These smoked beef cheeks have a rich, beefy taste with a unique sweetness and sticky texture. Slow cooked over smoke until tender, this underrated beef cut is perfect for barbacoa tacos, stews, ragu, and more.

shredded smoked beef cheeks served on wooden chopping board

Despite its small size, this mighty beef cut packs more flavor per ounce than almost any other part of the cow.

Beef cheeks are loaded with collagen and connective tissue that break down, creating a tender, sticky texture and an intense, naturally sweet beef flavor.

For this smoked beef cheek recipe, we’ve matched that sweetness with a homemade coffee spice rub that adds incredible depth of flavor, while the beef stock braise ensures that we can get the beef as tender as possible, perfect for pulling into a taco or sandwich filling.

Beef Cheeks Explained

Beef cheeks are an underrated cut perfect for barbecue smoking, thanks to their unique composition. While smaller than classic cuts like brisket or chuck, beef cheeks are among the hardest-working muscles in the cow (think of all the chewing they do), making them rich in collagen and connective tissue. When smoked low and slow, this collagen and fat breaks down, turning the meat incredibly tender, with a uniquely sticky texture and a slightly sweet taste that’s hard to find in other beef cuts.

close-up of pulled smoked beef cheeks, showing their rendered fat and bbq smoke ring

The Science of Collagen Breakdown in Barbecue

Collagen is a protein structure made of three amino acid chains that spiral together like rope, forming multiple protective layers around muscle fibers—the more a muscle is used by the animal, the more collagen it contains. When exposed to gentle heat and moisture during cooking, it transforms into gelatin, which is what makes tough cuts become tender and juicy.

At around 160°F (71°C), collagen finally starts to break down. However, to maintain this transformation it needs to be exposed to gentle, moist heat, like we see in barbecue smoking, and carry the beef cheek’s internal temperature up to 205°F (96°C). This helps it slowly relax and transform into gelatin. This gelatin is ideal because it can absorb up to 10 times its weight in liquid, which means it can retain moisture and therefore flavor, giving you beautifully tender, melt-in-your-mouth meat.

beef cheeks seasoned with coffee dry rub placed on offset smoker grates

How to Smoke Beef Cheeks

Meat Prep: The day before the smoke, trim the beef cheeks of any excess fat. They’re already quite small so don’t overdo it. Pat the meat dry with paper towels, then sprinkle flaked sea salt lightly over all surfaces. Place the meat on a wire rack over a tray, and leave it uncovered in the fridge overnight.
Season: Combine the dry rub ingredients in a bowl until they’re evenly combined. Set aside one tablespoon of the mix for the braise later, and then apply the remaining rub to the beef cheeks, covering liberally.
Fire Up: Heat up your smoker to 275°F (135°C). If you’re using a charcoal grill, make sure you’re set up with the coals to one side and one or two wood chunks on top of the coal bed. We want as much humidity as possible in the smoker chamber, so place a water pan underneath the grates, ideally placed directly underneath where your meat will be.
Smoke: Once your smoker is at target temperature, place your seasoned beef cheeks on the smoker grates and smoke them to an internal temperature of 165°F (74°C).
Braise: Place the beef cheeks in a large disposable aluminum pan. Add the minced garlic, chopped onion, leftover rub mixture, and beef stock. Cover the pan tightly with foil, then place the pan back in the smoker. Cook the beef to an internal temperature of 203°F (95°C). The time can vary here but it should be somewhere around 3 hours, and the meat should feel tender and easily shreddable.
Pull: Remove the meat from the smoker and the braise. In a large pan or tray, pull the meat into shreds. You can do this with forks but I just stick on some food gloves and do it by hand. Serve right away in tacos or sandwiches.

smoked beef cheeks with dark bbq bark formed on the surface, ready to pull and serve

Quick Tips

Don’t Skip the Dry Brine: I have included a dry brine step, where you let the meat sit in coarse salt overnight. This is a really important step, as it starts breaking down the proteins and helps the collagen become more tender during cooking.
Grind of Coffee: For BBQ dry rubs, use finely ground light roast coffee (freshly ground if possible) as it provides the perfect balance of flavor without excessive bitterness. Avoid dark roasts, flavored coffees, or instant coffee as these can overpower your rub with unwanted bitter notes.
Water Pan: A water pan is absolutely crucial for beef cheeks. Unlike larger cuts like brisket, the small size of beef cheeks makes them more susceptible to drying out. Keep your water pan filled throughout the entire cook.
Aim for Tenderness: I’ve marked 203°F (95°C) as the internal temperature at which the cheeks will be ready. However, it’s equally important that we also go by feel, as this will be a good indicator that the collagen band inside the cheeks has broken down. When you probe the meat, we want a texture that is extremely tender and feels like it will shred easily by hand.