Bacon Onion Bombs cooked in the oven seem intimidating but are actually easy to make and very impressive! They are the perfect BBQ food with all of the essentials...onions stuffed with flavorful hamburger, then wrapped in bacon. They are perfectly keto and low carb.
If you're craving burgers and want something a little different, these Bacon Onion Bombs are easy to prepare and they keep your stovetop clean! I am all about keeping my stovetop clean!
How to make onion bombs
For this recipe you will need 3 white or yellow onions, 2 pounds of ground beef, seasonings for the ground beef, 6 chunks of cheddar cheese, 18 slices of bacon, and 6 toothpicks.
Our first step is to prep the onions. We need to cut off the top and bottom and then slice them in half. Now we peel the layers. I discarded the top layer because it is tough.
The next 2 layers are what we are going to use for the bombs. The inner parts of the onion are too small so we will save them for another recipe.
Now we need to get the hamburger meat mixed with the seasonings.
Place the hamburger meat in a large bowl and break it up with your fingers so we can spread all of the seasonings over the meat evenly. This helps us mix the meat thoroughly without over-mixing because over mixed hamburger meat results in tough burgers.
After you mix all of the hamburger meat, divide it into 6 balls and place a piece of cheddar cheese in the center. Make sure the hamburger meat completely covers the cheese. Place the hamburger ball 2 onion halves and set aside.
Lay 3 slices of bacon on a board in a star shape. Place the onion wrapped meatball in the center.
Bring the bacon pieces up to the top and secure with a toothpick.
Bake them in a 425F oven for 40 minutes. The internal temperature should be 165F and the bacon will be crispy.
Look at how amazing these look!
Into BBQ recipes? Check out my BBQ Pulled Pork, Instant pot BBQ Chicken Legs, BBQ Rib Rub, and Easy Oven Baked Ribs.
Looking for side dishes? Check out my Low Carb Broccoli Salad and Cauliflower Mac and Cheese.
Bacon Onion Bombs
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Tip: Hitting your 20–30g protein per meal goal helps you stay full and supports muscle.
Ingredients
- 3 White or yellow onions
- 18 Slices bacon
- 2 pounds Ground Beef
- 2 Tablespoons avocado oil
- 1 teaspoon Kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon Black pepper
- 1 teaspoon Garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon Onion powder
- ½ Cup Sugar free BBQ sauce
- 6 Ounces Sharp cheddar, cut into 6 even cubes
Equipment
- 6 Toothpicks
Instructions
- Pre-heat the oven to 425F. Set aside a small sheetpan.
Prep the Onions
- Cut the ends off of each onion and discard. Cut the onions in half and peel off the outer layer, discard. Peel off the next 2 layers and set aside for the bombs. Reserve the rest of the onion (smaller inner pieces) for another recipe.
Prep the Ground Beef
- Break apart the ground beef into smaller pieces in a large bowl. Spread the avocado oil, salt, pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, and BBQ sauce on top of the beef. Mix together being careful not to over-mix. Divide the meat mixture into 6 even sections. Set aside
Assembling the Onion Bombs
- On a cuttin board, lay out 3 pieces of bacon in a star shape. Grab a section of meat and place a piece of cheese in the center. Form into a meatball around the cheese, being sure to cover the entire peices of cheese.
- Grab 2 of the onion pieces and place them around the meatball (I use a big piece of onion and a smaller piece). Place the meatball in the center of the bacon star and bring the bacon up around the sides and secure to the top with a toothpick.
- Place the bacon bombs on a sheet pan and bake in the center of the oven for 40 minutes or until an internal meat thermometer reads 165F and the bacon is crispy. Serve.
Notes
- Reserve the remaining onions for future recipes! I like to dice them up and freeze to use in soups.
- MIXING THE MEAT - Over mixing the meat will make your meatballs tough. I break the meat up into smaller pieces and spread it out over the bottom of the bowl, then spread the BBQ sauce and seasonings evenly over the meat. This helps mix the meat better without over-mixing.
- DIVIDING THE MEAT IN THE BOWL - This is simply done by having the meat in an even layer in the bowl, then using a butter knife to make a plus shape in the meat, then an X. This divides the meat into 6 even chunks.
- NUTRITION - Based on 1 onion bomb (they're big) using 80/20 ground beef and figuring ¼ cup of onion
Doug says
These came out OK, but not as good as I expected. The onions were still too crunchy, while the bacon wasn't crispy enough. Also, the cheese melted out of the meat in 2 of the 3 that I made. I wonder if it wouldn't just be better mixed up as a casserole? It is pretty now, assuming they don't split open, but it is a bit challenging to eat.
Next time I might cook them longer, but on the other hand, then the meat will be overdone...
Ralph says
GREAT!
Absolutely love these.
wilhelmina says
This is such an awesome low carb recipe!
Beth says
These look so elegant yet so easy too! I won't even miss the bun with this recipe! Delish!