Grilled Bacon Wrapped Pickles (with Creamy Garlic Dip)

When you host a barbecue, serve up some grilled bacon wrapped pickles to tide over your guests’ hunger until the burgers and hot dogs are done. My creamy garlic dip makes a light, cooling sauce for your sizzling appetizers.

Dill pickles, meat and garlic dip are low in carbs, making this a great appetizer for a keto diet. If you love bacon-wrapped food, you might also enjoy my bacon wrapped scallops recipe.

Ingredients

• sour cream - For the dip. I use full fat but feel free to go light with your sour cream.
• mayo - Also for the dip.
• Worcestershire sauce - Enhances the flavor of the dip.
• radishes - Grated finely.
• baby dill pickles - In a pinch, you could slice a full-sized pickle for this recipe, but baby dill pickles are the perfect size for appetizers with the perfect amount of crunch, juice and texture.
• bacon strips - Cut in half crosswise. I like to use classic cut bacon because it's easier to wrap around and easier to secure to the pickle.
• BBQ sauce - To brush onto the pickles.

*Check recipe card for ingredient amounts.

How to Make Grilled Bacon Wrapped Pickles

For the Creamy Garlic Dip

Step 1. Make the Dip. Mix all dip ingredients together. Reserve.

For the Grilled Pickles

Grill Temperature: Heat the outdoor grill to medium-high heat. Once it reaches that temperature, turn off half of the burners (for indirect heat) and place a mesh grill mat over the indirect-heat side of the grill.

Step 2. Wrap the Pickles. Wrap each pickle in one of the bacon slices. Secure it with a toothpick.

Step 3. Brush With BBQ Sauce. While you're waiting for the grill to preheat, brush the bacon-wrapped pickles with some BBQ sauce.

Step 4. Grill Over Indirect Heat. Place the bacon-wrapped pickles on the grill mat (indirect heat) and close the grill lid. Cook for about 20 minutes or until bacon is fully cooked.

Step 5. Grill Over Direct Heat. Move the pickles over to the direct heat for a few minutes, turning a couple of times, to crisp up the bacon.

Chef's Note: If some crisp up quicker than the others, just move them over to the indirect heat side to keep warm.

Step 6. Serve. Transfer the grilled bacon-wrapped pickles to a serving dish, cool for a few minutes and serve with the garlic dip.

Joss' Tips

• Make sure the pickles are dry. After you remove them from the brine, just make sure to shake off or pat down the excess brine so that the bacon can crisp up easily.
• Cut the strips to size. If some of the pickles are very small, you can cut the bacon strips to a shorter length. You do not want to overlap the bacon too much, as this can lead to parts of the bacon being undercooked.
• Use a mesh grill mat. I highly recommend using the grill mat. It makes it easier to move the pickles from one side of the grill to the other, plus it's easy to clean. It's perfect for small appetizers like these grilled bacon-wrapped pickles.
• Give your guests variety. You could also add a few of your favorite dips (such as this honey dill dip or homemade ranch dressing) to give your guests a variety of dipping options.
• Focus on presentation. If you're serving these grilled pickles to a group of people, arrange the appetizers on a plate with a bowl of dip in the middle. Use tongs or fresh toothpicks to make it easy for your guests to pick up an appetizer.
• Re-purpose the dip. The garlic dip is perfect for bacon-wrapped pickles, but you can pair it with just about anything that’s meant for dipping--chips, breadsticks, mini toasts, crusty bread, chicken fingers, fries, raw vegetables and anything else you can think of that you serve with dip.
• Re-purpose the grilled bacon-wrapped pickles. As a way to repurpose the leftovers, you could chop up the bacon wrapped dill pickles and make a smoky dill pickle cream cheese spread.

Storage

• For the dip: Store the dip in a sealed container in the fridge so that it retains its freshness for up to 3 to 4 days.
• For leftover grilled bacon wrapped pickles: It's unlikely that you'll have leftovers, but if you do, store your grilled pickles in the fridge as soon as possible. Eat them within a few days for maximum freshness.
• Reheating: Once they're cooked, you can heat up the appetizers in the microwave or throw them in a frying pan to keep the bacon crispy.

Grilled Bacon Wrapped Pickle FAQs

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