Preheat your grill to medium-high heat (about 400°F), or if you're cooking indoors, preheat your oven to 425°F (220°C). If using the oven, place a wire rack over a baking sheet so the kebabs can cook evenly and the bacon can crisp without sitting in grease.

Lay the bacon strips on a baking sheet and par-cook them for 8–10 minutes, just until they start to release fat and turn slightly golden but are still flexible. This step helps the bacon crisp later without burning. Once done, transfer the bacon to paper towels to drain and cool enough to handle.

In a mixing bowl, combine the ground beef with the salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and smoked paprika. Mix gently with your hands or a spoon — just enough to distribute the seasoning without compressing the meat too much, which would make the meatballs dense. Shape the mixture into 12–18 small meatballs, depending on whether you want appetizer-size or full-size kebabs.

(Optional step) Heat a skillet over medium-high heat and sear the meatballs for 1–2 minutes on each side. You're not cooking them through — just giving them a nice browned crust so they hold together better on the skewers and have deeper flavor once grilled or baked.

Take a piece of par-cooked bacon and wrap it around each meatball. Once wrapped, slide the meatball onto a skewer, then add a cheese cube, followed by a pickle slice or cherry tomato. Leave a little space between each item so the heat can circulate. Continue threading ingredients until each skewer has a good balance of meat, cheese, and veggies.

Place the kebabs on the grill and cook for 8–10 minutes, turning occasionally so all sides sear evenly. The bacon should crisp up nicely, and the meatballs should reach your preferred level of doneness. Keep an eye out for flare-ups caused by bacon drippings — move kebabs to a cooler zone of the grill if needed.

For the oven method, arrange the skewers on the wire rack and bake for 10–14 minutes, or until the bacon is sizzling and the meatballs are cooked through. You can switch to broil for 1 minute at the end if you want extra crispiness.

Remove the kebabs from heat and let them rest for 3 minutes so the juices settle. Serve immediately with keto-friendly condiments like mustard, sugar-free ketchup, or your favorite low-carb burger sauce.