Deep-Fried Burnt Ends
On June 11, 2025
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Crispy meets smoky in these Deep-Fried Burnt Ends. Batter, fry, and toss in sauce; then turn your brisket point into the ultimate BBQ treat.
Deep-Fried Burnt Ends with Sweet Heat Glaze
I know this sounds like an over-the-top, little-bit-of-everything BBQ creation. But trust me, the name doesn’t do it justice. We’re talking smoky brisket cubed into pitmaster’s-privilege burnt ends, coated in crispy batter and fried to golden perfection before taking a tangy, spicy Sweet Heat bath. These aren’t just layered flavors – they’re saucy, crispy, golden nuggets of pure BBQ inception. One bite isn’t an indulgence, it’s a borderline religious experience.
I’ve been making BBQ professionally for over 10 years, and this is one of my absolute favorite recipes. I whipped these up as a halftime snack for a certain big game, and they were so good that people basically demanded I share the recipe. Now you can make this meaty masterpiece in your own backyard. Let’s get started.
Ingredients for Deep-Fried Burnt Ends
If you’ve ever made my Best Brisket Burnt Ends, these are essentially those same tender, sticky cubes of perfection. Just with an added layer of crispy, fried batter that’ll make you question everything you thought you knew about burnt ends. Here’s what you’ll need to make these absolute flavor bombs at home:
Brisket
Burnt ends usually come as the pitmaster’s reward after smoking a whole brisket. Let’s be honest, though: you never get enough of the good stuff. We’re obsessed with burnt ends around here, so I’ve created several recipes where the entire brisket point (also called the deckle) gets the royal burnt end treatment. That’s exactly the cut you’ll want to grab for this recipe.
I’ve included all the smoking steps right in the recipe card, but if you want a deeper look at brisket mastery, check out my complete collection of brisket recipes for even more smoky inspiration.
Seasoning
Brisket purists will tell you all you need is salt and pepper, and they’re not wrong. But I like to take things up a notch with my signature Beef Rub. This blend highlights and amplifies every bit of that incredible beef flavor without stealing the show.
Feel free to use your go-to rub, try my homemade brisket rub, or keep it classic with equal parts Kosher salt, coarse black pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder. Your brisket, your rules.
Crispy Batter
To get that crispy, golden-brown coating that dreams are made of, I reached for my Crispy Chicken Wing Batter. Just whisk together a cup of this game-changing mix with ¾ cup of ice-cold water, and you’ve got yourself a light, tempura-style batter that creates the perfect crunchy armor around each burnt end.
You can snag this batter in my Wing Night: Smoked & Fried Wing Kit or grab it solo. If you don’t have any of mine, any quality fry batter you love will work beautifully here.
If you want to find more awesome recipes that use my Wing Batter, check out this post.
Tossin’ Sauce
These meaty little treasures deserve a finale as epic as they are, which is why I went straight for my Sweet Heat BBQ Glaze. This stuff doesn’t just coat, it creates a glossy, restaurant-worthy finish while delivering the perfect balance of sweet and spicy heat that makes brisket shine.
But hey, feel free to get creative. Use whatever sauce you love, or browse the Sauces & Glazes section of my store for even more drool-worthy options to take these burnt ends in your own delicious direction.
How to Make Deep-Fried Burnt Ends
Now that you know all the delicious ingredients, let’s go over the simple steps to create these Deep-Fried Burnt Ends:
- Smoke the brisket. This is where the foundation of flavor gets built. Your brisket point goes in the smoker low and slow at 225 degrees F, soaking up all that smoky goodness while the fat renders into buttery perfection. You’ll know it’s ready when that beautiful bark forms and your thermometer hits 195 degrees F.
- Batter the burnt ends. Whisk your batter until it’s smooth and light. This isn’t just breading, it’s the perfect contrast to the tender interior. Each cube of smoky brisket gets a bath in this golden mixture, creating a shell that shatters between your teeth while protecting all that juicy meat inside.
- Fry the burnt ends. Here’s where things get exciting. Preheat avocado oil (or your favorite cooking oil) in a 12-inch cast-iron skillet to around 350 degrees F. Fry your bites in batches, and watch as they transform into golden, crispy masterpieces in just 3-4 minutes.
- Toss in the sauce. While those burnt ends are still crackling hot from frying, toss them in that glossy Sweet Heat Glaze. The heat helps that sauce cling to every crispy ridge, creating a sticky, shiny coating that’s equal parts sweet, spicy, and absolutely irresistible.
- Serve and enjoy. Now for the best part, sinking your teeth into the crispy, glazed exterior with a satisfying crunch, revealing the tender, smoky brisket inside. It’s a texture party in your mouth. Crispy, chewy, saucy, and smoky all at once. Fair warning: they disappear faster than you can make them.
Susie’s Deep-Fried Burnt End Pro Tips
The recipe card at the end of the post already has everything you need for an amazing game-day snack. I included a few bonus tips, so you can take these sticky, crunchy bites over the top:
- Sneak a few. I know it sounds greedy, but grab yourself a couple of these bad boys before you serve them. By the time you get around to fixing yourself a plate, they’ll be long gone.
- Keep a steady oil temp. The key to frying your burnt ends with that gorgeous, golden coating is maintaining a consistent oil temperature with a thermometer. Fry in small batches so you don’t overcrowd the pan.
- Toss ‘em while they’re hot. You want to allow your fried bites to drain for a moment on a paper towel, but don’t let them cool too much. You want these nuggets still warm when you add the glaze to create that perfect, glossy coating.
More Show-Stealing Halftime Snack Recipes
Yes, these burnt-ends bites are one of my most prized treats, but I’ve got plenty more incredible BBQ snacks your whole crew will love. You can find dozens of them in the Hey Grill Hey App (plus make meal plans and shopping lists!), but here are some favorites to help get you started:
Smoky Deep-Fried Burnt Ends Recipe
Become a halftime MVP with these Deep-Fried Burnt Ends, then come back and leave a 5-star review with a comment about how yours turned out. If you forget to snag yourself a couple before serving, don’t say I didn’t warn you.
Make sure you follow my Facebook and Instagram pages, and subscribe to my YouTube channel. Not only will you be the first to know when exciting recipes like this drop, but you get to be part of the best Backyard BBQ Hero community out there.
Deep-Fried Burnt Ends
Ingredients
- 1 5-pound brisket flat also called the deckle
- 2 Tablespoons Hey Grill Hey Beef Rub or equal parts Kosher salt, course black pepper, and garlic powder
- 1 cup Hey Grill Hey Crispy Chicken Wing Batter
- ¾ cup cold water
- ½ cup Hey Grill Hey Sweet Heat BBQ Glaze
- avocado oil or your favorite oil, for frying
Instructions
- Preheat the smoker. Set your smoker to 225 degrees F using oak wood (or your preferred wood for brisket).
- Separate and trim the point. If you are starting with a whole packer brisket, separate the point from the flat by running a knife through the vein of hard white fat between the two muscles. Trim the brisket point by removing any hard fat and trimming the top fat cap down to ¼-inch thickness.1 5-pound brisket flat
- Season the brisket. Season the brisket point on all sides with Hey Grill Hey Beef Rub (or equal parts salt, pepper, and garlic powder).2 Tablespoons Hey Grill Hey Beef Rub
- Smoke the brisket. Place the seasoned brisket point on your smoker and smoke until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees F using a reliable meat thermometer. This typically takes 5-6 hours. Optionally, you can spritz the point with beef stock about once an hour.
- Wrap the brisket. Once the brisket reaches 165 degrees F, wrap tightly in peach butcher paper and return to the smoker. Smoke until the internal temperature reaches 195 degrees F. This step typically takes 2-3 hours.
- Heat the oil. When the brisket is getting close, preheat the avocado oil (or your preferred cooking oil) in a 12-inch cast-iron skillet until it reaches a temperature of 350 degrees F.avocado oil
- Cut into cubes. Remove the brisket to a cutting board. Unwrap from the butcher paper, draining any liquid from the paper into an aluminum pan. Cut the brisket point into 1 ½-inch thick cubes.
- Batter the cubes. In a large, shallow-bottom bowl, combine the Crispy Wing Batter and cold water, whisking together until you have an even mixture. Dip each burnt end cube in the batter, allowing excess to drip off.1 cup Hey Grill Hey Crispy Chicken Wing Batter, ¾ cup cold water
- Fry the burnt ends. Fry the battered burnt ends in batches for 3-4 minutes until golden brown and crispy. Carefully remove them, then drain on paper towels.
- Toss, serve, and enjoy! While still hot, toss the fried burnt ends with Sweet Heat BBQ Glaze in a large bowl. Pile them high, serve as-is, and enjoy. I highly recommend getting one for yourself before serving, because they will go fast.½ cup Hey Grill Hey Sweet Heat BBQ Glaze
Notes
- Purchase in the Hey Grill Hey Store here
- Purchase in the Hey Grill Hey Store here
- Purchase in the Hey Grill Hey Store here
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
