Smoked Bologna Burnt Ends

It will only take one small bite of these smoked bologna burnt ends to have you insisting they are on every game day spread. These are sticky caramelized bites of heaven ready for you to wow all your guests, and you only need 3 ingredients to make them.

The classic poor man’s burnt ends are made with smoked brisket or smoked chuck roast. If you’ve never smoked any of these cuts let me tell you they are not fast!

As delicious as they are, sometimes you will find yourself craving burnt ends and not be willing to spend half a day just for the first part of the recipe. Smoking bologna is much faster and incredibly delectable whether you eat it in a sandwich or turn it into burnt ends.

⏲️ Equipment and Tools

✔️Smoker/Grill. The Big Green Egg we’re using doubles as a charcoal grill and a smoker. First, we smoked a whole chub of bologna and then, we grilled the burnt ends. Use whatever you have: a pellet smoker, electric smoker, charcoal smoker, or offset smoker will also work. You can even smoke the bologna on a pellet grill or a gas grill that has a smoking box.

✔️Disposable Aluminum Pan – This is a sticky recipe that makes cleanup difficult. Make your life easier and use a disposable aluminum pan.

✔️Small Bowl – Needed to mix the BBQ sauce and apricot jam.

✔️Wood Chips, Chunks, Or Pellets – You’ll need some smoking wood to smoke the chub first. We used apple chips for a mild smoke flavor and if you’re looking to amp it up just a little, go for oak wood. Other popular choices for a more intense smoke aroma include hickory, pecan, and mesquite, or feel free to create a blend if you’d like. You can always go to our wood pairing cheat sheet for more options!

🛢️ Ingredients

🛒Smoked Bologna – Smoking a whole bologna chub was a blast! Give it a shot – it was so easy, made a lot, and tasted so good.

🛒Dry Rub – You’ll need a dry rub when smoking the whole bologna chub. Almost any rub will work, so you can use your favorite store-bought or homemade rub.

🛒Yellow Mustard – This was used as a binding agent along with BBQ sauce when seasoning the bologna chub. The rub sticks a lot better and you won’t taste the mustard once the bologna has finished smoking.

🛒BBQ Sauce – We used Sweet Baby Ray’s this time. There’s a lot of room for creativity here. Use your favorite store-bought BBQ sauce or a homemade one. Your choice!

🛒Fruit Spread – I love a nice rich and tangy BBQ sauce, but sometimes it needs to be softened with a bit of a sweet flavor. A bit of apricot fruit spread worked perfectly to temper the BBQ sauce.

🔥 Instructions

Make The Smoked Bologna

🔷Step 1. Score the chub, brush a layer of BBQ sauce mixed with mustard, and season it evenly according to the instructions in our how to smoke bologna guide.

🔷Step 2. Preheat the grill to 250°F on indirect heat and add some smoking chips or chunks.

🔷Step 3. Place the bologna on the grill grates and let it smoke until it develops a slight bark. This will take 2-4 hours.

Note: You don’t need to worry about internal temperature in this case. Bologna is precooked, so we’re mostly interested in crisping up the outside.

🔷Step 4. Brush on BBQ sauce and let it smoke for another 30 minutes.

Make The Burnt Ends

🔶Step 1: Combine the jam and the BBQ sauce in a bowl and stir. Feel free to adjust the amounts of either if you prefer a sweeter or more tangy result.

🔶Step 2: Cut the smoked bologna into 1-inch cubes.

🔶Step 3: Pour the bologna into a disposable aluminum pan and add the sauce. Stir to combine. I found it easier to just use my hands. You are looking for the bologna to be lightly covered in the sauce. You don’t want too much here as it will turn into a goopy mess.

🔶Step 4: Heat the grill to 350°F, place the aluminum pan on the grill grate over direct heat, and cook for 15 minutes, stirring every couple of minutes.

Note: The bologna is precooked, so you are just looking for the outside to darken and the BBQ sauce/jam mixture to caramelize a bit. It will almost look burnt. Make sure to stir well from the bottom of the pan.

🍱 Storage

Ideally, you should refrigerate the leftovers as soon as they come to room temperature. Place them in an airtight container and they will stay safe to eat for 3-5 days.

Alternatively, freeze the burnt ends for up to 3 months. Make sure you wrap them in a double layer of plastic wrap or aluminum foil, and place them in a resealable ziploc bag.

🌡️ Reheating

👨🏻‍🍳 In The Oven

• Preheat the oven to 275°F to 300°F.
• Place the burnt ends in an oven-safe dish. Optionally add a splash of water, broth, or BBQ sauce so they stay moist.
• Loosely cover the dish with aluminum foil.
• Heat them in the oven for 10-15 minutes or until warmed through. The total time can vary depending on your oven, baking dish, and the quantity of burnt ends.

🎛️ On The Stovetop

• Preheat a skillet or saucepan over low to medium-low heat.
• Add a small amount of water, broth, or BBQ sauce so the burnt ends don’t dry out.
• Place the burnt ends in the skillet and cover with a lid. Stir every 2 minutes until they are warmed through.

📟 In The Microwave

• Place the leftover burnt ends in a microwave-safe dish and add a few tablespoons of liquid (water, broth, BBQ sauce).
• Cover the burnt ends and reheat in 30-second intervals, stirring in between to ensure the food reheats evenly.

♨️ On The Grill

These were made on the grill so it’s the perfect method to reheat smoked bologna burnt ends.

• Preheat the grill to 275°F–300°F.
• Place the burnt ends in a cast iron pan or a disposable aluminum pan and set them on the grill grates.
• Close the grill lid and let them reheat for 10 minutes.
• Do a quick check and continue reheating for a few more minutes if needed.

🍽️ Serving Suggestions

No need to stress about what to serve smoked bologna burnt ends with. There’s practically an endless variety of BBQ sides to choose from!

Fresh Salads

The richness of burnt ends will be lightened up if you serve them next to a salad like this grilled peach and arugula salad, a creamy cucumber salad, or a coleslaw.

Classic BBQ Sides

Even if you plan on having other sides, it’s a safe approach to include a classic option when having guests. Grilled baked beans, fresh cornbread, smoked baked potatoes, smoked potato salad, or grilled macaroni and cheese will ensure a traditional BBQ experience!

Grilled Veggies

Another way to balance this filling dish is to accompany it with some grilled vegetables. Grilled corn on the cob, smoked asparagus bundles, grilled roasted root vegetables, grilled green bean bundles, and grilled carrots with balsamic glaze are some of my personal favorites, but you can throw just about any veggie on the grill.

Sandwiches Or Sliders

Guess what? The best buns for pulled pork are also great for burnt ends. Add some extra BBQ sauce and toppings like cheddar cheese, pickles, onions, and jalapenos.

Appetizer Platter

Burnt ends are the perfect finger food. Stick some toothpicks in these sticky, smoky morsels and serve them on a platter next to cheese, crackers, and pickles. We love them this way for picnics, potlucks, and game day!

🔪More Burnt Ends Recipes

Hot Dog Burnt Ends | Smoking bologna for burnt ends is super easy and I highly recommend it even for beginners. Even better, hot dog burnt ends are just as easy to make.

Poor Man’s Burnt Ends | When you’re not in a rush, make the classic poor man’s burnt ends for a special BBQ feast. We used smoked chuck roast for this recipe because it is an affordable beef cut compared to brisket, but still incredibly delicious. Of course, if you prefer smoked brisket instead, go for it!

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