Burnt Ends in an Oven

Let’s talk about making burnt ends in an oven. A simple dry rub is filled with flavor, and each piece of chuck roast burnt ends is equally melt-in-your-mouth succulent as it is crunchy.

Poor Man’s Burnt Ends

This burnt ends-in-an-oven recipe made with chuck roast is cooked in your oven rather than spending all day smoking a brisket.

I will say that it is the best way to get all the flavor of the popular barbecued meat dish without a smoker.

Burnt ends have become popular across the US, given that they are popular in Kansas City and are also a staple of Texas barbecue.

It’s so popular that recipes were developed for just these tempting bites of beef.

What Are Burnt Ends?

As you might have an idea, poor man’s burnt ends are burnt ends made out of chuck roast rather than brisket.

Traditional burnt ends are made with an entire brisket, which is smoked.

The top muscle, also known as the marbled, fattier part, is removed while the rest of the brisket is sliced and served.

After that, the top muscle, which is also referred to as “the point,” is mostly cubed, topped with BBQ sauce, and cooked to seared perfection.

You have to swap the brisket for chuck roast when you want to make poor man’s burnt ends.

However, the price of the two meats is similar, so it’s not necessarily cheaper in that aspect.

That being said, you can skip the step of needing a whole brisket just to get burnt ends.

The whole roast is cubed and served when making chuck roast burnt ends.

Why Should You Make Burnt Ends with Beef Chuck Roast?

Chuck roast is obtained from the top section of the cow and is naturally a tougher cut that requires slow cooking.

Now, thanks to this, the chuck roast is affordable, as the price normally ranges from $5 to $7 per pound.

This cut does not require smoking to imbue it with those intense BBQ flavors, along with the budget-friendly perks.

Just using a sauce and dry rub that’s both smoky and sweet will certainly get the job done as it cooks in the oven.

You must prep it correctly for delicious results before you use this meat to make burnt ends.

Poor Man’s Burnt Ends

Poor man’s burnt ends are dry-rubbed, succulent beef chuck, cooked low and slow for a crunchy outside. There’s no way you won’t love this oven-burnt ends recipe.

Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Method: Oven
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 3 hours, 30 minutes
Total Time: 3 hours and 40 minutes
Servings: 5 people

Equipment

Wire rack
Rimmed sheet pan
Kitchen knives

Ingredients

BBQ Spice Rub Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon of paprika
• 1 teaspoon of onion powder
• 1 teaspoon of coarse black pepper
• 1 teaspoon of smoked paprika
• 1 ½ teaspoon of sea salt
• ½ teaspoon of cayenne pepper
• 1 teaspoon of garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon of chili powder
• ½ teaspoon of dried mustard

Burnt Ends Ingredients

• 3 pounds of chuck roast
• 1-2 cups of barbecue sauce, you can use Sweet Baby Rays
• 8 tablespoons, 1 stick of salted butter, cut into 1 tablespoon pats
• 2 tablespoons of spice rub

Laid-Out Instructions

• First, you are to get a small bowl and combine the ingredients for the spice rub in it. Proceed to mix to combine, then measure out 2 tablespoons and store the remaining rub in a tightly sealed container.
• After that, preheat the oven to 275 degrees Fahrenheit.
• That being done, lavishly sprinkle 1-2 tablespoons of spice rub over the whole chuck roast. Then rub in with your hands to fully coat all sides.
• Now, place the seasoned roast on a roasting rack placed over a sheet pan. You are to bake for roughly 3 hours.
• When that is done, remove the roast from the oven and cut into 1” cubes. You are to also spread the chunks of meat on the baking sheet and toss them with BBQ sauce.
• Afterward, place the pats of butter over the meat and return the sheet pan to the oven.
• Proceed to bake at 450 degrees F, which will take you more or less an extra 30 minutes, until the edges of the meat are crisp and deeply caramelized. You are to stir the meat halfway through cooking, at the 15-minute mark.
• You can always serve with extra BBQ sauce if that’s what you want.

What to Serve with Chuck Roast Burnt Ends?

You have the option of serving your poor man’s burnt ends with any classic BBQ side.

Personally, a few of my favorites include mac & cheese, baked beans, coleslaw, potato salad, and cornbread.

In addition, you can serve them on white bread or rolls with pickles and onions as an entrée.

How to Store and Reheat Extras

Fridge

You can always store your leftover chuck roast burnt ends in a tightly sealed container in the fridge. This will make it last for up to 3 to 4 days.

Freezer

In addition, you can freeze the leftover burnt ends in a freezer-safe, airtight container or freezer bag, which will make them last for up to 3 months. You are to defrost them in the fridge before you reheat them.

Reheating

You can reheat individual servings in the microwave. However, for larger servings, the oven is a great option.

How to Make the Most Tender Burnt Ends

Slow and low-heat cooking will always be the secret to amazingly tender burnt ends; keep that in mind.

There is no shortcut to this. As you know, other burnt ends recipes do require only cooking in the oven like this one, but keep in mind that you won’t get that intense smoke flavor and meat tenderness you get with a smoker.

Smoking the meat for several hours is the only way to get this type of tenderness result, and this goes for any kind of meat.

Remember, that still, you can always light up your smoker and get your ingredients ready if you want to do this right.

What’s the Difference Between Traditional Burnt Ends and Poor Man’s Burnt Ends?

This question has been answered briefly above. However, if you miss it, traditional burnt ends are made from the point end of a brisket.

Meanwhile, chuck roast burnt ends are made by cutting up a slab of chuck roast into 1-inch cubes.

The term “poor man” comes down to the price of the meat.

An entire brisket can set you back between $40 and $50 at the grocery store, and on the other hand, a 3 to 4-pound chuck roast might only be $10.

The time is another difference between brisket’s burnt ends and poor man’s burnt ends.

This is to say that brisket has a much longer smoking time compared to a chuck roast.

A brisket might take 10–12 hours, but a chuck roast will take around 6–7 hours, or even less.

How Do I Know When My Poor Man’s Burnt Ends Are Done?

Just pick up a hot, burnt end using a pair of gloves and slightly squish it between your fingers.

It’s not done if it doesn’t break apart. And it’s done if it breaks apart slightly without completely crumbling.

Final Thoughts

Normally, poor man’s burnt ends are made with the fattiest piece of muscle from the brisket.

But either way, make sure you choose the right cut of meat.

Look for a cut with plenty of small, white flecks (fat) throughout when it comes to chuck roast burnt ends.

Now this brings us to the end of this guide, as you now have your perfect recipe to make burnt ends in an oven.