Pork Belly Burnt Ends

Cubed pork belly glazed until sticky and charred for ten

• Prep: 20 min
• Cook: 240 min
• Serves 8
• Difficulty: medium

Skinless pork belly is cubed, rubbed, smoked until tender, then sauced and finished until the edges caramelize into proper burnt-end nuggets. Serve with pickles and cheap white bread to cut the richness.

Why crews like it: Burnt ends are pure BBQ candy—high reward for the crew with a cook timeline that still fits a shift day. Bite-size pieces mean easy grazing and no knife work at the line.

Ingredients

• 4.8 lb skinless pork belly
• 2.6 tbsp kosher salt
• 2.6 tbsp brown sugar
• 1 3/4 tbsp smoked paprika
• 1 3/4 tbsp garlic powder
• 7/8 tbsp black pepper
• 1 1/4 cups BBQ sauce
• 1/4 cup honey
• 1 3/4 tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 3.4 tbsp unsalted butter

Instructions

1. Season the cubed belly: Toss pork belly cubes with salt, brown sugar, smoked paprika, garlic powder, and black pepper until evenly coated. Let sit at room temperature 30 minutes while the smoker preheats.
2. Smoke until tender: Heat smoker to 250°F. Spread cubes on a wire rack and smoke until probe-tender and internal temp reaches 195°F, about 3–3.5 hours, rotating the pan once halfway. Target oven/smoker temperature: 250°F.
3. Build the finishing glaze: Simmer BBQ sauce with honey, vinegar, and butter until glossy and slightly thickened. Taste and adjust sweetness with a splash more vinegar if cloying.
4. Glaze and caramelize: Transfer tender cubes to a foil pan, pour glaze over top, and return to smoker at 275°F. Cook uncovered 45–60 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes, until edges char and sauce clings. Target oven/smoker temperature: 275°F.
5. Rest and serve family-style: Rest the pan 10 minutes so glaze sets sticky instead of running. Pile burnt ends on a platter with pickle chips and soft rolls for building quick sandwiches.

Tonight's spread

• Burnt ends piled high with extra glaze, dill pickle chips, and soft potato rolls.
• Cool slaw with vinegar dressing to reset palates between rich, sticky bites.

Hall tips

• Uniform cube size is everything—mixed sizes mean some pieces turn to mush while others stay tough.
• If glaze burns before cubes caramelize, drop smoker temp to 225°F and stir more often.
• Save rendered fat from the drip pan for sautéing onions on burger night.

Meal prep

Cube belly uniform so pieces finish together. Keep sauce and honey separate until the glaze stage to prevent burning during the long smoke.

Leftovers

• Chop into a loaded baked potato topping with shredded cheese and scallions.
• Fold into scrambled eggs with hot sauce for a smoky breakfast after night shift.

• Smoker
• Wire cooling rack
• Foil pans
• Instant-read thermometer
• Tongs

Related recipes

• Smoked Turkey Breast for the Crew
• Smoked Meatloaf with Glaze
• Smoked Sausage Platter
• Smoked Queso Fundido

Browse more

• Explore all recipes
• Breakfast recipes
• Smoothies
• Pizza Night
• Guides
• Classics Wheel