Poor Man’s Burnt Ends
On June 28, 2022 (Updated October 24, 2023)
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My poor man’s burnt ends recipe is a great way to get all of the classic BBQ flavors you love in burnt ends without having to smoke a whole brisket. By using a chuck roast instead of brisket, these chuck roast burnt ends save you some pocket change as well as some time spent at the smoker (without compromising on flavor!).
What Are Poor Man’s Burnt Ends?
Poor man’s burnt ends are beef burnt ends made with a chuck roast instead of a brisket.
BBQ Brisket Burnt Ends traditionally come from the fat-marbled point of a whole packer brisket. Slow smoked until they are nearly fall-apart tender and then basted in finger-licking BBQ sauce, they are the best bite in the BBQ world. These burnt ends are similar to brisket-style but might be a bit less intimidating than traditional brisket burnt ends.
Poor man’s burnt ends tend to be a cheaper option than brisket burnt ends, but you can often find meat that is relatively comparable in price. Think of them as bite-sized pieces of beef that are perfectly smoked and exploding with BBQ flavor.
Chuck Roast Burnt Ends
I understand that not everyone has the time to smoke up an entire whole packer brisket to make burnt ends. When you are craving burnt ends but don’t want to break the bank or make a smaller portion, using a chuck roast gives you a great flavor on a budget. I’ve also found that chuck roasts have a natural beefy flavor very similar to brisket, so the cut works amazing for making this burnt ends recipe!
For this recipe, I’m using a 3-pound chuck roast instead of a full-packer brisket to make a version called “Poor Man’s Burnt Ends.”
Poor Man’s Burnt Ends vs. Brisket Burnt Ends
For classic burnt ends, a whole brisket is smoked and the top muscle (the point) is removed while the leaner muscle (the flat) is sliced and served. The point is loaded with fatty marbling and amazing flavor. To enhance the flavor of the meat, it is often cubed and tossed with BBQ sauce before being grilled to meat candy perfection.
Honest truth, the price in my grocery store for brisket vs. chuck roast was almost identical (about $3/lb), so I don’t know where the phrase “poor man’s” even came from. Despite this, I would definitely make these again any time I’ve craving burnt ends but don’t want to smoke a whole brisket.
A whole brisket typically costs $40-50 and this chuck roast was under $10. My chuck roast burnt ends came in at about 3 pounds and was perfect for feeding my family.
Both burnt ends turn out delicious and both have a unique, delicious flavor, so I recommend trying out each type to determine which one is your favorite.
How to Make Poor Man’s Burnt Ends
The process for Poor Man’s Burnt Ends is very similar to smoking a whole brisket, but with the final intent of turning the whole cut of beef into BBQ burnt ends. This means more flavorful bark all the way around and oftentimes more even cooking. (It’s also fairly easy as well!)
Here’s the step-by-step on making these delicious treats:
- Preheat. Turn on your smoker and allow it to preheat to 275 degrees F with your favorite wood. I like to use hickory or oak pellets for my burnt ends as it beautifully complements the chuck roast.
- Season. Slather the roast in mustard then season. I recommend using my Hey Grill Hey Beef Rub (available from the Hey Grill Hey Store), but you can also use simple salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Season the roast liberally.
- Smoke that meat! Place the chuck roast on your smoker and smoke it until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees F. For me, it took 5 hours to reach this temperature, so adjust smoking time as needed.
- Wrap the roast. Wrap the chuck roast in butcher paper or foil and smoke until the internal temperature reaches 195 degrees F (this takes about an hour).
- Rest, cut, and season. Allow the roast to rest for 15-20 minutes. Cut into small cubes and season with 1/4 cup brown sugar and Everything BBQ Sauce (or your favorite Kansas-City Style BBQ Sauce) and place them in a foil baking pan.
- Finish smoking. Place the pan back on the grill grates of the smoker, and cook for up to 2 more hours.
- Add finishing touches. Sprinkle with 2 Tablespoons of brown sugar and the remaining BBQ sauce. Return to the grill for just a few more minutes until everything is heated through and well mixed. Serve hot.
Tips for Cooking Poor Man’s Burnt Ends
Before you dive into this recipe, take note of a few tips to keep in mind that will help you get a great result.
- Cook to temperature, not to time. Often we want a recipe to give us an exact cook time, but the best way to cook is always to temperature. Every cut of meat is different, and each will finish at a different time. If you cook to temperature instead of time, you will never miss! For these burnt ends, I used ThermoWorks remote thermometer, The Smoke, and it was fantastic! There was a probe for the meat and another for keeping track of the grill temperature. Plus, I could view these temperatures remotely which is so convenient!
- Don’t forget to wrap. This recipe works fine wrapped in either butcher paper or foil; however, I prefer to use butcher paper. Lucky for you, we have some awesome Hey Grill Hey Peach Butcher Paper in the Hey Grill Hey Store!
- Meat grade matters! Normally with brisket, burnt ends are made from the fattiest piece of the muscle, so when you are choosing a chuck roast, try to select one with as much intramuscular fat as you can. This doesn’t mean you buy a roast with big, white chunks of fat in it. Rather, look for meat with small, white flecks of fat within the muscle.
More Burnt Ends Recipes
Ready to take on more burnt ends recipes? Check out these other tasty nuggets below!
- Burnt Ends Sandwich with Pickled Red Onions
- BBQ Brisket Burnt Ends
- Hot Dog Burnt Ends
- Maple Bourbon Pork Belly Burnt Ends
Poor Man’s Burnt Ends Recipe
Follow the video below and I’ll show you step-by-step how I make these easy Poor Man’s Burnt Ends at home. I’m all about helping you make the best backyard BBQ of your life, so check out more of my smoking and grilling recipe videos on YouTube, Instagram, or our Facebook Page. Follow along and let’s make awesome food together!
This post was originally published in May 2019. We recently updated it with more information and helpful tips. The recipe remains the same.
Poor Man's Burnt Ends
Video
Ingredients
- 3 pounds chuck roast
- 2 Tablespoons yellow mustard
- 3 Tablespoons Hey Grill Hey Beef Rub or 1 Tablespoon each coarse salt, ground black pepper, and garlic powder
- ½ cup Hey Grill Hey Everything BBQ sauce or your favorite ketchup-based BBQ sauce
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- 2 Tablespoons brown sugar
Instructions
- Preheat. Preheat your smoker for indirect grilling at 275 degrees F. Use hickory or oak wood for the most complementary smoke flavor.
- Season. Slather the chuck roast with yellow mustard then season liberally on all sides with Hey Grill Hey Beef Rub or equal parts salt, pepper, and garlic powder.
- Smoke. When your smoker is up to temperature, place the seasoned roast on the smoker and close the lid. Smoke the roast until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees F (this took 5 hours on my smoker). You should have a fairly nice dark bark on the exterior of your roast at this point.
- Wrap. Remove the roast from the grill and wrap it in either butcher paper or foil. Return the roast to the grill and continue smoking until the meat reaches an internal temperature of 195 degrees F (this took just over 1 hour).
- Rest and cut. Remove the wrapped roast from the grill and allow to rest for 15-20 minutes. Cut into 3/4 inch cubes and transfer to a foil baking pan.
- Add sauce. Sprinkle with 1/4 cup brown sugar and drizzle with most of the Everything BBQ sauce, reserving a couple of tablespoons for later. Toss gently to coat all of the pieces in a little of the sauce.
- Finish smoking. Place the pan on the grill, close the lid and cook for an additional 1 1/2 to 2 hours, or until the sauce is bubbly and the cubed bits of beef are falling apart tender.
- Enjoy. Sprinkle with the additional 2 Tablespoons of brown sugar and the remaining BBQ sauce. stir gently and return to the grill for just a few more minutes until everything is well incorporated. Serve hot as a main course or on white bread/buns with pickles and white onions.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Taste was great but meat was still a little tough, thinking it could have been the quality of meat. Any thoughts?
It’s possible! What grade of meat did you use? What was your finishing temperature before you cubed up the meat?
Easy to follow method, I made this on my Weber Smokey Mountain. My roast was a little smaller so it cooked a bit faster, will definitely make again!
just made this recipe ad it came out AMAZING!
Can I do this in the oven
Yes! Follow the recipe as written. A smoker is basically just an outdoor, wood-fired oven!
I wish I had a smoker, this sounds good!
It can be made in the oven following the same recipe! You just miss the smoky flavor.
Question- I want to make this for a party coming up, but I like my sleep….Can I smoke it overnight and hold it in a cooler for a couple hours, then cube/finish it?The party starts at 5, and that is rough timing for this process. Thx!
I’ve made this recipe several times, and always do it a day ahead of the event. What I do is stop after step 5 (Rest and cut), but rather than putting the pieces in a foil baking pan, I just put them, along with any drippings that accumulate in the cutting process, in a glass baking dish, cover with plastic wrap or foil, and pop it in the refrigerator. The next day, I pick up at step 6 (Add sauce). Rather than fire the smoker back up, which really doesn’t need to happen, since the meat has already been sufficiently smoked, I put everything in an appropriately sized Dutch oven, cover, and throw it in an oven preheated to 225F. I let that go for around 1 1/2 to 2 hours, stirring on occasion to make sure the sauce and brown sugar mixture evenly coats the meat. Always comes out great, and everyone loves them.
Speaking from experience, yes you can!
Made the mistake of treating this meat similar to a pork butt. Even at a lower temp (250), I needed to watch the internal temp much closer. Wrapped at 175. And it quickly got to 200 before I unwrapped. Still flavored it and put back in the foil liner. The flavors were excellent. But just a hair dry and overcooked by the time I pulled it out at the end. Thank again for all the fantastic content!
Had a beef roast in the freezer and figured I would try something different. This recipe did not disappoint, followed instructions to a “T” except I used light brown sugar and what a great treat. Look forward to doing a brisket next.
This is the third or fourth time I’ve used your Poor Mans Burnt Ends. It never disappoints. I have tried other smoker recipes from your blog and all are equally good. Thank you for your help.
Absolutely phenomenal. Loved it so much I made them again the next day. Used the leftovers in bao buns.