Get ready to taste the most irresistible, juicy, and flavor-packed burnt ends! Made from beef brisket, each bite is full of smokey flavor. Lathered in a tangy, sweet Kansas City-style barbecue sauce, these will be a hit at your next outdoor barbecue!
There are so many amazing smoker recipes out there and if you've never made burnt ends, then you're in for a treat! While I absolutely love slow smoked pulled pork and some smoked baby back ribs, these brisket burnt ends are absolutely irresistible! And they're caramelized in a sweet Kansas City-style barbecue sauce which makes the flavor finger licking good...literally!!
So, what are burnt ends? They are made from the brisket point, which is the thicker portion of the brisket. When you buy a whole beef brisket, it will consist of the flat and the point. After you smoke the brisket, it can be cut into small cubes and cooked again (double smoked) in a thick barbecue sauce with a sprinkling of brown sugar.
In this burnt ends recipe, the sugars caramelize and give the smoked brisket burnt ends a delicious, thick coating. And let me tell you, they taste like meat candy! Try serving these with these my smoked baked beans with bacon, smoked macaroni and cheese, or these smoked green beans with bacon!
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Why This Recipe Works
1. You can serve burnt ends as an appetizer or as a main dish. They pair really well with literally anything.
2. You can use any type of smoker to make these burnt ends. Regardless if you're using a pellet smoker, electric smoker, propane gas smoker, or charcoal smoker, these brisket burnt end turns out amazing every time!
3. The BBQ sauce becomes caramelized which makes these smoked burnt ends taste like meat candy...literally! It's because the sauce soaks into the meat and caramelizes on the edges.
🛒 Ingredients You'll Need
- Brown Sugar: used to make both the burnt ends rub and the BBQ sauce. Use dark brown sugar.
- Smoked Paprika: also used to make the rub and the BBQ sauce. It adds a smoky flavor.
- Onion Powder: a flavor enhancer that adds a hint of onion flavor to both the rub and sauce.
- Garlic Powder: adds a subtle hint of garlic flavor to both the rub and the BBQ sauce.
- Dried Oregano: helps balance out the sweetness and contributes to the depth of flavor.
- Salt: a flavor enhancer that help cut the sweetness.
- Black Pepper: adds a subtle heat to the rub and sauce.
- Cumin: an earthy flavored spice, this enhances the flavor in every bite.
- Chili Powder: provides some heat and helps add layers of flavor in every bite.
- Cayenne Pepper: helps balance out the sweetness and adds a subtle "kick".
- Ketchup: a key base ingredient used to make the homemade BBQ sauce.
- Apple Cider Vinegar: used to make the bbq sauce and adds a tangy flavor that balances the overall sweetness of the sauce.
- Honey: makes the sauce extra sweet!
- Worcestershire: enhances the sauces depth of flavor and complexity, giving it a savory taste.
- Dry Mustard: used to help bind together the ingredients and also helps thicken the sauce.
- Garlic: use fresh minced garlic to add a hint of garlic flavor.
See the recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements!
🔪 Step-By-Step Recipe Instructions
Step 1: Start off by preheating the smoker so that it can reach an internal temperature of 225°F. Next, trim the fat off the brisket.
Step 2: Once the fat is trimmed, rub the meat with the smoked brisket rub. When the smoker has preheated, place the brisket on the smoker, fat side up.
👩🏼🍳 Expert Tip: Insert a digital meat thermometer into the side of the brisket at a slight angle all the way into the middle of the meat. When smoking a brisket, it's important to monitor the temperature.
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Step 3: Smoke until the brisket reaches the stall, which will be when the internal temperature of the meat reaches between 150°F to 170°F. To get past the brisket stall, wrap the brisket in butcher paper.
Step 4: From there, smoke it for another 4-6 hours or until the meat reaches an internal temperature of about 195°F.
👩🏼🍳 Expert Tip: Spritz with about 1 cup of apple cider vinegar or apple juice every 2-3 hours to keep the meat moist and to also combat the brisket stall.
Step 5: Remove the brisket from the smoker and slice the brisket into cubes and place them into a dish.
Step 6: Coat each burnt end evenly with Kansas City BBQ sauce and a little bit of brown sugar. Place the burnt ends of the brisket back in the smoker at 225°F and continue to smoke for 1-2 hours until the sauce caramelizes.
Juicy and flavorful, that is exactly what these brisket burnt ends deliver! They are irresistible and guaranteed to be a big hit at your next gathering!
🙋🏼♀️ Recipe FAQ'S
Trimming a brisket is not overly difficult. Beef brisket is a ginormous cut of meat, so I always like to break my full packer brisket down into two pieces to make a savory smoked brisket from the flat and some sweet n' tangy burnt ends from the point.
The first thing you'll do is remove the fat layer between the thicker point and the thinner flat. Then, use a knife and run it through the fat layer, slowly separating the point from the flat. Next, Trim off all of the hard fat from the brisket and then trim the softer fat cap down to about ¼".
This post talks about the 3 most effective ways to get past the brisket stall. It involves several techniques such as wrapping, spritzing, and patience.
Expert Tips
- Trimming a brisket isn't difficult, just remove the fat layer between the thicker point and the thinner flat. Or, ask your butcher to trim it for you.
- Hickory wood chips or chunks yield the best flavor results when making smoked burnt ends, but apple and oak also work well. If you are using a pellet smoker, I use a competition blend by Pit Boss.
- By adding the brisket rub and letting it sit covered with plastic wrap overnight in the refrigerator helps intensify the flavor of the meat.
- You should smoke a brisket with the fat side up.
- Make sure your spices and other ingredients are fresh and have not expired. A lot of spices sit in the pantry unused for years.
- Brown Sugar: dark brown sugar is sweeter with a hint of caramel flavor because it's made with molasses. If you want a lighter sweet taste, use light brown sugar instead.
- When it comes to different types of BBQ Sauce, I like my smoked burnt ends sweet with just a little bit of heat. Use your favorite store bought version or try using my homemade Kansas City-Style BBQ sauce I mentioned above. This sauce has some acidity, some sweetness, a bit of spice, and a smooth texture. It's a ketchup based sauce paired with apple cider vinegar, some spices, and a bit of honey to add to the sweetness.
🔥 More Easy Smoker Recipes
If you tried these burnt ends or any other recipes on my website, please let me know how it turned out in the comments below. I love hearing from you! And, please leave a 🌟 rating while you're there!
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Smoked Brisket Burnt Ends
Equipment
- Smoker
Ingredients
- 6-8 pound brisket point
Barbecue Spice Rub
- ⅓ cup brown sugar
- 3 tablespoons smoked paprika
- 3 tablespoons onion powder
- 2 tablespoons garlic powder
- 2 tablespoons oregano
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 1 tablespoon black pepper
- 1 tablespoon cumin
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Kansas City-Style BBQ Sauce
- 2 cups ketchup
- ⅓ cup apple cider vinegar
- 5 tablespoons dark brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 2 tablespoons Worcestershire
- 1 tablespoons smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon dry mustard
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
Instructions
- Prepare the smoker accordingly and preheat your smoker to 225°F.
- Separate the point from the flat by running your knife between the two muscles.
- Trim any hard fat and tough pieces from the brisket and remove any silver skin.
- Trim the soft fat (called the fat cap) down to about ¼" thick.
- Put the barbecue spice rub on the brisket and coat it entirely all the around.
- Place the brisket on the smoker and cook until the internal temperature reaches 160°F. This should take about 8-10 hours. Expert Tip: Spritz with about 1 cup of apple cider vinegar or apple juice every 2-3 hours to help keep the meat moist.
- When the internal temperature of the brisket reaches 165°F, remove it from the smoker and wrap it tightly in butcher paper. Put it back in the smoker until the internal temperature reaches 195°F. This will take about another 2-3 hours.
- Remove the brisket and unwrap the butcher paper, being sure to catch the juices into an aluminum baking pan. Cut the brisket into 1" cubes.
- From there, place the cubed cuts of brisket into the aluminum pan and toss it with the Kansas City-style BBQ sauce. Sprinkle the brown sugar on top. Be sure to work quickly to prevent the brisket from cooling too much.
- Set the uncovered pan on the smoker at 225°F for another 1-2 hours or until the juices are caramelized.
- Remove from the smoker and enjoy!
Notes
-
- Trimming a brisket isn't difficult, just remove the fat layer between the thicker point and the thinner flat. Or, ask your butcher to trim it for you.
-
- By adding the brisket rub and letting it sit covered with plastic wrap overnight in the refrigerator helps intensify the flavor of the meat.
-
- You should smoke a brisket with the fat side up.
-
- Make sure your spices and other ingredients are fresh and have not expired. A lot of spices sit in the pantry unused for years.
-
- Brown Sugar: dark brown sugar is sweeter with a hint of caramel flavor because it's made with molasses. If you want a lighter sweet taste, use light brown sugar instead.
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Hayley Dhanecha
I sent this recipe to a friend who was planning a gathering. She said it came out fantastic and was so tasty!
Amanda Mason
Nice!! I'm so glad to hear this! Thanks for sending it to her!!
Chenée
Burnt ends are my favorite and these came out perfect! I love how simple they were to make!
Amanda Mason
I'm so glad to hear they turned out so well!