Hot Dog Burnt Ends are the ultimate BBQ upgrade to the classic hot dog.
I guarantee you that these will be a huge hit at your next party. They’re super simple to make and they only take 6 simple ingredients. These make a great appetizer or side dish and are a fun twist on cocktail weenies. If you don’t have a smoker, you can easily make these in your oven, on a gas grill or even in your air fryer.
What are burnt ends?
Traditional burnt ends originated from the point of a beef brisket that has been smoked low and slow. Over time, there have been many other “burnt ends” that have popped up.
Poor man burnt ends – These are made from a chuck roast and they are supposed to be a “cheaper” version of the brisket version.
Pork belly burnt ends – These one are made from pork belly. You cut them into 1.5 inch cubes then smoke them until the fat renders down and they’re super juicy.
Hot dog burnt ends – These are made from hot dogs that have been smoked and cubed up. They are by far the cheapest option out of all of them.
It’s honestly hard to beat the OG smoked brisket burnt ends. Sometimes a brisket doesn’t always fit into the budget or you just want to try something different. Either way, they are all delicious treats and they’re a great addition to any backyard cookouts or game day.
Ingredients you will need
Protein: Beef hot dogs or your favorite hot dogs
Seasoning: Sweet Preacher Dry Rub or any sweet rub
Sauce: Sweet Preacher Barbecue Sauce, brown sugar, stick of butter
Add honey or maple syrup in the sauce for more sweet flavors
How to make Hot Dog Burnt Ends
Begin by taking the hot dogs out of the package. Coat the whole hot dog in yellow mustard as a binder. Generously season each individual hot dog with your bbq rub. Note: Some seasoning will fall off during this cook, so make sure they’re coated well.
Set the smoker to 225°F and toss in some wood chips or wood chunks to add some bold smoky flavor. My personal favorite wood to use for this cook is cherry wood because it has a smooth, sweet flavor to it. Some of the other best woods to use for this cook would be hickory, oak or apple wood.
Place the hot dogs directly on the grill grates and make sure that they are indirect of the heat source. Close the lid of the smoker then let them smoke for 1 hour.
Remove the hot dogs from the smoker and place them on your cutting board. Cut each hot dog into 4 even pieces then place them in a disposable aluminum pan. Add in the butter, brown sugar and your favorite BBQ sauce then mix.
Increase the temperature on the smoker to 325°F. Place the pan of hot dogs back on the smoker then let them cook for an additional half hour. Be sure to stir the hot dog pieces every 10 minutes so that they get coated in the sauce and it begins to caramelize on them.
Remove the pan from the smoker, then serve them up on a dish with some tooth picks and dive right in!
You can also make these the day ahead if you are short on time. Store them in ziploc bags or a covered disposable baking pan then reheat them right before it’s time to serve them up.
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Hot Dog Burnt Ends
Hot Dog Burnt Ends are the ultimate BBQ upgrade to the classic hot dog. They’re super simple to make and they only take 6 simple ingredients. These make a great appetizer or side dish and are a fun twist on cocktail weenies.
- Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
- Yield: 32 Burnt Ends 1x
Ingredients
- 15 oz hot dogs
- 1 tbsp yellow mustard
- 3 tbsp unsalted butter
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 cup BBQ sauce
Instructions
- Use yellow mustard as binder and season the hot dogs with a BBQ rub.
- Place them on the smoker at 225°F for 1 hour smoking them with cherry wood.
- Cut each hot dog into 4 pieces then place them in a pan with butter, brown sugar and BBQ sauce.
- Place them back on the smoker for 15-30 minutes mixing every 10 minutes until the sauce tacks up.
- Serve on a dish and enjoy!
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
