These Hot Dog Burnt Ends are smoky, caramelized, and coated in the perfect sticky-sweet BBQ glaze. Grilled until golden and crisp, then tossed in honey, brown sugar, and your favorite sauce—they’re the ultimate bite-sized BBQ win.

This is perfect for cookouts, game days, or just because. Save this one—you’ll be obsessed! 🌭🔥

Hot dogs cut in half on a wooden serving board

You can cut the hot dogs into thirds, or smaller to be safer for little kids.

Hot Dog burnt ends covered in sauce in a white bowl

Ingredients

2 packs all-beef hot dogs
Yellow mustard (for coating)
BBQ rub
½ cup BBQ sauce
2 tbsp honey
2 tbsp brown sugar
1 tbsp butter (optional)

Directions

Preheat smoker, grill (indirect heat), or oven to 250°F.
Cut hot dogs into thirds. Toss in mustard to coat. Season with BBQ rub until fully covered.
Place on a wire rack or foil-lined sheet and cook for 45–60 min until crispy. Transfer to a foil pan.
Add BBQ sauce, honey, brown sugar, and butter. Toss to coat.
Cover with foil and return to heat for 30 min. Uncover and cook 15–20 min more until sticky and caramelized.
Serve hot with toothpicks and extra sauce.

Here’s a Quick Video Tutorial!

Perfect Presentation Platters

You can place these Hot Dog Burnt Ends in just about anything, from a serving bowl to an aluminum tin to a platter. Here are some of our favorites! I also have decor, clothes, and gifts linked in my Amazon store.

Serving Platter: We love this marble tray from Walmart for an amazing price! It can be used year-round for just about any occasion.

Large Serving Bowls: For a wooden serving bowl, you could go with this beautiful option from Amazon or this Wooden Serving Bowl from JC Penney (that’s on sale!) You may also love this beautiful stoneware bowl.

Kitchen Links: I get asked all the time about the products in the background of my kitchen. Much of it is from MacKenzie-Childs, which I have slowly grown a collection of over the years! My favorites are my black and white checkered teapot, and the gray and white checkered utensil holder. Finally, I also have this enamel canister that you can find in small, medium, or large.

Can I Prep These Hot Dog Burnt Ends in Advance?

Yes! You can cut them into thirds and coat in the mustard and BBQ rub to save time. The rest of the steps should be done closer to serving time.

Storing Leftovers

Place any leftovers in a Tupperware container or Ziploc Bag and refrigerate. These should stay fresh for 2-3 days!

More Easy Recipes!

We love easy summer barbecue recipes and hope this was a hit in your house! For more simple recipes, check out our Easy Hot Dog Board, delicious Garlic Parmesan Ranch Chicken Skewers, or this simple Smoked White Queso Dip. Happy Summer, friends!