It seems anything and everything is getting turned into burnt ends these days. I smoke these butternut squash burnt ends for the holidays and for vegetarians who may be missing out at the BBQ table.
At a Glance
- Grill temp: 250F degrees, then 350F degrees
- Time: 3 hours 30 minutes
- Servings: 8
- Method: Disposable aluminum pan over indirect heat
Use fresh butternut squash cubes. Frozen cubes contain too much moisture.
What are burnt ends
Traditional burnt ends are cubes from the brisket. They’re smoked, then sauced and cooked until sticky.
These days, pitmasters cube just about anything and run it through that same method. I do it with pork belly burnt ends: cube, smoke, then cook with sauce, butter and honey until sticky. Heck, I even have a recipe for pastrami pork belly burnt ends and turkey burnt ends.
But not everyone is down with meat, and that’s fine. I share a lot of grilled vegetable recipes at Girls Can Grill too. So this burnt end recipe is for all of you veggie lovers.
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Heat grill: Heat your grill or smoker to 250F degrees with an indirect heat zone.
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Toss squash: Place the squash cubes in a disposable aluminum pan. Toss with olive oil and your favorite BBQ rub.
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Smoke: Place on the grill over indirect heat and smoke for 1 hour.
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Sauce: Gently stir in the BBQ sauce, butter, brown sugar, honey and maple syrup.
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Cover: Cover with foil and cook for an additional 1 hour.
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Reduce: Increase the grill temp to 350F degrees. Remove the foil and cook uncovered for 1 hour 15 minutes, until the sauce has reduced.
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Serve: Remove from the grill and serve.
If you buy pre-cubed butternut squash, get around 32 ounces.
Calories: 175kcalCarbohydrates: 28gProtein: 1gFat: 8gSaturated Fat: 4gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.5gMonounsaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0.2gCholesterol: 15mgSodium: 144mgPotassium: 443mgFiber: 2gSugar: 16gVitamin A: 12265IUVitamin C: 24mgCalcium: 72mgIron: 1mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
What you’ll need
- Butternut squash cubes: Buy a whole butternut squash and peel, seed and cube it. Or look for cubed butternut squash in the grocery store produce section.
- Olive oil: Toss the squash with 1 tablespoon olive oil.
- BBQ rub: My Girls Can Grill Pork Rub works great for this recipe.
- BBQ sauce: This gives the squash that authentic barbecue flavor.
- Butter: Add this with sauce for extra flavor.
- Brown sugar, honey and maple syrup: These sweeteners are the secret to sweet and sticky burnt ends.
Substitutions: Don't use frozen butternut squash. It contains too much moisture.
See the full recipe card above for servings and a full list of ingredients.
How to cook butternut squash burnt ends
Heat your grill or smoker to 250F degrees with an indirect heat zone. The squash cooks in a disposable aluminum pan from start to finish.
Step 1: Smoke for 1 hour
Place the squash cubes in a disposable aluminum pan. Toss with olive oil and your favorite BBQ rub. Set the pan on the grill over indirect heat and smoke for 1 hour.
Step 2: Sauce and cover
Gently stir in the BBQ sauce, butter, brown sugar, honey and maple syrup. Cover the pan with foil and cook for 1 more hour.
Step 3: Uncover and reduce
Increase the grill temp to 350F degrees. Remove the foil and cook uncovered for 1 hour 15 minutes, until the sauce has reduced. Pull the pan off the grill and serve.
How to serve butternut squash burnt ends
I smoke these for the holidays and for vegetarians at the BBQ table. They’re also an easy appetizer. Stick a toothpick in each cube and set the pan out warm, or add smoked BBQ jackfruit if you want another plant-based smoked option.
Storage
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. These don’t freeze very well.
GCG Pro Pitmaster Tips
- Use fresh butternut squash cubes. Frozen cubes contain too much moisture.
- This recipe is great cooked with cherry wood.
- Don’t skip the uncovered cook at 350F degrees. That’s how the sauce reduces.
- Cook the squash in a disposable aluminum pan so you can toss, cover and uncover in one pan.
Frequently Asked Questions
Don’t use frozen butternut squash. It contains too much moisture.
This recipe is great with cherry wood pellets.
After you stir in the BBQ sauce, butter, brown sugar, honey and maple syrup, cover the pan with foil and cook for 1 hour. Then increase the grill to 350F degrees, remove the foil and cook uncovered for 1 hour 15 minutes, until the sauce has reduced.
Yes. You can make burnt ends with other winter squashes. Summer squashes don’t work because they have too much moisture content.
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