A little crispy, a little soft and loaded with flavor. These Sriracha Whiskey Smoked Pork Belly Burnt ends are a must try! Little bites of pork with a sweet and spicy homemade bbq sauce. Just the right amount of smoky flavor, too. I can’t believe I have been smoking meats for years and just realized how amazing this way of preparing pork belly is!
You may have heard it called “meat candy” in the BBQ world…and it makes sense. Mike and I have been making these little bites of heaven over and over for the last few months. I seriously can’t get enough. Maybe the sounds of pork belly doesn’t sound appetizing, but once you sink your teeth into these soft, chewy, and crispy bits of meat- you will come back for more. I promise.
What I love about these Pork Belly Burnt Ends Recipe
- Really easy to prepare, even if you are new to using your smoker.
- Super flavorful
- Great for entertaining
- Customizable- here I provide a simple homemade BBQ sauce recipe but you can use your own or even just bottled sauce.
Ingredients Needed for these Sriracha Whiskey Smoked Pork Belly Burnt Ends
Pork Belly– Try your local butcher or some groceries stores sell it in slabs. It is usually sold in 3-5 lb slabs.
BBQ Rub- I used a sweet rub but any pork rub or your favorite BBQ rub will work just fine.
Worcestershire Sauce– this salty condiment makes a great addition to the BBQ sauce.
Maple Crown Whiskey– we have a bottle of this whiskey we used for BBQ/ smoking. You could use regular flavored whiskey and add a dash of maple syrup for the same flavor. I also used it for spritzing to during the smoking process.
Sriracha– I love Sriracha chili sauce on just about everything. It gives the BBQ sauce some heat (not too crazy though).
Hot honey– hot honey gives this bbq sauce a nice smooth texture with added heat. If helps carmalize andmake the dleicious glaze. Regular honey will be just fine, too.
Brown Sugar– the brown sugar comes together in the BBQ sauce and is sprinkled on top to help caramelize over the burnt ends for the real “meat candy” experience.
Apple Juice– I used the apple juice mixed with some whiskey in a spray bottle to spritz the pork during the smoking process.
Ketchup– ketchup makes the base of the bbq sauce.
How to make these Pork Belly Burnt Ends on the Pellet Smoker
First grab your pork belly, unwrap, and cut them into about 1 1/2- 2 inch cubes. Doesn’t have to be perfect but close in size will allow for more even smoke/cooking times. Ours is usually pre-trimmed but if you need to take the silver skin off, then do it.
Note: I like to do this the day before we smoke them, but unnecessary.
Then liberally season with your BBQ rub of choice, and toss them around to make sure they are evenly coated in the seasonings.
If preparing the day before cover and refrigerate until ready to smoke.
How to smoke pork belly burnt ends
When it is go time, fire up the smoker. If you have cooling racks (like for baking) or grill racks spray them with some non stick spray and add the pork belly cubes leaving a little space between them. You can put directly on the grill grates, too. I have done it both ways .
What temperature to smoke pork belly burnt endsÂ
Place the racks in the smoker and let smoke at 225 degrees F for about 3 hours.
How to make the best sauce for pork belly burnt ends
I like to whip up this homemade Siracha Whiskey BBQ sauce but you can use bottled sauce, too. Grab a mixing bowl and whisk together the ketchup, brown sugar, Sriracha, hot honey, Maple Whiskey, and Worcestershire sauce.
Once the pork belly is crisp to your liking and reaches an internal temperature of at least, 165 degrees F pull them off and place in an aluminum pan or baking dish. Add the sauce and sprinkle a little more bbq rub in too.
Next sprinkle the entire top of the dish with more brown sugar. If you want to you can add a couple pads of butter but not necessary either. Cover with foil.
Place back in the smoker and cook at 275 degrees F for about another 1.5 hours or until hot throughout. The internal temperature of the pork should be at 195-205 degrees.
Pro tips for successful Pork Burnt Ends
- Cut and season the day before your smoke for optimum flavor
- Use a sharp knife to help cut the pork belly into cubes
- Smoke to your desired “bark” on the meat not just to temperature
Make sure to PIN IT!
For other Smoked Pork Belly Recipes, make sure to check out my How to make Homemade Smoked Bacon!
Sriracha Whiskey Smoked Pork Belly Burnt Ends
Ingredients
- 3-5 lbs pork belly
- BBQ Rub of Choice I used a sweet rub
- Apple Juice & Maple Whiskey for spritzing
For the Sriracha Whiskey BBQ Sauce
- 1/2 cup ketchup
- 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 2 tbsp Sriracha
- 1 shot Maple Crown Whiskey or similar
- 1 tbsp hot honey or regular
- 1/3 cup brown sugar plus more to sprinkle on top
- 1-2 tbsp butter optional
Instructions
For the Smoked Pork Belly:
- Cut them into about 1 1/2- 2 inch cubes. Doesn't have to be perfect but close in size will allow for more even smoke/cooking times. Note: I like to do this the day before we smoke them, but unnecessary.
- Then liberally season with your BBQ rub of choice, and toss them around to make sure they are evenly coated in the seasonings.
- If preparing the day before cover and refrigerate until ready to smoke. Fire up the smoker to 225 degrees F. If you have cooling racks (like for baking) or grilling racks spray them with some non stick spray and add the pork belly cubes leaving a little space between them. You can put directly on the grill grates, too.
- Place the racks in the smoker and let smoke at 225 degrees F for about 3 hours. Optional step: Spritz with a mix of apple juice and some of the whiskey occasionally.
For the Sriracha Whiskey BBQ Sauce
- Grab a mixing bowl and whisk together the ketchup, brown sugar, Sriracha, hot honey, Maple Whiskey, and Worcestershire sauce.
- Once the pork belly is crisp to your liking and reaches an internal temperature of at least, 165 degrees F pull them off and place in an aluminum pan or baking dish. Add the sauce and sprinkle a little more bbq rub in too.
- Next sprinkle the entire top of the dish with more brown sugar. If you want to you can add a couple pads of butter but not necessary either. Cover with foil.
- Place back in the smoker and cook at 275 degrees F for about another 1-1.5 hours or until hot throughout and sauce is thickened to your liking. The internal temperature of the pork should be at least 195-205 degrees.
