Smoked Pork Belly Burnt Ends

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These Smoked Pork Belly Burnt Ends are smoky, sticky, sweet, spicy, and so tender they practically melt in your mouth! Burnt ends are usually made from the end of a brisket, but let’s be real, that’s a whole lot of work (and a whole lot of meat). Enter pork belly burnt ends: the shortcut version that gets you all the juicy, finger-licking flavor in a fraction of the time.

Overhead shot of smoked pork belly burnt ends in a cast iron skillet.

Growing up in the South, I’ve always had a love for burnt ends. If you don’t know what burnt ends are, they are made from the point end of a brisket. It is cut into small cubes, smoked low and slow, then smoked again in sauce, and served. They are little nuggets of caramelized meat candy that my family will seriously fight over!

But sometimes cooking a whole brisket at home is way too much work. With pork belly, you can make burnt ends that are just as juicy, smoky, and delicious, without having to babysit a 15-pound hunk of beef.

Serve them up as an appetizer with toothpicks or pile them high on rice as a main course. Either way, they bring the same flavors of classic burnt ends, but in an easy-to-manage batch size that won’t leave you eating leftovers for two weeks!

Nikki’s Recipe Rundown

Here’s a quick look at what makes these Smoked Pork Belly Burnt Ends so irresistible. From flavor to ease, here’s why you’ll want to try them:

❥ Flavor: Smoky, sticky, sweet, and a little spicy with melt-in-your-mouth tenderness in every bite.

❥ Ease: Surprisingly simple for smoked BBQ, although they do take some time! Just season, smoke low and slow, spritz, and toss in sauce.

❥ Recommended Equipment: You’ll need a smoker, wire rack, rimmed baking sheet, spray bottle (or pastry brush), and a cast-iron skillet or foil pan!

❥ Serving Ideas: Serve as a main with classic BBQ sides like mac and cheese, beans, or cornbread. Or keep it casual with rice, tuck into sliders, or pass around as bite-sized appetizers with toothpicks.

❥ Repeatability: Once you taste these, you’ll understand why they’re called “meat candy.” They’re the kind of recipe your friends and family will beg you to make again and again!

Ingredients Needed for Pork Belly Burnt Ends

Ingredients needed to make pork belly burnt ends.

Dry Rub: For the dry rub, you will need brown sugar, smoked paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, and salt! This combo will add a bold, savory flavor that caramelizes beautifully in the smoker.
Pork Belly: Look for a slab with a nice balance of meat and fat. Cube it into bite-sized pieces that are even in size!
Olive Oil: This will help the dry rub stick to the meat!
Apple Juice: Place it in a spritz bottle. You will need to spray the pork bites every hour or so, to keep the meat moist and start to build a lovely bark!
Sauce: The sauce is simply made of butter, brown sugar, honey, BBQ sauce and sriracha. Adjust the sriracha to taste depending on how spicy you want it.

Variations and Substitutions

Dry Rub: Feel free to use your favorite BBQ dry rub.
Sauce: To keep things simple, you can just use a store-bought BBQ sauce, but I highly recommend mixing it with at least butter and honey! This will help it really cling to the burnt ends.

How To Make The Best Smoked Pork Belly Burnt Ends

✱ Be sure to see the recipe card below for exact ingredients and full recipe instructions!

Step 1 | Season the Pork Belly

Preheat your smoker to 225°F during your prep time. Mix all the ingredients for the rub together in a small bowl.

Side by side photos of making the dry rub for pork burnt ends.

In a medium mixing bowl, add the pork belly and drizzle with olive oil, then toss to combine.

Sprinkle the dry rub over the top and toss the meat to coat evenly.

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Side by side photos of adding the dry rub to the cubed pork belly in a mixing bowl.

Step 2 | Smoke for 1 Hour

Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil and place a wire cooling rack on top. Spray the rack with cooking spray and arrange the pork belly on top, so there’s space in between each piece.

Place the baking sheet on the smoker and close the lid. Smoke for one hour uninterrupted.

Placing the seasoned pork belly on a wire rack lined sheet pan into the smoker.

Step 3 | Increase Temperature & Spritz

Increase the heat to 250℉ at the 1-hour mark, open the lid, and quickly spritz with apple juice in a spray bottle. If you don’t have a clean spray bottle, you can brush them quickly with a pastry brush.

Close the lid and smoke for an additional 2.5 hours. (Spritz the meat quickly every 45-60 minutes during this time)

Spritzing the pork belly with apple juice as it smokes.

Step 4 | Make the Sauce

During the last few minutes of this smoke time, you can make the sauce.

In a cast-iron skillet over medium heat, add the butter, brown sugar, honey, BBQ sauce, and sriracha sauce. Cook for 3-4 minutes until the butter is melted and the sugar is fully dissolved. Remove from heat.

Side by side photos of starting the BBQ sauce in a cast iron skillet.

Step 5 | Smoke Again & Serve

Remove the pork belly from the smoker and place it in a cast-iron skillet, then toss it in the sauce.

Wrap tightly in foil and place back on the smoker for about 60 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 200°F.

Remove the foil, toss the pork belly to coat in the sauce again, and smoke for an additional 20 minutes to help the sauce set up a bit to stick more to the pork bites.

Side by side photos of adding the pork belly bites to the sauce in the skillet and smoking again.

Remove from the smoker and serve, garnished with green onion slices, alongside your favorite BBQ sides or steamed vegetables and rice.

Smoked pork belly burnt ends served in a cast iron skillet with toothpicks for serving.

Recipe Tips

Cut the pork belly into even cubes. Keep your pork belly pieces about the same size so they cook evenly and finish at the same time.
Don’t skip spritzing with apple juice! It is essential since we are smoking these for multiple hours. It keeps the meat moist and helps build layers of smoky flavor.
Taste the sauce and adjust. Before tossing the pork belly, taste and adjust the sauce to your preferred taste. Add more heat with sriracha, sweetness with honey, or richness with butter.
That final 20 minutes on the smoker is key. It helps the sauce caramelize and stick to the pork belly, for that perfect sticky finish.

Smoked pork belly burnt ends served on a plate with some bowls of rice in the background.

Recipe FAQs

What is pork belly?

Pork belly is a boneless, fatty cut of meat from the underside of the pig (yep, the same cut used to make bacon). It has rich layers of meat and fat that become melt-in-your-mouth tender when cooked low and slow, which is why it’s perfect for burnt ends.
You can usually find pork belly at most butcher shops, specialty meat counters, and larger grocery stores. Some supermarkets keep it in the refrigerated meat case, while others may sell it frozen. If you don’t see it, just ask the butcher, they’ll often cut a slab to order. Asian and Latin markets almost always carry it as well, often at great prices.

How do I know when my pork belly burnt ends are done?

You’ll know they’re ready when they’re fork-tender and practically melt in your mouth. The internal temperature should reach about 200°F, which is the sweet spot where all that rich pork belly fat renders down and the meat becomes buttery soft. Don’t just go by time, poke one with a fork or toothpick. If it slides in easily without resistance, your burnt ends are perfectly done.

Close up of pork belly burnt ends in a skillet with some toothpicks in a few of them.

Storage

Storage: Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to 4 days. Reheat low and slow in the oven or on the stove so they don’t dry out.

Freeze: I don’t recommend it! Pork belly changes texture once frozen.

What to Serve with Smoked Pork Belly Bites

These pork belly bites can be served as an appetizer on their own or paired with sides to make a complete meal.

You can go simple and serve them with a bed of fluffy rice and gently steamed vegetables. For something more barbecue-inspired, try serving them with sides like macaroni and cheese and cornbread muffins! They would also be tasty in salads or tossed on top of nachos. The possibilities are endless!

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Smoked Pork Belly Burnt Ends

Nikki’s Recipe Rundown

Ingredients Needed for Pork Belly Burnt Ends

Variations and Substitutions