Here in Texas, the land of barbecue, few cuts are more prized than the burnt ends. They may sounds like the rejects, lowest of the low brow, but anyone worth their sauce knows that these elusive morsels hold the most intense flavor. Smoky, caramelized, crunchy yet tender, they’re darkly lacquered with spices and sugar after hours in the pit. They’re richly fatty, sticky and sweet, incredibly umami; all the taste sensations needed like light up your brain like a Christmas tree.

Burnt ends have been a particular fascination for me since moving to the Lone Star State. Everyone is enamored with them, willing to shell out ungodly sums of money for such meager portions, and yet I haven’t seen a single meatless alternative. Given the rising economic and environmental impact of this kind of indulgence, such an omission is downright shocking. Still, I couldn’t quite see an easy conversion in my mind.

That was, until I came across hot dog burnt ends. This is a parallel trend running as a proposed “poor man’s” solution to the beefy barbecue hit. That was just the opening I needed, so I took that concept and ran with it.

Vegan Hot Dog Burnt Ends are the perfect solution for plant-based and omnivorous eaters alike. They’re so deeply burnished in dark and savory caramel, you’d never know there’s no animal meat involved. Serve them as snacks, appetizers, or starters at your next party, and I guarantee they’ll be the talk of the town. Perhaps even best of all, while traditional burnt ends take hours to smoke, slow cooking over a wood fire, vegan hot dogs come fully-cooked and ready to eat. You just need to put the finishing touches on them in the oven, no grill or smoker required.

Keys to success:

1. Line your pan with aluminum foil or use a disposable pan. Seriously, you do not want to scrape the caramelized gunk out of your favorite baking dish when this is all over. Speaking from personal experience, it sticks tenaciously and terribly.
2. Select meatless dogs that already have a subtle smoky flavor. That lets us skip the smoking step traditionally done in a barbecue pit or grill. My favorites are Field Roast Signature Stadium Dogs and Upton’s Naturals Updog. Alternately, add 1/2 teaspoon of liquid smoke to your marinade to make up for it with a different brand.
3. Score your dogs thoroughly. Those slits let all the spices soak in, while creating lots of additional surface area and edges to get extra crispy.

How to make it a meal:

Although these two-bite party-starters are perfect for casual munching, you could easily make them the star of your next dinner. Great ideas for accompaniments include…

• Mashed potatoes or potato salad
• Baked beans
• Biscuits
• Coleslaw
• Mac and cheese
• Corn on the cob
• Sliced red onions or scallions
• Pickles

Most importantly, consider doubling the recipe. These babies go fast; I promise you won’t have any leftovers even if you triple it.

Finally, I get the irresistible appeal of burnt ends. They’re not just for brisket anymore.

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Yield: Makes 6 - 8 Servings

Vegan Hot Dog Burnt Ends

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Smoky, caramelized, crunchy yet tender, this meatless version of burnt ends uses vegan hot dogs to recreate that same crave-worthy taste sensation. Darkly lacquered with spices and sugar, they only need a brief trip through the oven to reach barbequed perfection.

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 40 minutes

Total Time 45 minutes

Ingredients

• 8 Ounces Meatless Hot Dogs
• 3 Tablespoons Dark Brown Sugar, Firmly Packed
• 2 Tablespoons Vegan Butter
• 1 Tablespoon Soy Sauce
• 1 Teaspoon Dijon Mustard
• 1 1/2 Teaspoons Smoked Paprika
• 1 1/2 Teaspoons Garlic Powder
• 1 1/2 Teaspoons Onion Powder
• 1/2 Teaspoon Coarsely Ground Black Pepper
• 1/4 Teaspoon Cayenne Pepper
• 3 Tablespoons BBQ Sauce

Instructions

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and line an 8 x 8-inch square baking dish with aluminum foil; set aside.
2. Score your hot dogs in a crosshatch pattern, flip, and repeat on the opposite side. Cut them into thirds, creating approximately 2-inch long pieces.
3. Transfer the hot dogs to your prepared baking dish. Sprinkle with brown sugar. Cut the vegan butter into pieces and scatter them on top. Drizzle with soy sauce and mustard, tossing gently to combine. Sprinkle the remaining spices on top.
4. Bake for 25 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes or so. Add the BBQ sauce, stir to incorporate, and bake for another 15 - 20 minutes.
5. Don't worry if it smell slightly burnt; that's what you want! Once they're crispy on the outside and caramelized all over, they're done. Transfer to a dish right away, and serve hot.
   

Recommended Products

Please note that some of the links above are affiliate links, and at no additional cost to you, I will earn a commission if you decide to make a purchase after clicking through the link. I have experience with all of these companies and I recommend them because they are helpful and useful, not because of the small commissions I make if you decide to buy something through my links.

• 
  Frontier Natural Products, Organic Ground Smoked Paprika, 16 oz (453 g)
• 
  Eden Foods, Organic, Shoyu Soy Sauce, 10 fl oz
• 
  Annie's Naturals, Smokey Maple BBQ Sauce, 12 oz

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

8

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 150Total Fat: 11gSaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 6gCholesterol: 16mgSodium: 437mgCarbohydrates: 9gFiber: 0gSugar: 7gProtein: 4g

All nutritional information presented within this site are intended for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and any nutritional information on BitterSweetBlog.com should only be used as a general guideline. This information is provided as a courtesy and there is no guarantee that the information will be completely accurate. Even though I try to provide accurate nutritional information to the best of my ability, these figures should still be considered estimations.