Smoked brisket burnt ends are made by slowly smoking the point of a brisket, cutting it into cubes, and braising it in BBQ sauce. They taste like perfectly bite-sized pieces of meat candy and are one of the glorious benefits of owning a smoker! This recipe also includes optional sauce upgrades to make your brisket burnt ends extra tasty!
If you’re having a cookout, whip up some southern coleslaw and Hawaiian macaroni salad to fill out your table, or try adding them to baked beans for an extra hearty side!
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It’s turning out to be another beautiful summer and a wonderful time to pull out your smoker for some brisket burnt ends!
By the time this delightful dish cooks for 5 hours, all your neighbors will be drawn to your yard expecting a party.
Dry rub, mustard, and BBQ sauce seep into the meat as it cooks.
To amp things up, toss cooked pieces with some extra BBQ sauce with butter, brown sugar, Liquid Smoke, or Worcestershire sauce for a melt-in-your-mouth meal you’ll be talking about for a long time. Leftovers are great, too!
🌎 Origin
Burnt ends come from Kansas City. The creator, Arthur Bryant, came up with the idea to prevent food waste at the self-named barbeque restaurant he ran from 1946 to 1982.
There were lots of leftover pieces from the cooked brisket that many restaurant purveyors threw out. Arthur decided to cut them up and hand them out as snacks to people waiting in line.
After a national food writer wrote a glowing review, burnt ends went from being a local to a national trend. And the rest is history.
🥘 Ingredients
For as flavorful as this is, there are surprisingly few ingredients. The secret is in getting–or making–the best brisket dry rub you can. A good BBQ sauce doesn’t hurt either.
- Beef Brisket - A 10-pound beef brisket.
- Apple Cider Vinegar - ½ cup.
- Water - ½ cup
- Mustard - ½ cup.
- Brisket Dry Rub - 2 cups. Use 1 whole batch of my brisket dry rub per every 10 pounds of brisket, or use your favorite dry rub.
- BBQ Sauce - 1 cup of your favorite brand (*see note) or use my honey BBQ sauce.
Optional Sauce Upgrades
- Melted Butter (optional) - 1 tablespoon.
- Brown Sugar (optional) - 1 tablespoon.
- Liquid Smoke (optional) - 1 teaspoon.
- Worcestershire Sauce (optional) - 1 dash.
*Be sure to see the recipe card below for ingredients, amounts & instructions!*
🔪 How To Make Brisket Burnt Ends
Despite the long cooking time, the prep work is deceptively quick and easy. Pull out your smoker, a chef’s knife and cutting board, a disposable pan, and silicone kitchen tongs to get started. It’s about to smell amazing!
The Brisket Flat
- Prep. To begin, trim and square a 10-pound beef brisket (*see note). Preheat your smoker to 300°F (150°C) and add a combination of ½ a cup of apple cider vinegar and ½ a cup of water in a food-grade spritz bottle.
- Season. Rub ½ a cup of mustard on all sides of your trimmed brisket, then season liberally with 2 cups of brisket rub.
- Smoke. After your smoker has preheated, place the prepared brisket fat-side-down directly on the smoker grate. Cook for 1 ½ hours without disturbing it.
- Spritz. After 1 ½ hours, spray your brisket with the apple cider vinegar mixture 8-10 times all over. Close the smoker, but come back to spray it with apple cider vinegar every 30 minutes for another 1 ½ hours or until the internal temperature reaches 204°F (95°C).
- Cut. Move your brisket to a large cutting board and separate the point from the flat (*see note). Reserve the brisket point to make burnt ends. Then, loosely tent a piece of foil over the flat and let it rest for 15 minutes before serving.
Making Brisket Burnt Ends
- Toss. Meanwhile, cut the point into 1" cubes and place them in a disposable pan. Toss with 1 cup of your preferred BBQ sauce. *If using any of the optional sauce upgrades (1 tablespoon of melted butter, 1 tablespoon of brown sugar, 1 teaspoon of Liquid Smoke, or 1 dash of Worcestershire sauce), mix them with the BBQ sauce before tossing.
- Smoke some more. Return the pan with the burnt ends to your smoker and reduce the smoker temperature to 225°F (105°C). Smoke for 1-2 hours or until the sauce is thickened and sticky and the burnt ends are tender.
- Rest and serve. Rest for 10-15 minutes before serving.
Serve solo with sides or serve on onion rolls or Kaiser rolls for easy-to-eat sandwiches.
💭 Angela's Pro Tips & Recipe Notes
- Trimming Guidance: For detailed instructions on how to trim your brisket, refer to our Smoked Traeger Brisket post, which provides step-by-step guidance.
- Brining Option: While this recipe doesn't require brining, you can opt to brine the brisket overnight in a sugar and salt solution for added moisture and flavor.
- Resting the Brisket: Always allow your brisket to rest after cooking. This crucial step lets the meat reabsorb the juices, ensuring it stays tender and juicy.
Understanding Brisket Cuts
- The Flat: This part of the brisket is meatier, leaner, and flatter. Ideal for uniform slices.
- The Point: This is the thicker, knobby side with more fat or marbling, offering richer flavors.
❓ Recipe FAQs
In short, yes. It’s a bit different, though. Brisket flat is less fatty than points, so it runs the risk of drying out.
The key to using the flat for burnt ends is to make sure it retains its moisture. To do this, wrap it in foil or add extra BBQ sauce throughout the cooking.
It’s difficult to overcook them because, by definition, burnt ends are the overcooked extra parts of the brisket. With that said, you can’t leave your burnt ends in to cook forever.
It will absolutely dry out eventually, so just use your best judgment. If you forget to set a timer or leave them in for longer than you planned, it’s likely to be 100% OK.
🥩 More Smoker Recipes!
- Smoked Tomahawk Steak
- Smoked Asparagus
- Hamburgers
- Smoked Prime Rib
- Smoked Baked Potatoes
- Corn on the Cob
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📖 Recipe Card
Brisket Burnt Ends
Ingredients
- 10 lb beef brisket
- ½ cup apple cider vinegar
- ½ cup water
- ½ cup mustard
- 2 cups brisket dry rub (1 whole batch per each 10 pounds of brisket, or use your favorite dry rub)
- 1 cup BBQ sauce (your favorite brand -*see note)
Optional Sauce Upgrades
- 1 tablespoon melted butter (optional)
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar (optional)
- 1 teaspoon Liquid Smoke (optional)
- 1 dash Worcestershire sauce (optional)
(Note: 2x or 3x only changes the ingredient list)
Instructions
The Brisket Flat
- To begin, trim and square your brisket (*see note). Preheat your smoker to 300°F (150°C) and make a solution of 50% apple cider vinegar and 50% water in a food-grade spritz bottle.
- Rub the mustard on all sides of your trimmed brisket, then season liberally with the brisket rub.
- After your smoker has preheated, place the prepared brisket fat-side-down on the smoker grate. Cook for 1 ½ hours without opening your smoker.
- After 1 ½ hours, spray your brisket with the apple cider vinegar mixture 8-10 times all over. Continue to spray with apple cider vinegar every 30 minutes for another 1 ½ hours, or until the internal temperature reaches 204°F (95°C).
- Transfer the cooked brisket to a large cutting board and separate the point from the flat (*see note). Reserve the brisket point to make burnt ends and loosely tent a piece of foil over the flat and let it rest for 15 minutes before serving.
Making Brisket Burnt Ends
- As the other half of your brisket is resting, cut the point into 1" cubes and place them in a disposable pan. Toss with your preferred BBQ sauce. *If using any of the optional sauce upgrades, mix them with the BBQ sauce before tossing.
- Return the pan to your smoker and reduce the smoker temperature to 225°F (105°C). Smoke for 1-2 hours, or until the sauce is thickened and sticky, and the burnt ends are tender.
- Rest for 10-15 minutes before serving.
Notes
- The 'flat' of the brisket is the portion that is meatier, leaner, and of course, flatter. The 'point' is the knobby side that is thicker but less uniform in shape with more fat or marbling.
- For a more detailed explanation of how to trim your brisket, take a look at our Smoked Traeger Brisket post.
- I did not brine my brisket this go around, however, many people prefer to brine it overnight in a sugar and salt solution and that is just fine.
- Always rest a brisket. It's what keeps the meat tender and juicy! Brisket needs resting time to re-absorb all of the juices it lost after cooking.
Alicia S. says
These burnt ends were sooo yummy 🙂
Angela @ BakeItWithLove.com says
Thank you! So glad you enjoyed them!!