Pork
Bacon-Wrapped Onion Rings
This blog post is brought to you with support from our sponsor.
First came bacon-wrapped prunes. Then jalapeño poppers, then bacon-wrapped chicken wings. The latest manifestation of America’s bacon mania is onions—thick rings of Vidalias or other sweet onions dipped in hot sauce, swaddled in hickory-smoked bacon strips, and indirect grilled until the bacon is as crisp as the onion is meltingly tender.
Is your mouth watering yet?
It will be once you have a plate piled high with these glorified onion rings in front of you. If you have a package of bacon in the fridge (you always do, right?), some hot sauce, and a couple of large sweet onions, you won’t even need to make a special trip to the store. Today, we’re using Farmland hickory-smoked bacon, graciously provided by the sponsor of this blog post.
In addition to being addictively good on their own (bring them for your tailgating buddies and you’ll be the star of the game), you can pile bacon-wrapped onions on your favorite burger or B.L.T. sandwich (now rechristened B.L.O.T.?) They’re also awesome with baked beans; lay them on top just before serving. My Best Barbecued Beans on the Planet just got even more awesome.
August 30 is International Bacon Day. To honor this holiday properly, let’s get started.
Bacon-Wrapped Onion Rings Recipe
Two large onions and a 1-pound package of bacon (about 12 strips) will make 6 to 8 onion rings.
1. Set up your grill for indirect grilling.
Set up your grill for indirect grilling and preheat to medium (350 degrees). (Stuck indoors without a grill? Our sympathies. Don’t tell anyone, but you can bake the bacon-wrapped onions on a wire rack on a foil-lined baking sheet. The foil facilitates clean-up.)
2. Trim the ends off the onions.
Trim the ends off two large sweet onions such as Vidalia, Texas Sweet, or Walla Walla. Peel.
3. Slice each onion crosswise into 1/2-inch slices.
Slice each onion crosswise into 1/2-inch slices. Carefully pop the centers out of each slice, preserving the two outermost layers. (Two layers make a sturdier foundation for the bacon.) Reserve the largest onion rings. Set aside the smaller pieces for another use.
4. Begin wrapping the onion rings.
At this point, you can begin wrapping the onion rings. But I prefer to dunk them in hot sauce first—Frank’s RedHot, Crystal, or even Thai sriracha.
5. Remove the bacon from a 1-pound package of thin-cut bacon.
6. Wrap each onion ring with bacon.
Wrap each onion ring with bacon, slightly overlapping the strip, until the onion ring is completely covered. You will need 1-1/2 to 2 strips of bacon for each onion ring. If desired, you can use toothpicks to secure the ends of the bacon. I don’t bother.
Optional: Brush each bacon strip on both sides with maple syrup, then lightly coat with brown sugar. This gives the bacon-wrapped onion rings a candied taste and appearance. Better still, dust the rings with your favorite barbecue rub. I am partial to my Best of Barbecue All-Purpose Rub.
7. Arrange the bacon-wrapped onion rings in a single layer.
Arrange the bacon-wrapped onion rings in a single layer on the grill grate away from direct heat.
8. Indirect grill the onions until the bacon is golden brown and sizzling.
Indirect grill the onions until the bacon is golden brown and sizzling, about 20 to 25 minutes. With tongs, transfer the onion rings to a paper towel-lined platter or plates. Let rest for a couple of minutes before eating, especially if you’ve candied the bacon (see above), as it will be burn-your-lips hot. The bacon will crisp up as it cools.
Like Bacon? Other Bacon Recipes to Try:
In accordance with FTC guidelines, we must disclose that this post contains sponsored links from Farmland Bacon, and that they provided products in order to craft this recipe.