If you’re looking for an unforgettable seafood recipe that’s perfect for backyard BBQs, holidays, or an impressive appetizer, this Smoked Stuffed Shrimp is guaranteed to become a favorite. Colossal shrimp are butterflied, filled with a rich crawfish stuffing, wrapped in smoky bacon, and slowly cooked until the shrimp are tender and the bacon is perfectly crisp.
These Smoked Stuffed Shrimp combine juicy colossal shrimp, buttery crawfish stuffing, crispy bacon, and subtle smoke into one irresistible bite. The creamy crawfish filling is packed with garlic, parsley, breadcrumbs, fresh lemon juice, and seasoning, creating the perfect balance of richness and freshness.
Feeds 4-5 People
Prep time 20 minutes
Cook time 60 minutes
Why This Smoked Stuffed Shrimp Recipe Works
Large Colossal Shrimp Hold the Perfect Amount of Stuffing: Butterflying the shrimp creates a generous pocket that holds plenty of flavorful crawfish filling while still allowing the shrimp to cook evenly.
The Crawfish Filling Adds Incredible Flavor: The combination of crawfish tails, mayonnaise, garlic, breadcrumbs, parsley, lemon juice, and seasoning creates a creamy, savory stuffing with just the right texture. Chopping the crawfish into smaller pieces ensures every bite is evenly mixed and easy to eat.
Bacon Locks in Moisture While Adding Smoky Flavor: Wrapping each shrimp with thin-cut bacon not only adds delicious smoky flavor but also helps keep the shrimp moist throughout the cooking process. As the bacon slowly renders, it bastes the shrimp and stuffing for an incredibly rich finish.
Perfect for the Smoker or Oven: This recipe is incredibly versatile. Cooking low and slow at 275°F (135°C) allows the bacon to render while gently cooking the shrimp without drying them out. Whether you’re using a pellet smoker, charcoal smoker, or your kitchen oven, you’ll get fantastic results every time.
Ingredients:
- 10–12 colossal shrimp, peeled and deveined (tails left on)
- 10 slices thin-cut bacon
- 1 pound crawfish tail meat (or substitute lump crab meat)
- ¼ cup mayonnaise
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tablespoon fresh chopped parsley (or dried parsley)
- ½ cup breadcrumbs
- Juice of 1 lemon
- 1 egg
- 2 teaspoons All-Purpose BBQ Seasoning or Old Bay-style seasoning
- BBQ sauce or glaze (optional)
Prep
Prepare the Shrimp: First, butterfly each shrimp by carefully slicing along the back almost all the way through. Leaving the shrimp connected so it opens and lays flat. Once finished, refrigerate the shrimp while preparing the stuffing. Meanwhile, remove the bacon from the refrigerator so it can come to room temperature, making it easier to wrap.
Prepare the Crawfish Stuffing: Roughly chop the crawfish tails into smaller bite-sized pieces to help them distribute evenly throughout the stuffing. Then transfer the crawfish to a large mixing bowl along with the mayo, garlic, parsley, breadcrumbs, lemon juice, egg, and seasoning.
Mix Until Combined: Thoroughly mix the stuffing until every ingredient is evenly incorporated and the mixture becomes cohesive.
Stuff the Shrimp: Now, place approximately 1 to 1½ tablespoons of the crawfish stuffing onto each butterflied shrimp. Gently press the stuffing into place so it stays secure during cooking.
Wrap with Bacon: Afterward, wrap each stuffed shrimp with one slice of thin-cut bacon, slightly overlapping as you go. Arrange the shrimp seam-side down on a wire rack or cooling rack placed over a baking sheet.
Season the Bacon (Optional): Lightly season the bacon with your favorite BBQ seasoning for an extra layer of smoky flavor.
Stuffed Shrimp Cooking Process
Smoke or Bake the Shrimp: Place the shrimp into a smoker or oven preheated to 275°F (135°C). Cook for 45-60 minutes, Once the bacon reaches your preferred level of crispness and the shrimp are fully cooked.
Glaze with BBQ Sauce (Optional): Lightly brush the bacon with your favorite BBQ sauce or glaze. Apply only a thin coating so the sauce complements the seafood instead of overpowering it.
Serve: Finally, remove the stuffed shrimp from the smoker, allow them to cool for a few minutes, and serve immediately while they’re hot and juicy.
Final Thoughts
One of the best parts of this recipe is how versatile it is. If crawfish isn’t available, lump crab meat creates an equally delicious filling, and the optional BBQ glaze adds just enough sweetness to balance the savory flavors. Whether you’re firing up your pellet smoker or using your oven indoors, these stuffed shrimp are guaranteed to impress family and friends. Serve them alongside grilled vegetables, smoked potatoes, rice pilaf, or a fresh garden salad for a complete meal that’s packed with bold BBQ flavor.
If you are looking for more summer shellfish recipes try my Grilled Clams or my Buttery Char Grilled Scallops
Smoked Stuffed Shrimp
These Smoked Stuffed Shrimp combine juicy colossal shrimp, buttery crawfish stuffing, crispy bacon, and subtle smoke into one irresistible bite. The creamy crawfish filling is packed with garlic, parsley, breadcrumbs, fresh lemon juice, and seasoning, creating the perfect balance of richness and freshness. Whether you cook them on a pellet smoker or in the oven, this recipe is easy enough for a weekend dinner yet impressive enough for entertaining guests.
Ingredients
- 14-16 colossal shrimp, peeled and deveined (tails left on)
- 10 slices thin-cut bacon
- 1 pound crawfish tail meat (or substitute lump crab meat)
- ¼ cup mayonnaise
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tablespoon fresh chopped parsley (or dried parsley)
- ½ cup breadcrumbs
- Juice of 1 lemon
- 1 egg
- 2 teaspoons All-Purpose BBQ Seasoning or Old Bay-style seasoning
- BBQ sauce or glaze (optional)
Instructions
Prepare the Shrimp: First, butterfly each shrimp by carefully slicing along the back almost all the way through, leaving the shrimp connected so it opens and lays flat. Once finished, refrigerate the shrimp while preparing the stuffing. Meanwhile, remove the bacon from the refrigerator so it can come to room temperature, making it easier to wrap.
Prepare the Crawfish Stuffing: Next, roughly chop the crawfish tails into smaller bite-sized pieces to help them distribute evenly throughout the stuffing. Then transfer the crawfish to a large mixing bowl along with the mayonnaise, minced garlic, parsley, breadcrumbs, lemon juice, egg, and seasoning.
Mix Until Combined: Using a spoon or rubber spatula, thoroughly mix the stuffing until every ingredient is evenly incorporated and the mixture becomes cohesive.
Stuff the Shrimp: Now, place approximately 1 to 1½ tablespoons of the crawfish stuffing onto each butterflied shrimp. Gently press the stuffing into place so it stays secure during cooking.
Wrap with Bacon: Afterward, wrap each stuffed shrimp with one slice of thin-cut bacon, slightly overlapping as you go. Arrange the shrimp seam-side down on a wire rack or cooling rack placed over a baking sheet.
Season the Bacon (Optional): If desired, lightly season the bacon with your favorite BBQ seasoning for an extra layer of smoky flavor.
Smoke or Bake the Shrimp: Place the shrimp into a smoker or oven preheated to 275°F (135°C). Cook for 20–45 minutes, depending on the thickness of the bacon, until the bacon reaches your preferred level of crispness and the shrimp are fully cooked.
Glaze with BBQ Sauce (Optional): During the final 10 minutes of cooking, lightly brush the bacon with your favorite BBQ sauce or glaze. Apply only a thin coating so the sauce complements the seafood instead of overpowering it.
Serve: Finally, remove the stuffed shrimp from the smoker, allow them to cool for a few minutes, and serve immediately while they're hot and juicy.
Notes
Large Colossal Shrimp Hold the Perfect Amount of Stuffing: Butterflying the shrimp creates a generous pocket that holds plenty of flavorful crawfish filling while still allowing the shrimp to cook evenly. Every bite delivers juicy shrimp with plenty of stuffing instead of overwhelming the seafood.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 4 Serving Size: 2Amount Per Serving: Calories: 565Sodium: 880mgSugar: 2gProtein: 41g