Top 3 Best Online BBQ Classes – Learn to Smoke Meat the Right Way

Becoming a grill master takes practice. Success requires patience and putting in the work. Competition pitmasters and grillers make the most tender, delectable barbecue because they’re constantly swapping secrets, tips and techniques.

But most of us don’t want to compete for World’s Best. We just want to BBQ better and feed our families and friends a delicious meal. If you want access to these secrets, the internet has you covered. A number of barbecue classes are available online. You can find Youtube clips on BBQing free of charge but, for a higher caliber of information, you’ll want to spring for a class. 

Knowledge is power. Taste is king. Wisdom, like well-smoked meat, is meant to be shared. 

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Best Value – Academy Of Q’ Pitmaster Secrets Course

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Best Teacher – Masterclass: Texas Style BBQ with Aaron Franklin

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Best Format – BBQ Champs Academy Championship Backyard BBQ Classes

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What to look for in an Online BBQ Course

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All Online Barbecue Courses are not created equal. Experience, presentation, menu quality, pedigree all factor into the content of each course.  The basics are universal. It’s best to choose a course based upon the quality of barbecue you want to share with the world. 

As you search for the course that’s right for you, keep this criteria in mind:

Video and Audio Production

Like in BBQ competition, presentation matters. Every course you research will typically reserve their most appealing content for the sizzle promo. If possible, check any sample courses to see the technical quality of your class. You want the material to be presented well enough to make up for your not being there in person. 

The camera should clearly show the work they are doing to make it easy for you to follow along. The audio quality should be clear so that you may hear the instruction. This is not for entertainment purposes. It is for clarity.  As in smoking meats, you want the smoke to bring out the meat’s flavor rather than absorb it.  The technical quality of these courses matters mostly for their ability to showcase the lessons. 

Teacher’s Knowledge and Communication

It also matters who is teaching you these courses. Anyone who goes to the trouble to make an Online BBQ Course clearly knows a lot about barbecue. Their ability to communicate their wisdom to you and teach you their lessons are more important. A World Champion may be the best pitmaster, but may struggle to explain how they do it. Conversely, a competition pitmaster may be a superior instructor. You want the best teacher. 

There is an engagement factor to how instructors communicate their lessons. You want to sense their knowledge and passion for barbecue, but if you’re zoning out, the class isn’t worth your time. You need instructors who can impart their wisdom while holding your interest. Ask yourself what kind of barbecue you want to make? Restaurant quality? Competition quality? Or Neighborhood-best quality? Set your target and choose an instructor who works in that wheelhouse. 

Class Format

An online barbecue course should give you an overview on tools you will need. Early courses should involve starting fires and managing heat. Next, they should cover rubs and seasoning. Each course should dedicate time to selecting a quality cut of a meat as well as trimming the fat to get the most out of your work. Finally, each course should present you with multiple meats of varying skill levels. For instance, beef brisket is a more advanced level job than say, pork butt. 

Every course you research should be upfront about the lesson plans. It’s a syllabus like you get on the first day of class. Let the menu inform your decision. 

Value

You want a fair price. These above listed factors should determine what you pay to experience these courses.  How much content do you get? Who is generating that content? How much effort do they put into that content? 

The amount you are willing to pay for the courses should correspond to the skill level you are looking to reach.  For instance, the three courses we surveyed for this article range from $180 to $99, for a year membership. The membership encourages them to continue generating content, to keep you subscribing.  When you consider that an official Pitmaster course would run you over $1,000 to impart similar information, this is a good deal. 

Recipes and Information Diversity

Whether online or in-person, you take a barbecue class to pick up trade secrets of superior pitmasters. These tips are the major currency of these courses. It’s where they distinguish themselves from other courses. 

A key part of those trade secrets is the recipes. These courses will show you how high caliber cooks barbecue the finest meats. Some recipes pertain only to smoking meat. Other recipes expand to sides and desserts that can be prepared on the grill. 

These recipes are often cookout tested and BBQ fan approved. 

Now that you know what makes a good course, let’s talk about choosing the right course for you. 

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Online BBQ Class Reviews

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Academy Of Q’ Pitmaster Secrets Course

Host: Jim Frank of the McFrankenBoo BBQ Team
Running Time: Approximately 15 hours

Cost: $197/year membership

Lessons

• Understanding Your Equipment
• Heat Theory and Management
• Brisket
• Pork Butt
• Ribs
• Spatchcock Chicken
• Burgers
• Steak
• Buffalo Cheesesteak

Each section is broken into step-by-step lessons walking you through the process from stem to stern.

There are additional recipes available to download plus an additional 20+ dishes. 

Quality of Instruction

Jim Frank started Academy of Q with the mission of teaching Average Joes to ‘Q Like Pros. Frank was compelled to start an Online BBQ Academy after taking several BBQ classes for a cost of over $2,500. The classes elevated Frank’s game to championship caliber, but he knows that steep price limits too many prospective ‘Qers. He started Academy of Q to reach those aspiring grill masters. 

Frank’s instruction is thorough, but engaging. His teaching style is friendly with a heavy dose of conventional wisdom. In fact, that conventional wisdom is based in scientific fact. He knows what he’s talking about, but you never feel like he’s talking down to you. Academy of Q makes no assumptions of what equipment you own. They walk through the entire process from stocking up on inventory, expendables like foil, buying meat, slicing meat, rubs, grilling, presentation and serving.  

The video classes are broken into lessons lasting no longer than 10 minutes. Some are as short as 2. It keeps you watching the next clip. If you need to repeat a step, it’s a lot easier to find it in a 10 minute clip than an hour long class.

Production Value

Like a smoked brisket, the presentation matters. The video clips are straightforward. They are presented from the perspective of hovering over the prep table. The graphics and introductory shots and music pull you in and set a tone. Overall, it’s no-frills. Aside from Jim’s funny t-shirts, “I Like Pig Butts and I Cannot Lie” and “Meat is Murder: Sweet, tasty murder”, the star of the show is the BBQ process. The meat, the knives, the smokers, the fuel and the process. 

Verdict

With the sheer volume of class content (over 15 hours of videos), you will spend plenty of time working through the lessons. Jim’s adherence to the basics and clarity of instruction give the impression of a buddy spending the day showing you how to barbecue. If his mission was to condense a $1500 BBQ Class into a cheaper option, he has succeeded. Academy Of Q BBQ School makes a lot of sense for the aspiring backyard BBQer given its value and accessibility.

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MASTERCLASS: Texas-Style BBQ with AARON FRANKLIN

Instructors: Aaron Franklin – Austin, TX

Running Time: 4 1/2  hours over 20 videos. 

Cost: $15 per month gives you all access which includes classes with dozens of luminaries in other fields. 

Lessons

The Full Class includes all lessons. Classes focused on specific dishes can be accessed a la carte. Every class includes the Grills and Fire Management Class as bonus content. 

• Meet Your Instructor
• Smoking Technique
• Beginner Recipes: Pork Butt and Steak
• Intermediate Smoke: Ribs
• Advanced: Brisket, the Franklin Way
• A Rich Tradition of Low and Slow

Quality of Instruction

Aaron Franklin owns and operates Franklin Barbecue in Austin, TX, one of the most renowned BBQ restaurants in the USA. Known from his PBS show BBQ WITH FRANKLIN, Aaron Franklin is something of a rock star in the smoked meat space. Surprisingly, Aaron Franklin strikes you as a modest pitmaster. Franklin dives deep on his approach to heat, fire and smoke. He shows the modifications he’s made to his offset smokers and gives tips on how you can do the same. Whether he’s talking about thermometer placement or building a fire, it’s hard to deny how much this guy loves his work. 

The instruction is assured, but delivered in terms even a beginner will understand.  Important terms that may not be common knowledge are defined in the corner of the screen.  His ability to explain his process is remarkably clear. It echoes much of what we hear in the other two classes. He’s not acting like he possesses the secrets to excellent BBQ, but rather common sense BBQ. His approach feels equal parts scientific and artful. Franklin dedicates full sections to selecting the right wood for his smokers. 

There is a remarkable balance. No one part of the process is presented as more important. Franklin does seem to have a deeper affinity for smoking than anything. Maybe because he spends half of his time on smoke, grills and meat selection. 

Like a good teacher, he structures the three meals he prepares based on skill level. He starts with smoking Pork Butt. Then, sliding to the intermediate level with ribs. Throughout these first two sections, he lets you know what aspects of these meals will be used for his final test: smoked brisket. 

It’s this forethought that distinguishes Franklin’s class. His understanding of the science that makes barbecue delicious is simply deeper. Even someone with no interest in BBQ whatsoever would be compelled by the content. 

Production Value

Since it’s MasterClass, this was clearly filmed with a large professional crew. The presentation is slick and highly professional. Still, there’s plenty of steak to go with this sizzle.  

The pacing is impeccable. The editing helps you absorb the content and follow along with ease. This is the easiest class to knock out in a single day. 

Verdict

Aaron Franklin’s Masterclass offers information from one of the highest authorities in the space. If you are looking for a good class to learn the basics, feel you are too new to jump into competition cooking or just want to cook the occasional ribs/brisket, then this may be the class for you.

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BBQ Champs Academy Championship Backyard BBQ Classes

Instructors: Mike Steele, Houston, TX.
World Champion Pitmasters – Robby Royal, Joey Smith, Mark Lambert, Sterling Smith, Craig Sharry, and 2019 IBCA Cook of the Year Lee Hickel.

Running Time: 8 ½ hours over 20 videos. 

Cost: $99 for all 20 classes or $7.98 for Individual Classes. 

Lessons

Understanding How To Use Grills & Fire Management, TRT 15:42

Quality of Instruction

“Are You Ready to Cook Barbecue Like Pros?” is the question asked at the top of the BBQ Champs Academy page. BBQ Champs are targeting an audience of backyard barbecuers looking to up their game. As such, their instruction is not for beginners. They assume you know your way around a pit. Instead, they opt for walking you through their way of preparing a brisket, etc. The Instructors are ALL world-class cooks.  Grilling is second nature to them, which means they may not realize just how much harder it can be for beginners. That is why it helps to have some experience smoking and grilling meats before taking this course. 

Unlike the other two classes, BBQ Champs Academy features a host, founder Mike Steele. Mike injects energy into the classes and keeps the tone light. That said, Mike is present to help guide the cooks through the teaching process. The question/answer style of teaching can be extremely informative, but the extra conversation may divert the instructor’s attention away from the lesson. If you miss any details, don’t worry. BBQ Champs has set up a Facebook group for FAQs included. The information is truly from some of the best cooks on the planet.

BBQ Champs Academy is sponsored by Houston area barbecue shops. As such, there are product placements throughout the classes. This gives you plenty of brands to check out as part of stepping up your game, but can distract from the lesson.

The finished product of these cooks will make you wish smell-o-vision were real. Their meat is so tender with such an expertly bronzed bark, you will want to lick the screen. In that regard, BBQ Champs inspires you to apply their lessons and make your own masterpiece.

Production Value

The videos are presented on long takes like an infomercial or the Home Shopping Network.  The editing and pace of the clips may force you to scroll back to see what you missed. 

The focus is entirely upon the cook. How to manage fire, select a cut of meat, trim that meat, leave on the grill or smoker. The information is sound, the presentation is well done but you will have to get comfortable with branding and a host/expert format.

Verdict

For the value, this class is worth the money if you are an intermediate Grill Master looking to advance your skills. The price is fair at $7.98 a class. Mike Steele and his rotating cast of BBQ Champs have also boiled the knowledge acquired over years of competing and cooking down to an affordable price. Here’s to hoping Mike Steele does find a way to patent Smell-o-Vision so we can enjoy the smoky aroma at home.