Get ready to sink your teeth into tender, succulent beef cheeks infused with smoky flavors that will have your taste buds dancing with delight. This smoked beef cheeks recipe is a showstopper!

This beef cut is part of the cheek muscles of the cow and contains a lot of dense connective tissue and excess fat. This makes it perfect for smoking.

This isn't typically a common grocery store cut but you can usually find it at a local butcher or online. 

Use a mustard or olive oil binder and generously season each beef cheek all over in a a BBQ dry rub (a beef rub or brisket rub is perfect).

Place the beef cheeks on indirect heat directly on the grill grates of your smoker. Smoke until they reach 165-170 F. Spray the outside to build a nice bark. 

If you plan on braising these, pull them and braise them on the smoker until they are probe tender and are around 200-205 F. OR continue to smoke as is until probe tender as well. 

Braising for the second half of the cook is common when using beef cheeks in many Mexican style dishes like this smoked barbacoa recipe. 

Be sure to keep a foil pan covered on the grill and you can increase the temperature a bit to help it cook faster because no more smoke flavor is adhering to the meat at this point. 

The final key to good pulled BBQ is always letting the meat rest for at least 1-2 hours. This helps with carryover cooking, retaining juices, and making it perfectly tender. 

Serve your shredded smoked beef cheeks on tacos, as a torta sandwich, in burrito bowls or however else you enjoy eating pulled beef! 

Love to grill and BBQ? Check out more recipes from Chef Lauren Nagel, the owner of Bonappeteach.com.