How to Smoke Brisket Burnt Ends

Each bite of these Brisket Burnt Ends is salty, sweet, and incredibly tender. Brisket point is slowly smoked, braised, and caramelized with rich BBQ sauce. Serve them on a platter for game day, or pile them high on buns for the ultimate sandwich.

These sweet nuggets of brisket are always a hit at any barbecue or party. Smoked burnt ends are easy to prepare, bite-sized, and packed with flavor. This recipe mimics the original process by cooking an entire brisket point at once, rather than the social media-friendly cubes of brisket.

Make sure you have a sauce picked out. Our Smoky Sweet Heat Sauce is perfect for burnt ends.

Why This Process Works

• Very tender -Smoking a whole brisket point rather than the individual cubes keeps the meat very moist and tender. There is slightly less bark, but it’s a sacrifice for juicy meat.
• Simple to smoke – This burnt ends recipe is pretty straightforward with very little micromanagement. Time will be the hardest part, as you’ll have to battle patience before you treat yourself.
• Close to authentic – If tradition means something to you, then hopefully you’ll appreciate this process. Kansas City burnt ends have a sweet flavor with just enough heat to let you know it’s there. Our combination of spices and sauces is inspired by the original.

What are Burnt Ends?

Simply put, these are considered some of the best bites in barbecue. These crispy, tender, and sweet bites of brisket point actually have a real origin story too.

Arthur Bryant’s Barbeque located in Kansas City, Missouri, was ground zero. At the time, pitmasters would cut off and throw away the burnt ends of the briskets, assuming people wouldn’t appreciate that when they would chop or slice for serving. Arthur saved these crispy scraps, sauced them, and served them to customers while waiting for their orders. Nothing went to waste, and talk about the best marketing ever!

Let’s Get to the Point

Brisket burnt ends start with the point muscle, which is the fatty cut from the brisket. If you are unable to purchase this on its own, you will need to separate it from the whole packer. Use the flat muscle for another purpose, like homemade pastrami.

Trim the excess fat and silverskin from both sides of the brisket point. There is a tough section of fat on the side that absolutely needs to be removed, you’ll know what it is by the feel of it.

Season the Meat

Dust the outside of the brisket generously on all sides. This can be done a few hours in advance if needed, as long as the meat rested in the fridge uncovered.

To keep it as traditional as possible, you’ll want to use a well-rounded barbecue rub. Try out the Signature Sweet & Smoky Rub, which has notes of chiles and sugars, while adding great color to the finished product.

Step 1: Smoking the Brisket

Set your smoker to 250°F and allow it to preheat. You can go lower, down to 225°F if your smoker doesn’t generate as much smoke. Doing so will simply increase the cooking time by at least an hour or more.

Smoke the brisket point for 5-6 hours, which will depend on the size. After the first hour, lightly spritz with some beef stock every hour. Cook the brisket until it reaches about 165°F in the thickest part.

Step 2: Wrapping the Brisket

Once the brisket has reached the target temperature, go ahead and pull it off the smoker.

Lay the brisket on a sheet of heavy-duty foil and add 1/4 cup of beef stock. Wrap it tightly in two layers of foil and place it back on the smoker.

Turn the heat up to 300°F and cook for another 1-2 hours. The temperature should be about 200°F and it needs to be probe tender. Stick a temperature probe all around the meat to make sure it’s tender, or wrap it tightly and keep cooking for a little longer.

Step 3: Cube and Sauce

Take the wrapped brisket off the smoker and carefully unwrap the foil. Pour the juices onto a baking sheet or foil pan that will go back in the smoker.

Cut the brisket into 1 1/2-inch cubes, keeping them roughly the same size. Add the meat to the pan and pour on about 1 cup of BBQ sauce. Check out the Smoky Sweet Heat Sauce, which is our signature blend.

Add a little more of the seasoning as well, coating the sides of the beef that was freshly sliced. Carefully mix up the brisket so that everything is coated.

Place the pan back in the smoker for about 30-40 minutes, or until they have absorbed the sauce and the surface is nice and tacky.

What to Serve with Brisket Burnt Ends

Just grab a toasted potato roll or white bread, and that’s really all you need.

Kidding, we love to serve these smoked burnt ends with plenty of different sides. Here are some of my favorites:

• Sweet and Spicy Pickles – These are a MUST
• Loaded Baked Potato Jalapeno Poppers
• Smoked Potato Skins
• Creamy Southwestern Coleslaw
• Grilled Broccoli Crunch Salad
• Creamy Hatch Chile Mac and Cheese

Frequently Asked Questions

Print