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They don’t get any tastier than this. When you think about how delicious fried pickles are, these are better. Yup – you read that right. They’re basically crackers wrapped in bacon, sandwiched around a slice of tangy dill pickle, then smoked so the crackers soak up the bacon fat. Plus, they are super easy to make and add a smoked flavor component that will knock your socks off.
The salty bacon, crispy crackers, and tangy pickle bites are so good together, you won’t believe you’ve never tried them like this before. Best of all, they taste just like they were fried, but they were cooked in the smoker. No oil, no mess, no frying. You’re welcome!
With as few ingredients as this recipe has it certainly doesn’t take much time to make. You can easily throw together together at the last minute and no one will even know. Serve with your favorite dipping sauce and watch them get gobbled up instantly!
If you would gladly wrap anything in bacon, do yourself a favor and try these Bacon Wrapped Oreos. They sound a little out there, but holy smokes, the flavor is out of this world! You can also merge the bacon-pickle love with these Smoked Bacon Wrapped Pickle Bites. They’re coated in a sweet, buttery glaze that I could eat with a spoon.
Why you’ve got to try this Pickle Bacon Crackers Recipe
- Super easy appetizer to make with just 3-4 ingredients
- Crowd-pleasing appetizer recipe for game day, movie night, or even holiday parties
- The combination of tangy, savory, and buttery flavors just works
- Went viral on social media for all the right reasons
- Has that fried pickle taste but without any added oil
- One of my favorite recipes for entertaining
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Ingredients
- Ritz Crackers – Can we admit that Ritz crackers are the best? They’re crispy and buttery, and who doesn’t love that? If needed, you can use any type of buttery crackers, like club crackers.
- Whole Dill Pickles – I always prefer to use whole pickles and slice them myself. Regular pickle chips are too narrow.
- Bacon slices – For the crispiest texture, I like to use regular-cut or thin-sliced bacon. You only need a half piece of bacon per bite, so a little goes a long way.
- BBQ Seasoning – There are lots of options for this, but I’m low-key obsessed with the Queen Bee dry rub. It’s sweet and smoky in all the best ways.
Pro Tip: Use an oven-safe wire rack to cook on. That will save you a huge amount of time and effort in putting them on, and taking them off the smoker. In addition, this will save you the imminent trouble of your bacon coming unwrapped when you’re moving them on and off the smoker.
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How to Make Bacon-Wrapped Crackers with Pickles
- Preheat smoker to 225F.
- Slice whole dill pickles into 1/2″ slices – you should get about 8 per pickle.
- Sandwich a pickle slice between 2 Ritz Crackers.
- Wrap in half of a slice of bacon.
- Once assembled move to wire rack and add BBQ seasoning to top. Be sure to place the seam side down to help keep the slices of bacon in place.
- Place in smoker and cook for 30 minutes.
- Raise temperature to 400F for 5-8 minutes until bacon is crisp to your liking.
- Remove and let cool for 5 minutes before serving.
There are some things that could cause some slight variances in how these little bites cook, like the thickness of the bacon or the temperature they are when you add them to the smoker. With that said, when your bacon is a nice crispy brownish-amber, you’re ready to pull off. If they begin to look like they are charring, you’ve probably gone too far.
Make sure to let the smoked fried pickles bites cool at room temperature for at least 5 minutes to prevent the always unpleasant mouth burn. It’ll be tough, but you can do it!
Storing Suggestions
Honestly, they taste best served right away or while still warm. The pickles can cause the crackers to soften. If you do have any leftover, store them in an airtight container in the fridge for 1-2 days and warm them up in the oven or air fryer at 350F.
Tips & Variations
- Watch closely. Once you bang up the temperature to 400F, it’s easy to accidentally to let the crackers burn. Keep an eye on ’em.
- Adjust the flavors. Every elements of this recipe can be adjusted here and there. Use a special flavor of bacon, your favorite type of cracker, or spicy pickles. There are lots of options.
- Spice it up. In addition to the dry rub, add a little cayenne pepper or red pepper flakes to the tops of the bacon strips for a spicy note. You can also use peppered bacon and your favorite spicy pickles.
- Add some dairy. You can add another burst of flavor by spreading a thin layer of cream cheese on the crackers before you sandwich them with the pickle slices. A little cheddar cheese or parmesan cheese would taste great, too. Just be careful not to burn.
- Candy the bacon. For an extra note of sweetness, sprinkle the slices of bacon with a little light brown sugar and a little cinnamon.
How to Serve
You don’t have to serve bacon cracker appetizers with anything else, but I love them with a little buffalo ranch. The flavors work together so well. It’s basically like a snack food paradise!
If you’re serving them with other party appetizers, try these Bacon Cheeseburger Jalapeño Poppers or this crazy good Bread Bowl French Onion Dip.
FAQs
Can you make bacon wrapped pickle crackers in the oven?
If you don’t want to heat up the smoker, you can definitely bake these crackers instead. You won’t get the same smoky flavor, but it’s close.
You’ll want to use a rimmed baking sheet and place a wire rack on top to help them crisp up on both sides at once. I usually like to smoke them at a low temperature to help render out the bacon fat, which really helps the flavor and prevents the bacon from becoming chewy instead of crispy.
Start them in a 250-degree oven for about 15-20 minutes, before bumping up the heat. Be sure to bake at 400F for 5-10 minutes or until the strip of bacon is nice and crispy.
Can you use turkey bacon instead?
Yes, you can, but the flavor and texture is slightly different. Turkey bacon doesn’t have nearly as much fat, so they don’t taste quite as good.
Do you have to add the pickles?
I will try not to take offense at this question but technically, no, you don’t have to add the pickles. Instead, you can wrap just the individual crackers in bacon, similar to the way I prepare my bacon-wrapped Oreos.
More Pickle-Packed Recipes
- Fried Pickle Mozzarella Sticks
- Dill Pickle Deviled Eggs Recipe
- Bacon Cheeseburger Pickle Shots
- Spicy Maple Bourbon Pickles
- Stuffed Bacon Wrapped Pickles Recipe
Grab the seasoning used for this recipe
Smoked Bacon-Wrapped Cracker Bites with Pickles
Ingredients
- 2 Whole Dill Pickles
- 32 Ritz Crackers
- 1 LB Bacon not thick
- 1/4 C Ranch
- 1/4 C Buffalo Sauce Franks or similar
Instructions
- Preheat smoker to 225F
- Slice whole dill pickles into 1/4" slices
- Sandwich pickle slice in between 2 Ritz Crackers
- Lay on wire rack and season generously with your favorite BBQ Rub
- Place in preheated smoker for 30 minutes
- Increase temperature to 400F for 5-8 minutes until bacon is crisp to your liking
- Remove from smoker and rest for 10 minutes
- Mix ranch and buffalo sauce together to dip
13 Comments
Amazing!!
Thank you!
Thank you – these are a favorite of mine as well!
Can you make these in oven, don’t have a smoker
Thanks for the question – you can do that, they’ll just be without the smoke flavor – but still delicious.
What is the recipe for the dipping sauce in the video?
Thanks for the note – it’s 50/50 ranch : buffalo sauce
– Danny
How well do these keep for serving later in the day/next day?
They do really well – I’d recommend reheating in an air fryer if possible, but oven will work. Last resort would be microwave as that’s how they’d get soggy.
This is exactly what I was looking for!
Glad you found it! ~ Danny
Sounds delicious
They sure are!