BBQ, smoking & jerky books
The most popular books for learning fire, smoke and jerky, from the classics every pitmaster owns to newer cookbooks for pellet grills and dehydrators.
Smoking meat & barbecue
The books pitmasters keep coming back to.
Franklin Barbecue: A Meat-Smoking Manifesto
For anyone who wants to understand Central Texas brisket from the fire up, including how to choose, modify and run an offset smoker. It reads more like a technique manual than a recipe book, so it builds real pit skills.
Franklin Smoke: Wood. Fire. Food.
A follow-up for backyard cooks who want to use smoke and live fire for whole meals, not just brisket. It covers smoking, grilling and smoke-kissed sides and condiments, with Franklin's practical fire-management advice throughout.
Franklin Steak: Dry-Aged. Live-Fired. Pure Beef.
For steak lovers who want to go deep on buying, aging and grilling beef over charcoal and wood. It explains breeds, grades, cuts and fire setups so you can make better choices at the butcher counter and the grill.
Meathead: The Science of Great Barbecue and Grilling
For cooks who like to know why a technique works, from how smoke flavors meat to what the stall really is. It busts common BBQ myths and pairs the science with dependable recipes for rubs, sauces and classic cuts.
The Meathead Method
Meathead's 2025 book updates his science-first approach for today's gear, including pellet grills and other modern cookers. It suits readers who liked the first book or want a current, evidence-driven reference for outdoor cooking.
Project Smoke
A well-organized guide for people new to smoking who want to understand every type of smoker before they buy or fire one up. Step-by-step photos and a wide range of recipes, from ribs to smoked fish and cheese, make it easy to branch out.
Smoking Meat: The Essential Guide to Real Barbecue
From the founder of Smoking-Meat.com, this is a friendly starting point for backyard cooks, especially those using electric or other entry-level smokers. It walks through the basics of temperature, wood and timing alongside his popular rub and sauce recipes.
Smokin' with Myron Mixon
A competition champion simplifies his methods for home cooks, with a big focus on ribs, pork shoulder, whole hog and chicken. It is useful if you want contest-style flavor without contest-level complexity.
Rodney Scott's World of BBQ: Every Day Is a Good Day
A James Beard Award-winning pitmaster shares Carolina whole-hog know-how and the recipes behind his restaurants. It is a great pick for pork lovers who want vinegar-pepper sauces, ribs, chicken and Southern sides.
Pitmaster: Recipes, Techniques, and Barbecue Wisdom
Written by competition barbecue veterans, this book suits cooks ready to move past basics into trimming, injecting and cook-day planning. Detailed recipes for the major meats plus rubs and sauces make it a strong next step.
The Meat Teacher Cookbook
From a former teacher turned BBQ creator, this recent book is laid out like lessons for backyard cooks building their skills. It suits pellet-grill and smoker owners who want clear explanations along with crowd-pleasing recipes.
Weber's Way to Grill: The Step-by-Step Guide to Expert Grilling
A photo-heavy grilling primer for gas and charcoal owners who learn best by seeing each step. It covers fire setup, direct and indirect heat and core techniques for meat, seafood and vegetables.
Weber's Smoke: A Guide to Smoke Cooking for Everyone and Any Grill
A good fit for people who want smoky flavor without buying a dedicated smoker, since it shows how to smoke on a regular kettle or gas grill as well as on smokers. Clear photos and a wood-pairing guide take the guesswork out of early cooks.
The Wood Pellet Smoker and Grill Cookbook
A longtime best-selling pick for new pellet grill owners of any brand. It explains how pellet cookers work and offers a broad set of recipes for meats, seafood and sides.
The Complete Electric Smoker Cookbook
Made for owners of Masterbuilt-style electric smokers who want set-it-and-forget-it results. It covers wood chips, temperatures and timing with straightforward recipes for meat, fish and vegetables.
The Kamado Smoker and Grill Cookbook
For Big Green Egg and other ceramic cooker owners who want to use the grill for smoking, searing and baking. It explains airflow and temperature control for kamados specifically, which generic BBQ books often skip.
The Offset Smoker Cookbook
A focused guide for people who own or plan to buy a stick burner and want to master fire management. It covers building a clean fire, managing temperature swings and low-and-slow recipes suited to offsets.
Charcuterie: The Craft of Salting, Smoking, and Curing (Revised and Updated)
The standard home reference for curing bacon, making sausages, smoking fish and building pâtés. It explains curing salts and safety clearly, so it is the book many cooks reach for after their first smoker.
Home Sausage Making, 4th Edition
An approachable start for first-time sausage makers, covering grinding, stuffing and casings before moving to smoked and cured links. Its many recipes range from fresh breakfast sausage to regional and international styles.
Home Production of Quality Meats and Sausages
A huge technical reference for serious hobbyists who want to understand curing, fermenting, smoking and drying in detail. It is light on photos but deep on process, which makes it a favorite on sausage-making forums.
Jerky: The Complete Guide to Making It
A simple, practical guide for anyone making jerky in a dehydrator, oven or smoker. It covers safe drying practices and a range of marinades for beef, poultry, fish and even vegetarian options.
The Complete Book of Jerky
For hunters and DIY cooks who want to turn beef, venison, turkey or fish into jerky from start to finish. It covers butchering, slicing, curing and drying as well as recipes.
Grilling, rubs & sauces
Big flavor for weeknights and cookouts.
Barbecue Sauces, Rubs, and Marinades--Bastes, Butters & Glazes, Too
A go-to reference for anyone who wants to make their own rubs, mops, sauces and marinades instead of buying bottles. The revised edition covers regional American styles and global flavors, so it pairs with any smoker or grill.
Want our ranked picks with pros and cons? See the best BBQ cookbooks.