Have you seen these floating around the internet? Ken attached to them and was dying to make them. Well, I see why! These BBQ Bacon Wrapped Onion Bombs look fabulous and trust me are even better to eat!!
What is not to love, a big huge meatball stuffed with cheese encased in onion and then wrapped in bacon and slathered with BBQ sauce. I think that is any man’s dream meal; hey wait, mine too!! They are perfect for game day!!
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The idea is in an area between cray cray and genius. You know that teetering, exciting threshold that gives you all the wonderfully crazy yet divine dishes!!
Well, this is one of them!! These are easy to make, really they are!! Come let me tell you how!!
Although these are said to be BBQ, they are made in the oven. They are brushed though with lots of BBQ sauce.
This is a perfect fall and winter meal when you are still craving the flavors of the BBQ but don’t want to venture outside in the nasty weather.
The outside gets lovely and crispy while the inside meatballs stay juicy from the onion, bacon and BBQ sauce.
How Do You Make Bacon Wrapped Onion Bombs?
INGREDIENTS
MEATBALLS
- lean ground beef
- bread crumbs
- 1 egg
- milk
- BBQ sauce
- salt
- onion powder
- thyme
- freshly ground pepper
- garlic powder
- cheddar cheese
ONION BOMBS
- large yellow onions
- bacon
- BBQ sauce
First off, you mix the meatball ingredients together, omitting the cheese for the moment. Preheat your oven and prepare a baking sheet or dish with sides. Then prepare your onions. You want to get the whole onion into layers. Depending on the size of your onion will be the final outcome of your onion bomb.
Cut the bottom off of an onion, cut the top off and carefully peel off the skin. Cut the onion in half and separate the onion into layers. Using the onion halves as a judge make your meatball accordingly. Stuff the meatball with the cube of cheddar cheese. Make sure the onion seals the meatball comfortably
Now insert the meatball into the onion putting the halves together. Wrap each onion bomb with slices of bacon and secure with toothpicks. Bake on prepared cookie sheet for 40 minutes or until internal temperature reaches 160-165F.
Brush with BBQ sauce about 5-10 minutes before they are done.
Can you Freeze BBQ Bacon Wrapped Onion Bombs?
I am sorry I didn’t cut one of these open for you but I was rushing to get one in “my belly”!! But now we have a great video for you to watch how we made them and see the delicious insides.
Man, are these delectable. Ken made a tray of them so we popped some into the freezer and they froze like a dream.
A tip for making these is don’t do your meatballs all ahead of time but custom make them to the size of your onion.
You want to use the larger layers of the onion and make meatballs accordingly, as the onion sizes get smaller so will your meatball.
Then use another large onion to keep making more. The inner part of the onion can be used for another recipe, just pop it into the fridge wrapped.
How to See if These are Done?
How to see if these are done is easy with this wonderful instant-read thermometer from Thermoworks. You don’t want to be cutting one of these open to see if they are done; that ruins them.
With this thermometer, you will have a temperature in seconds.
Try this wonderfully delicious recipe and come back to tell me how you liked them!! I can’t wait to hear from you!!
To go with this all you need is a great fresh salad like this one!
BBQ Bacon Wrapped Onion Bombs Recipe

BBQ Bacon Wrapped Onion Bombs
These BBQ Bacon Wrapped Onion Bombs are like large meatball stuffed onions, and are fabulous!! A must try recipe!!
Ingredients
Meatballs
- 2 lbs. lean ground beef
- 1 cup bread crumbs
- 1 egg, beaten
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1/2 cup BBQ sauce
- 1 tsp. salt
- 1/2 tsp. onion powder
- 1/2 tsp. thyme
- 1/2 tsp. freshly ground pepper
- 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
- 1/2 inch cube of cheddar cheese per meatball
Onion Bombs
- 5-6 large yellow onions
- 1 lb. bacon
- Additional BBQ sauce
Instructions
- Mix the the meatball ingredients together, omitting the cheese, in a large bowl with your hands until well combined. Preheat the oven to 425F. Line a sided cookie sheet with foil and set aside.
- Slice the top and bottom off of an onion and peel off the skin. Cut the onion in half and now peel back the layers. Use the two sides of the onion and see how large you need to make your meatball. Stuff the meatball with the 1/2" cheese cube and roll into a ball. Insert your meatball in the onion halves and make sure it fits nicely, not too small or too large.
- Wrap each of the onion bombs with 2-3 slices of bacon depending on the size of the bomb and secure with toothpicks. Bake on the prepared cookie sheet for 40 min. or until a thermometer reads 165F. Brush liberally with BBQ sauce and bake another 5-10 min.
Notes
Recipe adapted from My Fridge Food.
Recommended Products
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MontoPack Bamboo Wooden Toothpicks |1000-Piece Large Wood Round Toothpicks in Clear Plastic Storage Box | Sturdy Safe Double Sided Party, Appetizer, Olive, Barbecue, Fruit, Teeth Cleaning Toothpicks.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 10 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving:Calories: 580Total Fat: 31gSaturated Fat: 11gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 17gCholesterol: 154mgSodium: 1435mgCarbohydrates: 25gFiber: 2gSugar: 11gProtein: 47g
Comments & Reviews
Sara says
Oh my gosh! I’m totally making these for my husband for his birthday next week. He’s going to think I’m a genius!! HA! Thanks for a great recipe!
Tara Noland says
They kind of rock as a guy’s recipe, hope he enjoys them!!
Brett Beyer says
As a guy who long gave up on controlling his health, this would make a great breakfast, lunch and dinner idea. I’m not kidding. I would literally eat these at any time, all the time.
MrsHound says
That’s a great response!!! Funny yet truthful! My husband and I went vegan for one month; I lost 10 lbs. (I’m 5’7”, 120lbs) and we felt like zombies. No energy, didn’t feel healthy… so we quit that lifestyle and went all out at McDonalds that day! It was wonderful. It’s like the Big Mac was whispering to me, “Welcome Home Amy” :))
Tara Noland says
I can do vegetarian/vegan a couple of times a week but need my meat fix, could never take it away completely!
Jeanette says
All you had to say was bacon and I would say “Yum”!! Can I have an order to go?
Stacie @ Divine Lifestyle says
Beef stuffed onions wrapped in bacon? Yes, please! I think these are going to make an appearance at our next cook out.
Kathy says
Those look so amazing! I have to give them a try soon. I could really go for some of these right about now too! Yum!
Audrey McClelland says
Those look absolutely amazing! I think these would be perfect on the grill cooked over some wood chips. Yum!
Sarah says
Hhhmmmmm it’d be an interesting try, but my hubby loves onions…and bacon… so I don’t think it could go wrong! Thnx
Toni | BoulderLocavore.com says
Anything wrapped in bacon makes me swoon! This looks perfect!
Kimberly Grabinski says
Holy cow these could be life changing. I can’t imagine not needing to make like 4 billion of them for holiday appetizers. Definitely trying these!
gingermommyrants says
I have been looking for something different to make for our BBQ this weekend. These look so delicious and easy to make. I am excited to give them a try.
Brandy says
Those sound so good! I would love to try these one night, I bet my husband would love them!
Autumn @Mamachallenge says
Those look amazing! My husband would love these.
Amy says
Onions and bacon are two of my favorite foods! I think these would be awesome paired together.
Reesa Lewandowski says
That looks like a little ball of heaven! Oh my goodness! Something to try at our next BBQ for sure!
Dawn says
I just made this and I want everyone to know that this is the greatest!!!! Omg they are full of favor and look cool also. 🥓🍺go together
Tara Noland says
Awesome Dawn, so glad you liked them. It is a pretty cool recipe for sure!! Thank you for taking the time to tell me!!
Michele Werth says
Made them tonight. I think I would prefer to bake them on a broiling pan next time so they don’t have to sit in the grease. They were oh so delicious!
Tara Noland says
So glad you liked them. That is a good idea to bake them on a broiling pan!
Jess says
how many calories are in these bad boys?
Tara Noland says
I am not sure Jess, they are not dietetic that is for sure!
Linda says
I initially thought these were an appetizer, however, if a pound of bacon usually has about 16 slices, and . . . you wrap each bomb with 2-3 slices, that means you can only get 6-8 bombs at the most, and each of the bombs will have 1/4 to 1/3 lb. meat (along with all the rest of the ingredients). This is sounding more like a main course than an appetizer.
Tara Noland says
Yes Linda, they are an entree as they are too big for an appetizer in my opinion too!
MrsHound says
This recipe looks amazing! My mom is making these for a dinner party tomorrow night…I’m so sad I wasn’t invited! But I’ll make them on my own 🙂 THANK you for not only giving me a new recipe for my husband and I, but for giving us a recipe that includes bacon:)))
Tara Noland says
Enjoy!!
Pdxeater says
Might be being dense. Can someone help me – when you cut the onion in half. Do you just keep the outside peel? I’m not sure how the meat goes into the onion.
Tara Noland says
Sorry, I was out of the country for a few days. Don’t cut the onion completely in half, you want the section of the onion but not the outside peel. Watch the video and that should clear things up for you.
Sarah J Reeves says
you don’t cut fully in half. you only slit one side so you can get the rings out and then pop the meat in.
Tara Noland says
Yes that is right, you can see the video for extra help too.
Gayle says
Where is the video?? I see it nowhere in the post and I need more instruction than what is listed. Thanks to anyone!
Do I get an email, when this is answered?
Tara Noland says
The video is there, you have to wait for them to load. It is right above Helpful Items for this recipe.
Lorj says
I want to try and make these for the Daytona 500 tomarrow. I am a bit set back about the size of them. Onions are usually pretty big in size and these look smaller. What size onion should I use? .
Tara Noland says
Just use the smaller yellow onions and if the first one is too big then use the smaller ones as you go deeper into the onion.
Lisa says
Wow! I just made these for my hubby and he loved them!! So did I!! However, we have leftovers and I have no idea how to reheat these bad boys. Any ideas? Would they explode (like literal onion bombs) if I put them in the microwave? Should I freeze them and then reheat in the oven? For how long?
Tara Noland says
You can reheat in the microwave with short periods spurts of time or in a low oven like 325F. You could freeze them for sure, then I would defrost and reheat again in a low oven. Keep them wrapped and they will be fine. So glad you enjoyed them!!
Oh and hubby is doing his own site now, that was his creation. It is https://bbqingwiththenolands.com/ with more deliciousness!!
Nicole says
How long would these need to be cooked on a gas grill
Tara Noland says
We haven’t cooked them on the grill so we are not quite sure. They do best in the oven.
Karen says
As I was growing up my mom did something similar. But sometimes she would just cut the tops and bottoms off and season with whatever you want and butter. Wrap in foil and put on The BBQ. Still do it to this day.
Ajenkins says
OMG! Super good! Will make OFTEN!! Thank you!!! Xoco
Tara Noland says
So glad you loved them!!
Sallie says
We are a No Pork household! What will be a good substitute for the bacon? Otherwise, this recipe sounds delicious!
Tara Noland says
Do you like turkey bacon? I would try that.
Ross says
I found this recipe yesterday and cooked tonight.. WOW – so beautiful, just great.
I cooked the Bombs is an air fryer and the Bacon tops turned a little black – they
were crispy- crunchy and superb. Served with potato’s cooked in their skin, baked
cherry tomatoes and green peas. I really great meal thanks to the magnificent ‘BOMBS’
Tara Noland says
Sounds like a great meal Ross. So glad you found our recipe, tried it, loved it, and came to tell me!! I will have to try them in our air fryer next time.
Larry Vaught says
Omigosh, these onion bombs are awesome ! Definitely a keeper. I can’t believe I’ve been missing out on this recipe for so long! By the way, having the video to watch was helpful! Thanks so much. Keep “em coming.
Tara Noland says
So glad you liked the recipe and that the video helped you make them. Enjoy!!
Lynn says
So I made them last night, and for the most part they came out tasty, but a bit dry….I always use Vidalia/sweet onion, and in doing so,the onion was a bit firmer, so next time I’m lightly blanching the onion…
I used Oscar Mayers maple bacon on half of the batch, and it really made the recipe pop!
Over all my hubby liked them, but wished the onion was more tender, and the bacon more crispier….
Lynn Talbot says
So I made them last night, and for the most part they came out tasty, but a bit dry….I always use Vidalia/sweet onion, and in doing so,the onion was a bit firmer, so next time I’m lightly blanching the onion…
I used Oscar Mayers maple bacon on half of the batch, and it really made the recipe pop!
Over all my hubby liked them, but wished the onion was more tender, and the bacon more crispier….
Tara Noland says
Blanching the onion would be a good idea if you are using the Vidalia. I love maple bacon and it is all we buy here. Hard to get the onion really crispy but I think having the onion more tender will help.
Barbara says
These were absolutely delicious. My husband can’t wait for me to make them again. The only thing I did different was I use pepper jack cheese instead of a cheddar cheese and it was yummy
Tara Noland says
So glad you liked them, they really are the “bomb”. LOL
Linda says
Can you make these ahead and freeze and cook them later. Especially if you wanted appetizers or serve a big group
Tara Noland says
I haven’t done this but I am sure you can. Enjoy!!
Al says
Going to try your recipe asap . Its looks and sounds amazing . I will let you know how it all turns out . Looks Yummy !😊
Tara Noland says
Enjoy!!
Janet Fryer says
Made them last night. Took quite a bit of time to get them together. My oven is a greasy mess but they were delicious
Tara Noland says
Glad they were worth the effort!!
Adelita Garcia says
Saw this and I’m dying to try this with family😍
Tara Noland says
So hope you make them soon. Enjoy!!
tj says
Hello, I would like to try this recipe but am curious to know how do you know for certain the beef is cooked through? Is the a temp to check? Thank you!
Ken Noland says
You want the internal temperature of the beef to be 165 degrees F. using an instant read thermometer. Hope you enjoy them!
Tanya N says
These were fun to make and turned out so moist and tasty! A definite winner!!!
Tara Noland says
So glad you enjoyed them. We do love making them here!!