Hot Dog Burnt Ends
On January 10, 2023 (Updated September 26, 2023)
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These Hot Dog Burnt Ends exist because sometimes you want to BBQ, but you still need to watch your budget. Enter my recipe for hot dog burnt ends! They’re sweet, smoky, and full of flavor. These morsels of pure deliciousness are sure to be a huge hit at your next party!
Hot Dog Burnt Ends
Here’s the deal. I am VERY aware that burnt ends are made from the point end of a slow-smoked brisket. I have a full recipe and video tutorial showing you exactly how I make classic Kansas City Style Burnt Ends. They are these little morsels of smoky, saucy meat candy that just melt in your mouth. I also have a recipe for Poor Man’s Burnt Ends using a smoked chuck roast. I really, really love burnt ends and mean no disrespect to the original.
Hot dog burnt ends are prepared and smoked in the same method as traditional burnt ends with a few tweaks. So even though they’re…well…hot dogs cooked on the smoker, they are still a crazy fun snack that is sure to please. Sometimes you gotta have a little fun when you’re out there in your backyard on your smoker, right?
Ingredients for Hod Dog Burnt Ends
Now that I’ve hyped you up for an amazing snack, you’re ready to assemble all the ingredients! Here’s what you’ll need to make these tasty treats.
- 16 all-beef hot dogs
- 2 Tablespoons yellow mustard
- 2 Tablespoons Hey Grill Hey Sweet Rub
- 4 Tablespoons butter
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 cup Everything BBQ Sauce
What are Hot Dog Burnt Ends?
My Hot Dog Burnt Ends are intended to be playful and fun. Consider them a low-budget way to have a good time with your smoker and make some pretty dang tasty hot dogs. These guys blow cocktail weenies out of the water! They are fantastic for a party, served with toothpicks as an appetizer, or piled on a potato roll with a pickle and some onions for a tasty little slider.
Slathered in mustard and seasoned with my Homemade Sweet Rub before smoked nice and slow, hot dog burnt ends give you all those flavors of classic BBQ in a totally unique way. Surprisingly enough, these hot dogs really do take on quite a bit of smoke flavor! I used a blend of cherry and oak wood to get a good balance of color and smokiness. By smoking them at a higher heat with butter, brown sugar, and BBQ sauce, (I used my homemade Kansas City Style BBQ Sauce) the edges of the hot dogs get nice and caramelized, and crispy. You’re gonna love these!
How to Make Hot Dog Burnt Ends
Okay, friends. Here comes the moment for you to embark on the most amazing BBQ experience ever. Let’s make ourselves some delicious (albeit, a tiny bit silly) hot dog burnt ends:
- Get the smoke going. Preheat your favorite smoker to 225 degrees F. Any flavor pellets will work just fine for this smoke, but I used a combination of cherry and oak wood.
- Prep the hot dogs. Slather the hot dogs with yellow mustard, and season well with my Signature Sweet Rub (you can buy this ready-made from Patio Provisions, or you can make your own using this recipe).
- Get to the SMOKER! Place the seasoned hot dogs directly on the grill grates of your smoker. Close the lid, and smoke for 1 hour.
- Slice and get saucy. Remove the hot dogs from the smoker and slice them into 1.5-inch pieces. Place them in a disposable baking pan. Top with butter, brown sugar, and your favorite BBQ sauce. (My Everything Sauce is to die for! This Kansas City BBQ Sauce is also tasty).
- Smoke a little bit more. Increase the heat on your smoker to 375-400 degrees F. Place the pan of hot dogs on the grill and cook for an additional 15-30 minutes. Stir regularly. Smoke until the butter melts completely and the sugars start to caramelize on the hot dogs.
- Serve and enjoy. Transfer your hot dog burnt ends to a serving platter, and enjoy these little nuggets of pure goodness.
More Hot Dog Recipes
Did you get a kick out of this crazy use of hot dogs? If so, why not get back to dog basics with these recipes below? Nothing beats a good hot dog. They’re perfect for busy evenings, weekend campouts, and so much more. Give me a good hot dog any day!
Hot Dog Burnt Ends Recipe
Watch the video below the recipe card and I’ll show you step-by-step how I make these hot dog burnt ends at home. I’m all about helping you make better BBQ, feed the people you love, and become a backyard BBQ hero. You can check out more of my smoking and grilling recipe videos on YouTube, Instagram, or our Facebook Page.
This post was originally published in September 2018. We recently updated it with more information and helpful tips. The recipe remains the same.
Hot Dog Burnt Ends
Video
Ingredients
- 16 all-beef hot dogs
- 2 Tablespoons yellow mustard
- 2 Tablespoons Hey Grill Hey Sweet Rub recipe link in notes section
- 4 Tablespoons butter
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- ½ cup Everything BBQ Sauce recipe link in notes section
Instructions
- Preheat. Prepare your smoker for indirect cooking by preheating it to 225 degrees F.
- Season. Slather the hot dogs with yellow mustard and season all over with the Sweet Rub.
- Smoke. Place the seasoned hot dogs directly on the grill grates, close the lid, and smoke for 1 hour.
- Braise. Remove the hot dogs and slice them into 1.5-inch pieces. Place the hot dog pieces into a disposable baking pan. Top with the butter, brown sugar, and BBQ sauce.
- Finish smoking. Increase the heat on your grill to 375-400 degrees F. Place the pan of hot dog burnt ends on the grill and cook for an additional 15-30 minutes, stirring regularly, until the butter is melted and the sugars have started to caramelize on the hot dogs.
- Enjoy! Remove the hot dog burnt ends from the smoker to a serving platter. Allow to cool slightly before serving.
Notes
- Purchase it from the store HERE: Sweet Rub
- Make it from scratch using this RECIPE: Best Sweet Rub Recipe
- Purchase it from the store HERE: Everything BBQ Sauce
- Make it from scratch using this similar RECIPE: Kansas City BBQ Sauce
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Recipe serves 16? Ha! 4 of us were very sad there wasn’t more. Amazing recipe, we’ll be making this again and again!
I did mine differently….I smoked/grilled the hotdogs, cut into pieces, followed the rest of your directions, then drained “juices”! Off and smoked for 45mins. Stirring occasionally!
These were a huge hit! Followed recipe exact absolutely using this in our summer BBQ rotation! Thanks for making cooking fun again!!!