Sticky, sweet, packed with heat: these pork belly burnt ends seasoned with Beefy Sprinkles and glazed in my candied jalapeño syrup make for the ultimate backyard BBQ bite.
Candied Jalapeño Pork Belly Burnt Ends
Pork belly burnt ends are already one of my favorite things to pull off the smoker. Cube it, season it, smoke it low and slow, and you end up with little bites of pure, fatty, melt-in-your-mouth goodness. This version takes an already amazing dish and drizzles it in a glaze made from my candied jalapeños, so every cube gets a hit of sweet heat along with all the smoke. If you already love pork belly burnt ends (and who doesn’t?), wait until you see how fast a plate of these guys disappear!
Ingredients for Candied Jalapeño Pork Belly Burnt Ends
The pork belly portion of the recipe couldn’t be easier with just 2 simple ingredients:
- 4 pounds pork belly: Grab a slab with the skin removed. Ask your butcher to skin it for you if your grocery store doesn’t sell it that way already.
- 1-2 Tablespoons Beefy Sprinkles: This rub was actually built for brisket by Taste Test Todd and Brandon, but it’s good on just about everything, and pork belly is no exception. You can pick some up HERE, or use any BBQ rub you love.
Candied Jalapeños and Glaze
This recipe incorporates my candied jalapeños in a delicious new way by turning the liquid into a glaze. Here’s what you’ll need to make both:
- 12 jalapeños (sliced into rings)
- 1 ½ cups water
- 1 cup sugar
- ½ cup white vinegar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon celery seeds
To make the candied jalapeños, combine all the ingredients in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat and bring to a boil. Then, reduce the heat to low and allow everything to simmer for 5 to 10 minutes. At that point you can use a slotted spoon to remove the jalapeño rings and continue cooking the liquid for another 10 to 15 minutes. You want a thick, syrupy glaze for basting during the smoking process. The whole thing is so quick and easy you can do it while your pork belly smokes.
How to Make Smoked Pork Belly Burnt Ends
Alright, now that you’re good and hungry, let’s talk about how to make these pork belly burnt ends:
- Preheat the smoker. Get your smoker or grill set up for indirect cooking with two-zone heat at 275 degrees F. Cherry is my favorite wood here, it’s mild and complements the sweetness in the glaze.
- Season the pork belly. Coat the pork belly evenly on all sides with Beefy Sprinkles. Don’t be shy, because you’ll lose some seasoning to the smoker.
- Smoke the pork belly. Place the pork belly directly on the grates, close the lid, and let the smoke do its thing. You’re looking for a texture like thick peanut butter when you probe it, and around 195 degrees internal temperature. Plan on about 4 hours.
- Make the candied jalapeños and glaze. While the pork belly smokes, combine the water, sugar, vinegar, salt, and celery seeds in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring it to a boil, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Add the jalapeño rings, drop the heat to a simmer, and cook 5 to 10 minutes until they turn a deeper green. Pull the rings out with a slotted spoon and set them aside. Keep simmering the liquid another 10 to 15 minutes until it thickens into a glaze.
- Cube and glaze. Move the pork belly to a cutting board and cube it up using a sharp knife. Once cubed, move to a cooking rack and drizzle with the glaze. Bump your smoker up to 350 degrees F, put the rack back on, and cook another 30 minutes, basting once or twice with more glaze, until everything looks tacky and set.
- Serve. Pull the burnt ends off, spread the remaining candied jalapeños over the top, drizzle with any glaze you’ve got left, and enjoy!
How Long to Smoke Pork Belly Burnt Ends
I always recommend cooking to temperature, not time, and this recipe is no different. Pork belly is safe to eat at 145 degrees F per the USDA, but that’s not where you want to stop for burnt ends. You’re rendering fat here, so you need to push well past that until the texture turns soft and almost jammy. Your pork belly should be ready at an internal temperature of around 195 degrees F.
A reliable instant-read thermometer is the only way to know for sure, since time alone is unreliable. Check out my Internal Temperatures for Meat guide for more on this.
Susie’s Pork Belly Burnt End Pro Tips
- Even pieces = even cooking. Cut your pork belly into evenly sized cubes, around 1 to 1 ½ inches. Uneven pieces render at different rates so even pieces ensure a consistent texture in every bite.
- Don’t rush the first smoke. If it’s not hitting that peanut butter texture yet, give it more time. Fat needs to fully render or the burnt ends will be tough instead of tender. Remember, that fattiness is what makes these burnt ends so special.
- Watch the glaze. Sugar burns fast, so keep an eye out once you crank the heat up to 350 degrees F.
More BBQ Appetizer Recipes
Loving these pork belly burnt ends? You’re in luck, because I’ve got even more awesome recipes featuring this amazing cut of meat. You can find them all here on the https://homefrontking.com/, as well as in the Hey Grill Hey App. For now, check out these yummy recipes:
Smoked Candied Jalapeño Pork Belly Burnt Ends Recipe
Get your smoker fired up for these Candied Jalapeño Pork Belly Burnt Ends, then come back and drop a rating and comment below to let me know how they turned out!
Tag @heygrillhey on Instagram and Facebook when you make these, and subscribe to my YouTube channel for more recipes like this to help you become a Backyard BBQ Hero!
-
Preheat the smoker. Set up your smoker or grill for 275 degrees F for indirect cooking. My favorite wood for this recipe is cherry.
-
Prep and season the pork belly. Season the pork belly evenly on all sides with the Beefy Sprinkles.
4 pounds pork belly, 2 Tablespoons Hey Grill Hey Beefy Sprinkles
-
Smoke the pork belly. Place the pork belly on the grill grates, close the lid, and smoke until it is the texture of thick peanut butter when probed. It should be around 195 degrees F internal temperature when done. This step usually takes 4 hours.
-
Make the candied jalapeños and glaze. While the pork belly smokes, combine the water, sugar, vinegar, salt, and celery seeds in a small pot or saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally until the sugar dissolves. Add the jalapeño rings, reduce heat to a simmer, and cook for 5 to 10 minutes, until the jalapeños turn a deeper green. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the jalapeño rings to a bowl and set aside to use as a garnish later. Continue simmering the remaining liquid for another 10 to 15 minutes, until it thickens into a glaze. Remove from heat and set aside.
12 jalapeños, 1 ½ cups water, 1 cup sugar, ½ cup white vinegar, 1 teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon celery seeds
-
Cube and glaze the pork belly. Transfer the pork belly to a cutting board and use a sharp knife to cut it into cubes. Place the cubes on a flat cooling rack and drizzle with the candied jalapeño glaze. Increase the heat on your grill or smoker to 350 degrees F. Put the rack of pork belly on the grill and cook for 30 more minutes, basting once or twice more with the glaze and reserved candied jalapeño rings, until the glaze is tacky and set.
-
Serve and enjoy. Remove the smoked pork belly burnt ends from the smoker, spread the remaining candied jalapeño rings on top, and drizzle with any remaining glaze. Serve and enjoy!
Calories: 1033kcal | Carbohydrates: 23g | Protein: 17g | Fat: 97g | Saturated Fat: 35g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 10g | Monounsaturated Fat: 45g | Cholesterol: 131mg | Sodium: 294mg | Potassium: 400mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 21g | Vitamin A: 277IU | Vitamin C: 21mg | Calcium: 44mg | Iron: 2mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
