Pork Belly Burnt Ends
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My pork belly burnt ends are seasoned with a savory dry rub, smoked until crisp and tender, and finished with a tangy BBQ glaze. We love making them in the smoker or the oven.
My pork belly burnt ends always steal the show
We are currently obsessed with using our smoker, and nothing draws a crowd faster than these smoked pork belly burnt ends. My neighbors seem to double in size every time I make them!
If you’re unfamiliar, burnt ends are cubed pieces of pork belly smoked until tender, then coated in barbecue sauce and cooked until the sauce caramelizes. The result is sweet, smoky, savory, and seriously hard to stop eating. Here’s why I love making them:
- The perfect pork telly texture. The meat becomes incredibly tender while the edges caramelize and get slightly crisp.
- Very little hands-on work. Once the pork is seasoned and in the smoker (or oven), it does most of the work for you.
- Always a crowd favorite. These are usually the first thing to disappear whenever I serve them.
- Smoker or oven methods. I prefer smoking them, but I’ve also tested them in the oven if you don’t have a smoker.
Let’s make these together now!
★★★★★ REVIEW
“Fantastic recipe! We made these in the oven. Used a broiler pan and they cooked perfectly. My son added some chili flakes to the spice mixture. I highly recommend this recipe! Thanks for sharing.“ – Day
Table of Contents
Key ingredients
- Pork belly. Opt for a well-marbled slab of pork belly without the skin. I can sometimes find it at the grocery store, but usually, I have to ask the butcher to grab it from the back.
- Brown sugar. The sugar adds a sweet taste to the dry rub and helps form a caramelized crust around the meat. Either light or dark brown sugar works.
- Dry spices. I used a homemade mix of paprika, red chili pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, kosher salt, and black pepper. If you have a pre-made dry rub, feel free to use that instead.
- Glaze. I’m using a mix of BBQ sauce, honey, brown sugar, and butter. The combination of honey and sugar helps form a flavorful, crispy exterior layer known as the ‘bark.’
How to make pork belly burnt ends
Step 1- Prep. Preheat the smoker and cut the meat into 2-inch cubes.
Step 2- Season. Combine the brown sugar and spices in a large bowl. Add the pork belly cubes and toss to coat.
Step 3- Smoke. Smoke the meat until it develops a dark red color.
Step 4- Baste. Place the pork in an aluminum pan and toss in the BBQ sauce, brown sugar, honey, and butter. Cover and smoke until the meat reaches an internal temperature of 200F.
How I make them in the oven
While I usually prefer the smoker, I’ve tested this in the oven, as many of my friends and family requested this option. Here’s how you oven smoke them:
- Preheat the oven to 275F/135C and season the pork belly.
- Place the cubes on a wire rack above a baking dish and bake for 2 ½-3 hours.
- Glaze the pork, then bake for an extra 20-30 minutes. Continue baking until the internal temperature reaches 200F.
Arman’s recipe tips
- Pat the meat dry. The drier the meat, the better the rub will adhere to it and give you crispier skin.
- Apply the rub in advance. When time allows, I like to dry rub the meat and let it sit, covered, in the fridge for a few hours (or even overnight) before cooking.
- Use mild wood chips. I’m partial to pecan, apple, or cherry wood, personally. The only kinds I would avoid are the more overpowering woods, like hickory or mesquite.
- Rest before serving. I like to leave the meat alone for 5-10 minutes before serving so it has time to reabsorb the juices. I know it’s hard to resist, but trust me, it’ll be worth it!
Frequently asked questions
It’s up to you! I like removing the skin because it can be tough and chewy. Plus, without the skin, the spice rub sticks easily, and the smoke better penetrates the meat, resulting in a more flavorful dish.
Burnt ends must be cooked low and slow, so they stay tender. If they are in the smoker for too long or cooked at too high a temperature, the fat and moisture will render out, leaving the meat tough and dry.
More pork belly recipes
Pork Belly Burnt Ends (Smoker Or Oven)
Video
Ingredients
- 3 1/4 pounds pork belly skinless
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons paprika
- 1 1/2 tablespoons salt
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon pepper
Glaze
- 1/3 cup barbecue sauce
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons butter
Instructions
- Preheat the smoker to 250F. Cut the meat into 2-inch cubes.
- In a small bowl, combine the brown sugar, paprika, salt, red chili pepper, onion, garlic and pepper. Rub the pork belly with the spice mixture to cover it well.
- Place the meat on a wire rack and place it on the smoker for 2 hours or until it gets a dark red color.
- Transfer the pork to an aluminum dish and add BBQ sauce, brown sugar, honey, and butter.
- Cover with foil and return to the smoker for another 60 minutes until the meat reaches an internal temperature of 200F.
- Remove the foil and cook for another 10 minutes to crisp the meat and thicken the sauce.
Fantastic recipe! We made these in the oven. Used a broiler pan and they cooked perfectly. My son added some chili flakes to the spice mixture. I highly recommend this recipe! Thanks for sharing.
Love the addition of chili flakes, Day- your son and I have that in common! So glad you enjoyed the recipe and thanks for the lovely review and rating 🙂
SUPER EASY! I did them in the oven and so much easier than on the smoker, in my opinion. There really is not that much difference in taste so unless you want that high smoke flavor; the oven is great! For the ‘basting’, chose your BBQ Sauce flavor carefully…I prefer mine a little sweeter so a sweet or honey BBQ sauce is just perfect. But, any would be great. Enjoy!
Some excellent advice, thank you Sarah. So glad you liked this one 🙂
Just put the pork belly cubes on the Trager! Can’t wait….first time making!
Amazing results!!! 10/10 would highly recommend you try this!
Looks great. Have to try soon!
Please do!
Making some now, can’t wait!!
Pork belly I never tried. Is it like livers?
I was looking for a recipe for Pork Belly Burnt Ends and you didn’t disappoint. This is absolutely delicious. I doubled the sauce for a slab of ribs I was also making. I had a hard time putting them back in the oven. My guys loved them.
Thanks so much, Cynthia!
We do not own a smoker, but really wanted some burnt ends. This recipe done in the oven only was perfect. Spiced up just right, cooked to tender perfection with just the right amount of sweet and heat.
Thanks, Janine!