Best Smoked Brisket Burnt Ends

smoked beef brisket burnt ends on a white platter.

5 from 29 votes

Best Smoked Brisket Burnt Ends

My smoked brisket burnt ends are tender, melt-in-your-mouth bites of pure heaven. After one bite, you'll understand why these delicious bites of slow-smoked beef brisket are referred to as meat candy.

Prep Time20

Cook Time12

Resting Time30

Total Time12 50

Course: Appetiser, sandwich

Cuisine: American

Servings:

Calories: 94kcal

Author: Chef Ryan Littley

Equipment

Ingredients

How to smoke brisket

6-8 lb brisket point
2 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon kosher salt
2 teaspoon black pepper
2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon sweet paprika
1 teaspoon sumac

Burnt ends

smoked brisket (approx 4-5 pounds after smoking)
¼ cup brown sugar
½ cup bbq sauce

Instructions

Preheat your smoker to 225 degrees Fahrenheit.
Load the smoker with a mixture of hickory and apple wood, or your favorite woods for smoking brisket.
Trim any excess fat off the top of the brisket point if needed. The top fat cap should be about ¼ inch thick.
Add the seasonings to a bowl and mix to combine.
Rub the point with olive oil, then season the brisket point on all sides with the seasoning mixture.
If time permits let the seasoned brisket marinate in the refrigerator for 2-12 hours before smoking.
If you do refrigerate the brisket, let it sit out for 30 minutes before smoking to give it time to come to room temperature. This will help the meat cook more evenly.
Place the seasoned brisket point directly on the smoker rack, and smoke until the internal temperature of the meat reaches 165 degrees F. (approximately 6-8 hours).
When the brisket reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees remove it from the smoker and wrap it in butcher paper or aluminum foil. Place the wrapped meat back in the smoker and continue cooking until an internal temperature of 195-200 degrees has been reached (approx. 3 hours)
When the smoking process is completed, remove the meat from the smoker and place it on a cutting board, tenting it with aluminum foil. Let it rest for 15 minutes prior to slicing. This gives the juices time to redistribute through the meat.
Don't let the brisket get too cool!
Slice the brisket point into one-inch slices, then cut it into one-inch cubes.
Place the cubes into a foil pan.
Sprinkle the brisket cubes with brown sugar and then cover with the barbeque sauce. Toss the beef cubes to make sure they are well coated.
You can add other seasoning depending on your taste preference. Most of the flavor will come from the initial seasoning and smoking. The brown sugar and barbeque sauce will just add another layer of flavor to the meat candy.
Preheat the smoker to 250 degrees and reload it with cherry wood for a sweet smoky flavor, or use your favorite wood chips.
Place a thermometer into one of the beef cubes, place the pan with the seasoned cubes into the smoker, and smoke until they reach an internal temperature of 220 degrees and the burnt ends have absorbed the barbecue sauce and caramelized (1-2 hours)
Remove the pan from the smoker and let the smoked burnt ends cool for about 15 minutes.

Nutrition