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These Sweet and Spicy Burnt Ends made with chuck roast are the perfect BBQ snack. Chuck roast burnt ends are otherwise known as the poor mans burnt ends because of the cheaper and smaller cut of meat compared to a brisket. They are less fatty than traditional burnt ends made from pork belly making them more appealing to most people. It’s rich, beefy, well-marbled, and transforms beautifully when cooked low and slow. Whether you’re cooking for game day, a backyard party, or just want to level up your weekend cook, this chuck roast burnt ends recipe is guaranteed to impress.
Here’s my recipe for traditional Smoked BBQ pork butt belly ends or even better leftover brisket burnt ends. Try these savory Burnt Ends in Beer BBQ sauce. Smokey, hoppy, savory little bites of meat for everyone to enjoy!
Table of Contents
- Why Chuck Roast Is Perfect for Burnt Ends
- Ingredient list for Sweet and Spicy Burnt Ends
- How to smoke the chuck roast
- How to make a sweet and spicy BBQ sauce
- Sauce up the Sweet and Spicy Burnt Ends
- Final Thoughts
- Frequently Asked Questions:
- Other Deliciously Saucy BBQ Recipes:
- Sweet and Spicy Burnt Ends Recipe
Why Chuck Roast Is Perfect for Burnt Ends
Chuck roast comes from the shoulder of the cow, which means it has plenty of connective tissue and intramuscular fat. That’s exactly what you want when making burnt ends. As the meat smokes, the fat renders down, the collagen breaks apart, and the beef becomes incredibly tender while still holding its shape.
Compared to brisket, chuck roast:
- Cooks faster
- Is easier to find
- Costs less
- Delivers deep, beef-forward flavor
That combination makes smoked chuck roast burnt ends a go-to recipe for both beginners and seasoned pit masters.
Ingredient list for Sweet and Spicy Burnt Ends
- Beef Chuck Roast: cheaper and leaner option vs. a pork belly or brisket. Strong beefy flavors and perfect for low and slow smoking.
- All Purpose seasoning: adds everyday flavors to the enhance the taste of the chuck roast.
- Worcestershire sauce: adds savory flavors to the meat and works as the binder for the seasoning.
- Ketchup: this is the base for any tomato based BBQ sauce.
- Yellow mustard: provide acidy and tanginess to the sauce.
- Honey: adds natural sweetness and shine.
- Brown sugar: adds caramelization to the sauce when brushed on meats.
- Molasses: adds a sweet and smokey flavor to the sauce.
- Apple cider vinegar: creates a tangy balance to the sweetness from the brown sugar and molasses.
- Hot sauce: adds a little kick and breaks up the sweetness of the sauce. Adjust heat levels to your liking.
How to smoke the chuck roast
To start off, coat the chuck roast with some form of a binder for the seasoning. I used W sauce but regular Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce or yellow mustard will also work.
Next, season the roast with Dad’s All Purpose rub for the savory taste. Seasoning the roast will not overpower or over salt the sweet and spicy burnt ends.
Time to get the grill going. Preheat the grill to 250 degrees indirect heat. For this cook, I tried the new Low and Slow charcoal by Kingsford. Added a few wood chunks and it held up the entire cook. If using a kettle grill like I did, arrange the charcoal briquets on one side of the grill and place the protein on the opposite end. Once the temperature is reached, throw the seasoned chuck roast directly on the grates for about 3 hours.
Dad’s Seasonings
Must have grillin seasonings!
How to make a sweet and spicy BBQ sauce
While the chuck roast is smoking, make the sweet and spicy BBQ sauce. Once you start making your own sauces, you will no longer enjoy using store bought. It’s a great way to customize the flavors to your liking. Whether you like it more sweet, spicy or savory, make it for yourself.
In a saucepan add ketchup, yellow mustard, red wine vinegar, molasses, W sauce, sriracha sauce, brown sugar, honey, Dad’s All Purpose rub and a maple bourbon rub. Simmer over low heat until the sauce thickens. Set aside.
Sauce up the Sweet and Spicy Burnt Ends
After 3 hours, remove the chuck roast off the grill and cube it up into bite size pieces. Place the chunks into an aluminum pan and coat it heavily with the homemade sweet and spicy sauce. Mix in the sauce with the chuck roast bites making sure everything is evenly covered.
Cover the pan with aluminum foil and put it back on the grill at 250 degrees for another 2-3 hours until the meat is probe tender. This means the temperature probe goes into the meat without any resistance
Final Thoughts
Sweet and Spicy Burnt Ends are proof that incredible barbecue doesn’t have to be complicated or expensive. With the right seasoning, steady smoke, and a little patience, this humble cut transforms into one of the most crave-worthy BBQ bites you’ll ever make.
If you love rich, smoky beef with sticky, caramelized edges, this is a recipe you’ll come back to again and again. Fire up the smoker, grab a chuck roast, and get ready to turn an everyday cut into unforgettable burnt ends. Enjoy!
Frequently Asked Questions:
Burnt ends made of chuck roast are also called the poor man’s burnt ends. The roast is a perfect cut of meat for this type of cook because of the beefiness in flavor, cook time and leaner option. Additionally, vs. traditional brisket burnt ends, chuck roast is a more economical cut making it more accessible.
Chuck is perfect for smoking low & slow as it breaks down the fat and tenderizes the meat for that fall-apart doneness. When wrapped in foil, it traps the moisture delivering tender, smokey and delicious burnt ends.
Other Deliciously Saucy BBQ Recipes:
If you tried this Sweet and Spicy Burnt Ends or any other recipe on my blog, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the📝 comments. I love hearing from you!
Sweet and Spicy Burnt Ends
Ingredients
- 3 lbs Beef Chuck Roast
- 1 tbsp W Sauce
- 2 tbsp Dad's All Purpose Rub
BBQ sauce ingredients
- 1 tbsp Dad's All Purpose Rub
- 1 tbsp Dad's Maple Bourbon Rub
- 1/2 cup Ketchup
- 2 tbsp Yellow Mustard
- 1/4 cup Molasses
- 1/2 cup Brown Sugar
- 2 tbsp W Sauce
- 2 tbsp Apple Cider Vinegar
- 2 tbsp Sriracha Sauce
- 2 tbsp Honey
Instructions
- Coat the chuck roast with w sauce or binder of choice. Season with Dad's All Purpose Rub.
- Preheat the grill to 250 degrees indirect heat.
- Smoke the seasoned chuck roast directly on the grates for about 3 hours.
- For the sauce, in a sauce pan add ketchup, yellow mustard, red wine vinegar, molasses, W sauce, sriracha sauce, brown sugar, honey, Dad's All Purpose Rub and a Dad's Maple Bourbon Rub. Simmer over low heat until the sauce thickens. Set aside.
- Remove the chuck roast off the grill and cube it up into bite size pieces.
- Place the chunks into an aluminum pan and coat it heavily with the homemade sweet and spicy sauce.
- Cover the pan with aluminum foil and put it back on the grill at 250 degrees for another 2-3 hours until the meat is probe tender.
The sauce was a hit! With my families tastebuds, I went with just 1 Tbsp of sriracha, and it was perfect for us. I think we’ll be using the sauce on other meats (next up pork loin) as well. Thanks Maciek!
One of the easiest recipes to do. Liked the sauce also. I cannot do hot so I used your sauce for half of the burnt ends and made the other half without the heat everyone loved it . First time will be doing this again.
U don’t have red wine Vinaigrette on your list or amount needed
use 2 tbps of red wine vinegar instead of apple cider vinegar. These can be used interchangeably.
Would the temp and time be there same for a pellet fed smokers??
Also is there a different sauce we can use instead of the sweet and spicy?
Same time and temp on any grill. If you don’t like the sweet and spicy sauce, I have a few recipes on my site for regular bbq sauce, or bourbon bbq sauce. Just type in bbq sauce in search. Also, you can always use a prepackaged sauce of your liking.
SO good! Making again very soon.
Awesome! Glad you liked them.