Smoked Bologna

Smoked bologna is easy to make and surprisingly flavourful. Scored, then coated in sauce and seasoning, before being slow-smoked, this is one of our favourite ways to enjoy bologna.

Smoked Bologna was originally posted on our first website in October 2021. Updated in May 2025 with new information, including a change in the ingredients to improve the recipe after further testing. 

Growing up bologna was a staple in our house. Lunches consisted of ‘baloney’ sandwiches with mustard or ketchup. Bologna sandwiches were fast and easy to make for a summer lunch by the lake.

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Where to Buy a Whole Bologna

The best place to start when looking for whole bologna is at your local grocery store. Almost every in-store deli sells bologna. It is getting the whole piece that can be harder to find. You may have to ask the deli manager to order one for you if they don’t keep it in stock or it’s not a big seller.

You can also find whole bologna at some Costco locations or wholesale grocery stores. We almost always find it at Costco Business Centre and The Wholesale Club. Depending on where you live, you may have to ask around at different stores.

And if whole bologna is too much, you can always use a smaller piece, either a half or a quarter piece.

How to Smoke a Bologna

Smoking bologna is easy. Once you try it, you will want to make it again and again.

You can use a wood smoker, pellet smoker, charcoal BBQ, or gas grill. We usually use our wood smoker but we have also used our Weber kettle and our Traeger pellet smoker.

Because bologna is already cooked, you won’t need to smoke it for a long time like you would a raw piece of meat. It will only take about two hours of smoke time to make this recipe.

Scoring the Bologna

The bologna will need to be scored to allow the smoke to get inside. This is easily done by running a knife crosswise across the bologna in one direction and then the other, creating diamond shapes in the bologna. You don’t want to cut too deep, only about a ¼-½ inch deep.

Why Coat Bologna With Mustard?

Applying a thin layer of mustard to the bologna before seasoning it, will help the seasoning to stick to the bologna during the smoking process.

The mustard can be replaced with BBQ sauce for a different flavour.

Seasoning

After scoring the bologna, flavour is added by coating it in seasoning. We use different seasonings depending on our mood. You can make it spicy or mild with your choice of spices. One of our favourites is our creole seasoning.

Smoking Wood

The choice of wood to smoke bologna is up to you. We prefer using apple wood or cherry wood. We like the flavours the fruit woods bring to the bologna. Hickory wood is also a good choice.

How to Serve Smoked Bologna

Smoked Bologna sandwiches are one of our favourites. We like to slice the bologna after smoking to make toasted bologna sandwiches.

We have used the smoked bologna to make Chuck-wagon Sandwiches, as well. We smoke the ham and salami alongside the bologna for these sandwiches.

We have also sliced the bologna and fried it to serve with eggs and toast for breakfast.

Smoked Bologna Bowls

For dinner, bologna bowls are a great way to use bologna. To make one:

• Fry thinly sliced bologna. The bologna will become dome-shaped as it cooks.
• Flip it over to make a bowl.
• Fill it with mashed potatoes and top with creamed corn. Replace the corn with gravy for a different flavour.

Smoked Bologna Sandwiches

To make sandwiches with Smoked Bologna, start with two slices of toasted, thick-sliced bread. Add sliced Smoked Bologna, mustard, shredded lettuce, and Salt and Vinegar chips.

An alternative to Salt and Vinegar chips is Hickory Sticks. These add even more smokiness to the sandwich. If you don’t like or can’t find Salt and Vinegar chips or Hickory Sticks, just use your favourite flavour of chips.

Breakfast Smoked Bologna

We love frying some slices of Smoked Bologna and serving it on the side of fried eggs, toast, and hash-browned potatoes. A runny yolk on the bologna is so good.

You can also turn this into a breakfast sandwich by adding the fried bologna, egg, and some cheese to toast to create a sandwich.

Storing Smoked Bologna

Storing Smoked Bologna is easy. All you have to do is wrap it in plastic wrap after it is cooled and refrigerate it. You can slice it before storing it or wrap it up whole. Use it within 3 days.

It can also be frozen for up to one month. Slice and wrap in plastic wrap, then place in a freezer bag or air-tight container. Thaw in the fridge before using.