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Flavorful Smoked Brisket Burnt Ends Recipe with Best Kansas City BBQ Glaze

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This recipe delivers rich, tender smoked brisket burnt ends cloaked in a sticky, caramelized Kansas City BBQ glaze, perfect for BBQ lovers seeking smoky, sweet, and tender bites.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 4 to 5 pounds beef brisket point, trimmed of excess fat but leaving about 1/4 inch fat cap
  • 2 tablespoons kosher salt
  • 2 tablespoons coarse black pepper
  • 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
  • 1 tablespoon garlic powder
  • 1 tablespoon onion powder
  • 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)
  • 1 cup ketchup (preferably Heinz)
  • 1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar
  • 1/4 cup molasses (unsulfured)
  • 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • Hickory or oak wood chips or chunks for smoking
  • Optional: yellow mustard for binding the rub

Instructions

  1. Trim excess fat from the brisket point, leaving about 1/4 inch fat for moisture. Remove any silverskin or hard fat that won’t render. Cut into roughly 1.5-inch cubes.
  2. Toss the brisket cubes in a bowl with the dry rub mixture (salt, black pepper, smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, cayenne pepper). Optionally, coat cubes lightly with yellow mustard before applying rub. Let sit for 30 minutes at room temperature.
  3. Preheat smoker to 225°F using hickory or oak wood chunks. Maintain steady temperature throughout cooking.
  4. Place brisket cubes on a wire rack or directly on smoker grates. Smoke for 2.5 to 3 hours or until internal temperature reaches 190°F.
  5. While smoking, prepare the Kansas City BBQ glaze by whisking ketchup, brown sugar, molasses, apple cider vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, smoked paprika, garlic powder, salt, and pepper in a saucepan. Simmer gently for 10-15 minutes to thicken, then cool.
  6. Transfer smoked brisket cubes to a foil pan. Pour glaze over cubes and gently toss to coat evenly.
  7. Return glazed cubes to smoker at 250°F for an additional 1 hour to caramelize the glaze and intensify flavors. Toss halfway through to build sticky crust.
  8. Check tenderness; burnt ends should be tender but hold shape with a sticky, glossy finish. Smoke in 15-minute increments if needed.
  9. Remove from smoker and let rest for 10 minutes before serving to allow juices to redistribute and glaze to set.

Notes

Use a reliable meat thermometer to avoid overcooking; ideal internal temperature is 195-205°F. Maintain steady smoker temperature at 225°F during initial smoke. Apply glaze in layers by tossing halfway through final smoking hour. Keep a water pan in smoker to maintain humidity and prevent drying out. Leftovers keep well refrigerated for 4 days or frozen for up to 3 months. Reheat gently to avoid drying.

Nutrition

Keywords: smoked brisket, burnt ends, Kansas City BBQ glaze, BBQ recipe, smoked meat, brisket burnt ends, hickory smoked, oak smoked, barbecue, smoked beef

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