Smoked Bologna [ A Quick + Easy Traeger Recipe ] - Crave The Good (2024)

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Smoked bologna is a quick and easy smoker recipe for a deliciously smoked log of bologna perfect for fried bologna and bologna sandwiches!

You just can’t beat a good bologna sandwich. This is a fact of life.

You know what makes a good bologna sandwich great? Smoked bologna!

This smoked bologna recipe is dedicated to greateness.

Smoked Bologna [ A Quick + Easy Traeger Recipe ] - Crave The Good (1)
Jump to:
  • Tips + Tricks
  • Key ingredients
  • How to smoke bologna
  • How to use smoked bologna
  • Storage and batch information
  • More smoked recipes to love
  • Recommened equipment
  • 📖 Printable Recipe

Tips + Tricks

No. 1 –> Resist the urge to rub! When applying rub to your bologna chub, avoid rubbing if at all possible, despite the cross cuts in the skin, this is still a smooth piece of meat and touching it will actually pull the rub right off. Try sprinkling it and then placing on the smoker.

No. 2 –> If you’re planning on eating the bologna hot off the smoker, use a sharp knife and cut it thick for bologna burgers or cube it into little bite-sized morsels! If you’re serving it cold, allow the bologna to cool in the fridge overnight before slicing with a meat slicer, or a sharp knife.

No. 3 –> Put your bologna chub in a cookie sheet when you’re applying rub – this keeps the rub contained while you’re sprinkling the rub mixture onto the bologna. Not only does it make clean up a breeze, it’s also perfect for carrying your bologna to the smoker.

Smoked Bologna [ A Quick + Easy Traeger Recipe ] - Crave The Good (2)

Key ingredients

Bologna – Buy your bologna in a chub. Not only is it required, but it’s also much more cost effective to buy a large quantity (in my experience). If you’re having trouble finding a whole chub vs sliced bologna, ask at the deli counter.

Mustard – In this recipe, just like my smoked pork picnic roast, yellow mustard acts as a binder, don’t worry, it won’t give off a strong mustard flavor, it’s just gonna help stick that delicious rub to the bologna!

Rub – This recipe works with any rub, you can use store-bought, I used Traeger Coffee Rub this time, but I have used my smoked brisket rub in the past and it all works.

Smoked Bologna [ A Quick + Easy Traeger Recipe ] - Crave The Good (3)

How to smoke bologna

  1. Preheat your smoker to 225f.
  2. Meanwhile, prepare the bologna chub by scoring 1/4 – 3/8″ cuts into the outside. This can be done in a checked or crosshatch pattern. These score marks will help to hold rub on the bologna, they will also spread open during cooking allowing better smoke penetration.
  3. Rub the entire chub, including ends with mustard.
  4. Mix the brown sugar and your favorite BBQ rub in a medium bowl, then sprinkle it on the bologna. Avoid rubbing at this point, as too much handling will pull the rub off the bologna.
  5. Smoke the bologna directly on the grate for your smoker, we usually use the middle rack for this recipe, at 225f for 3 – 4 hours, or until the rub is a deep brown and crispy.
  6. Remove the chub from the smoker and allow it to cool on a cooling rack for at least a few minutes before slicing!
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Smoked Bologna [ A Quick + Easy Traeger Recipe ] - Crave The Good (5)
Smoked Bologna [ A Quick + Easy Traeger Recipe ] - Crave The Good (6)
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Smoked Bologna [ A Quick + Easy Traeger Recipe ] - Crave The Good (10)

How to use smoked bologna

  • Smoked bologna can be served hot right off the smoker in thick slices like a bologna burger.
  • It can be cubed and skewered on toothpicks for a tasty appetizer.
  • It can be cooled and sliced for cold bologna sandwiches.
  • Or thick-cut for fried bologna sandwiches.
Smoked Bologna [ A Quick + Easy Traeger Recipe ] - Crave The Good (11)
Smoked Bologna [ A Quick + Easy Traeger Recipe ] - Crave The Good (12)

Storage and batch information

Storage:

Smoked bologna will keep in your fridge for 4-5 days, but I wouldn’t keep it in there much longer than that.

If you need longer-term storage, you can either slice the chub into smaller chubs or use a meat slicer to make sandwich slices and freeze in reasonable sized portions. I like to vacuum seal mine and store in the freezer for later use. Vacuum sealed smoked bologna will keep in the freezer for 6-12 months no problem!

Batch information:

This recipe can be halved or doubled, easily!

We used a 4 kg bologna chub (nearly 9 lbs, for our American friends). This makes A LOT of smoked bologna, but somehow it always disappears. Between gifting chunks to friends and family to the kids’ lunches, it gets eaten!

More smoked recipes to love

Recommened equipment

Pellet Grill –I have, love, and use extensively aTRAEGER TIMBERLINE 1300. I have zero qualms with recommending this unit to anyone looking to purchase a smoker. We absolutely love ours!Check out all the greatSMOKED RECIPESwe’ve developed.

Meat slicer – If you’re planning on making smoked bologna sandwiches, a meat slicer comes in so handy! We use ours for so many things, including home-smoked bacon, beef jerky, slicing up leftover smoked turkey, or double-smoked ham.

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Smoked Bologna [ A Quick + Easy Traeger Recipe ] - Crave The Good (18)

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📖 Printable Recipe

Smoked Bologna [ A Quick + Easy Traeger Recipe ] - Crave The Good (19)

Smoked Bologna

Allyson Letal

Transform your sandwiches with a smoked bologna recipe featuring a simple yet flavorful mix of brown sugar and BBQ sauce. This combination creates a caramelized exterior, adding a delicious twist to your classic bologna sandwich.

5 from 2 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 5 minutes mins

Cook Time 3 hours hrs

Total Time 3 hours hrs 5 minutes mins

Course Smoked

Cuisine American

Servings 100 slices

Calories 159 kcal

Ingredients

  • 1 4 kg bologna chub
  • 3 to 4 tablespoons yellow mustard
  • ½ cup packed brown sugar
  • ¼ cup BBQ rub

Instructions

  • Preheat your smoker to 225f.

  • Meanwhile, prepare the bologna chub by scoring 1/4 – 3/8" cuts into the outside. This can be done in a checked or crosshatch pattern. These score marks will help to hold rub on the bologna, they will also spread open during cooking allowing better smoke penetration.

  • Rub the entire chub, including ends with 3 to 4 tablespoons yellow mustard.

  • Mix the ½ cup packed brown sugar and ¼ cup BBQ rub in a medium bowl, then sprinkle it on the bologna. Avoid rubbing at this point, as too much handling will pull the rub off the bologna.

  • Smoke the bologna directly on the grate for your smoker at 225f for 3 – 4 hours, or until the rub is a deep brown and crispy.

  • Remove the chub from the smoker and allow it to cool on a cooling rack for at least a few minutes before slicing.

Notes

Storage:

Smoked bologna will keep in your fridge for 4-5 days.

If you need longer-term storage, you can either slice the chub into smaller chubs or use a meat slicer to make sandwich slices and freeze in reasonably sized portions. Vacuum sealed bologna will keep in the freezer for 6-12 months.

Batch information:

This recipe can be halved or doubled, easily!

We used a 4 kg bologna chub (nearly 9 lbs, for our American friends). This makes A LOT of smoked bologna, but somehow it always disappears. Between gifting chunks to friends and family to the kids’ lunches, it gets eaten

Nutrition

Serving: 1gCalories: 159kcalCarbohydrates: 4gProtein: 8gFat: 12gSaturated Fat: 5gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 30mgSodium: 485mgPotassium: 161mgFiber: 0.04gSugar: 3gVitamin A: 47IUVitamin C: 0.4mgCalcium: 45mgIron: 1mg

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Smoked Bologna [ A Quick + Easy Traeger Recipe ] - Crave The Good (26)
Smoked Bologna [ A Quick + Easy Traeger Recipe ] - Crave The Good (2024)

FAQs

What goes well with smoked bologna? ›

I love thick slices of it pan-fried or seared and served on sandwich rolls with mustard or mayonnaise, tomato and onion slices, and lettuce. You can also cut the smoked bologna into cubes and serve hot or fried with barbecue sauce or mustard sauce as an appetizer.

How long is smoked bologna good for? ›

Then Lebanon bologna is the variety to choose. Its lifespan is similar and best enjoyed within 7 days after opening. Ring bologna is another variety. Because it's made with a blend of spices and is smoked, it can last around 75 days when vacuum sealed, but only 7 days once opened.

How do you smoke bologna on a Pit Boss pellet grill? ›

Once the grill is ready, place the seasoned bologna directly on the grill grates. Close the lid of the grill and let the bologna smoke for approximately 2-3 hours. During this time, the bologna will absorb the smoky flavor from the wood pellets, and the outer layer will develop a beautiful caramelized crust.

What temperature is bologna done at? ›

Since bologna is already cooked, you don't need to follow a certain temperature protocol, but I do always try to get the interior temperature above 145 degrees F (be sure to use an instant-read thermometer to get an accurate reading) so the bologna isn't sitting in the food bacteria growth danger zone when serving.

What condiment goes best with bologna? ›

Anybody who grew up with fried bologna sandwiches will tell you that the only way to eat them is the way their mother made them–with mayonnaise or mustard, ketchup or barbeque sauce. I like mayo and hot pepper butter. I spread both bread slices with mayo and put hot pepper butter between the bologna and the cheese.

What condiment goes on bologna? ›

The bologna sandwich is a sandwich common in the United States and Canada. Also known as a baloney sandwich, it is traditionally made from sliced bologna sausage between slices of white bread, along with various condiments, such as mayonnaise, mustard, and ketchup.

Is bologna meat healthy? ›

Fatty, processed luncheon meats like bologna, salami and pepperoni have large amounts of saturated fat and sodium, both of which have been linked to cancer, obesity and heart disease,” Zumpano shares. In fact, processed meats are actually considered carcinogenic.

Can I eat bologna that was left out overnight? ›

If you reheat food that was forgotten on the counter overnight or was left out all day, will it be safe to eat? TWO HOURS is the MAXIMUM time perishable foods should be at room temperature (ONE HOUR at temperatures 90 degrees F and higher). This INCLUDES the time they're on the table during your meal.

How to warm up smoked bologna? ›

You can also reheat them in a pan on the stove over medium heat or even in the microwave if you're in a hurry. Just be sure to heat them until they're steaming hot, and enjoy the same smoky, tender flavor as the day you made them. You can enjoy them as is or make some bologna sandwiches.

How long to smoke bologna at 225 Pit Boss? ›

Add binder then seasoning and smoke at 225° for 3-4 hrs. Serve with mustard or Mayo! Enjoy!

Do you need to flip meat on a pellet smoker? ›

A large cooking area may need you to flip and rotate your meat to ensure it cooks evenly. Some food smokers will have cold and warm parts, especially if you use indirect heat to cook your meat.

What parts of the pig are in bologna? ›

The meat used in bologna varies widely, but traditional low-cost bologna is made with miscellaneous meat trimmings and byproducts from pork, beef, chicken, or turkey. Organ meats such as heart and liver are also more prevalent in cheaper brands. Additional fat, water, and stock is often added to keep the texture moist.

Is it OK to eat cold bologna? ›

If you're among the at-risk group for listeriosis, don't eat hot dogs, lunch meats, cold cuts, other deli meats (such as bologna), or fermented or dry sausages until you've heated them to an internal temperature of 165° F – or until steaming hot – just before serving.

Can you eat room temperature bologna? ›

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recommends the “2-Hour Rule” for any perishables left out at room temperature. If the food is left out in temperatures of 90°F or higher, then only one hour. After this time, the food becomes unsafe to eat, and you risk food poisoning.

What compliments smoked meat? ›

Try one of the following recipes.
  • 01 of 35. Creamy Potato Salad With Bacon. ...
  • 02 of 35. Macaroni and Cheese. ...
  • 03 of 35. Herb Potato Salad. ...
  • 04 of 35. Crispy Garlic-Parsley Potato Latkes. ...
  • 05 of 35. Collard Greens With Bacon. ...
  • 06 of 35. Mexican Grilled Corn With Cilantro. ...
  • 07 of 35. Tomato, Corn, and Red Cabbage Salad. ...
  • 08 of 35.
Mar 19, 2024

What do you eat with smoked meat? ›

There simply is no substitute for serving a smoky and savoury piece of smoked meat with a side of rich, starchy, and cheesy mac and cheese. It's a side dish that everyone will love—including the kids! If you want to take it to the next level, sprinkle it with some crispy bacon crumbs.

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