BBQ Recipes
Real cooks from the PitmasterSocial community — temperatures, wood, timings and what actually happened.
Smoked BBQ Pit Beans (Brisket Beans)
Sweet, smoky, and loaded - beans simmered right on the smoker so they soak up bark flavor and (if you set them under the meat) the dripping fat. The best home for leftover brisket or pulled pork, and a side that disappears fast at any cookout.
Smoked Mac & Cheese
The ultimate BBQ side: a rich three-cheese sauce over tender elbows, finished on the smoker so it picks up a kiss of smoke and a bubbling, golden top. Creamy, not gluey, and a guaranteed crowd favorite next to brisket or ribs.
Texas-Style All-Purpose Mop Sauce
A thin, savory basting liquid for long smokes. Mopped onto brisket, ribs or pork shoulder every hour or so, it keeps the surface moist, builds flavor in layers, and helps smoke cling. This is a basting mop, not a finishing sauce - see the safety note below. Makes about 3 cups.
Eastern Carolina Vinegar Sauce
Thin, tangy, and peppery - the traditional finishing mop for Carolina pulled pork and whole hog. No cooking, no ketchup: just vinegar, heat, and a touch of sugar to balance. It cuts the richness of pork like nothing else. Makes about 2 cups.
Smoked Pork Ribs (3-2-1 Method)
Tender, sweet-and-smoky ribs with a set bark and a clean bite off the bone - not mushy fall-apart. The classic 3-2-1 timing for spare ribs (2-2-1 for baby backs) makes it repeatable, and the bend and toothpick tests tell you exactly when they're done.
Smoked Chicken Brine (Juicy Every Time)
The single easiest upgrade to smoked chicken or turkey: a simple salt-and-sugar brine that seasons the meat all the way through and keeps it juicy even if you slightly overshoot. Works for whole birds, pieces, and holiday turkey.
Kansas City-Style BBQ Sauce
The classic thick, glossy, sweet-and-tangy tomato-and-molasses sauce. Clings to ribs, brightens pulled pork, and glazes burnt ends. 20 minutes on the stove and far better than anything in a bottle. Makes about 2 1/2 cups.
Sweet-Heat Championship Rib Rub
An all-purpose sweet-and-spicy rub built for pork ribs but great on chicken and shoulder too. Balanced sugar for bark and color, enough salt to season deep, and a slow cayenne warmth on the finish. Makes about 1 1/2 cups.
Smoked Pulled Pork Shoulder (Boston Butt)
The most forgiving, crowd-pleasing smoke there is. A well-marbled pork shoulder, a sweet-savory rub, hickory-and-apple smoke, and a wrap through the stall gives you juicy, bark-flecked pulled pork that feeds a crowd for cheap.
Korean Gochujang Marinade
Great marinade for chicken wings, chicken breast and thighs, can reduce the marinade in a pan to use a glaze. Might be nice for ribs as a sweet and spicy glaze to finish off the ribs
