Pork belly burnt ends are decadent, glossy cubes of smoked pork belly glazed until sticky and caramelized. They cook faster than beef burnt ends and are almost impossible to mess up. Set your dinner time below and we will plan the whole cook backward to the minute.
What are pork belly burnt ends?
You cube raw pork belly into roughly 1.5 inch pieces, season them, and smoke until the fat renders and the bark forms. Then you toss the cubes in butter, brown sugar, and barbecue sauce, and return them to the smoker so the glaze tightens into a sticky candy shell. Because pork belly is so rich, every bite is tender and buttery.
Time, temperature, and technique
Smoke the cubes at 250 F for about 2.5 to 3 hours until they reach 190 to 200 F internal and the fat is soft and rendered. Move them to a foil pan with butter, brown sugar, and sauce, cover, and cook another hour, then uncover to set the glaze. Pull them when the fat is fully rendered and a cube squishes easily. The calculator above builds the timeline for your exact weight and dinner time.
Tips for the best pork belly burnt ends
- Buy skinless belly, or remove the skin before cubing.
- Render the fat fully. Undercooked belly is greasy and chewy; well-rendered belly is silky.
- Butter plus brown sugar in the braise pan is what makes them candy-like.
- Finish uncovered so the glaze caramelizes instead of staying wet.
Frequently asked
What temp are pork belly burnt ends done? About 190 to 200 F internal, cooked until the fat is fully rendered and tender.
How long do they take? Roughly 4 to 5 hours total. The calculator sizes it to your weight.
Is the pink in the middle safe? A pink smoke ring near the surface is normal in smoked pork. What matters is that the belly is cooked to tender (190 F plus) and the fat has rendered.
See every variation in our Smoked Burnt Ends guide.
Pork belly prices this week (and the trend)
$4.80/lb average grocery feature price (week of Aug 1, 2026)
See prices for every cut → · How much should you buy? · Cooking for money? Price the whole job
Source: USDA Agricultural Marketing Service Market News weekly retail feature reports, tracked by MeatSmokingCalculator. Prices are advertised grocery features – your store will vary.
Times & temperatures
| Style | Method | Pit temp | Approx time | Pull / done temp |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Whole Slab | Slow and Low | 250°F / 121°C | ~45 min/lb | 200°F / 93°C |
| Pork Belly Burnt Ends | Slow and Low | 250°F / 121°C | ~3 hr + ~75 min finish | 200°F / 93°C |
📊 See the full smoking times & temps chart for every cut →
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Written by John Kirker, who built the first meat smoking calculator in 2011. Times come from cooks we have actually run and logged; temperature and feel decide the finish, never the clock alone.
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