Bacon Wrapped Smoked Meatloaf Recipe – Juicy & Delicious

I love meatloaf so I decided to break out the Weber and smoke one.  The Weber kettle is one of the most affordable and versatile bbq tools.  For $99 you can get an amazing grill and one of the best smokers around.  Since I decided to smoke this low and slow, I needed to come up with a way to keep the meatloaf moist and delicious.  To do this,  I wrapped it in bacon.  Not only does the bacon keep it moist, it adds another layer of flavor.  Bacon makes everything better!

Bacon Wrapped Smoked Meatloaf

Add the diced onion, green pepper and ground meat to a large bowl.

Add the bbq sauce, eggs, bread crumbs, salt and pepper to the bowl.

Mix the meatloaf with your hands and set aside.

On a piece of aluminum foil or parchment paper, start to make a bacon weave.  To make the weave, lay out eight strips vertically on a piece of foil or plastic wrap. Then fold over every other vertical piece of bacon in the middle, then place a strip horizontally across the vertical bacon. Then unfold the strips. Next fold back the alternate row of bacon that you previously left flat. Then place the next piece of bacon across the vertical strips directly adjacent to the first horizontal piece. Repeat two more times.  Once you finish the first half, repeat with the other half.

Drizzle some barbecue sauce on the bacon weave and then top with the meatloaf.

Then drizzle a little more sauce over the top of the meatloaf.  Finally, using the foil/parchment for help, fold the bacon around the meatloaf.  Make sure to keep the crease on the top of the meatloaf.  That way you can flip it onto the grill without any problems.

Preheat your grill or smoker to 275 degrees.  Make sure it is set up for offset cooking.

To set up the Weber for offset cooking, I utilized two firebricks lengthwise down the middle of the grill.  Then, I put about 5 lbs of unlit charcoal on one side.  Then, I lit 7 brickets and placed them on one end of the pile.  This is a slow Minion method that will produce just enough heat for about 4-5 hours.  I then placed a few wood chunks throughout the pile.  I wanted the offset side to read at about 275 degrees.

Once the smoker/grill is up to temperature, place the meatloaf on to the smoker.  To do this, just flip it over onto the grates.

Cook for 2.5 hours or until the internal temperature is 135 degrees.  Then, remove the lid and baste the outside of the meatloaf with your favorite bbq sauce.

Continue cooking for about 1 hour more or until the internal temperature is 163 degrees.  At this point, remove from the smoker, cover with a piece of tin foil and let rest for 15 minutes.

Slice and enjoy.  Dana and I loved the meatloaf.  It was smoky, moist and delicious.  I loved the bacon, but Dana thought it was a little overkill.  It is easily removeable after cooking, so if you do not like it, just remove it.  However, I would definitely recommend leaving it on for the cook.  It keeps the meatloaf moist and delicious.

Serve with your favorite sides.  I like goat cheese mashed potatoes and corn.

Rex

Bacon Wrapped Smoked Meatloaf

5 from 4 votes

Bacon Wrapped Smoked Meatloaf - Need I say more!

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 4 hours hrs

Total Time 4 hours hrs 15 minutes mins

Servings: 6

Course: Meatloaf

Cuisine: American

Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients

  

Meatloaf

• 2/3 lb ground beef
• 2/3 lb ground pork
• 2/3 lb ground veal
• 1 small onion diced
• 1 small green pepper diced
• 3/4 cup bread crumbs
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup barbecue sauce
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp ground black pepper

Topping

• 1/2 cup tomato based BBQ Sauce
• 1 lb bacon
• extra BBQ sauce for basting

Method

 

1. Bacon Wrapped Smoked Meatloaf
2. Add the diced onion, green pepper and ground meat to a large bowl.
3. Add the bbq sauce, eggs, bread crumbs, salt and pepper to the bowl.
4. Mix the meatloaf with your hands and set aside.
5. On a piece of aluminum foil or parchment paper start to make a bacon weave. To make the weave lay out eight strips vertically on a piece of foil or plastic wrap. Then fold over every other vertical piece of bacon in the middle then place a strip horizontally across the vertical bacon. Then unfold the strips. Next fold back the alternate row of bacon that you previously left flat. Then place the next piece of bacon across the vertical strips directly adjacent to the first horizontal piece. Repeat two more times. Once you finish the first half, repeat with the other half.
6. Drizzle some barbecue sauce on the bacon weave and then top with the meatloaf.
7. Then drizzle a little more sauce over the top of the meatloaf. Finally using the foil/parchment for help, fold the bacon around the meatloaf. Make sure to keep the crease on the top of the meatloaf. That way you can flip it onto the grill without any problems.
8. Preheat your grill or smoker to 275 degrees. Make sure it is set up for offset cooking.
9. To set up the Weber for offset cooking, I utilized two firebricks lengthwise down the middle of the grill. Then I put about 5 lbs of unlit charcoal on one side. Then I lit 7 brickets and placed them on one end of the pile. This is a slow minion method that will produce just enough heat for about 4-5 hours. I then placed a few wood chunks throughout the pile. I wanted the offset side to read at about 275 degrees.
10. Once the smoker/grill is up to temperature, place the meatloaf on to the smoker. To do this, just flip it over onto the grates.
11. Cook for 2.5 hours or until the internal temperature is 135 degrees. Then remove the lid and baste the outside of the meatloaf with your favorite bbq sauce.
12. Continue cooking for about 1 hour more or until the internal temperature is 163 degrees. At this point, remove from the smoker, cover with a piece of tin foil and let rest for 15 minutes.
13. Slice and enjoy.

Notes

Dana and I loved the meatloaf. It was smokey, moist and delicious. I loved the bacon, but Dana thought it was a little overkill. It is easily removeable after cooking, so if you do not like it, just remove it. However, I would definitely recommend leaving it on for the cook. It keeps the meatloaf moist and delicious. Most supermarkets have premade meatloaf mixes in the butcher department. These contain equal parts beef, pork and veal. Getting 2 pounds of the meatloaf mix is the easiest way to order the meatloaf ground meats!