You have got to make our easy bologna burnt ends with rub in the oven. It is a great appetizer or snack our kids love. We call them cheap poor mans burnt ends with a mustard sauce that pairs great.
Maybe you have had these with more expensive cuts by making our Chuck Roast Burnt Ends and fell in love, but want it done cheaper. I figured out how to use a package of bologna to bake these in the oven with the same dry rub and killer mustard sauce too.
In a sense this tastes a bit like our Hot Dog Burnt Ends but a different shape. There are two ways to make this, with the sauce added near the end so it caramelizes or dipping the meat in it at the end, both are wonderful options.
If you have a butcher with a deli counter you can have them slice the long blocks of bologna 1″ thick to make things easier. Other than that you can buy it packaged and stack about 4 slices before cubing into pieces to coat with the seasonings.
The only things you need to make the basics is a log of sliced bologna that has been cubed and then you’ll coat all sides with seasonings. I have linked below the one I used but you could mix your own, or use one of our dry rub recipes here.
Bologna Burnt Ends Rub
You could mix your own blend up with garlic powder, onion powder. Lawry’s, salt and pepper or buy a bottled smoked dry rub mixture here like we did. If you wanted to make it spicy you could integrate some dry Sriracha and/or jalapeno powder.
How to Make the Sauce
What we made here is a bit like our very popular Mustard Pretzel Dip except with yellow mustard instead of dijon. Either works really but the latter will give it a kick of spicy in a way.
With a bit of honey that makes it a tad sweet and seasonings like garlic and onion powder it will intensify the flavor of this dish to make it super addicting. You just heat it over the stove until it bubbles, remove and serve on the side, or brush on each one.
FAQ
Almost any deli counter at the grocery store has bologna that is not sliced yet so that is the best option to make bologna burnt ends. Ask them for 1″ thick pieces that you will be able to cube into 1″x1″ pieces to coat with seasonings before baking in the oven, smoked or cooked in air fryer.
Poor mans burnt ends some people call them can be made really with any meat so hot dogs or bologna would be the cheapest. Beyond that look at cuts of meat that are on sale and use that. Cut into bite size pieces, coated in seasonings and tossed in a sauce when done creates the most delicious bite.
Cooking at a lower temperature for longer will achieve this result. Whether you bake them in the oven, cook in a smoker or air fryer you want it to cook low and slow so the outsides get a bit crispy while keeping the center as tender as possible.
How Long to Cook Bologna Burnt Ends in Oven
It is better to bake these on a sheet pan with a wire rack on top of that so the hot air can circulate, getting all sides a bit crispy. At a low temperature of 250F it takes a bit longer but the results are better. At around 90 minutes you get crispy bites of pork deliciousness you will love! The outsides are golden brown, a bit crispy, and coated with baked on seasonings.
Can you cook burnt ends in air fryer?
You could use this machine if you wanted to instead. I would follow this pork recipe since the meat is similar and the timing would be as similar as possible. 1 inch cubes are the best sizes to get crisp and pop in your mouth when done.
Bologna Burnt Ends Recipe
Equipment
- 1 knife
- 1 Bowl
- 1 baking sheet
Ingredients
- 2.5 lbs bologna, sliced into 1" cubes
- 1/3 cup Smoked Seasoning, Weber's Cowboy Seasoning and Rub was used
Burnt Ends Sauce
- 3/4 cup yellow mustard
- 3 tbsp honey
- 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 2 tbsp brown sugar
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 250 degrees F. Line baking sheet with wire rack sprayed lightly with non stick spray.
- Put 4 pieces of bologna together in a stack and cut into 1" cubes and coat all sides with smoked seasoning. Place on wire rack on the baking sheet with a bit of space in between each one. Bake in oven for 90 minutes.
- Near the end mix together the burnt ends sauce in a small pan over medium heat. Cook until sides reach a consistent low boil, then remove.
- When bologna burnt ends are golden brown, remove and serve immediately with dip.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
What do poor man’s burnt ends taste like?
They are bold flavored bites of goodness!! The meat is already salty and when dunked into our honey mustard sauce you get a salty sweet duo that is tender in the center but crispy edges, coarse with seasonings coating the outside.
