Bacon Wrapped Pineapple Onion Rings
Pineapple, sweet onions and mozzarella cheese, wrapped in maple glazed bacon then cooked on the barbecue until crisp, caramelised and melty.
We’re giving onion rings a serious upgrade by stuffing them with pineapple and mozzarella then wrapping them in smoky maple bacon. Anything wrapped in bacon is bound to be good and these pineapple onion rings are no exception! The bacon’s crisp and sticky, the cheese is melty and the onions are tender. Plus there’s a juicy pineapple ring in the mix as well. You really can’t go wrong!
I first made these when I first started cooking barbecue over 10 years ago and I’m pretty sure they were one of the first dishes I cooked on my homemade offset smoker! They’re easily one of my favourite BBQ side dishes and they’d make a perfect addition to a smoked meat tray and you can even use them as a burger topping. Or just eat them on their own, they’re that good!
The great thing about this recipe is that you can cook it in your regular oven if you don’t have a barbecue or if the weather’s not playing ball. Though I’d highly recommend firing up your grill if you can, they’re 100% worth it!
For more side dishes & sauces, take a look at our collection of sides! There’s lots to choose from here, from homemade chips, to cornbread, slaws, pickles & sauces. And for more smoked meats, check out our collection of dinner recipes.
What You’ll Need
- Pineapple – This recipe uses pineapple rings that you buy in a tin! This ensures that every ring is the same size and we’re using some of the juice for the glaze.
- Onions – Brown/yellow onions are ideal as they’re a similar size to the pineapple rings and they have a sweet flavour. White onions will work too.
- Bacon – Streaky bacon is best for wrapping as it will stay moist and the shape & size of the rashers is easier to work with. As these onion rings are smoked, you can use unsmoked bacon & get a subtle smoky flavour or use smoked bacon for a stronger smoked flavour.
- Mozzarella – Make sure to use low moisture mozzarella otherwise it will melt out of the onion rings! This is available in blocks in most supermarkets.
- Rub – I’ve included a recipe for a simple rub that works perfectly with bacon wrapped items like these pineapple rings. It adds flavour & caramelises the bacon without adding any extra salt.
- Maple Syrup – Maple bacon is hard to beat, so glazing these rings in maple syrup just makes sense! I also added a splash of pineapple juice into the maple, for extra flavour.
A Homemade Rub For Bacon Wrapped Dishes
If you season bacon with a regular barbecue rub, chances are that the final dish will be too salty. Bacon is cured in salt after all! To get around this, we simply make a rub without any extra salt. I made mine with dark brown sugar, black pepper, smoked paprika, garlic granules and onion granules. That’s it!
If you wanted to use a ready made barbecue rub, I’d definitely recommend using one with a low salt content but the bacon & pineapple makes a fantastic base for whatever other flavourings you like.
How To Make Bacon Wrapped Pineapple Onion Rings
There’s only a few components that are used for these pineapple onion rings and it all comes down to the assembly. It’s key to get the pineapple & onion rings the same sort of size then trim the mozzarella to size, so that it fits neatly inside.
To make things easier, I’ve included a step by step guide on wrapping the rings in bacon, as it can seem quite fiddly to start with. Don’t worry though, you’ll get the hang of it after you’ve done a couple!
Assembly & Wrapping In Bacon
Before assembling the onion rings, you need to drain a tin of pineapple rings, cut your onions into 1 cm thick slices then separate the rings and cut a block of low moisture mozzarella into thin strips. Once you’ve done that, you can start assembling…
- First, take an onion ring that’s a similar to size to the pineapple then place it on top of the pineapple ring.
- Place 2 strips of mozzarella inside the onion ring so that they run along the inside of the onion, in a ring shape. If needed, trim the cheese slightly so that it fits inside the onion. It’s key that the middle of the pineapple ring is clear as this is where the bacon wraps around!
- Next, wrap 3 rashers of bacon around the pineapple and onion, so that the outside is completely covered.
- Chill the bacon wrapped onion rings in the fridge, whilst your light your grill.
The easiest way to wrap the rings in bacon is to carefully poke a quarter of a rasher through the hole in the middle of the pineapple & fold it underneath to hold it in place. Then take the other end of the rasher and tightly wrap it around the pineapple/onion working your way around the edge. Continue this process with 2 more rashers, overlapping them slightly so that the outside is completely covered. This is the fiddly part of the process but it’s not hard to do!
Smoking
To make the bacon crisp & caramelised, we’re cooking these onion rings at a higher temperature than you normally would when smoking meat. It’s best to keep your barbecue’s temperature around 350°f/175°f. This ensures that the bacon is cooked nicely, the onions are tender and the cheese is melted. And as we want the bacon to crisp up, it’s best to remove the water pan from your smoker if it has one.
Once you’ve lit your smoker, got it up to temperature and set it up for indirect cooking, you can coat the onion rings in a light coating of rub then cook for 30 minutes, or until the bacon is crisp & golden. For even caramelisation, I like to flip the onion rings over half way through.
Glazing
The final step is to brush the bacon with the maple syrup & pineapple juice glaze (3 parts maple, 1 part pineapple juice mixed together) then cook for another 10 minutes or so, until caramelised and sticky. I’d highly recommend brushing one side with the glaze, cook for 5 minutes then flip over and repeat with the other side. This ensures that the entire of the pineapple onion rings are coated in maple!
Tips & Tricks
- For the best flavour, use good quality streaky bacon. It’s easier to wrap things in bacon whilst it’s cold, so keep half of it in the fridge whilst you use the rest.
- Drain the pineapple rings well then pat dry with kitchen paper. This makes it easier to wrap them in bacon!
- Make your own rub but leave out the salt. Bacon is already salty so we don’t need to add in any extra.
- Once cooked, let the onion rings cool down for a few minutes before serving. They’ll be too hot to pick up otherwise!
Frequently Asked Questions
To cook bacon wrapped onion rings in an oven, place them onto a wire rack set on a baking tray then cook at the exact same temperature for the same amount of time. If you still want a smoky flavour, use smoked bacon.
Any leftover cooked onion rings can be served cold or reheated in an oven, until they’re piping hot. Make sure to store leftovers in the fridge & they’re best eaten within 3 days of being made.
The best way to reheat bacon wrapped onion rings is in an oven set to 350°f/175°c, until they’re piping hot. You may need to cover them with foil if they start to colour too much.
More Barbecue Recipes To Try
- Brisket Style Smoked Pork Belly
- Black Garlic Hanger Steaks
- BBQ Lamb Kofta Meatballs
- Grilled Spatchcock Chicken With Chermoula Sauce
- Burnt Peach & Bourbon BBQ Sauce
- Honey Butter Buttermilk Cornbread
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Bacon Wrapped Pineapple Onion Rings
Equipment
- Barbecue/Smoker
- Small Mixing Bowl
- Pastry Brush
Ingredients
Bacon Wrapped Pineapple Onion Rings
- 8 Pineapple Rings (From A Tin)
- 2 Brown Onions
- 200 g Low Moisture Mozzarella (See Notes)
- 24 Rashers Streaky Bacon (See Notes)
Rub
- 30 g Dark Brown Sugar
- 1½ tsp Coarse Ground Black Pepper
- 1 tsp Smoked Paprika
- 1 tsp Garlic Granules
- 1 tsp Onion Granules
Maple Glaze
- 3 tbsp Maple Syrup
- 1 tbsp Pineapple Juice (From The Tin Of Pineapple Rings)
Instructions
Bacon Wrapped Pineapple Onion Rings
- Drain the pineapple rings through a sieve then pat them dry with kitchen paper. Save a tablespoon of the juice for the glaze.
- Lightly trim the top & bottoms off the onions, peel then cut them into 1 cm thick slices. Carefully separate the layers then pick out 8 rings that are a similar size to the pineapple.
- Next, cut the mozzarella into 6-7cm long strips that are just under 1cm thick (roughly around 7-8mm is best).
- To assemble, place an onion ring on top of a pineapple ring then place 2 pieces of mozzarella inside the onion ring, so that they run along the inside of the onion, in a ring shape. If needed, trim the cheese so it fits neatly inside the onion.There's a visual guide to doing this in the post above! Make sure that the hole in the middle of the pineapple is still visible as this is where the bacon is wrapped around.
- Next, carefully wrap 3 rashers of bacon around the pineapple & onion ring so that they're completely covered. The easiest way to do this is to carefully poke a quarter of a rasher through the hole in the middle of the pineapple & fold it underneath to hold it in place. Then take the other end of the rasher and tightly wrap it around the pineapple/onion working your way around the edge. Continue this process with 2 more rashers, overlapping them slightly so that the outside is completely covered.This process can be a bit fiddly to start with but you'll get the hang of it after a couple of onion rings! Make sure to keep the bacon cold, as it will be easier to work with.
- Wrap the rest of the onion rings then place them onto a tray and chill in the fridge whilst you light your barbecue.
Lighting Your BBQ
- Light your smoker/barbecue & leave to preheat to 350°f/175°c. Make sure that your barbecue is set up for indirect cooking.If your barbecue has a water pan in, I'd recommend taking it out as we want the bacon to crisp up! I used a Weber Smoky Mountain for this cook.
Rub
- Whilst your barbecue is heating up, add all of the ingredients for the rub into a small bowl then mix to combine.
Cooking
- Once your barbecue is up to temperature, take the onion rings out of the fridge then sprinkle each one with a light layer of rub, on all sides.
- Place the onion rings on the barbecue then close the lid and cook for 30 minutes, gently flipping them over halfway through. Each side should be crisp & a deep golden brown.Use a pair of tongs to flip them over!
- Whilst the rings are cooking, add the maple syrup and reserved pineapple juice into a small bowl then stir to combine.
- Next, brush each onion ring with a generous amount of the maple syrup then cook for 5 minutes. Then flip them over, brush with more glaze and cook for a final 5 minutes.Once glazed, the bacon should nicely caramelised. Make sure to keep an eye on it during the glazing step, to avoid burning it!
- Once cooked, transfer the onion rings to a plate, leave to cool slightly then serve.
