on December 15, 2023

Updated on May 24, 2025

Get your smoker out and make these economical version of burnt ends. They are simple and take less time than brisket burnt ends. Beef is incredibly satisfying when served as a sweet and sticky appetizer. Burnt ends are an amazing appetizer for your summer cookout, game day snack, or BBQ side dish. The ingredient list is simple, and you can stock up on everything you need at your local grocery store.

Prep Time: 15

Cook Time: 4

Resting Time: 15

Total Time: 4 30

Course: Appetizer

Cuisine: American, BBQ

Keyword: burnt ends alternative, poor mans burnt ends, smoked burnt ends

Servings:

Calories: 599kcal

Poor Mans Burnt Ends

Ingredients

3 lbs chuck roast
3 TBSP yellow mustard
2 TBSP Kansas City-style brisket dry rub
1 ½ cups Sweet Baby Ray’s barbecue sauce
3 TBSP butter
Apple juice

Equipment

Smoker (I used my pellet grill for this)
Oak, hickory, apple, or pecan wood for smoking (a blend of a hardwood like oak and a fruitwood like apple)
Mixing bowl
Chef’s knife
Cutting Board
Measuring Cup
Measuring Spoons
Instant Read Thermometer
Disposable aluminum roasting pan
Aluminum Foil
Spatula
Wire rack depending on your grill grates

Instructions

Preheat And Prep

Fire up your smoker to 250°F and let it come up to temperature.
Slice your chuck roast into roughly one-inch cubes and add them to your mixing bowl. You want your cubes to all be roughly the same size.

Add Binder and Seasonings

Add yellow mustard to the cubed chuck roast and mix it thoroughly to coat every cube.
Toss the coated cubes in your dry rub to coat them evenly. Make sure each cube has a good layer of seasoning on all sides.

Smoke Your Burnt Ends

Place the cubes on the smoker and smoke for two hours. Spritz your cubes every 30 minutes. At the two-hour mark, start checking the internal temperature of a selection of cubes (generally the ones around the hottest parts of your smoker). Continue to smoke until the cubes are around 165°F.
After two total hours on the smoker, check the internal temperature of the burnt ends. If they read between 165°, remove from the smoker. Otherwise, continue to smoke and spritz until they reach 165ºF.

Sauce The Burnt Ends

Once the cubes have reached temperature, remove them from the smoker and put them into the aluminum roasting pan. Pour 1.5 cups of barbecue sauce over them, using the spatula to mix the cubes to coat them thoroughly. Slice three TBSPs of butter into small pats and place them over the top of the cubes throughout the pan. Wrap the top of the pan with aluminum foil.
Please make sure to enclose the pan tightly with aluminum foil and return it to the smoker for two to three hours.

Return To Smoker

Place the covered pan back on the smoker for another two hours. After the two-hour mark, remove the pan and carefully open the foil. Check the temps of a selection of cubes with the instant-read thermometer. If the cubes are around 205°F and are squishy, they are done. Otherwise, seal the foil again and return the pan to the smoker until the meat reaches the proper temperature and texture.

Rest and Enjoy!

Once the burnt ends are done, remove the pan from the smoker and let rest for 10-15 minutes, then serve!

Notes

Cut your cubes as uniformly as possible. This will help them cook evenly and be done at the same time.
Be aware of your smoker’s hot spots. You may want to periodically check on your cubes to ensure they’re not burning. You also will want to rotate your pan with the sauced cubes so you don’t burn any of the sauce.
If you like the sauce more caramelized, you can open the foil for the final 30-60 minutes of your smoking session. This will also impart more smoke flavor, but you do need to be careful that you don’t burn the sauce.
If your grill grates are wider and the burnt ends could fall through during the first part of the smoking session, get a wire rack and place that over the grill grates. You could even use cooling racks like you’d use for cooling bread or cookies.

Nutrition

Substitutes

Yellow mustard to vegetable oil or mayonnaise as a binder
Kansas City-style brisket dry rub to your favorite sweet BBQ dry rub
Sweet Baby Ray’s barbecue sauce to your favorite sweet and thick tomato-based barbecue sauce
Apple juice to equal parts apple cider vinegar and water for spritzing

What To Serve Poor Man’s Burnt Ends With

Smoked Mac and Cheese

This isn't a "lite" recipe, but it's by far the best smoked mac and cheese recipe around.. Combining 4 different cheeses; this recipe is full of flavor. A perfect side to smoked ribs, pulled pork, or brisket.

Check out this recipe

Garlic and Herb Potatoes

Everyone loves traditional garlic and herb-roasted potatoes. These are the same potatoes, but I smoke them to add that smoky flavor we all love. The secret to these smoked potatoes lies in the two-phase cooking method. I start with low-temperature smoke that allows the potatoes to absorb the wood flavor while the herbs and garlic infuse into each bite. Then, I crank the temperature to give the potatoes a crisp exterior while maintaining a creamy, tender interior.

Check out this recipe

Garlic and her smoked potatoes cooked in a baking dish

FAQs:

Question: Can You Make Poor Man’s Burnt Ends In The Oven?

Answer: You absolutely can. It won’t have the same flavor as if you did on the smoker, but you can follow the instructions the same otherwise. It’s still a great dish even if you don’t have access to a smoker or grill.

Question: What Wood Should I Use For Poor Man’s Burnt Ends?

Answer: Oak is my favorite wood for smoking beef. I would also recommend a sweet fruitwood like apple or maple to play up the sweetness of the rub and sauce.

Storing and Reheating

Store any leftover poor man’s burnt ends in an airtight container in the fridge if you’re planning on eating them within three to five days. Otherwise, bag them up in a freezer bag and store them in your freezer indefinitely.

As for reheating your burnt ends, the best way is back on the smoker at 250°F with some extra sauce to keep them moist. You can do this in the oven, too.

Poor Mans Burnt Ends Recipe