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Nashville Hot Turkey Bacon Wrapped Mozzarella Sticks Recipe taken with iphone 15 pro max --iw 2 --ar 4:5 --v 6.1 --raw

Nashville Hot Chicken Shotgun Shells

These Nashville Hot Chicken Shotgun Shells are a spicy, smoky, and creamy twist on stuffed manicotti — packed with bold heat, tender shredded chicken, and rich cheesy filling wrapped in crispy bacon.
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Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 2 hours 30 minutes
Total Time 3 hours
Course Soup
Cuisine Mexican
Servings 4 people
Calories 1693 kcal

Equipment

  • 1 Mixing bowl Large
  • 1 Skillet for searing chicken
  • 1 Oven or Smoker preheated to 300°F

Ingredients
  

Main ingredients

  • 3-4 Chicken Thighs juicy and tender
  • Canola Oil as needed
  • ½ cup Cayenne Pepper for Nashville heat
  • 2 tablespoon Kosher Salt
  • 1.5 tablespoon Mustard Powder
  • 1 tablespoon Smoked Paprika
  • 1 tablespoon Brown Sugar
  • 2 teaspoon Garlic Powder
  • 20-24 slices Wright Brand Hickory Bacon
  • 10-12 Manicotti Shells
  • ¼ cup Nashville Hot Seasoning for brushing shells
  • 1 cup Honey for glaze
  • ¼ cup Plain Cream Cheese
  • ¼ cup Shredded Cheddar Cheese
  • 3 tablespoon Sour Cream
  • 3 tablespoon Mayonnaise
  • 2 tablespoon Buttermilk
  • 1 tablespoon Pickle Juice
  • 2 teaspoon Parsley finely chopped
  • 2 teaspoon Dill finely chopped
  • ½ teaspoon Black Pepper
  • ½ teaspoon Kosher Salt for ranch
  • ½ teaspoon Garlic Powder for ranch

Instructions
 

Instructions

  • Preheat smoker or oven to 300°F (150°C).
  • Season chicken thighs with kosher salt, mustard powder, smoked paprika, brown sugar and garlic powder.
  • Heat canola oil in skillet, sear thighs until cooked through. Cool and shred.
  • Toss shredded chicken with cayenne pepper and additional Nashville hot seasoning.
  • Stuff manicotti shells with chicken mixture. Optional: insert mozzarella stick inside each shell.
  • Wrap each shell in two slices of bacon, covering edges.
  • Place on baking rack over foil-lined tray or smoker grates. Cook 30–40 minutes until bacon is crisp and shells heated through.
  • Optional: brush with cayenne-hot oil in last 5 minutes for added heat.
  • Let rest 10 minutes before serving with homemade ranch.
  • Enjoy with fresh parsley and dill as garnish for extra flavor pop.

Notes

Wrap leftovers tightly and refrigerate up to 3 days. Reheat covered in oven or microwave with splash of water to retain moisture. Can freeze; thaw in fridge overnight before reheating.