Season 1

Eight of the country's best backyard smokers and pitmasters vie for the title of American Barbecue Champion in a fierce but friendly faceoff.

1. 

   1. Barbecue in the Blood

   2020-09-18 · 44m

   The competition kicks off with a smokin' staple: the barbecue combo plate. That's two mouthwatering meats and two succulent sides.

2. 

   2. Red, White and Barbecue

   2020-09-18 · 41m

   The competitors make a feast for 50 first responders in a Fourth of July throwdown. Tri-tip, pork chops, cheeseburgers and more are on the menu.

3. 

   3. Don’t Need Teeth to Eat This Beef

   2020-09-18 · 44m

   Time to celebrate the greatest invention in the history of food: ribs! The cooks tackle pork and beef ribs — one with a dry rub, one with a wet sauce.

4. 

   4. Tournament of Sandwiches

   2020-09-18 · 43m

   The smokers serve up a trio of sandwiches: savory chicken with crunchy slaw, tender and tangy pork, and five-layer stacks of beef and sausage.

5. 

   5. Raccoon, Iguana and Hare — Oh My!

   2020-09-18 · 41m

   The pitmasters sink their teeth into some wild meats, delivering dishes like lizard stew, beaver tail crackling and pulled alligator.

6. 

   6. Cooking It Old School

   2020-09-18 · 43m

   Working in pairs, the barbecuers prepare popular proteins from the past, cooking mutton, goat and whole salmon on wooden platforms and over open pits.

7. 

   7. Barbecue Around the World

   2020-09-18 · 42m

   Ingredients and equipment from Morocco, Argentina and Japan spice things up and force the contestants to cook outside their comfort zones.

8. 

   8. The. Whole. Hog.

   2020-09-18 · 44m

   The final two tackle their biggest challenge yet: building their own pits and cooking a whole hog and brisket. It's gonna be a long night!