Smoked Bloody Mary with Smoked Bacon is an absolute must try for your weekend brunch. It’s even better made with fresh summer tomatoes!
Find out how to completely jazz up your next brunch with Smoked Bloody Marys!
Since we first created this smoked bloody mary recipe back in 2014 it’s become a staple at any brunch we host.
The original recipe includes smoked ice, which is definitely worth the effort, but is totally optional. It will certainly add more smokiness to the drink, but you get enough smoke from the tomatoes and bacon. Speaking of bacon…
The basic idea is to smoke tomatoes, and then use those smoked tomatoes in a homemade Bloody Mary mix.
This recipe is super easy, but it does take some time. But isn’t that what any great brunch is about? Taking your time and going big!!!
How to Smoke Fresh Tomatoes for Smoked Bloody Marys
- Prep Tomatoes: Start by quartering your tomatoes, removing stems, and then season them with salt, pepper, and your favorite vegetable spice (think Old Bay seasoning). Place the seasoned tomatoes on a wire rack or baking sheet.
- Smoke Tomatoes: Place the tomatoes in the smoker set to 250 degrees, and cook them until they are roasted. If you’re smoking at around 250-275 degrees this should take roughly an hour. This will depend on the size of your tomatoes.
- Let them cool: After about one hour remove tomatoes and let them cool down in temperature.
- Remove skins: When the tomatoes are cool enough to handle, remove the skin.
For the Smoked Bacon
Cook the bacon at the same time as the tomatoes. Lay out slices bacon in the smoker for approximately one hour to get crisp. Use as much bacon as needed for cocktails. You want the bacon to be pretty crispy so they stand up and remain crispy when used as a garnish in the cocktail.
How to make a Homemade Smoked Bloody Mary
Once your tomatoes have cooled enough to touch remove the skins, then place into a food processor or blender, add the rest of your ingredients, and blend until smooth. Taste and adjust to your flavor preferences.
These measurements aren’t strict. Go by what you like! If you like yours really spicy, then add more spicy elements (horseradish, hot sauce, etc.). This is just a base to start your drink with. But even the Traeger Grills folks like this recipe so much they featured it on their own website and even started a product line with it (yes, using our recipe).
This recipe is tried and true!
The Video
If you want to add smoked ice, check out the original recipe for instructions.
Smoked Bloody Mary Recipe
Smoked Bloody Mary with Smoked Bacon
Ingredients
To Smoke the Tomatoes and Bacon:
- 5-6 Roma tomatoes, quartered
- 1 tablespoon Old Bay seasoning
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
- 4 pieces thick cut bacon
For the Mix
- smoked tomatoes (from above)
- 3 cups tomato juice
- 5 teaspoons hot sauce (we use a combination of Frank’s RedHot and Valentina)
- 3 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
- 2 teaspoons horseradish
- the juice of 1 whole medium sized lemon
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1-2 oz vodka, (per cocktail, or more if you want it stronger)
For the Garnish:
- smoked bacon
- pickled asparagus
- celery
- lemon wedges
Instructions
To Smoke the Tomatoes and Bacon
- Set smoker to 250 degrees.
- Prep Tomatoes: Cut tomatoes in halves (or quarters if they are larger tomatoes) and remove stems. Season with salt, pepper, and your favorite vegetable spice (think Old Bay seasoning), just enough to coat. Place tomatoes on a drying rack or baking sheet.
- Smoked Tomatoes and Bacon: Smoke the tomatoes with the lid closed until they look soft and roasted. At the same time, layout slices bacon in the smoker for one hour to get crisp. (Use as much bacon as needed for cocktails). You want the bacon to be pretty crispy so they stand up and remain crispy when used as a garnish in the cocktail.
- After approximately one hour, remove bacon and tomatoes. Let tomatoes cool then remove skin.
For the Smoked Bloody Marys
- Transfer tomatoes to food processor or blender and pulse until pureed and juiced.
- Add tomato juice, Worcestershire, horseradish, hot sauce, lemon juice, and additional seasonings to the blender. Stir or pulse again to combine. Adjust ingredients to your taste and preferences, and add any more ingredients as desired.
- Rim a pint sized glass with lemon juice, then dip it upside down in the seasoning mixture. (For an extra flare consider mixing smoked salt with seasoning for the glass rim)
- Add ice cubes, then vodka, and top with the Bloody Mary mixture. Stir gently. Add garnishes. Instagram your creation and then tell all your friends how ridiculously delicious this cocktail is.
Notes
More Brunch Ideas for the Smoker or Grill
If you love a good weekend brunch, check out some of these amazing brunch recipes to add to your menu:
- Smoked Pulled Pork Hash
- The Ultimate Smoked Salmon Eggs Benedict
- Perfect Roasted Potatoes
- How to make the Ultimate Mimosa Bar
- Smoked Ham Breakfast Hash
If you like this recipe we’d truly appreciate it if you would give this recipe a star review! And if you share any of your pics on Instagram use the hashtag #vindulge. We LOVE to see it when you cook our recipes.
Corey Bakken says
What type of wood you use for the smoker
Sean Martin says
Corey for this recipe we love oak or apple. Oak will add a little more smoke and apple will be a little sweeter in flavor.