Hot Dog Burnt Ends

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.

Hot Dog Burnt Ends

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
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5 from 1 vote

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.
Course Appetizer
Cuisine American
Keyword hot dogs, smoked
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 2 hours
Total Time 2 hours 15 minutes
Servings 16
Calories 166kcal
Author Inspired by a recipe from Hey Grill Hey

Ingredients

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

Calories: 166kcal | Carbohydrates: 15g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 28mg | Sodium: 422mg | Potassium: 94mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 109IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 19mg | Iron: 1mg

Nutritional values are approximate.

Poor Man’s Burnt Ends

Burnt ends are an absolute treat that I only get to enjoy on occasion. They’re normally made from the point of a beef brisket, smoked low-and-slow for hours and hours. But, you can get that same magical tender juicy beefy bite using a much cheaper (poor man’s burnt ends so-to-speak) cut of meat, a chuck roast. The process is the same. Smoke for hours, cut into pieces, add a bit of sauce, and smoke some more. That’s it. Every bite just falls apart. Great by themselves, on a roll as a sandwich, or my favorite, served over cheesy grits.

Poor Man's Burnt Ends

You do not want to use a heavy, thick BBQ sauce when making poor man’s burnt ends. Use a milder sauce that doesn’t have a lot of sugar or molasses. Less is definitely more. You can always add sauce to them when you serve them.

You can also just smoke a chuck roast as you would any other large piece of meat, such as a pork shoulder or butt. It makes for the perfect shredded beef sandwich. Check out my post on smoked chuck roast here.

If I’m reaching for a bottled BBQ sauce, I often go for Sweet Baby Ray’s.

Poor Man's Burnt Ends
Print Pin
5 from 1 vote

Poor Man’s Burnt Ends

Burnt ends are an absolute treat that I only get to enjoy on occasion. They’re normally made from the point of a beef brisket, smoked low-and-slow for hours and hours. But, you can get that same magical tender juicy beefy bite using a much cheaper (poor man’s so-to-speak) cut of meat, a chuck roast. 
Course Main
Cuisine American
Keyword beef, smoked
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 8 hours
Total Time 8 hours 5 minutes
Servings 12
Calories 204kcal

Instructions

  • FIre up your smoker for 225 F cooking. Use a few chunks of hickory or a lighter wood.
  • Season the chuck on all sides with the rub and place onto the smoker.
  • Smoke until the internal temperature reaches 185 F.
  • Carefully remove the chuck and wrap in foil. Let rest on your counter for 30 minutes.
  • Remove the chuck roast from the foil and transfer to a cutting board.
  • Cut into 3/4″ cubes and place into a disposable aluminum pan.
  • Lightly (very lightly!) drizzle the meat with the BBQ sauce. You just want the flavor from the sauce. Toss gently to coat.
  • Sprinkle with more of the rub and return to the smoker for 1 1/2 more hours.
  • Devour.

Nutrition

Calories: 204kcal | Protein: 22g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 78mg | Sodium: 92mg | Potassium: 376mg | Vitamin A: 15IU | Calcium: 19mg | Iron: 2mg

Nutritional values are approximate.