20 Best BBQ Cookbooks of All Time [Barbecue Books 2024]

In today's article, we will provide some interesting 20 Best BBQ Cookbooks of All Time, aiming to bring to everyone A whole barbecue cookbook experience for beginners and professionals.

When it comes to the best BBQ cookbooks for beginners or experts all the suggested books will have excellent tips, techniques, and recipes you can add to your arsenal. 

Of course, if you are looking for barbecue books to gift, these are all great choices and some of the best barbecue books are available on Amazon (making gifting easy).

The Best Books on Barbecue of 2024

Hey guys welcome to ReadingAndThinking.com I'm Muhiuddin Alam today I'm going to share with you the top 20 best-selling BBQ books.

I recommend them to people who are barbecuing at home these are accessories that I think are essential and incredibly helpful to anybody who wants to have success while barbecuing 

Get ready to take your BBQ game to the next level with books written by five of the most renowned American barbequers - Aaron Franklin, Myron Mixon, Chris Lilly, Rodney Scott, and Tuffy Stone. 

In this article, we'll feature "Franklin Barbecue: A Meat-Smoking Manifesto" by Aaron Franklin and "Rodney Scott's World of BBQ: Every Day Is a Good Day" by Rodney Scott.

You will get the basic ideas of the best BBQ books if you want to be a pitmaster.

I believe every BBQ beginner should read the best grilling & BBQ cookbooks, for perfect BBQ.

What everyone should know before buying a BBQ book?

• a good barbecue book should be informative and supportive and should even appeal to beginners 
• it should also share some useful information about the history of BBQs and the reasons why they continue to be popular 
• it should try and cover as many varieties of BBQs as possible there should be quality pictures and images 
• price is also an important consideration it should not be either too high or too low. 

These grilling books give you recipes, examples, and enough guidance to get the beginner going and make it a better master.

As a true foodie, I will share with you a list of 20 best barbecue cookbooks suitable for barbecue based on my lifelong delicious barbecue experience. 

The following is a detailed introduction:

1. Franklin Barbecue by Aaron Franklin, Jordan Mackay

A Meat-Smoking Manifesto [A Cookbook] 

When Aaron Franklin and his wife, Stacy, opened up a small barbecue trailer on the side of an Austin, Texas, interstate in 2009, they had no idea what they’d gotten themselves into. 

Today, Franklin Barbecue has grown into the most popular, critically lauded, and obsessed-over barbecue joint in the country (if not the world)—and Franklin is the winner of every major barbecue award there is.

In this much-anticipated debut, Franklin and coauthor Jordan Mackay unlock the secrets behind truly great barbecue and share years’ worth of hard-won knowledge. 

Franklin Barbecue is a definitive resource for the backyard pitmaster, with chapters dedicated to building or customizing your own smoker; finding and curing the right wood; creating and tending perfect fires; sourcing top-quality meat; and of course, cooking mind-blowing, ridiculously delicious barbecue, better than you ever thought possible.

2. Meathead by Meathead Goldwyn, Greg Blonder

The Science of Great Barbecue and Grilling 

For succulent results every time, nothing is more crucial than understanding the science behind the interaction of food, fire, heat, and smoke. 

This is the definitive guide to the concepts, methods, equipment, and accessories of barbecue and grilling. 

The founder and editor of the world's most popular BBQ and grilling website, AmazingRibs.com, Meathead applies the latest research to backyard cooking more than 100 thoroughly tested recipes.

With the help of physicist and food scientist Prof. Greg Blonder, PhD, of Boston University, he explains why dry brining is better than wet brining; how marinades really work; why rubs shouldn't have salt in them; the importance of digital thermometers; why searing doesn't seal in juices; how salt penetrates but spices don't; when charcoal beats gas and when gas beats charcoal; how to calibrate and tune a grill or smoker; how to keep fish from sticking; cooking with logs; the strengths and weaknesses of the new pellet cookers; tricks for rotisserie cooking; why cooking whole animals is a bad idea; which grill grates are best; and why beer-can chicken is a waste of good beer and nowhere close to the best way to cook a bird. 

He shatters the myths that stand in the way of perfection. Among the many busted old husband's tales:

• Myth: Bring meat to room temperature before cooking.
• Myth: Soak wood before using it. 
• Myth: Bone-in steaks taste better. 
• Myth: You should sear first, then cook. 

The book blends chemistry, physics, meat science, and humor. Lavishly designed with hundreds of full-color photos by the author, this book contains all the sure-fire recipes for traditional American favorites and many more outside-the-box creations. 

You'll get recipes for all the great regional barbecue sauces; rubs for meats and vegetables; Last Meal Ribs; Simon & Garfunkel Chicken; Schmancy Smoked Salmon; The Ultimate Turkey; Texas Brisket; Perfect Pulled Pork; Sweet & Sour Pork with Mumbo Sauce; Whole Hog; Steakhouse Steaks; Diner Burgers; Prime Rib; Brazilian Short Ribs; Rack Of Lamb Lollipops; Huli-Huli Chicken; Smoked Trout Florida Mullet -Style; Baja Fish Tacos; Grilled Lobster, and many more..

3. The Prophets of Smoked Meat by Daniel Vaughn

A Journey Through Texas Barbecue 

The debut title in the Anthony Bourdain Books line, The Prophets of Smoked Meat by “Barbecue Snob” Daniel Vaughn, author of the enormously popular blog Full Custom Gospel BBQ, is a rollicking journey through the heart of Texas Barbecue.

From brisket to ribs, beef to pork, mesquite to oak, this fully illustrated, comprehensive guide to Texas barbecue includes pit masters’ recipes, tales of the road—from country meat markets to roadside stands, sumptuous photography, and a panoramic look at the Lone Star State, where smoked meat is sacred.

4. Smoke: New Firewood Cooking by Tim Byres

How To Build Flavor with Fire on the Grill and in the Kitchen 

A Texan chef shows there is a whole world of flavor beyond just barbecue. Smoke is a primer on the most time-tested culinary technique of all—but one that we have lost touch with. 

Chef Tim Byres shows how to imbue all kinds of foods—not just meat—with the irresistible flavor of smoke. 

Here he gives innovative ideas for easy ways to use smoke in your everyday kitchen arsenal of flavors—such as smoking safely on the stovetop with woodchips, putting together relishes and salsas made with smoked peppers and other vegetables, grilling with wood planks, and using smoke-cured meats to add layers of flavor to a dish. For serious cooks, there are how-to sections on building a firepit, smokehouse, and spit roast at home. 

As a Texan, Byres draws on the regional traditions of Mexico, Louisiana, and the South. He takes down-home foods and gives them brilliant twists. 

The results are such gutsy recipes as Pork Jowl Bacon with Half Sour Cucumbers, Boudin Balls and Brick Roux Gumbo, Cabrito and Masa Meatpies, and Coffee-Cured Brisket with Rustic Toast. 

Everything is made from scratch—not just the sausages but also the accompanying sauces, jams, and pickles. This is cooking at its most primal, and delicious.

5. Diva Q's Barbecue by Danielle Bennett

195 Recipes for Cooking with Family, Friends & Fire: A Cookbook 

Diva Q's (aka Danielle Bennett's) backyard barbecue book is packed with simple recipes for casual, down-to-earth family food. 

Get started with the six recipes you need to know most, then move to chapters on appetizers, pork, bacon (Diva Q's claim to fame), beef, fowl, seafood, sides, salads, slaws, breads and desserts, that take you from the basics to the best the barbecue world has to offer. 

Plenty of meatless options are included, including Portobello-Cheddar Burgers, Smokin' Good Sweet Potatoes with Bourbon Butter, and The Ultimate Mac and Cheese.

     With more than just recipes, Diva Q takes all the guesswork out of grilling for you, with guidance on everything from getting great char marks, to picking the right meat--and even points you to her YouTube videos online for extra help. If it's got anything to do with barbecue, Diva Q has got you covered!

    Diva Q's Barbecue is an indispensable book for every backyard barbecue and the perfect companion when cooking for a crowd. So fire up the grill and invite your friends over--because life's too short for a bad barbecue!

6. Big Bob Gibson's BBQ Book by Chris Lilly

Recipes and Secrets from a Legendary Barbecue Joint: A Cookbook 

Winners of the World Championship BBQ Cook-Off for six years in a row and with hundreds of other contest ribbons as well, nobody does barbecue better than Big Bob Gibson Bar-B-Q in Decatur, Alabama. 

Chris Lilly, executive chef of Big Bob Gibson Bar-B-Q and great-grandson-in-law of Big Bob himself, now passes on the family secrets in this quintessential guide to barbecue.

From dry rubs to glazes and from sauces to slathers, Lilly gives the lowdown on Big Bob Gibson Bar-B-Q's award-winning seasonings and combinations. 

You’ll learn the unique flavors of different woods and you’ll get insider tips on creating the right heat—be it in a charcoal grill, home oven, or backyard ground pit. 

Then, get the scoop on pulled pork, smoked beef brisket, pit-fired poultry, and, of course, ribs.

Complete the feast with sides like red-skin potato salad and black-eyed peas. And surely you’ll want to save room for Lilly’s dessert recipes such as Big Mama’s Pound Cake. 

Loaded with succulent photographs, easy-to-follow instructions, and colorful stories, Big Bob Gibson’s BBQ Book honors the legacy of Big Bob Gibson—and of great barbeque.

7. Peace, Love & Barbecue by Mike Mills, Amy Mills Tunnicliffe, Jeffrey Steingarten

Recipes, Secrets, Tall Tales, and Outright Lies from the Legends of Barbecue: A Cookbook 

This unique combination of cookbook, memoir, and travelogue features 100 recipes, photographs, and behind-the-scenes stories from legendary pitmaster Mike Mills.

In Peace, Love, & Barbecue, Mike Mills, the unrivaled king of barbecue, shares his passion for America's favorite cuisine—its intense smoky flavors, its lore and traditions, and its wild cast of characters.

Through conversational anecdotes and black-and-white photographs, readers meet a diverse circle of colleagues and friends and join Mills in a behind-the-scenes tour of the barbecue contest circuit, with stops at some of the best “shrines, shacks, joints, and right-respectable restaurants.”

Also included are prizewinning recipes that have earned Mills his fame and fortune as a barbecue maestro. These 100 recipes will enable anyone with a grill to achieve champion barbecue flavor right in their own backyard. 

The selection features Mill's own secret concoctions and treasured family recipes as well as choice contributions from his pitmaster friends, and it covers all manner of barbecued meat and fish, sauces and dry rubs, as well as the sides, soups, and down-home sweets that complete any great barbecue feast.

With its folksy, fun tone and its unique insider’s take on a hugely popular—and deeply American—subject, Peace, Love, & BBQ is perfect for barbecue lovers, food mavens, and cooks of all stripes.

8. Project Smoke by Steven Raichlen

Seven Steps to Smoked Food Nirvana, Plus 100 Irresistible Recipes from Classic (Slam-Dunk Brisket) to Adventurous (Smoked Bacon-Bourbon ... (Steven Raichlen Barbecue Bible Cookbooks)

A complete, step-by-step guide to mastering the art and craft of smoking, plus 100 recipes—every one a game-changer –for smoked food that roars off your plate with flavor. 

Here’s how to choose the right smoker (or turn the grill you have into an effective smoking machine). 

Understand the different tools, fuels, and smoking wood. Master all the essential techniques: hot-smoking, cold-smoking, rotisserie-smoking, even smoking with tea and hay—try it with fresh mozzarella. 

Here are recipes and full-color photos for dishes from Smoked Nachos to Chinatown Spareribs, Smoked Salmon to Smoked Bacon-Bourbon Apple Crisp.

9. Slow Fire by Ray "DR. BBQ" Lampe

The Beginner's Guide to Barbecue 

Great barbecue is as simple as meat, fire, smoke, and time. This ode to authentic meaty goodness gives barbecue beginners an essential guide to the tools, techniques, and recipes needed to make smoky, mouthwatering, fall-off-the-bone meats. 

And seasoned smokers will learn a thing or two, too! Ray Lampe, a.k.a. Dr. BBQ, brings decades of expertise as a barbecue master, providing indispensable wisdom alongside 68 of the best recipes he has encountered in his long and wide-ranging career, from tantalizing mains such as Competition-Style Beef Brisket to lip-smacking sides such as Bacon and Blue Cheese Coleslaw. 

For both stove-top smokers and regular backyard grills, Slow Fire makes it easy to cook irresistible slow-cooked barbecue right at home.

10. Smoke & Spice, Updated and Expanded 3rd Edition by Cheryl Alters Jamison, Bill Jamison

Cooking With Smoke, the Real Way to Barbecue 

Cheryl and Bill Jamison’s path-breaking Smoke and Spice was the first and remains by far the best-selling, book on the real barbecue—slow-cooking over smoke—for home cooks. 

This new and expanded edition appears on the twentieth anniversary of the classic book’s first edition. 

It has two key features. First, there are 50 new recipes, including meat dishes, such as Molasses-Brined Pork Butt, Lemon-Coriander Chicken, and Brisket Frito Pie, as well as sauces, sides, and desserts, like Peppery Sweet Onion Sauce, Cornbread Fritters, and Chipotle Cherry Cobbler. Second, it now contains cover-to-cover color photography and page design. 

The photographs show details of backyard smoking techniques, delectable views of finished foods from the smoker, and atmospheric shots of barbecue joints and of the legendary pitmasters who cook in them.   

With 450 recipes from each of the U.S.’s best barbecue regions, each recipe expertly perfected and fine-tuned by the Jamisons, amusing anecdotes and tall tales from the colorful world of ’Q, and take-it-to-the-bank advice on how to use any kind of smoker (as well as how to smoke-cook on a conventional grill), this expanded and richly photographed new edition is certain to usher in a new generation of backyard cooks devoted to real barbecue.

11. Michael Symon’s Playing With Fire by Michael Symon, Douglas Trattner

BBQ and More from the Grill, Smoker, and Fireplace: A Cookbook 

Cohost of The Chew and celebrated Iron Chef and restaurateur Michael Symon returns to a favorite subject, meat, with his first cookbook focused on barbecue and live-fire grilling, with over 70 recipes inspired by his newest restaurant, Mabel's BBQ, in his hometown of Cleveland.

In preparing to open his barbecue restaurant, Mabel's BBQ, Michael Symon enthusiastically sampled smoked meat from across America. The 72 finger-licking, lip-smacking recipes here draw inspiration from his favorites. 

Including dry ribs from Memphis, wet ribs from Nashville, brisket from Texas, pork steak from St. Louis, and burnt ends from Kansas City--to name just a few--as well as the unique and now signature Cleveland-style barbecue he developed to showcase the flavors of his hometown. 

Michael offers expert guidance on working with different styles of grills and smokers, choosing aromatic woods for smoking, cooking various cuts of meat, and successfully pairing proteins with rubs, sauces, and sides. 

If you are looking for a new guide to classic American barbecue with the volume turned too high, look no further.

12. Serial Griller by Matt Moore

Grillmaster Secrets for Flame-Cooked Perfection 

From the author of South's Best Butts and A Southern Gentleman’s Kitchen, an all-around grilling cookbook showcasing different methods and diverse cuisines, as well as sought-after stories and recipes from America's all-star grillers.

Matt Moore confesses: He is a serial griller. He can't help it—if there's food and flame, he'll grill it. In his newest book, he shares his indiscriminate appetite for smoky perfection with a broad collection of recipes varied in method, technique, and cuisine. 

After a review of the basics—the Maillard reaction, which grill is best for you, and more—he takes the reader on a tour across America to round up authentic stories, coveted recipes, and indispensable tips from grill masters of the South and beyond, including stops at unexpected but distinguished chefs' spots like Michael Solomonov's Zahav and Ashley Christensen's Death & Taxes. 

Moore offers his own tried-and-true grilling recipes for every part of the meal, from starters and salads to handhelds (Tacos al Pastor, Pork Gyros) and big plates (Country-Style Ribs with Peach Salsa) to desserts (Grilled-Doughnut Ice Cream Sandwiches). 

Serial Griller is a serious and delicious exploration of how grilling is done all around America.

13. Flavors of the Southeast Asian Grill by Leela Punyaratabandhu

Classic Recipes for Seafood and Meats Cooked Over Charcoal 

60 vibrant recipes proving that Asian roadside barbecue is just as easy, delicious, and crowd-pleasing as American-style backyard grilling.

Sharing beloved barbecue dishes from the Southeast Asian countries of Thailand, Burma, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, Malaysia, Singapore, Philippines, and Indonesia, experienced author and expert on Asian cooking Leela Punyaratabandhu inspires readers with a deep dive into the flavor profile and spices of the region. 

She teaches you how to set up your own smoker, cook over an open flame, or grill on the equipment you already have in your backyard. 

Leela provides more than sixty mouthwatering recipes such as Chicken Satay with Coriander and Cinnamon, Malaysian Grilled Chicken Wings, and Thai Grilled Sticky Rice, as well as recipes for cooking bone-in meats, skewered meats, and even vegetable side dishes and flavorful sauces.

The fact that Southeast Asian-style barbecue naturally lends itself to the American outdoor cooking style means that the recipes in the book can remain true to tradition without any need for them to be Westernized or altered at the expense of integrity. 

This is the perfect book for anyone looking for an easy and flavorful way to expand their barbecue repertoire.

14. Flavor by Fire by Derek Wolf

Recipes and Techniques for Bigger, Bolder BBQ and Grilling 

In Flavor by Fire, join live-fire cooking expert Derek Wolf for the most interesting, flavor-packed recipes you’ll cook this year.

In Derek Wolf’s first book, Food by Fire, he shared the how-to behind starting and cooking with various types of cooking fires, as well as skillets, skewers, and more. 

Now he’s ready to take you on another culinary adventure—but this time it’s all about flavor. 

From instant classics like Chipotle Peppercorn Smoked Brisket to envelope-pushing Chile Con Limon Candied Bacon, the recipes offer lots of variety. 

All the major tastes—salty, sour, sweet, bitter, and umami—are explored in depth. 

Derek also leads an investigation of other components you should consider when it comes to flavor, such as aroma, heat, and texture.

Each chapter explores a specific protein’s taste and flavor considerations and then tours through impressive recipes including:

• Beef: Beer Marinated Bavette Steak with Creamy Corn Salsa, Coal Roasted Hanger Steaks with Thai Chili Sauce, Black Garlic New York Strips with Bone Marrow Butter, Spiced Rum-Marinated Tri-Tip
• Pork: Cotija Crusted Pork Skewers, Cocoa Molasses-Glazed Spiral Ham, Loaded Chorizo Sandwich with Chilean Inspired Pebre
• Chicken/Turkey: Rotisserie Chicken with Alabama White Sauce, Maple Whiskey Chicken Lollipops, Smoked Tequila Lime Spatchcocked Chicken, Honey Habanero Rotisserie Turkey Legs, Smoked Spiced Whole Turkey
• Fish/Seafood: Garlic-Crusted Tuna with Spicy Avocado Salsa, Baked Lobster with Buffalo Chive Butter, Coal-Roasted Lemon Herb Trout, Sweet Tomatillo Grilled Salmon, Seared Scallops with Beer Pan Sauce, Honey Sriracha Shrimp Skewers, Fire-Crusted Oysters Kilpatrick
• Game/Lamb/Duck: Cast-iron bison Ribeyes with Caramelized Red Wine Onions, Bison Steak Frites with Spicy Gremolata Butter, Coffee Crusted Elk Medallions, Hanging Leg of Lamb with Chimichurri Aioli, Smoked Honey Cider Lamb Ribs, Seared Duck Breast with Black Cherry Tamarind Sauce

With features on topics like bringing, working with citrus, using alcohol in marinades, and more, you’re sure to both build on what you know and learn something new. No matter what flavors call to you, cooking over the fire will never be the same.

15. Rodney Scott's World of BBQ by Rodney Scott, Lolis Eric Elie

Every Day Is a Good Day: A Cookbook 

Rodney Scott was born with barbecue in his blood. He cooked his first whole hog, a specialty of South Carolina barbecue when he was just eleven years old. 

At the time, he was cooking at Scott's Bar-B-Q, his family's barbecue spot in Hemingway, South Carolina. 

Now, four decades later, he owns one of the country's most awarded and talked-about barbecue joints, Rodney Scott's Whole Hog BBQ in Charleston.

In this cookbook, co-written by award-winning writer Lolis Eric Elie, Rodney spills what makes his pit-smoked turkey, barbecued spare ribs, smoked chicken wings, hush puppies, Ella's Banana Puddin', and award-winning whole hog so special. 

Moreover, his recipes make it possible to achieve these special flavors yourself, whether you're a barbecue pro or a novice. 

From the ins and outs of building your own pit to poignant essays on South Carolinian foodways and traditions, this stunningly photographed cookbook is the ultimate barbecue reference. It is also a powerful work of storytelling. 

In this modern American success story, Rodney details how he made his way from the small town where he worked for his father in the tobacco fields and in the smokehouse, to the sacrifices he made to grow his family's business, and the tough decisions he made to venture out on his own in Charleston.

Rodney Scott's World of BBQ is an uplifting story that speaks to how hope, hard work, and a whole lot of optimism built a rich celebration of his heritage—and of unforgettable barbecue.

16. How To Grill Everything by Mark Bittman

Simple Recipes for Great Flame-Cooked Food 

The ultimate grilling guide and the latest in Mark Bittman’s acclaimed How to Cook Everything series. Here’s how to grill absolutely everything—from the perfect steak to cedar-plank salmon to pizza—explained in Bittman’s trademark simple, straightforward style.

Featuring 1,000 recipes and variations, plus Bittman’s practical advice on all the grilling basics, this book is an exploration of the grill’s nearly endless possibilities. Recipes cover every part of the meal, including appetizers, seafood, meat and poultry, vegetables (including vegetarian mains), and even desserts.

Plenty of quick, high-heat recipes will get dinner on the table in short order (Spanish-style garlic Shrimp, Green Chile Cheeseburgers); low and slow “project” recipes (Texas-style smoked Brisket, Pulled Pork with Lexington BBQ Sauce) are ideal for leisurely weekend cookouts.

You’ll also find unexpected grilled treats like avocado, watermelon, or pound cake, and innovative surprises—like cooking meat loaf or from-scratch Rosemary Olive Oil Bread on the grill—to get the most out of every fire.

17. Weber's Ultimate Grilling by Jamie Purviance

A Step-by-Step Guide to Barbecue Genius 

From the experts at Weber, the must-have guide for total grill mastery, with 100 all-new recipes and more than 800 inspiring and instructive photos

This is your new go-to companion from the most trusted name in grilling. Much more than just a recipe collection, Weber’s Ultimate Grilling is an entirely new take on grilling today, with every recipe step visually depicted in full-color photography. 

With these extensively tested recipes, anyone—from amateur to ace—can be a barbecue genius. 

Foundational recipes for popular grilled foods—steak, burgers, pork chops, ribs, chicken breasts and wings, and salmon fillets—are masterfully explained in this keepsake classroom-in-a-book. 

“Flavor Bomb” spreads offer inspiring, weeknight-friendly recipe ideas for how to create wonderful variations of the most-loved grilled foods. 

And fun food science facts, along with infographics, illustrations, and tips, help you get the absolute best results every time.

18. Bludso's BBQ Cookbook by Kevin Bludso

A Family Affair in Smoke and Soul

Kevin Bludso was born and raised in Compton, California, by a Black Panther–supporting mother and a police officer father. 

To stay out of trouble, he spent his summers in Corsicana, Texas, where he was schooled on the art of barbecue and worked long, hot hours on the pits at his granny’s legendary BBQ stand. 

In 2008, Kevin opened his own Bludso’s BBQ, a small walk-up stand in the heart of Compton that has led to multiple locations in California, Texas, and even Australia.

In this honest and engaging cookbook, Kevin teaches you everything you need to know about BBQ: from choosing, seasoning, and cleaning your pit to selecting your brisket, ribs, and sausages, plus all the rubs and sauces you could need. 

Kevin also shares seventy-five delicious recipes for main meats such as BBQ Lamb Leg, Spicy Curried Oxtails, Buffalo Rib Tips, Blackened Catfish, and Grilled Mojo Shrimp; sides such as Creole Cabbage, Pinto Beans, and Down Home Mac and cheese; and even desserts such as Mom’s Banana Pudding, Buttermilk Pie, and Kevin’s famous Hennessy on the Rocks, along with mouthwatering photographs to accompany them. 

But Bludso’s BBQ Cookbook is also a story about Kevin's family and community. It’s a love letter to the often misunderstood city of Compton, and the story of how Kevin has fed and supported his own community while teaching everyone the art of barbecue. 

This is more than a cookbook; it’s Kevin’s incredibly personal story of family, food, and how following your passion sometimes leads you back home.

19. Seared by Genevieve Taylor

The Ultimate Guide to Barbecuing Meat 

Seared is a one-stop shop for recipes and practical advice that will help you get the most from cooking meat on your barbecue, beginning with the science of why we need to cook different cuts in different ways and the physics of how fire works.

Divided into two sections – BEAST and BIRD – and into SLOW and FAST within those sections, live-fire cooking expert Genevieve Taylor covers everything you'll ever need to know about buying and cooking all kinds of meat, from steaks and fillets to whole joints and whole birds, and looking at techniques from brining to marinading, smoking to braising, searing super-hot and low and slow cooking.

Genevieve provides essential information about setting up your barbecue, sourcing your fuel lighting your fire, and setting up your grill, with troubleshooting tips throughout. 

Full of succulent, colorful recipes, Seared is the most useful, practical, and comprehensive guide to grilling meat on the market.

20. Weber's Complete BBQ Book by Jamie Purviance

We all love to get the barbecue out on a hot summer's day and enjoy some down-to-earth al fresco dining, but why restrict ourselves to only one season in the year? 

This comprehensive guide shows you how to cook food the Weber way to get the most from your grill throughout the year, and contains everything the avid barbecue enthusiast needs to know: 

• over 150 triple-tested recipes for meat, poultry, seafood, vegetables, and fruit; 
• 1,000 step-by-step photographs to guide you through every process; 
• invaluable ideas for rubs, marinades, and sauces; 
• expert answers to common questions about barbecuing; and 
• tips and advice on safety, upkeep, fuel, and lighting methods. 

From simple kebabs to elaborate rotisseries, a grilled cheese salad, or a tasty fruit pudding, "Weber's Complete Barbecue Book" is packed with an extensive range of delicious recipes for all-year-round barbecuing.

FAQ: Best BBQ Cookbook

What are some good BBQ cookbooks full of barbecue wisdom?

There are many great BBQ cookbooks available that offer a wealth of barbecue wisdom. Here are some of the best:

• Serial Griller: Grillmaster Secrets for Flame-Cooked Perfection by Matt Moore
• Rodney Scott's World of BBQ: Every Day Is a Good Day by Rodney Scott
• Weber's Complete BBQ Book by Jamie Purviance
• Franklin Barbecue: A Meat-Smoking Manifesto by Aaron Franklin and Jordan Mackay
• Project Smoke by Steven Raichlen
• Meathead – The Science of Great Barbecue and Grilling by Meathead Goldwyn
• Republic of Barbecue by Elizabeth S. D. Engelhardt

Can you recommend a BBQ cookbook that comes with barbecue sauce recipes?

Many BBQ cookbooks include barbecue sauce recipes, but here are a few that are particularly noteworthy:

• Franklin Barbecue: A Meat-Smoking Manifesto by Aaron Franklin and Jordan Mackay
• Project Smoke by Steven Raichlen
• Meathead – The Science of Great Barbecue and Grilling by Meathead Goldwyn

Which BBQ book is best for grilling meat?

If you're looking for a BBQ book that focuses specifically on grilling meat, here are a few great options:

• How To Grill Everything by Mark Bittman
• The Barbecue! Bible by Steven Raichlen
• Weber's Ultimate Grilling by Jamie Purviance

What's the best BBQ cookbook for someone new to grilling?

If you're new to grilling, you'll want a cookbook that's easy to follow and provides plenty of guidance. Here are a few great options:

• How to Grill by Steven Raichlen
• Weber's Way to Grill by Jamie Purviance
• The Grilling Book: The Definitive Guide from Bon Appétit by Adam Rapoport

I heard there's a BBQ cookbook that covers different regions' views on BBQ. What's the title?

If you're interested in learning about the different regional styles of BBQ, you might want to check out:

• The South's Best Butts: Pitmaster Secrets for Southern Barbecue Perfection by Matt Moore

Are BBQ cookbooks only about meat?

While most of the BBQ cookbooks do focus on meat, there are also plenty of options for vegetarians and vegans. Here are a few cookbooks that offer plant-based BBQ recipes:

• Great Vegan BBQ Without a Grill by Linda and Alex Meyer
• The Wicked Healthy Cookbook by Chad Sarno, Derek Sarno, and David Joachim
• VBQ―The Ultimate Vegan Barbecue Cookbook by Nadine Horn and Jörg Mayer

What are must-have accessories for grilling?

Many accessories can make grilling easier and more enjoyable. Here are a few must-haves:

• Grill brush
• Meat thermometer
• Tongs
• Spatula
• Grill basket
• Chimney starter