked paprika, and serve!
Video
Notes
Recipe Card Tips
- Use thick-cut bacon specifically. Regular sliced bacon tears and shrinks too much to hold together through the full bake time.
- Use round toothpicks, not flat ones. Flat toothpicks are too flimsy and tend to slip loose during baking.
- Leave a small pocket of space at the top of each wrapped sausage. That’s where the cheese filling sits.
Nutrition
A Note on Nutritional Information
Nutritional information for this recipe is provided as a courtesy and is calculated based on available online ingredient information. It is only an approximate value. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site cannot be guaranteed. Erythritol carbs (sugar substitutes) are not included in the carbohydrate counts as they have been shown not to impact blood sugar, and they have zero calories and zero carbs. Net carbs are the total carbs minus fiber.
Like This? Also Try:
- Green Goddess Stuffed Mushroom Caps
- Cajun Shrimp Dip
- Creamy Jalapeno Dip
- and these keto Pigs in a Blanket!
- And be sure to check out my cookbooks!
These are absolutely amazing! I used an icing gun to make the cream cheese nice and pretty!
Wow these look like the perfect little bite! I’ll be making these for my next dinner party!
I’m going to make these for our next game day because I know they will be a hit. I mean who doesn’t want a shot of sausage wrapped in bacon and topped with spicy cream cheese!
These look so good! Such a great idea and I love the cheese filling!
Oh yeah I will just have the tray thanks. Isn’t keto just the best way to live. Mmmmm baconnnnn
These poppable pork shots look like such a fun and unique appetizer! I’m sure they would be a hit at any holiday party this season!
What spices are used in the keto-friendly spice rub?