How to Smoke Bologna With Grillheads Dry Rub
Summer is here! That means firing up the grill for family BBQs, tailgating and lake days. Revisit fond childhood memories by sharing smoked bologna with your friends and family.
Whether you plan to serve fried bologna sandwiches or easy bologna appetizers, you may wonder how to smoke bologna to perfection. We’ve got the answer. Our slogan is “boots, bullets, britches, bologna,” after all!
Grab your favorite Grillheads dry rub and a log of bologna from Crane’s Country Store. Then follow these directions.
Choosing Your Seasoning
First, think flavor. You can play with dry rubs, marinades and wood chips to get your desired flavor.
Many people use dry rubs in place of marinades. As the name suggests, dry rubs don’t include wet ingredients. They are a blend of spices you apply to bologna before cooking. Many rubs contain salt, pepper, garlic powder, paprika, chili powder or brown sugar. Dry rubs don’t add extra moisture to your meat, so you’ll get a nice crust quicker!
Spicy? Sweet? With the right choice, everyone will wonder how you made each slice of bologna taste so good. Our favorite BBQ dry rubs are from Grillheads:
- O.M.G. (Oh My Garlic) Dry Rub. Garlic goes well with everything! For a garlic butter blend, look no further than Grillheads dry rub. On the first delicious bite, you won’t be able to help but say, “OMG!”
- Queen Bee Dry Rub. This sweet BBQ rub is what the queen ordered—the queen bee, that is! Go for taste and presentation with this sweet honey dry rub. The combination of garlic, paprika and honey offers stand-out flavor and adds beautiful color to your bologna.
- Jack Of All Rubs Dry Rub. Balance sweet and heat with this BBQ spice rub! The Jack of All Rubs includes brown sugar, paprika, garlic, honey and onion for an all-round yummy flavor. Add this rub to your pantry for seasoning meats, vegetables and seafood.
How Do You Smoke Bologna?
Once you have your seasoning, it’s time to get cooking! You’ll need bologna and a binder to help the dry rub stick to the meat. Here’s what you need:
- Log of bologna
- Mustard, mayo or olive oil (Choose your favorite binder!)
- Grillheads dry rub
- Knife for scoring
- Grill
You’ll prepare the bologna before putting it on the grill. You can start your grill and wait for it to get hot while you apply the rub and let the bologna sit.
How to Smoke Bologna
Follow these steps from Grillheads to smoke bologna.
Preparation:
- Score the bologna log every two inches lengthwise.
- Score the bologna log every inch the opposite way.
- Spread a binder like mustard on the bologna. You need just enough to get the rub to stick.
- Sprinkle on the dry rub liberally.
- Start the grill. You want it at 275 degrees.
Cook time:
- Place the bologna on the grill for two hours.
- Every 30 minutes, roll the bologna so it gets cooked on all sides.
- Take it off the grill and enjoy!
How Long Does It Take to Smoke Bologna?
You can smoke bologna for two to three hours. The longer the bologna cooks, the smokier it will taste. Cooking for longer periods also helps create a delicious outer crust.
Since bologna is a fully-cooked meat, it’s smoking time depends on you! You can smoke it for less time or more, depending on the flavor profile you want to achieve. As you smoke the bologna, you can baste it with sauce every hour for even more flavor.
What Can You Do With Smoked Bologna?
Smoked bologna can make many treats! It’s a great alternative to other meats since it is less expensive. You can load up on bologna to feed people at big events without breaking the bank.
After smoking bologna, you can serve it alone as a snack or as part of a charcuterie board. Looking for something that’s more filling? Try making fried bologna sandwiches! They’re a classic that calls back to many people’s childhoods.
Bologna and Cheese With Crackers
If you’re inviting several people over, choose the simple snack route! Slice your smoked bologna and pair it with your favorite cheese for an easy bologna appetizer. Stack it up—cracker, cheese and bologna—for great flavor and crunch!
Fried Bologna Sandwich
For lunch at the lake, grab white bread and condiments for what we feel is the best way to eat smoked bologna: a fried bologna sandwich.
Grease a skillet and place it over medium to high heat. Add a slice of bologna. Fry the slice for a few minutes on each side until browned. Then, add it to your sandwich!
When frying, bologna can curl in the pan. Avoid this by cutting an “X” in the center of each slice before adding it to the skillet. If you don’t like how the “X” method causes the slice to puff up, you can also cut half-inch notches into them instead.
Layer your sandwich with American cheese, bologna, lettuce, tomato and pickles. You can even add potato chips for more crunch.
How Long Is Smoked Bologna Good for?
You can keep smoked bologna around for several days. That’s good news for your leftovers. Keep the smoked bologna sandwiches coming!
The USDA recommends eating smoked meat within four days. For lunch meats and packaged meats, you can eat them within three to five days of opening them. Slice your bologna and store it in an air-tight container in the refrigerator.
Crane’s Famous $2 Sammies
If you’re in the mood for an excellent bologna sandwich, stop by Crane’s Country Store in Williamsburg, MO. Our famous $2 sammies let you choose one meat and one cheese to enjoy on classic white bread. We’re always open for lunch! You can eat your sammie on the porch or take it back to work with you.
For those far from Williamsburg, we’ve got what you need to make your sammies at home! Smoke and grill delicious meats with the best dry rubs around. Order Grillheads rubs online to get ready for summer meals.
Stock up on everything you need for a fun summer at Crane’s Country Store.