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If you’re searching for a way to use up some of this season’s onions AND on the hunt for a creative way to prep a delicious protein, these Paleo BBQ Bacon Onion Bombs are to the rescue! They’re a breeze to whip up, burst with delicious flavor, and are so much fun to make. Serve alongside some leafy greens and a baked potato for a complete meal!
I’m a BIG fan of BIG batch recipes. Sometimes it’s because I’m hosting some friends and family for dinner and I actually need a lot of food to serve up at once and sometimes it’s just because I’m needing a dish that I can whip up with minimal kitchen time commitment, but maximum meals for the week ahead. These BBQ Bacon Onion Bombs fit the big batch recipe bill …but they also satisfy the need for something delicious, budget-friendly, family-approved, and fun (to make/eat). These onions bombs are pretty much winning at life.
The “bomb” is made possible by slicing through a fresh onion on *one* side so that you can peel away the layers one at a time – creating a sort of hollow shell. I filled that shell with a simple ground beef mixture that I seasoned with some BBQ sauce (this version is my favorite store-bought and this version is my favorite homemade), sea salt, and pepper. From there, the stuffed onion bombs are wrapped in a slice of bacon, baked until cooked through, basted with more BBQ sauce, and then returned to the oven so that the sauce can (essentially) caramelize around the onion bomb. Can you say YUM?
I garnished with fresh green onion and served it alongside some sauteed greens (several recipes for tasty greens in my ‘Fed & Fit’ book) and small baked potato. Delicious!
This recipe is my 8th contribution to the Summer CSA Recipe Series embarked upon by myself, Juli of PaleOMG, and Lexi of Lexi’s Clean Kitchen! See below for the other recipes I’ve posted in this series so far and scroll to the bottom of this post to check out what Juli and Lexi cooked up for you this week!
- Week 1: Chicken Salad with Snap Pea Radish Slaw
- Week 2: Paleo Teriyaki Chicken Thighs with Bok Choy
- Week 3: Thai Chard Shrimp Wraps with Peanut Sauce
- Week 4: Fennel Pesto Chicken & Zucchini Spaghetti
- Week 5: Corned Beef Breakfast Hash
- Week 6: Enchilada Verde Turkey Meatballs
- Week 7: Furikake Crab Bowl
Ingredients
- 3 medium-sized onions
- 2 pounds ground beef
- 3/4 cup BBQ Sauce store-bought or homemade
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 pound bacon
- 1/4 cup green onion chopped, for garnish
Instructions
- To prepare the onions, cut both the stem and pointed end off and then peel away the outer-most layer and discard. Slide your knife from one rounded end into the core of the onion, creating one cut in each layer. Use your finger tip to loosen each layer of the onion and then peel them away so that you're left with onion shells. Continue until you get to the center of the onion that's about 1-inch in diameter. Repeat for the remaining 2 onions.
- To prepare the ground beef, mix in 1/4 cup of the BBQ sauce, sea salt, and pepper until it's evenly combined. Spoon and press the filling into each of your onion skins, until all are filled.
- Wrap each onion bomb with one piece of bacon (or 1/2 piece of bacon for the smaller bombs) and secure with a toothpick. Place the prepared bombs on a rimmed baking sheet. Note: for extra crisp, place the bombs on a wire rack that's elevated off the baking sheet.
- Bake at 350 F for 35 minutes.
- Remove from oven to baste and turn the temperature up to 400 F.
- Baste the now cooked onion bombs with the rest of the BBQ sauce and then return to the oven when it reaches 400 F for 10 more minutes. Keep an eye on the bombs for the last few minutes - we're looking for the color to darken, but not to burn.
- Let cool for 5 minutes before serving, garnish with the green onion, and enjoy!
- Note: leftovers will keep refrigerated for up to 5 days and frozen for up to 5 months.
Nutrition Information
From Juli this week: Lemon Herb and Dill Potatoes
From Lexi this week: Roasted Tomatillo Salsa Verde & Salsa Verde Guacamole
Whip up this delicious Roasted Tomatillo Salsa Verde and make some killer guacamole too. Tomatillos and cilantro are bursting out of my CSA, along with carrots, cucumbers, tomatoes, and celery! You’ll get two recipes in one this week because what is salsa without guacamole? Serve it with all those farm fresh veggies for the ultimate appetizer!
Leah says
My fiance and I have been waiting for this recipe since you snapped about it, we were both drooling!
Looking forward to trying it on the BBQ this weekend. Thanks for another delicious recipe!!
Amy says
Last night my husband requested “something more fun than a meatball” for supper – These absolutely fit the bill. They were fantastic! We agreed these definitely fall into the keeper category. Great recipe! 🙂
Cassy says
Ha! I’m so glad you liked them!
Claire says
Hi Casey! Just making sure the ground beef does not need to be cooked first right?thanks!
Cassy says
Correct, Claire! it’s like a meatloaf in that way 🙂
Jack says
I read your comment to Claire back in June 2017 and thought I’d try these with a meatloaf mixture instead. I stuffed the onions with my regular ground pork mix, wrapped in bacon and then basted with my own glaze. They were really good, and don’t take long to make. I cooked them on the rack in my Ninja cooker, with water in the bottom of the cooker. That’s mainly to keep my house from getting heated by the oven this summer, but they turned out really moist. I did broil them briefly in the oven to caramelize the glaze. Thanks for the recipe.
Karen says
If freezing for future consumption, you freeze after cooking, right? Also, how do you suggest reheating them after being frozen? I am anxious to try these!
Amber Link says
That’s correct! Ideally I’d recommend reheating from frozen in the oven for 15-20 minutes at 350, until warmed through in the center, but you can also microwave them for 3-4 minutes!
MONA WINN says
LOVE THESE RECIPES.. LOVE TO COOK