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

ByAllyFebruary 2, 2021March 22, 2024UpdatedMarch 22, 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.

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.

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.

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!

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.

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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