If you have never tried smoked bologna before, you are in for a treat! This easy smoker recipe creates the most flavorful BBQ glazed bologna for sandwiches.
Forget about the bologna sandwiches you ate as a kid – These smoked bologna sandwiches are a thousand times better!
Smoky, salty, and seasoned with mustard, bbq sauce, and a sweet and spicy rub, smoked bologna will be the star of your next summer party.
Looking for more recipes to make in your smoker? I have made so many delicious smoked meals like smoked chicken wings, smoked whole chicken, smoked brisket, and smoked turkey. I also just perfected my smoked queso dip recipe!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Inexpensive – Compared to a lot of other things you can cook on the smoker, smoking bologna is probably the least expensive protein option. You can serve a crowd these tasty bologna sandwiches for much less than a brisket or bbq chicken would cost.
- Super Easy Recipe – Since bologna is already fully cooked, we just have to heat it up! I’ll show you how to score the outside of the bologna to create a crispy and flavorful crust with very minimal effort.
- Amazing Leftovers – Smoked bologna is amazing when enjoyed hot, but it’s also super tasty cold! It keeps well in the fridge for a few days.
Ingredients for Glazed Smoked Bologna
Here’s what you need to make this simple smoker recipe:
Complete list of ingredients and amounts can be found in the recipe card below.
- Bologna – A large piece of bologna that is about 3-4 pounds is perfect here.
- Spice Rub – Make a sweet and spicy rub with brown sugar, garlic powder, onion powder, and cayenne pepper.
- Mustard – A coating of mustard is the way to get that spice rub to stick to the outside of the bologna.
- BBQ Sauce – As a final touch, brush BBQ sauce on during the last half hour in the smoker. This creates a gorgeous sticky bark on the meat.
How To Make Smoked Bologna
- Make Spice Rub: Combine brown sugar, garlic powder, onion powder, and cayenne pepper in a small bowl. Set aside, and preheat the smoker to 225°F/107°C.
- Season the Bologna: Use a sharp knife to unwrap the bologna and remove any outer waxy or plastic wrapping. Then score the bologna creating a diamond pattern that goes all the way around the loaf. Then spread mustard over the bologna, and sprinkle with the seasoning rub.
- Smoke: Place the bologna on the smoker over indirect heat, and smoke for 3 hours or until the internal temperature of the meat is 165°F/74°C. You should see a nice crust form on the outside of the meat.
- Baste: During the last 30 minutes of cooking, brush the bologna with BBQ sauce.
- Serve: Slice the bologna while it’s still warm and serve on soft sandwich rolls.
Tip!
My favorite toppings for smoked bologna sandwiches include mustard, sliced onions, and tomatoes. A slice of provolone cheese is also delicious. Add your favorite sandwich toppings!
Recipe Tips
- You want to buy a whole log (it’s actually called a “chub”) of bologna from the deli. Just ask for it unsliced. Depending on the brand of bologna, you should end up with a piece of meat that is about 4 pounds.
- Feel free to do any size bologna chub that you want though. You can easily double the seasoning ingredients to coat a larger piece.
- Some bologna will come with a waxy red wrapper. Be sure to remove that before cooking.
- Cross-hatching the meat is important. This creates extra surface area so that the crust gets crispy and allows the bologna to expand as it’s heated.
- This smoked bologna method will work with any type of bologna sausage. Try all-beef bologna or German bologna.
Storing Tips
Keep any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. You can enjoy smoked bologna leftovers cold or rewarm them.
Feel free to freeze slices of smoked bologna for up to 3 months. You can thaw them and add them to sandwiches whenever you like.
What To Serve With Smoked Bologna
Slice it up and serve on rolls to create simple sandwiches, or just cut it into cubes and add toothpicks for an instant appetizer!
Side dishes that go well with smoked bologna include:
More Smoker Recipes
All Smoker Recipes
FAQs
You can smoke this with just charcoal, or add your favorite wood. Oak or hickory are good choices since they have bold flavors. The bologna only needs a few hours in the smoker, so it won’t be overpowered.
You should plan to smoke bologna for 3-4 hours. It will take this long to heat all the way through and get the optimal browned outer crust.
You can smoke bologna with or without wood chips. When choosing wood for the smoker, make sure you choose hardwoods rather than soft ones. Choose chips, chunks, or pellets depending on which type works best in your smoker.
It’s not necessary, but it can be helpful to turn it at least once if one side seems to be browning too quickly.
Bologna is amazingly delicious when cooked in the smoker! Use this recipe to make tasty smoked bologna sandwiches for your family, or serve a crowd. Be sure to Pin the recipe for later too.
Did you make this? Be sure to leave a review below and tag me on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest!
Smoked Bologna
Equipment
- Smoker
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 2 teaspsoons garlic powder
- 2 teaspoons onion powder
- ½ teaspoon cayenne powder
- 1 log (3-4 pounds) bologna
- 2 tablespoons yellow mustard
- ½ cup BBQ sauce
Instructions
- In a small bowl, combine brown sugar, garlic powder, onion powder, and cayenne. Set aside.
- Preheat the smoker to 225°F/107°C.
- With the help of a sharp knife, carefully unwrap the bologna to remove the outer layer. Then with the knife score the bologna to create diamond shapes on all sides.
- Spread the mustard all over the bologna, then season with the prepared seasoning.
- Place the bologna on the smoker over indirect heat, and smoke for 3-4 hours or until the internal temp is 165°F/74°C and a nice bark is formed but not until it becomes black. During the last 30 minutes, brush with BBQ sauce.
- Slice and serve in sandwiches.
Notes:
- You want to buy a whole log (it’s actually called a “chub”) of bologna from the deli. Just ask for it unsliced. Depending on the brand of bologna, you should end up with a piece of meat that is about 4 pounds. Feel free to do any amount of bologna that you want though. You can easily double the seasoning ingredients to coat a larger piece.
- This smoked bologna method will work with any type of bologna sausage. Try all-beef bologna or German bologna.
- Some bologna will come with a waxy red wrapper. Be sure to remove that before cooking.
- Cross-hatching is important. This creates extra surface area so that the crust gets crispy and allows the bologna to expand as it’s heated.
- To Store: Keep leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days, or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Nutrition Information
This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.
© Little Sunny Kitchen
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