The 6 Best BBQ Recipe Books
Looking for some new BBQ recipes? Get started here, these are the 6 best BBQ recipe books, in our humble opinion! Perfect to pair with our award-winning BBQ sauces.
BBQ books are our favourite type of cookbooks. This could be an endless list but we've narrowed down some of our favourites. These are in no particular order.
Fire Food: The Ultimate BBQ Cookbook
By Christian Stevenson (DJ BBQ).
Image: Amazon
If you've ever looked for barbecue content on Instagram or TikTok, there's a solid chance you've seen DJ BBQ before. His actual name is Christian Stevenson, but we’re going to stick with DJ BBQ. It's much cooler. We could list all of his books but we’ve opted for his second, Fire Food: The Ultimate BBQ Cookbook (get it on Amazon). For us, it's one of the best BBQ books out there. Pointing out the blindingly obvious here, but this one is all about cooking on live fire. DJ BBQ kicks it off with a few sections on what he means by “Fire Food” and some tips on how to set up to cook like this. A must-read for everyone, especially if you’re new to this type of cooking. All that is followed up with a bank of awesome BBQ recipes from classic BBQ dishes, seafood dishes, veggie barbecue dishes and more.
Pit Cue Co. The Cookbook
By Tony Adams, Jamie Berger, Simon Anderson and Richard H Turner.
Image: Amazon.
Pit Cue Co closed the doors of its London restaurant in 2021, but that doesn’t change the fact that this book is a staple for BBQ fans. They were a BIG player in bringing BBQ to the masses here in the UK, so think of this book as a sort of parting gift helping you to learn more about barbecue. It’s jam-packed with recipes for meats, slaw, sauces (check the Sauce Shop range of BBQ sauces out), puddings and a whole lot more including their iconic pickle backs, burnt ends mash, crispy pickled shiitake mushrooms and pulled pork shoulder. Some of the BBQ recipes here are more on the complex side, so perhaps not one for your midweek grill, but definitely fit for a special occasion. Order a copy.
Skewered: Recipes For Fire Food On Sticks From Around The World
By Marcus Bawdon.
Image: Amazon.
Marcus is the editor of The BBQ Magazine and runs UK BBQ School helping people to BBQ better. Food on sticks, on fire. Sounds simple enough right? That's not always the case. A BBQ cookbook dedicated to this cooking technique will be a lifesaver for some. You can skewer anything – fish, meat, veggies, or fruit. Marcus has put together his favourite BBQ recipes from around the world which you can replicate at home. He talks through tools, temperatures, and timings so you can’t go far wrong. Get hold of it here.
Rodney Scott’s World Of BBQ: Every Day Is A Good Day
By Rodney Scott and Lolis Eric Elie.
Image: Amazon.
You might recognise Rodney Scott from Netflix’s 'Chef’s Table: BBQ'. If you haven't watched that, it's a great series. Whole hog cookery has been a deep part of his family’s history. For context, Rodney cooked his first whole hog at 11 years old. He now runs Rodney Scott's Whole Hog BBQ (which you’ll have seen all about in the Netflix show – seriously go watch it). His book (available here) details everything you need to know about BBQ including what makes his now world-famed whole hog so special. Even if you’re a novice, Scott gets you fired up and inspired about barbecue.
Charred: The Complete Guide To Vegetarian Grilling And BBQ
By Genevieve Taylor.
Image: Amazon.
This is all about the veggie BBQ. We usually always opt for meat with our barbecue BUT we can appreciate the desire for a different option, and a lot of these recipes sound ridiculously tasty. There are sections on stuffed veg, burgers, salads, and kebabs. There’s even a section on low and slow cooking. Not a technique you’d usually associate with veggie BBQ recipes. If you’re looking for something a little bit different, or to get inspiration for veggie dishes, get hold of a copy of Charred.
Project Smoke
By Steven Raichlen.
Image: Amazon.
As the title suggests, this BBQ recipe book is all about smoked meat. This book is great. Raichlen is an award-winning American journalist, a TV show host and writer. He was added into the Barbecue Hall of Fame in 2015… so he knows a thing or two. This is your bible for smoking as a cooking technique. He’s talking smoker selection, fuel, rubs and general technique. You won’t be short of inspiration either; he’s packed Project Smoke with 100 recipes detailing how to smoke dishes from appetisers through to desserts.
Final words
We hope you enjoyed this read! These are some of our favourite, must-read BBQ books. Whether you're new to BBQ or you're a veteran pitmaster, you need to check these out. When you're ready to put some of these recipes to the test, you'll be needing a good BBQ sauce. We've got you covered, check out the full Sauce Shop range here.
