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Pork belly burnt ends are one of my favorite recipes for grill season. Thick, juicy pork belly grilled low and slow, first in a savory dry rub and then in a rich BBQ sauce, for a heavenly, smokey flavor you won’t be able to get enough of.
What Makes This Recipe So Good
- There’s so much flavor here! You’ve got a dry rub made up of the perfect blend of savory spices, then there’s a slightly sweet BBQ glaze, and then that incredible smokey flavor that comes just from grilling. Ugh, is your mouth watering yet?
- The slow, low-temperature grilling method used in this recipe gives you juicy, tender pork belly burnt ends that aren’t dry or tough. It takes a little time, but you know what they say about good things coming to those who wait…
- Pork belly burnt ends are actually pretty hands off, all things considered. I mean, once you put the meat on the grill, you don’t have to do anything at all for another 2.5 hours! And then you basically just add the glaze and put everything back on the grill for another 2 hours.
- These can be the main protein in your cookout meal, part of a whole grilled-food-spread, or you can plate them and serve them with toothpicks for an incredible appetizer!
Chef’s Tips
- If you buy pork belly with the skin on, you’ll need to remove it for this recipe. It’s a little tricky (and time-consuming) if you’ve never done it before. You’ll need a super sharp knife, a cutting board, and a healthy amount of patience. With the knife at an angle, run it underneath the skin, working away from you and away from the meat. You’ll need to peel away the skin with your other hand at the same time, so it takes a little coordination.
- If you’ve got 5-10 minutes to spare, let the pork belly sit after you coat it in dry rub, before you put it on the grill. That just gives the spices more time to infuse into the meat, enhancing the overall flavors.
- Adjust the spices in your dry rub to get your perfect blend! If you like things hotter, you might use ½ teaspoon of cayenne instead of ¼ teaspoon. Want pork belly burnt ends that are a little less sweet? Cut the brown sugar slightly. Play around with the ratios to get the best dry rub for your tastes.
More Delicious Grilled Recipes You’ll Love
- Baked Potatoes on the Grill
- Grilled Beef Ribs
- Grilled Scallops
- Maple Glazed Grilled Carrots
- Quick Chimichurri Shrimp Skewers (Whole30, Paleo, Keto)
- Bacon Wrapped Hot Dogs
- Grilled Mahi Mahi
- Grilled Peaches with Honey
Pork Belly Burnt Ends on the Grill
Pork belly burnt ends are one of my favorite recipes for grill season. Thick, juicy pork belly grilled low and slow, first in a savory dry rub and then in a rich BBQ sauce, for a heavenly, smokey flavor you won't be able to get enough of.
servings
Equipment
- Charcoal grill (or smoker)
- Medium bowl
- Cutting board
- Sharp knife
- Large bowl
- Silicone spatula (optional)
- Disposable aluminum pan
- Aluminum Foil
Ingredients
For the Dry Rub
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
- 1 packed tablespoon brown sugar see Notes
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
For the BBQ Glaze
- ⅔ cup BBQ sauce of choice
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 2 packed tablespoons brown sugar see Notes
For the Pork Belly
- 3 pounds pork belly non-salted, skin removed
- 2 tablespoons olive oil or other neutral oil
Instructions
- Set up charcoal grill for low, indirect heat, between 225° Fahrenheit to 250° Fahrenheit.
- Add all ingredients for dry rub to small bowl. Mix thoroughly and set aside.
- Place pork belly on cutting board. Using sharp knife, cut pork belly into roughly 1.5-inch cubes.
- Transfer pork belly cubes to large bowl. Add olive oil and toss or stir to coat cubes thoroughly. Add dry rub and toss or stir again.
- Transfer seasoned pork belly cubes to grill, placing directly on bare wire rack over indirect heat. Grill approximately 2 ½ hours, until meat is dark red.
- Remove meat from grill and place in disposable aluminum pan. Add ingredients for BBQ glaze to pan and stir all ingredients until cubes are thoroughly coated.
- Cover pan with aluminum foil and place pan on wire rack in grill. Grill additional 2 hours, or until pork belly reaches internal temperature of 200° Fahrenheit.
- Once pork belly reaches target temperature, carefully remove pan from grill. Let pork belly rest 3 to 5 minutes, then serve warm with desired sides.
- Brown Sugar: If you’re watching your sugar intake, you can use equal amounts Brown Swerve instead.
- Make it Keto: Use Brown Swerve instead of brown sugar. Use a keto-friendly store-bought BBQ sauce (like Primal Kitchen Organic & Unsweetened Classic BBQ Sauce or G Hughes Original Sugar Free BBQ Sauce) or use our recipe to make your own keto BBQ sauce at home.
Approximate Information for One Serving
Serving Size: 1servingCalories: 798calProtein: 13gFat: 79gSaturated Fat: 29gTrans Fat: 0.1gCholesterol: 107mgSodium: 507mgPotassium: 321mgTotal Carbs: 9gFiber: 0.5gSugar: 7gNet Carbs: 9gVitamin A: 402IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 19mgIron: 1mg
Nutrition Disclaimers
Number of total servings shown is approximate. Actual number of servings will depend on your preferred portion sizes.
Nutritional values shown are general guidelines and reflect information for 1 serving using the ingredients listed, not including any optional ingredients. Actual macros may vary slightly depending on specific brands and types of ingredients used.
To determine the weight of one serving, prepare the recipe as instructed. Weigh the finished recipe, then divide the weight of the finished recipe (not including the weight of the container the food is in) by the desired number of servings. Result will be the weight of one serving.
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Okay, second time I’ve done burnt end. This recipe came out perfect, keep the temperature at two hundred degrees, no more.
So glad you enjoyed it, John! 😊
I had a bbq this past weekend and I figure I try this. I did it on a charcoal grill and it turned out perfect! I’ll definitely be making this again in the future.
Thank you so much, Aaron!
Made them keto style. Omg!! So delicious!
Love that, Michelle! Thank you for the review!
looks great,excited !!!
Yay! Let us know what you think, Tracy!
Absolutely wonderful ! Everyone I make these for loves them .
LOVE to hear that, Leslie! Thank you so much for sharing!
I had at friends house, AMAZING!! I only have a gas grill, how might I do this? Thank you 😁
So happy you enjoyed them, Amy! As long as you can cook over low, indirect heat with your particular gas grill, you should be fine to follow this recipe as written. Let us know how it works for you!
I use olive oil as a binder and rub the pork belly cubes with my favorite homemade blend of spices. Place in a vacuum sealed bag and store in the freezer until ready to use. I take out the night before and allow to defrost in the refrigerator. I feel this really infuses the pork with the rub and adds extra flavor.
Very cool method!
Looks so delicious. I am definitely going to try it this weekend. What if I replace pork belly with pork shoulder because that’s what I’ve got resting in my freezer. If yes then what temperature do you recommend?
Hey Sabeen, we’re so glad you like this recipe! It really is SO good. You can use a different cut of pork like pork shoulder if needed, but keep in mind it won’t caramelize like the pork belly ends would because there’s not as much fat. You can grill it at the same temperature (250 degrees), but just make sure the internal temp of the cubed pieces is at least 180 degrees.
Is there a temperature that we should aim to keep our smoker at during this 4.5 hour cook time- I’m thinking indirect heat would have different results if grill is at 250 vs 400 degrees… Thanks in advance- these look yummy!
Great question, Julie! Since it’s “low” heat, you’ll want the grill somewhere between 225°F and 250°F for the duration! We’ve updated the post to include that clarification. Let us know how these turn out for you!