Carnivore Donuts: Smoked Bacon-Wrapped Cheeseburger Rings
Learn how to make smoked carnivore donuts stuffed with ground beef, sharp cheddar, onions, and pickles wrapped in bacon for the ultimate cheeseburger bite.
Carnivore Donuts: Smoked Bacon-Wrapped Cheeseburger Rings
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Category
Appetizer
Cuisine
American BBQ
Author:
This recipe comes to us from Hannah Sattelmaier, culinary specialist with The Bearded Butchers and friend of Montana Knife Company.
Servings
6
Prep Time
1 hour
Cook Time
90 minutes
Calories
600
These carnivore donuts pack the bold flavors of a smoked cheeseburger into a bacon-wrapped, smoker-finished appetizer. Ground beef, sharp cheddar, caramelized onions, and diced dill pickles get sandwiched between two onion rings, wrapped tight in bacon, and smoked until the bacon renders crispy and the filling cooks through.
A pass of BBQ sauce and a sprinkle of sesame seeds at the end give them a glazed cheeseburger finish. Serve with the tangy dipping sauce and you’ve got the kind of carnivore donuts your crew will fight over.
Ingredients
You’ll need these ingredients for the carnivore donut rings and the dipping sauce.
For the carnivore donut rings:
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1 lb. ground beef
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3 whole sweet onions
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2 tsp. beef tallow
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1 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
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2 tsp. of your favorite all-purpose seasoning blend (I like The Bearded Butcher Original Blend)
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1/2 cup dill pickles, finely diced with a sharp, clean kitchen knife
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2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
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24 slices regular-cut bacon
- 2 Tbsp. of your favorite sweet BBQ rub (I like The Bearded Butcher Hollywood Blend)
- 6 Tbsp. of your favorite BBQ sauce (I like The Bearded Butcher BBQ Sauce)
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Sesame seeds, as needed
For the carnivore donut dipping sauce:
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1/2 cup mayonnaise
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2 Tbsp. ketchup
- 1 Tbsp. of your favorite mango habanero hot sauce (I like The Bearded Butcher Rebel Red Sauce)
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1 tsp. Dijon mustard
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2 tsp. dill relish
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1/2 tsp. granulated sugar
- 1 tsp. of your favorite bold seasoning blend (I like The Bearded Butcher Bold Blend)
Directions
Follow these eight steps to slice, fill, wrap, and smoke your carnivore donuts to crispy, glazed perfection.
Slice the onions for the carnivore donuts
Cut the root and stem ends off each sweet onion. Depending on size, slice each onion in half or into thirds crosswise, then peel the outer layer from each section. You’ll get at least four double-layered rings per onion.
Set the rings aside and finely dice the leftover onion ends for the filling. Keep your blade sharp throughout the slicing work, since clean cuts hold the rings together better when you wrap them.
Caramelize the onion ends for the carnivore donut filling
Add the beef tallow to a skillet over medium heat. Drop in the diced onion ends and season with the Worcestershire sauce and a couple shakes of your all-purpose seasoning.
Cook the onions until they’re tender, translucent, and lightly caramelized. Pull them off the heat and let them cool to room temperature before mixing them into the raw beef.
Mix the carnivore donut filling
In a medium glass bowl, combine the raw ground beef, two cups of shredded cheddar, and the diced dill pickles. Add the cooled caramelized onions to the bowl.
Season the mixture with another shake of your all-purpose seasoning and mix by hand until just combined. Don’t overwork the meat or the carnivore donut filling will turn dense.
Form the carnivore donut rings
Preheat your smoker to 300°F. For each carnivore donut, pick two onion rings of similar size, one slightly larger than the other.
Pack the beef mixture between the two rings to build a thick, uniform donut shape. Press the filling firmly so it bonds to both layers of onion.
Wrap each carnivore donut in bacon
Wrap two slices of bacon tightly around each carnivore donut, covering as much surface as you can. If a slice won’t stay put, anchor it with a toothpick.
Once all the rings are wrapped, sprinkle each one generously with your sweet BBQ rub. The sweet rub balances the saltiness of the bacon.
Smoke the carnivore donuts
Place the wrapped carnivore donuts directly on the smoker grates. Smoke for about one hour and 30 minutes, flipping every 30 minutes for even rendering.
Pull them off when the bacon is crispy and the beef filling reaches 160°F internal temperature. Carryover heat will take it to a safe 165°F as the donuts rest.
Sauce and finish the carnivore donuts
Brush each carnivore donut generously with your BBQ sauce. Return them to the smoker for two to three minutes to let the sauce set.
Pull them off and finish with a sprinkle of sesame seeds for that glazed, sesame-bun look.
Make the carnivore donut dipping sauce
In a small bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, ketchup, mango habanero hot sauce, Dijon mustard, dill relish, and granulated sugar. Season with your bold seasoning blend and stir until smooth.
Serve the dipping sauce in a ramekin alongside the warm carnivore donuts.
Recipe Note
Kitchen Secrets for the Best Carnivore Donut Recipes
Use these tips to get crispy bacon, juicy filling, and the cleanest plating on your carnivore donuts:
Chill the wrapped carnivore donuts for 20 to 30 minutes before they hit the smoker. Cold bacon stays tight on the ring and won’t unravel as it renders.
Use regular-cut bacon, not thick-cut. Regular slices wrap easier, render faster, and crisp up evenly across the surface of each donut.
Pick onion rings of similar diameter so each carnivore donut cooks at the same rate. Wildly different sizes lead to overcooked filling on the small ones.
Don’t skip the chill on the caramelized onions. Adding warm onions to raw beef starts cooking the meat and breaks down the cheese before the donuts ever hit the smoker.
Pack the filling firmly between the onion layers. Loose filling shrinks during the cook and leaves gaps between the meat and the onion rings.
Keep your prep knife sharp through every cut: onions, pickles, and trimming the bacon ends. Clean, even dicing keeps the filling consistent. Brush up on how to sharpen your kitchen knife before you start, and review how to properly clean a knife between the produce and the raw ground beef.
These carnivore donuts hit hard at backyard cookouts, tailgates, and game days when you want something more interesting than wings or shotgun shells. The bacon-wrapped onion ring shape is a conversation starter, and the cheeseburger filling under the BBQ glaze keeps people coming back.
Keep a clean, sharp knife on the cutting board, fire up the smoker, and let one of the most fun carnivore donut recipes earn a permanent spot in your appetizer rotation.
Common Questions About Carnivore Donuts
What are carnivore donuts?
Carnivore donuts are a smoked appetizer built to look like glazed donuts but loaded with cheeseburger filling. A seasoned ground beef, cheddar, onion, and pickle mixture gets sandwiched between two onion rings, wrapped in bacon, smoked, and finished with BBQ sauce and sesame seeds.
Can you make carnivore donuts ahead of time?
Yes. Assemble the wrapped carnivore donuts up to 24 hours ahead and keep them covered in the fridge. Pull them out 20 minutes before they hit the smoker so they’re not ice-cold going on.
What’s the best wood for smoking carnivore donuts?
Hickory, pecan, and apple all work. Hickory gives you a strong, classic BBQ flavor, pecan runs slightly milder and sweeter, and apple keeps the smoke light so the BBQ glaze and sweet rub stay forward.
Can you cook carnivore donuts in the oven?
Yes. Bake the wrapped carnivore donuts on a wire rack set over a sheet pan at 375°F for 45 to 55 minutes, flipping once. You’ll lose the smoke flavor, but the bacon still crisps and the filling cooks through.
