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Honey, I shrunk the pigs and turned pork belly burnt ends into bite-sized, pop-in-your-mouth pork belly candy.

spoonful of candied pork belly.

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These little nuggets of pork are both crispy and juicy, and they’re packed with smoky bacon flavor. They’re delicious in tacos or on salads, but I seriously won’t judge you if you just eat them like candy.

As a matter of fact, Grandma, can you ditch the mints in your candy bowl for pork belly candy?

candy bowl filled with pork belly.

Size matters

We all love pork belly burnt ends, the cubed, smoked pork is pretty irresistible.

I was eating a few one day, when I had a flashback to my time in France. Every trip to the grocery included a package of lardons, which are small cubes of bacon fat.

small and large pork belly cubes on smoker.

I used to fry them up and toss them in pastas and salads. That’s when I realized, if we can do that with bacon, why not with pork belly burnt ends?

Burnt ends are traditionally made by slicing pork belly into one-inch cubes. To make pork belly candy, just trim them down a bit more.

This smaller size gives you a greater crispy, caramelization ratio in every bite.

strip of pork belly cut into smaller strips and cubes.

Cut the belly into half-inch strips. Cut those strips in half vertically. Then, cut those strips into half-inch cubes.

pork belly cubes seasoned.

You can season these guys however you want, but if you want a sure bet, use by Pork Rub or combine Loot N Booty Everything Rub and Meat Church Honey Hog. The combo is sweet with a bit of heat, garlic and saltiness.


small cubes of pork belly on smoker.

Prep the smoker

Heat the smoker to 225F. For this recipe, I like using sweeter woods like apple or peach with a couple chunks of hickory. If you don’t have a smoker, you can also set up a gas grill with an indirect heat zone and a wood chip box or pellet tube.

Most importantly, make sure you have a mesh grill mat. Because pork belly candy is small, without the mat, they can slip right through the grate. The mat still allows the smoke to come through without any runaways.

baby pork belly bites on smoker.

Smoke the pork belly candy for about 2 hours and 15 minutes. Take a peek at the two-hour mark. You want the edges to start to crisp up. How long this takes will depend on how large or small you cut your cubes.


smoked pork belly cubes on smoker next to butter, sauce and honey.

Hit it with some sauce

Once you see those crispy edges and mahogany color, place the pork belly in a pan and toss with your favorite barbecue sauce, butter and honey.

Here’s your chance to mix up the flavor profile. You can use traditional barbecue sauce, or you can try an Asian sauce or even buffalo sauce. If you like your burnt ends sweeter, toss in a handful of brown sugar or molasses.
Cover the pan with foil, and braise for one more hour. All the flavors will work their way into the pork belly and tenderize the meat.

Uncover the pan, and let the batch of pork belly candy smoke for 30 more minutes. This step ensures the sauce is nice and sticky.

candied pork belly in pan.

The best part of the grill master’s job is taste testing. You’re going to want to grab a few pieces of pork belly candy straight from the pan. After all, you’ve gotta make sure they’re acceptable for your family. Right? Careful, they’re hot, but once you get started, you won’t want to stop. You may not even want to share :)

Get the recipe for full-sized Smoked Pork Belly Burnt Ends

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4.83 from 41 votes

Pork Belly Candy

Honey, I shrunk the pigs and turned pork belly burnt ends into bite-sized, pop-in-your-mouth pork belly candy.
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 3 hours 45 minutes
Total Time: 4 hours
Servings: 12

Ingredients 

  • 4 lb pork belly
  • 1/4 cup Loot N Booty Everything Rub
  • 2 tbsp Meat Church Honey Hog
  • 1/2 cup barbecue sauce
  • 1/4 cup butter
  • 1 tbsp honey

Instructions 

  • Slice the pork belly into 1/2-inch cubes. Combine the rubs, and toss on the cubes.
  • Heat your smoker to 225F degrees. Place a mesh mat on the grill grates. Add the seasoned pork belly cubes in a single layer.
  • Smoke for 2 hours and 15 minutes. The meat should start to caramelize on the edges.
  • Place in an aluminum pan. Add the sauce, butter and honey and toss.
  • Cover with foil and return to the smoker for 1 hour.
  • Remove the foil and continue to smoke for 30 minutes.

Video

Nutrition

Calories: 849kcalCarbohydrates: 7gProtein: 14gFat: 84gSaturated Fat: 31gCholesterol: 119mgSodium: 205mgPotassium: 321mgSugar: 5gVitamin A: 215IUVitamin C: 0.7mgCalcium: 34mgIron: 1.6mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Additional Info

Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Did you try this recipe?Be sure to rate it, leave a comment and save it so you can make it again. Show off your awesome results on social by tagging @girlscangrill
christie vanover standing against wood wall.

Hey BBQ Family

I’m Christie, the head cook and award-winning competitive pitmaster for Team Girls Can Grill. I have won multiple grand championships and top 10 category finishes. I’m an expert grill reviewer for BBQ Guys, and I have appeared on the Food Network and Ninja Woodfire Grill infomercials. I established this website in 2015 to share my BBQ tips and recipes.

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9 Comments

  1. Hello,
    i bought grill a few day ago and i was trying to find some good recipes. I will definitely roast this meat on my grill. Thank you for that info.
    Martin Vlcek

    1. I haven’t ever baked them, but I’m sure you could. You just wouldn’t have the smoke flavor.

  2. Your recipe is similar to mine but being a true Canadian I use maple syrup. Lol these bites don’t last long around here lol
    Will be making them today 👍🏻

  3. Can you use pork shoulder butt? And do everything the same way. We like it on the sweet side. Is this recipe sweet? Or can I substitue brown sugar for barbuce sauce? Thanks in advance for all your help. Terri