There’s nothing like the flavor of caramelized meat, and these Pork Belly Burnt Ends are practically candy! Full of flavor, a touch of sweetness, and a bit of spice make this smoked pork recipe a winner! Dust off that smoker and make something delicious today!
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These Pork Belly Burnt Ends are out of this world! First, you’ve got big porky flavor and melty-fat that’s bathed each nugget in fatty, flavorful goodness. Then, you’ve got a spicy rub that lovingly coats each biter. Follow that with a sweet glaze and caramelized edges, and wow, you’re in flavor heaven! The best part is that you can make this smoked pork recipe easily at home on your Traeger.
What You Need To Make Smoked Pork Belly Burnt Ends
- Traeger or other smoker
- Applewood pellets – see my notes below
- Disposable foil pans – buy a stack of these if you do much smoking
- Pork belly cubes – see my notes below
- Cooking oil
- The Best Pork Rub – or your favorite
- Your favorite barbecue sauce
- Honey or maple syrup
Recommended:
What Kind Of Pellets Do You Use To Smoke Pork?
Pellet flavor and brand are very much a personal choice. However, pork and applewood go hand-in-hand. Applewood pellets have a mild, sweeter flavor which pairs perfectly with the pork.
However, this is not a super-long smoke, so you can really get away with any flavor of pellet.
How To Buy Pork Belly
Only until fairly recently, pork belly used to be a specialty product that you’d have to order from a butcher. Today, however, it is available in most large supermarkets and also in Costco. Pork belly can be sold several ways, and you’ll need about 4 pounds of pork belly:
- a full slab with the skin layer on – this is perfect for cracklings and other recipes, but you want skin-off for this smoked pork belly recipe
- whole pork belly with the skin off – this is fine for this recipe
- skinless pork belly that’s pre-sliced – usually in 1.5-2 inch thick slices – this is fine for this recipe
Whichever you pick, make sure it is raw pork belly – not already smoked or brined.
How To Make Pork Belly Burnt Ends
For a full list of ingredients and instructions, scroll down to the recipe card below the step-by-step images.
- Fire up your Traeger pellet grill! Set it to 180-F to give these meaty bites a bit more smoky flavor
- If your pork belly has the skin on, remove it. You can also ask your butcher to do this.
- Cut the pork belly into 1.5-2 inch cubes – don’t worry, they’ll shrink down. Do NOT trim off the fat! That precious and oh-so delicious fat is going to infuse these bites with oodles of flavor.
- Toss the cut pork belly cubes with 2 tablespoons of cooking oil. Then, toss the cubed pork belly with the rub.
- Arrange the pork belly cubes in a a foil pan. Use two pans if the pork cubes are stacked in more than 2 layers.
- Smoke the pork belly pieces at 180-F for 30 minutes. Then, cover the pan(s) with aluminum foil and turn up the heat and smoke at 275-F for about 2 hours OR until the internal temp of the cubes reaches 165-F. Use an instant read thermometer to get an accurate temp.
- Add your favorite sauce and honey and mix well.
- Return to the smoker and turn down the heat to 225-F and smoke for another 60ish minutes or until the internal temp reaches 200-205-F. Uncover the pan(s) for the last 10-15 minutes to thicken up the sauce.
- Dig in!
Chef Jenn’s Tips
- Pork belly burnt ends are all about flavor, but you need to build that flavor in layers! Start with an assertive rub that’s got a bit of a kick to it!
- Don’t cut the pork belly too small! Even with all that fat, they can dry out.
- Toss the pork cubes 2-3 times during the cooking process to ensure even cooking.
- Traeger pork belly burnt ends are going to mess up your cooking dish! Use disposable foil pans for this recipe – you’ll thank me later.
- Honey can burn! Keep an eye on the burnt ends during the last phase of smoking to ensure they don’t burn. Stirring often will help prevent this.
What To Serve With This Pork Belly Burnt Ends Recipe
Pork belly burnt ends Traeger style goes so well with so many other dishes, including Smoked Mac and Cheese, Smoked Asparagus, and for dessert, try this Blueberry Grunt. A lovely, creamy coleslaw would also pair nicely with this dish of pork burnt ends, or cut the richness with a terrific Thai cucumber salad or lighten things up with this vegetarian salad. Save the leftovers to serve along with this arrabiata pasta!
Frequently Asked Questions
Sure you can! I like to heat them in a low oven (around 300-F) until they are warmed through. Enjoy!
This isn’t a quick recipe. From prep time to smoking time, set aside about 4 hours.
Not especially. They need the honey to make a sweet and sticky glaze and to help them caramelize, and honey is high in carbs. Many rubs also contain sugar which adds to the carb count.
Step By Step Process
Smoked Pork Belly Burnt Ends
Ingredients
- 4 pounds pork belly skin removed
- 1/4 cup pork rub
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/4 cup honey
- 1/4 cup BBQ sauce
Instructions
- Fire up your Traeger! Set it to 180-F to give these meaty bites a blast of smoke.
- Cut the pork belly into 1.5-2 inch cubes – don't worry, they'll shrink down. Do NOT trim off the fat! That precious and oh-so delicious fat is going to infuse these bites with oodles of flavor.
- Toss the cut pork belly cubes with 2 tablespoons of cooking oil. Then, toss the cubes with the rub.
- Arrage the pork belly cubes in a a foil pan. Use two pans if the pork cubes are stacked in more than 2 layers.
- Smoke at 180-F for 30 minutes. Then, cover the pan(s) with foil and turn up the heat and smoke at 275-F for about 2 hours OR until the internal temp of the cubes reaches 165-F.
- Add your favorite BBQ sauce and honey and mix well.
- Return to the smoker and turn down the heat to 225-F and smoke for another 60ish minutes or until the internal temp reaches 200-205-F. Uncover the pan(s) for the last 10-15 minutes to thicken up the sauce.
Notes
Chef Jenn’s Tips
- Pork belly burnt ends are all about flavor, but you need to build that flavor in layers! Start with an assertive rub that’s got a bit of a kick to it!
- Don’t cut the pork belly too small! Even with all that fat, they can dry out.
- Toss the pork cubes 2-3 times during the cooking process to ensure even cooking.
- Traeger pork belly burnt ends are going to mess up your cooking dish! Use disposable foil pans for this recipe – you’ll thank me later.
- Honey can burn! Keep an eye on the burnt ends during the last phase of smoking to ensure they don’t burn. Stirring often will help prevent this.
Nutrition
A Note on Nutritional Information
Nutritional information for this recipe is provided as a courtesy and is calculated based on available online ingredient information. It is only an approximate value. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site cannot be guaranteed.
