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Bacon Wrapped Stuffed Sausage Fatty

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In this recipe, I show you how to make one of my most favorite smoked delicacies.. the bacon wrapped stuffed sausage fatty also called a Bacon Explosion.

Around here we just call it a fatty and everyone knows what we are talking about.

If you have never tried eating one of these or making one then you are in for a real treat.. it is unbearably delicious and it's not nearly as difficult as it looks. The first time may not go so fast but once you see the process, the lights will come on and the next one will go much faster and easier.

Helpful Information
  • Prep Time: 30 minutes
  • Cook Time: 2.5 to 3 hours
  • Smoker Temp: 225-240°F
  • Meat Finish Temp: 160°F
  • Recommended Wood: Mesquite, Pecan or Hickory (something robust)
What You'll Need
  • 3 lbs quality, thick sliced bacon
  • 2 lbs ground breakfast sausage (mild or spicy)
  • 8 oz Pepper Jack cheese slices
  • 2 jalapeno peppers
  • Jeff's original rub
  • Jeff's barbecue sauce
  • 2 gallon-sized ziplock bags
  • 2 pieces of wax paper (I use parchment paper)
Step 1: Preparation

I like to do all of my preparation before even starting to put the fatties together. Remove the seeds from the peppers and then dice them up or slice them however you like, make the rub and the sauce, etc.

If you are using onions or other veggies, you can go ahead and slice and dice those as you see fit and set them aside.

The bacon weave will require thirteen pieces of bacon per weave and if you are making two weaves, you will need twenty-six pieces total. Count out and set aside the bacon you will need for the weaves and fry the rest up real nice and crispy. Place it on a paper towel to absorb some of the grease and set aside.

Step 2: Weave the Bacon

This may look difficult but once you do it one time, you will see how easy it really is.

Lay out 7 pieces of bacon horizontally on the wax paper butting them up to each other with no overlapping.

7 Pieces Laid Out Horizontally

Now remove the 2nd, 4th, and 6th piece and lay them aside.

2,4 and 6 Removed

Lay a piece of bacon vertically all the way to the left and on top of the horizontal pieces.

First Vertical Piece of Bacon

Replace pieces 2,4 and 6 that you removed earlier to the exact location that you removed them from.

2,4 and 6 Replaced

Fold horizontal pieces 1, 3, 5, and 7 back to the left over the top of the first vertical piece.

1,3,5 and 7 Folded Back

Lay down the 2nd vertical piece just to the right of the 1st vertical piece and lay horizontal pieces 1, 3, 5, and 7 back down into their original location.

Second Vertical Piece Making a Bacon Wrapped Fatty 011

Making a Bacon Wrapped Fatty 012 Making a Bacon Wrapped Fatty 013

Making a Bacon Wrapped Fatty 014 Making a Bacon Wrapped Fatty 015

Making a Bacon Wrapped Fatty 016 Making a Bacon Wrapped Fatty 017

Making a Bacon Wrapped Fatty 018 Making a Bacon Wrapped Fatty 019

You get the idea.. continue this alternating pattern until you have 6-7 vertical pieces of bacon woven into the 7 horizontal pieces.

This completes the weave that will be wrapped around the roll of stuffed sausage.

Sprinkle a healthy portion of my original rub onto the bacon weave(s) and set aside.

Bacon Weave with Rub Applied

Step 3: Flatten the Sausage

Place the one pound sausage roll into a gallon sized ziploc bag and seal it up.

Sausage into Ziploc Bag

Then use your hand or a rolling pin to flatten it out to an even square. To avoid air pockets you can snip off a corner or two of the bag to allow some air to escape.

You can also just flatten the sausage out into a square that is approximately the same size as your bacon weave or slightly smaller without using a bag.

Roll out Sausage with Rolling Pin

If you used the bag to make the square of sausage, use a very sharp knife to cut the top of the plastic away from the sausage.. down one side, across the bottom and up the other side to where the zipper is located.

Cutting Bag to Remove Sausage

You should then be able to lift the sausage square up and flip it over carefully onto the wax paper allowing you to then remove the remaining bottom of the plastic bag from the sausage.

Step 4: Stuffing

What you put on the sausage is a matter of preference.. I made one the traditional way with a layer of my barbecue sauce , 5-6 slices of pepper jack cheese, 10 pieces of bacon fried crispy and torn into small one inch pieces.

Sauce on Sausage Square Pepper Jack Cheese on Sausage Square

Bacon on Sausage Square

The second one was simply 5-6 pieces of pepper jack cheese, spinach greens, chopped red onion, and one seeded, chopped jalapeno.

Note: place all of the stuffing in the bottom two thirds of the sausage square for best results.

Cheese, Onions, Jalapenos and Spinach on Sausage Square

Step 5: Rolling Up the Sausage

Lift up the wax paper and roll the sausage as tightly as possible making sure that the ingredients are rolled up into the sausage. An assistant is very helpful with this process.

Be sure to remove the wax paper as you go so it does not get rolled into the sausage as well.

When it is completely rolled up, very carefully lift up the roll of sausage and place it on top of the bacon weave at the bottom end.

Fatty all Rolled Up Fatty Laid on Bacon Weave

Step 6: Wrapping the Bacon Weave Around Sausage

As with the sausage, lift the bottom of the wax paper up to help start the bacon weave around the sausage.

Continue to roll the bacon weave until it is completely around the sausage roll. Be sure to keep the wax paper pulled back so it does not get rolled up with the bacon weave.

Brush on another coating of the barbecue sauce and you are ready to place on the smoker.

Sausage Roll Wrapped in Bacon

Step 7: Get the Smoker Ready

Prepare your wood, charcoal, electric or gas smoker for about 225-240°F. I used mesquite for this experiment since I wanted a really nice robust smoke flavor.

Feel free to use your favorite type of wood. I would imagine that pecan, oak, apple, cherry, etc. would all be wonderful woods to use.

Step 8: Smoke Time

Place the fatties on the grate. The bacon wrapped stuffed sausage rolls will take about 2-3 hours to reach 165°F in the center. I recommend that you keep the smoke flowing for at least 2 hours. Use a digital probe meat thermometer and remove them from the smoker when they reach 165°F.

Sausage Fatty's on Smoker

I have read that it takes about one hour per inch of thickness. I am not sure how well that holds true but one of mine got done about 30 minutes before the other one. The one that got done early was thicker than the one that took the longest so.. go figure.

Let the temperature tell you when it is done no matter how long it takes.

I recommend a digital probe meat thermometer such as the Smoke by Thermoworks to monitor the temperature of the fatty while it cooks.

Bacon Wrapped Sausage Fatty Stuffed with Cheese and Bacon Bacon Wrapped Sausage Fatty Stuffed with Cheese, Spinach, Onions and Jalapeno

Option: Crisping up the Bacon

When you first remove the fatty from the smoker, the bacon on the outside will not be crispy. If you prefer crispy bacon then pop it into a 500°F broiler for a couple of minutes but keep a very close eye on it– it will burn if you're not careful.

I have also wondered if you could place the whole fatty on a griddle once it is done smoking and do a fry on the outside of the bacon weave after it is finished. I have not tried this but I have a feeling it would work.

If you do the griddle trick, you would probably want to put toothpicks thought the fatty to make sure the bacon does not come unwrapped. You would also have to turn it a few times to get all sides crisp.

If you happen to try this, let me know how it goes.

Step 9: Slice and Serve

There are no rules as to how to eat these. Let them rest for about 10 minutes then slice them into 1/2 inch pieces to be eaten as is, on a large biscuit or make a sandwich out of it. Either way, they are simply delicious and you will do these time and time again, I promise!!

Want a Healthier Fatty?

Purchase two pounds of turkey sausage and two pounds of turkey bacon. I know.. I know!! It won't be as good as a real pork and real bacon but if you are on a reduced calorie or reduced fat diet then maybe this would be an “ok” alternative.

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Bacon Wrapped Stuffed Sausage Fatty - Bacon Explosion

This bacon wrapped stuffed sausage fatty tutorial is just what you need to wow your family. Also called a bacon explosion in some circles.
Prep Time30 minutes
Cook Time3 hours
Total Time3 hours 30 minutes

Ingredients

  • 3 lbs quality (thick sliced bacon)
  • 2 lbs ground breakfast sausage (mild or spicy)
  • 8 oz Pepper Jack cheese slices
  • 2 jalapeno peppers
  • Jeff's original rub
  • Jeff's barbecue sauce
  • 2 gallon-sized ziplock bags
  • 2 pieces of wax paper (I use parchment paper)

Instructions

  • Start by prepping your vegetables and doing any slicing, cleaning, chopping ,etc..
  • Make a bacon weave on a piece of wax or parchment paper that is  7 slices by 6 slices. Weave them so they interlock and it forms a blanket of bacon.
  • Sprinkle some rub on the top of the bacon weave and set aside.
  • Place 1 lb of bacon into a gallon-size zip top bag and press it out flat. Snip off a small piece of the corner of the bag to avoid air bubbles.
  • Use a sharp knife or scissors to cut and remove the top side of the zip top bag.
  • Flip the flattened sausage over onto a piece of wax or parchment paper.. you can also just leave it on the plastic if you prefer.
  • Add the stuffing by layering on spinach, cheese, onions, peppers, egg slices, etc.
  • Use the plastic or was paper under the flattened sausage to help you roll it up. Do not roll up the plastic, continually pull it away as the sausage rolls.
  • Move the stuffed, rolled up sausage onto the edge of the longest side of the bacon weave.
  • Use the wax or parchment paper to help you roll the weave over the sausage roll making sure to continually pull the paper away as the weave is rolled up.
  • Set up your smoker for cooking at 225-240°F with indirect heat. I prefer to leave the water pan dry for these to encourage the bacon to crisp up better.
  • Smoke cook for 2.5 to 3 hours or until the internal temperature reaches 160°F.
  • Let them rest for about 10 minutes then slice about ½ to ¾ inch thick using a sharp knife.
  • Great on sliders or as a side for fried eggs at breakfast!

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18 Comments

  1. Question for you about rolling the sausage and mixture up. Do I start with the end we didn’t put toppings on or do you start with the end that does have toppings?

  2. I enjoy your website very much and have a question for you. Instead of finishing a brisket by wrapping it in butcher paper, would result would you expect if you took your brisket off the smoker after the 4-6 hour period and put in a slow cooker to make it tender. You would do this instead of wrapping it in either foil or butcher paper. What do you think about this?
    John Sorrell

    1. John,

      Butcher paper lets the brisket breathe a little while also allowing the steam to do some braising on the meat. Placing it in a crock pot or slow cooker would be more like wrapping it in foil where it breathes less and braises more. Not a bad way to do it at all as long a you aren’t expecting a crust on the outside.

  3. I made my version of this fatty with a bacon weave, but the internals were breakfast sausage, cream cheese, and a can of hatch green chiles.

  4. Tried it a few weeks ago on my Traeger, followed instructions but with the bacon weave I found it difficult to slice, tried cooling it and it still fell apart. It didn’t look like much but it Tasted great. Hints???

    1. I used a bread knife to cut the “fatty”, thinking the bacon would be tough to carve and keep the fillings intact. worked well using a spatula on the outside of the slice to hold everything when it fell off.

      Hope that helps
      Mark

    1. Any of the recipes on this website can be cooked in the oven as long as you follow the times, temperature recommendations and techniques.

      With an oven, you won’t have the wonderful smoked flavor but you can practice the “low and slow” until you get a smoker.

      Watch craigslist, yard sales or you can get inexpensive smokers at Walmart, Lowes, Home Depot, etc. that will work fine for less than $100.

  5. Hii.
    My husband lovees bacon n I saw this recipe n the fatty looking so yums n I’d like to try it but unfortunately I do not have a smoker nor a grill. How do I do this with my oven or stove top?
    His bday is coming n would love to surprise him with this.

  6. I have a square shaped teflon frying pan about the size of a 1 gallon zip loc baggie. I’m thinking about scrambling some eggs in a bowl and frying an “egg sheet” to cover the sausage before adding some onions, green pepper, mushrooms, and cheese before wrapping the fatty. Do you think this would work?? Sounds sooooo good!

  7. I have a Pitts & Spits smoker. Grate is 24 X 36 with a water pan under it. I have yet to hear about using one from any body.
    Mine is 12 yrs. old & doing great. It has moved to 3 houses, now in St Augustine, FL.
    It has a grill on 1 side.
    I also have it hooked up to a 100 gal propane tank.
    It has done briskets, chicken & much more.
    Bill

  8. Jeff,
    I have an electric pellet smoker that I really like. Please include info. for me too.
    I know they are mentioned, and are a bit easier to use!
    Thanks,
    LT

  9. Happy New Year! These Fatties were a RIDICULOUS hit at my house!! Listen, I'm a "foodie", my whole family is my ginea pig oyster, and we loved these fatties! I scour the net for new, interesting receipes, to which I then change, and make my own. Rarely do I actually follow instructions; therefore, I rarely leave comments because I can't stand when people criticize someone's personalized receipe and leave a negative remark – DUH! But, alas, I don't have a smoker… :( It's on my Anniversary short-list for gifts, from the husband. However, I do have a kick-butt grill which I use to make most of our families meals on indirect heat – so this can be done without a smoker! Yet, my husband tried this at work (someone had made a large batch to share), and he said it had a killer flavor, and that guy had a smoker… We do what we can… So I followed the receipe to a 'T', except for the smoker, and the bbq sauce and rub, which I didn't buy – but I'm a skeptic cause I make my own sauces and rubs and wanted to try this creation with my own ingredients, which I know the fam loves. Next, I will purchase the receipe for the rub and sauce because I can see ya'll know what you're doin! So, aside from the absolute melt-in-your-mouth delectability, which is this oh-so-moist and perfectly done meat, I had a short note to add. This receipe is for 2 Full Size Fatties … my family of 6 was rubbin their bellies after the first! One was enough for us! And if you want all the Fattie and nothing else – skip the baked potato (our favorite side), cause it soaks up too much room which is better left for the Fattie Goodness!

    Thanks for this KILLER receipe! 

    Cheers!

  10. Hey Jeff did the fatties this weekend and they turned out amazing. I was going to crisp up the bacon using the oven but the wife forgot to turn the oven on for your shredded potato recipe so I ended up using my grill to crisp the fatties at it work great. 

  11. Making "my version" of a fattie this weekend for a big family swimming party.  My version is like yours but I use regular ground beef and when we slice it we put it on buns and eat it like a burger.  I got RAVE reviews last time I did it!  Your rub and barbeque sauce made the difference!  Thanks for all you do!