Pork Belly Burnt Ends

These Smoked Pork Belly Burnt Ends are a melt-in-your-mouth BBQ favorite, packed with rich, smoky flavor and caramelized perfection—an easier alternative to brisket burnt ends that’s perfect for your Traeger or pellet grill.

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Pork Belly Burnt Ends are a delicious twist on our Poor Man’s Burnt Ends and Pork Butt Burnt Ends recipes. Pork belly is rubbed in a smoky seasoning before you leave it in the smoker for two hours. Then you’ll toss the pork with a homemade sweet, sticky sauce and cook it for another 90 minutes. The result is pork burnt ends so delicious that they won’t last long!

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• Burnt ends are so flavorful because they have great marbling of the fat in the pork belly just like bacon.
• These bite sized pieces of meat are full of flavor and super tender and juicy. They are such a great finger food.
• Pork belly burnt ends are so easy to make! Just toss them in a quick homemade rub and then smoke them before finishing them off in BBQ sauce.

Ingredients for Pork Belly Burnt Ends

• Pork rub – We use our homemade Dry Rub for Pork, but any pork rub will do.
• Pork belly – The star of the show! If you are unable to find this yummy cut of pork at your grocery store or butcher, you can try pork shoulder or pork cheeks in it’s place.
• BBQ Sauce – Use your favorite barbecue sauce, we usually use Sweet Baby Ray’s. You can also make homemade.
• Honey – Adds some extra sweet and stickiness to the sauce.
• Brown sugar – This helps the burnt ends to caramelize a little in the smoker.
• Butter – Adds a rich flavor and texture to the burnt ends.

How to Make Pork Belly Burnt Ends

1. Trim excess skin and fat off the pork belly before slicing into 1 1/2-2 inch cubes. Place in a large bowl.
2. Add dry rub to pork and toss until pieces are well coated.
3. Place cubed pork belly onto a wire rack or directly on the smoker and smoke for 2 hours.
4. Stir together BBQ sauce, honey and brown sugar in a small bowl until combined.
5. Remove the cubes from the smoker and place into a foil pan and toss in BBQ sauce until covered.
6. Slice butter and place on top of pork mixture. Cover the pan with aluminum foil and place back on the smoker for an additional 90 minutes.
7. Remove the foil, close the lid to the smoker, and smoke for another 15-30 minutes to let the sauce thicken up.

Storage and Reheating

Fridge: Store any leftover burnt ends in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days.

Freezer: Place in an airtight, freezer safe container and place in the freezer for up to three months. Allow to thaw in the refrigerator overnight before reheating.

To reheat, place on a baking sheet and place in the oven at 350 degrees Fahrenheit or place them back in the smoker until hot throughout.

What kind of pellets should I use for Pork Belly Burnt Ends?

We recommend a cherry wood pellet for smoking these burnt ends. Other great options would be hickory, pecan, maple or a competition blend pellet.

Just when you think pork belly can’t get any better, you’ve found this recipe! With crispy edges and sticky sweet sauce, this mouthwatering appetizer is sure to be a crowd favorite.

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4.45 from 9 votes

Smoked Pork Belly Burnt Ends

Tender, juicy Pork Belly Burnt Ends on your smoker! These are seasoned with a homemade rub, smoked on your Traeger and tossed in BBQ Sauce!

Prep:15 minutes mins

Cook:4 hours hrs

Total:4 hours hrs 15 minutes mins

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Equipment

• Smoker
• Wood pellets
• Measuring cups and spoons
• Mixing Bowls
• Cutting Board
• Sharp Knife
• Disposable foil pan
• Aluminum foil

Ingredients

• ▢ 1 cup Pork rub
• ▢ 8-10 pounds Pork belly sliced into cubes

BBQ Sauce

• ▢ 1 cup BBQ sauce
• ▢ 2 Tablespoons honey
• ▢ 1 Tablespoon brown sugar
• ▢ 4 Tablespoons butter

Instructions

• Preheat your smoker to 250 degrees Fahrenheit according to manufacturer's directions.
• Trim excess skin and fat off the pork belly. Slice into 1½ – 2 inch cubs. Place in a large bowl.
• Add your dry rub to the bowl with pork belly and toss until pieces are well coated. Place cubes onto a wire rack or directly on the smoker grates.
• Close smoker lid and smoke for 2 hours. Look for a darker red color and modest bark to develop.
• In a small bowl mix together BBQ sauce, honey and brown sugar. Stir until combined.
• Remove the pork belly cubes from the smoker and place into a foil pan. Toss in BBQ sauce until covered. Slice butter into small slabs and place on top of pork mixture. Cover the pan with aluminum foil and place back on the smoker.
• Cook for an additional 90 minutes or until about an internal temperature of 200 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Remove the foil, close the lid to the smoker, and smoke for another 15-30 minutes to let the sauce thicken up. Remove from smoker and serve.
  

Nutrition Information

Calories: 1029kcal (51%), Carbohydrates: 16g (5%), Protein: 18g (36%), Fat: 99g (152%), Saturated Fat: 37g (231%), Polyunsaturated Fat: 11g, Monounsaturated Fat: 46g, Trans Fat: 0.1g, Cholesterol: 137mg (46%), Sodium: 227mg (10%), Potassium: 452mg (13%), Fiber: 1g (4%), Sugar: 7g (8%), Vitamin A: 431IU (9%), Vitamin C: 2mg (2%), Calcium: 133mg (13%), Iron: 5mg (28%)

© Gimme Some Grilling ®

We are not dietitians and recommend you seek a nutritionist for exact nutritional information. The information in the nutrition box is calculated through a program and there is room for error. If you need an accurate count, I recommend running the ingredients through your favorite nutrition calculator.

How To Serve Pork Belly Burnt Ends

Pork belly burnt ends don’t need anything else added to them, they’re just that good! But if you are doing a big appetizer or pot luck spread, we recommend plating up some more great dishes like, Grilled Corn Salsa with tortilla chips or Bacon Wrapped Jalaleño Poppers. Tender, juicy Teriyaki Smoked Steak Bites are always a hit in our family, too.

Classic cook out dishes like coleslaw and potato salad are always a welcome addition to the table.

A great dessert to serve a crowd once the appetizers and dinner have all disappeared is Smoked Peach Dump Cake. Add a scoop of ice cream or a dollop of whipped cream and you’re all set!

More Great Appetizer Recipes

• Double up on the pork and you’ve got saucy BBQ Little Smokies with Bacon. Everyone loves these saucy sweet little bites.
• Bacon, sausage and cream cheese are the best combination to make super flavorful Smoked Pig Shots. These will be the first appetizer to disappear every time!
• A quick and easy marinade gives Bacon Wrapped Grilled Brussels Sprouts the best flavor. Brussels sprouts aren’t usually the hit of a party on their own, but these ones with savory bacon sure are!
• Don’t knock ’em until you try ’em! Spam Burnt Ends are a budget friendly way to feed a crowd easy burnt ends.