Smoked Brisket Burnt Ends

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Make smoked brisket burnt ends from brisket trimmings with barbecue sauce, maple syrup, brown sugar, and low-and-slow smoke on a Traeger or pellet smoker.

I make these alongside my 12 Hour Hold Texas-Style Smoked Brisket, using the trimmed pieces from the whole brisket instead of letting them go to waste. They’re tender, candied, and rich enough to serve with the brisket or pile onto a tray as their own barbecue snack.

I’m using a Traeger Ironwood XL for this recipe, but the important part is steady low heat, clean smoke, and enough time for the sauce to tighten around each piece of brisket.

What Are Burnt Ends?

Simply put, burnt ends are cubed pieces of brisket that are smoked until tender, then sauced and cooked again until the outside gets sticky and caramelized. They’re usually made from the point muscle of the brisket, but this version uses the flavorful trimmings from a whole Texas-style brisket.

The result is a pan of smoky, sweet, tangy brisket bites with plenty of barky edges and sauce tucked into every corner.

Why This Recipe Works

• It uses brisket trimmings well. Instead of tossing the pieces trimmed from a whole brisket, this recipe turns them into a second barbecue dish.
• Low heat gives the smoke time to build. The brisket cubes smoke at 200°F before the sauce goes in, so they pick up smoke before they braise.
• The sauce finishes thick and sticky. Barbecue sauce, maple syrup, brown sugar, butter, and garlic powder cook down around the brisket until the burnt ends look darker, glossy, and caramelized.
• It works as a side dish or the main event. Serve them next to smoked brisket, with barbecue sides, or as a tray of candied brisket bites for a party.

The Ingredients for Smoked Brisket Burnt Ends

• Smoked Beef Brisket (about 1.5 lbs of trimmings)
• 2 tablespoons French’s Yellow Mustard
• 2 tablespoons Woodinville Barrel-Aged Maple Syrup
• 2 tablespoons Garlic Powder
• 3 tablespoons Salt Lick Dry Rub
• 1/2 bottle Lillie’s Q – Carolina Barbeque Sauce (10 oz)
• 1/3 cup Brown Sugar
• 2 tablespoons Butter (unsalted, cut into 2 tabs)
• 1/2 cup Apple Juice (for spritzing)

Equipment You’ll Need

• Smoker Grill (I’m using the Traeger Ironwood XL)
• Aluminum Baking Pan

I’m using a Traeger Ironwood XL here, so this works naturally as a pellet-smoker brisket burnt ends recipe. If you’re using another smoker, keep the heat steady at the recipe temperature and cook to the same visual and internal-temperature cues listed below.

Use Brisket Trimmings From Texas-Style Brisket

This burnt ends recipe starts with the trimmings from my 12 Hour Hold Texas-Style Smoked Brisket. Make that brisket first, save the trimmed pieces, and then come back to this page when you’re ready to turn those pieces into sweet, sticky, candied brisket bites.

If you’re already trimming a whole brisket, this is one of the best ways to make the most of the extra beef. The small pieces get more surface area for smoke, rub, and sauce, which is exactly what you want for burnt ends.

How To Make Brisket Burnt Ends

First, follow my instructions on How To Trim A Texas-Style Brisket. Once the brisket is trimmed, cube the trimmed brisket meat and place it in an aluminum baking pan. Give the pieces a good dusting of Salt Lick Dry Rub.

Smoke the Brisket Trimmings

If you’re making this alongside the 12 Hour Hold Texas-Style Smoked Brisket, set the pan of brisket trimmings in the smoker next to the whole brisket with the smoker set to 200°F.

If you’re making the burnt ends as a stand-alone recipe, fire up your smoker to 200°F and place the pan in the middle of the smoker.

Smoke for about 3 hours, or until the brisket cubes reach 165°F internal temp.

Sauce and Braise the Burnt Ends

When the brisket cubes reach 165°F internal temp, pull the pan from the smoker.

Add the Woodinville Barrel-Aged Maple Syrup, Lillie’s Q – Carolina Barbeque Sauce, butter, garlic powder, and brown sugar, then give everything a good stir.

Place the pan back on the smoker and let the brisket braise for an additional 2 hours, or until the sauce caramelizes into a thick and sticky glaze. The color will darken as the sauce tightens.

Serving Your Smoked Brisket Burnt Ends

Serve these smoked brisket burnt ends alongside 12 Hour Hold Texas-Style Smoked Brisket, or put them out with barbecue sides like Rudy’s Creamed Corn or Texas Twinkies. They’re rich, sticky, and smoky, so they work just as well as a small main dish, a party snack, or a side for a bigger barbecue spread.

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