4 items
Jerky Starter Kit
Everything to make your first batch of homemade jerky.
Smokers · Jerky · Rubs · Wood
Smoke it. Dry it. Snack on it.
Straight answers on smokers, dehydrators, wood, rubs and jerky, plus recipes a first-timer can actually follow. We cover the backyard pit and the kitchen jerky rack in one place.
2026 BBQ gift guideWood pairing chartStart here
Our most useful guides right now.
Buying guide
Best Cocktail Smoker Kits for Old Fashioneds (2026)
The best cocktail smoker kits for whiskey and Old Fashioned fans, from budget torch sets to butane-free electric smokers.
Buying guide
Best Food Dehydrators for Jerky (2026)
The best dehydrators for making beef and venison jerky at home, chosen for steady heat, even airflow and easy cleanup.
Buying guide
Best Gifts for BBQ Lovers (2026 Holiday Guide)
Gifts the smoker in your life will actually use, from a $20 wood sampler to a pellet grill, sorted by budget.
Guide
Smoking Wood Pairing Chart: Which Wood for Which Meat
A simple chart for matching smoking wood to beef, pork, poultry, fish and more, plus how strong each wood is and when to use chips, chunks or pellets.
The Smokey Treat Shop
Original BBQ shirts, aprons, mugs and hats for the pitmaster in your life. Shop everything
Bundles & starter kits
Gear that works as a set. One click sends the whole kit to your Amazon cart. See all bundles
5 items
Electric Smoker: First Cook Kit
A beginner-friendly smoker and the basics to nail your first ribs.
5 items
Pellet Grill Starter Pack
A proven pellet grill plus what you need for a first brisket or pork butt.
Now on Amazon
Smokey Treat: The Cookbook
81 recipes with a full-page photo for every one: brisket, ribs, smoked fish, jerky, rubs, sauces and sides, plus temp and wood charts. Paperback and Kindle, hardcover coming soon.
Fresh off the smoker
Rubs, smoked meats, jerky and sides. All recipes
Recipe
Beef Brisket Injection
A simple beef broth brisket injection that keeps the flat juicy, with how much to use per pound, where to inject and how to keep it safe.
Recipe
Cajun Beef Jerky
Spicy Cajun beef jerky with a homemade Cajun rub, hot sauce and garlic, heated to the USDA 160°F before drying.
Recipe
Cajun Rub
A bold homemade Cajun rub with paprika, garlic, three peppers and herbs for jerky, chicken, shrimp and more.
Recipe
Carolina Gold Mustard BBQ Sauce
A tangy, golden South Carolina-style mustard BBQ sauce with cider vinegar, honey and black pepper. Ready in about 20 minutes.
Recipe
Cherry Bourbon BBQ Sauce
A thick, sweet and tangy cherry bourbon BBQ sauce for ribs, wings and burnt ends, with notes on alcohol and a no-bourbon swap.
Recipe
Chicken Jerky
A lean chicken breast jerky with a garlic, lemon and herb marinade, cooked to the USDA 165°F for poultry before drying.
Browse by topic
From the smoker to the snack bag.
Smokers
Pellet, electric, offset, kamado and cocktail smokers
Dehydrators & Jerky Gear
Dehydrators, jerky guns, slicers and marinade gear
Wood & Fuel
Chips, chunks, pellets and wood pairings
Rubs & Sauces
Store-bought favorites and homemade blends
Jerky
Best brands, subscriptions and DIY
Accessories & Gifts
Thermometers, gloves, tools and gift guides
Recipes
Smoked meats, jerky and smoked snacks
Books worth reading
The BBQ and jerky books pitmasters swear by. See the whole shelf
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.
We recommend
Meat clubs, butchers and BBQ boxes worth knowing about. See all our picks
Cured meat subscription
Carnivore Club
A monthly box of artisan cured meats (salami, chorizo, jerky and more), usually themed around one small producer. Gift and one-time boxes are available.
Best for: Charcuterie lovers and an easy monthly gift
Visit Carnivore ClubBBQ subscription box
Grill Masters Club
Rubs, sauces and grilling extras picked by pitmasters, shipped every few months. You can buy one box as a gift or prepay a year.
Best for: Backyard cooks who like trying new rubs and sauces
Visit Grill Masters ClubFamous BBQ, shipped
Goldbelly
Ships food from well-known restaurants nationwide, including legendary barbecue joints. Brisket, ribs and burnt ends from places you would otherwise have to fly to.
Best for: Tasting real pit barbecue without the road trip
Visit GoldbellyLatest buying guides
Gear picks, updated for 2026.
Guide
The Best Fish for Smoking (and the Ones to Skip)
Which fish smoke best? Compare 18 fish by fat, flavor, best smoking style and wood, plus which lean fish to skip and how to smoke shellfish.
Guide
Hot Smoking vs. Cold Smoking Fish (Plus Kippered, Lox, Nova and Candied)
Hot-smoked, cold-smoked, kippered, lox, Nova, gravlax and salmon candy explained, with temps, texture, safety and why hot smoking is best at home.
Guide
How to Smoke Fish: The Complete Beginner's Guide
Learn how to smoke fish at home: picking fish, wet and dry brines, the pellicle, smoker temps, wood, the safe 145°F finish and storage.
Buying guide
Best BBQ Cookbooks (2026)
The best barbecue and smoking cookbooks, from Aaron Franklin's brisket bible to beginner-friendly guides and the science of smoke.
Buying guide
Best BBQ Gifts Under $50 (2026)
Useful BBQ and smoking gifts that cost less than $50, from a pellet tube smoker to a brisket knife and a pitmaster's cookbook.
Buying guide
Best BBQ Gloves (2026)
The best BBQ gloves for pulling pork, moving hot grates and handling charcoal, sorted by material and job.