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It's hard to go wrong with pork belly, but once you try it smoked and slathered in barbecue sauce, you'll never go back! This Smoked Pork Belly Burnt Ends recipe makes pork belly bites so melt-in-your-mouth tender, they're practically candy!
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Smoked Burnt Ends
One of my favorite things about barbecue is the way it brings my family together! There's nothing like a family day outside around the grill, and the collective excitement of the amazing aroma filling the air. And trust me, it doesn't get better than the smell of sweet, smoked pork belly!
And once you try smoked burnt ends, you'll understand why they're called meat candy! By cooking pork belly for a long time at low heat, all the fat marbled into the meat melts into the most tender, delicious bits of melt-in-your-mouth pork slathered in caramelized sauce.
While I love making pork belly burnt ends Traeger style in a smoker, you don't need a smoker- or even a grill!- to make this recipe and delight your friends and family. Scroll on to find a pork belly burnt ends oven recipe so everyone can enjoy!
Candied Pork Belly Ingredients
- Pork Belly
- BBQ Sauce (I love homemade BBQ sauce!)
- Paprika
- Course sea salt
- Pepper
Try my Pork Belly Rub!
Smoking Pork Belly Burnt Ends
- Set the smoker to preheat to 225°F. While it's preheating, slice or cube the pork belly, and place the pieces in a metal pan or large bowl.
- Mix together the paprika, salt, and pepper in a small mixing bowl.
- Evenly sprinkle the mixed seasonings over the pork belly, then toss to coat them all completely.
- Open up the smoker, and line up the pork belly on the grate so none are touching. Close, and cook for 2.5 hours.
- Open the smoker and remove the pork belly, placing the pieces in a disposable metal pan. Pour BBQ sauce over the pork, and toss them to coat each piece.
- Return the pork belly, still in the pan, to the smoker. Cook for an additional 30-45 minutes.
- Remove the pan from the cooker, and let the pork rest for 20 minutes in the sauce. Once it's rested and cooled slightly, serve and enjoy!
Smoked Pork Belly Tips
- Feel free to trim off a little bit of the fat from the pork belly, just not all of it! The fat melts as it cooks and will infuse the burnt ends with unforgettable flavor.
- You can use any BBQ sauce for this, so pick your favorite! I love making my own so it can be exactly as I like it, but in a pinch, any bottled sauce will do. Blue Hog brand is especially tasty when you can find it!
- For smoking the pork, I suggest using hickory, pecan or apple pellets. The smoke from these woods compliments pork beautifully!
- Not sure what to look for when you're trying to buy pork belly? Look for a cut that looks like extra thick strips of bacon.
Pork Belly Burnt Ends Oven Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 275°F, then grease a baking sheet and an oven-safe rack with cooking spray.
- Mix together the paprika, salt, and pepper in a small mixing bowl.
- Evenly sprinkle the mixed seasonings over the pork belly, then toss to coat them all completely. Place the pork belly on the rack fat-side up.
- Place the baking sheet and rack in the oven on the middle rack, and bake for 3 hours. Every hour, pull the rack out and spritz the pork belly with apple cider vinegar.
- After they've baked for 3 hours, transfer the pork belly to a deep baking pan or disposable metal pan, then add in the BBQ and toss to coat.
- Return to the oven for another 30 minutes for the sauce to caramelize, then rest for 20 minutes off the heat. Serve, and enjoy!
Try my Roasted Pork Belly slices, too!
BBQ Pork Belly FAQs
Pork belly burnt ends should be smoked for a total of approximately 3 hours total at 225°F, with 2.5 hours cooked without sauce and the last 30 minutes cooked with sauce.
The long cook time makes it hard to overcook pork belly burnt ends, especially with all the fats dissolving to add moisture! However, it's advised you don't cook the pork for much longer than 3 hours to prevent it potentially getting tough or too smokey.
Cut pork belly into thick, even slices or cubes for best results. I like to cut mine into half-inch slices.
Smoking pork belly burnt ends is easy with this pork belly recipe for the smoker! Just season the pork belly and spread it out in the smoker, then cook it for 2.5 hours at 225°F. Take it out, toss it in barbecue, and cook it again for another 30-45 minutes, and you'll be all set!
Smoker Recipes
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Smoked Pork Belly Burnt Ends
Equipment
- Smoker
- Disposable metal pan
- Oven optional
Ingredients
- 5 ½ pounds Pork belly cubed or sliced
- 1 cup BBQ sauce
- 3 Tablespoons Paprika
- 2 Tablespoons Coarse sea salt
- 2 Tablespoons Pepper freshly cracked
Instructions
- Set the smoker to preheat to 225°F. While it's preheating, slice or cube the pork belly, and place the pieces in a metal pan or large bowl.5 ½ pounds Pork belly
- Mix together the paprika, salt, and pepper in a small mixing bowl.3 Tablespoons Paprika, 2 Tablespoons Coarse sea salt, 2 Tablespoons Pepper
- Evenly sprinkle the mixed seasonings over the pork belly, then toss to coat them all completely.
- Open up the smoker, and line up the pork belly on the grate so none are touching. Close, and cook for 2.5 hours.
- If making your own sauce, combine all sauce ingredients in a pan and let boil, then cool. Open the smoker and remove the pork belly, placing the pieces in a disposable metal pan. Pour the sauce over the pork, and toss them to coat each piece.1 cup BBQ sauce
- Return the pork belly, still in the pan, to the smoker. Cook for an additional 30-45 minutes.
- Remove the pan from the cooker, and let the pork rest for 20 minutes in the sauce. Once it's rested and cooled slightly, serve and enjoy!
Notes
-
Preheat the oven to 275°F, then grease a baking sheet and an oven-safe rack with cooking spray.
-
Mix together the paprika, salt, and pepper in a small mixing bowl.
-
Evenly sprinkle the mixed seasonings over the pork belly, then toss to coat them all completely. Place the pork belly on the rack fat-side up.
-
Place the baking sheet and rack in the oven on the middle rack, and bake for 3 hours. Every hour, pull the rack out and spritz the pork belly with apple cider vinegar.
-
After they've baked for 3 hours, transfer the pork belly to a deep baking pan or disposable metal pan, then add in the BBQ and toss to coat.
-
Return to the oven for another 30 minutes for the sauce to caramelize, then rest for 20 minutes off the heat. Serve, and enjoy!
Nutrition
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