Recipe

BBQ Canneloni Stuffed with Cuban Picadillo and Wrapped in Bacon

Name: BBQ Canneloni Stuffed with Cuban Picadillo and Wrapped in Bacon
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 95 min
Total time: 145 min
Ingredients: 12 large dry cannelloni or manicotti tubes suitable for boiling (about 200 g); 2 liters of water; 10 g of salt; 15 ml of olive oil; 80 g of very finely chopped onion; 60 g of very finely chopped green pepper; 2 cloves of garlic, chopped (6 g); 400 g of ground beef; 40 ml of dry wine; 100 g of crushed tomato; 30 ml of unsalted beef broth; 30 g of pitted green olives, chopped; ½ teaspoon of cumin; ½ teaspoon of dried oregano; 2 g of salt; ¼ teaspoon of black pepper; 80 g of cream cheese; 80 g of Monterey Jack or low-moisture mozzarella, grated; 24 very thin bacon slices (about 360 g); 100 g of barbecue sauce; 20 ml of sour orange juice; 15 ml of water; A little oil to grease the grate

Cuban barbecue fusion: pasta tubes stuffed with picadillo and cheese, wrapped in bacon and glazed on a charcoal grill.

CiberCubaNovember 6, 2026

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Preparation30 min
Cooking1 h 35 min
Total time2 h 25 min
Servings12 cannelloni (6 servings as an appetizer, 2 per person)
DifficultyMedium

This recipe is a fusion, not a traditional Cuban dish. It is inspired by American barbecue shotgun shells: large pasta tubes that are stuffed, wrapped in bacon, and cooked slowly on the grill. Here, the filling is our classic picadillo, with its sofrito, dry wine, tomato, and olives.

It is an idea designed for those who have a charcoal grill in the backyard and want to bring a taste of home to the next family or friends' gathering. It is served as an appetizer, two cannelloni per person, and the barbecue glaze with sour orange gives it that acidic touch we love so much.

The key lies in the method: the pasta is partially boiled and the picadillo is already cooked, so on the grill you only need to finish softening the pasta, brown the bacon, and reheat the filling until the center reaches 74 °C (165 °F). The cheeses provide the moisture the pasta needs to become tender.

Method

The picadillo (active work and cooking: about 25 minutes)

Heat the olive oil in a wide skillet over medium heat. Sauté the onion and green pepper for about 7 minutes, until soft.
Add the garlic and ground beef. Break up any lumps well with the spoon and cook until the meat reaches 71 °C (160 °F).
Incorporate the dry wine, crushed tomato, broth, olives, cumin, oregano, salt, and pepper. Cook until you obtain a juicy picadillo, but without liquid accumulating at the bottom. Calculate about 25 minutes for the entire picadillo, from the sofrito.
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Cooling and stuffing (rest: 15 minutes)

Spread the picadillo in a shallow dish and let it cool for about 15 minutes.
Mix the warm picadillo with the cream cheese and grated cheese. The filling should be compact and moist.

The pasta (while making the picadillo)

Bring 2 liters of water to a boil with 10 g of salt. Cook the tubes for about 2 minutes less than the al dente time indicated by the manufacturer. They should be flexible but firm.
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Drain them, let them cool briefly until you can handle them, and separate them so they do not stick together.

Grill and assembly (active work)

Prepare the charcoal on one side of the grill and leave the other zone without coals. Cover and stabilize the temperature at 160 °C (320 °F).
Stuff the tubes with the pastry bag or small spoon, distributing the picadillo among the 12. Do not press so hard that they break, but avoid leaving large air pockets.
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Wrap each cannelloni with two thin bacon slices in a spiral, covering the entire outer surface of the pasta with minimal overlap.
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Indirect cooking and glazing (about 60-80 minutes)

Lightly grease the grate and place the cannelloni separated in the zone without coals. Cook with the grill covered for about 60-80 minutes, turning them once carefully.
Mix the barbecue sauce with the sour orange juice and water. Brush the cannelloni with this glaze during the last 10 minutes of cooking.
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Remove them when the pasta is tender, the bacon is browned, and the center of the filling reaches 74 °C (165 °F); check with the thermometer. Let rest for 5 minutes before serving.

Tips and variations

Times. Active preparation: about 30 minutes. Cooking: about 95 minutes (25 for picadillo and about 70 on the grill). Cooling and resting: 20 minutes (15 before stuffing and 5 at the end). Total approximate time: 2 hours and 25 minutes. These are guideline times; to save time, boil the pasta while making the picadillo.

Equipment. Charcoal grill with a lid, cooking grate, kitchen thermometer, and pastry bag or small spoon for stuffing.

About the tubes. Their size varies by brand; the yield of 12 cannelloni assumes large cannelloni or manicotti tubes suitable for boiling.

Important. In this version with cooked picadillo, do not use raw pasta or the method of leaving stuffed tubes with raw meat to rest overnight. Always measure the temperature in the center of the filling: it must reach 74 °C (165 °F) when reheated on the grill.

If you cannot find sour orange. Substitute the 20 ml with about 13 ml of sweet orange juice and 7 ml of lime or lemon juice.

Cheeses. Monterey Jack is easily found in any US supermarket; if you prefer, use low-moisture mozzarella, grated.

Storage. Refrigerate leftovers in a covered container within 2 hours and consume within a maximum of 3 days. Reheat until the center reaches 74 °C again.