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If you’ve never made or tried burnt ends, I highly recommend them. As great as smoked brisket is, burnt ends are brisket candy. Highly addicting, they are a real treat. But hey, they do take time and brisket isn’t always the cheapest cut. So what to do if you want to feed a crowd of some meat candy without breaking the bank? Yep, you guessed it: hot dog burnt ends. Smoked hot dogs covered in a caramelized sauce, you’ll never eat those little sausage thingies again. Perfect for a party, these goodies will disappear in no time.

There’s absolutely nothing challenging about making these hot dog burnt ends. If you don’t have a smoker (I love my Weber smoker!) you can make the entire dish on a grill. You can even use a gas grill. If you do, I recommend you use a smoky BBQ sauce to add a little of that great I-made-these-on-a-smoker even-though-I-didn’t flavor.
Hot Dog Burnt Ends
Ingredients
- 16 hot dogs no need to get the expensive stuff here
- 2 tablespoons prepared yellow mustard
- 2 tablespoons your favorite BBQ rub
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- ½ cup your favorite BBQ sauce
Instructions
- Fire up your smoker for 225 F. Use any wood you like, these turn out great whether they are smoked over fruit wood or a stronger wood such as mesquite.
- Squeeze the mustard over the dogs then brush around all sides. (I found it easier to just spread the mustard with my hands).
- Sprinkle the rub over all sides of the dogs. Transfer to your smoker and smoke for 1 hour.
- Meanwhile, fire up your grill for medium heat cooking (or pre-heat your oven to 375 F).
- Remove dogs and cut into thirds (about 1 1/2″ pieces). Transfer to a disposable pan.
- Combine the butter, brown sugar and BBQ sauce and pour over the hot dogs. Stir and place on your grill (or in the oven).
- Cook dogs an addition 30-45 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes, until the hot dogs have begun to caramelize.
- Remove and let cool slightly before serving.
Nutrition
Nutritional values are approximate.