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20 for 20: Our Best BBQ Recipes of the Past 20 Years

In search of the “best of the best” BBQ and grilling gear? The AmazingRibs.com staff unveils its top picks from 2023’s new products.

Created By:

Dave Joachim headshot.
Dave Joachim, AmazingRibs.com Editorial Director
Composite of AmazingRibs.com's top 20 recipes.

The top twenty recipes that you, our readers, have visited most, in honor of AmazingRibs.com’s 20th Anniversary!

If the name of our website didn’t tip you off, AmazingRibs.com got its start with a ribs cookoff. As luck would have it, in the early 2000s, Meathead’s neighbor in Chicago challenged him to a friendly BBQ competition. Meathead went looking for a good ribs recipe to bone up for the cookoff, but he couldn’t find one. At the time, he was thinking of starting a new business venture, so he established AmazingRibs.com in 2005. His ribs recipe became super popular and was part of how the website got its name. But that’s not the only reason. AmazingRibs.com was also named that because, back then, websites were listed alphabetically and Meathead wanted his website to be near the top.

Oh how times have changed! In case you were wondering, yes, Meathead won that ribs cookoff back in the day, and many since. To this day, his winning Last Meal Ribs recipe remains one of the most popular recipes on AmazingRibs.com. His Easy BBQ Pulled Pork is pretty popular too. So is his Smoked Turkey.

To celebrate the 20th Anniversary of AmazingRibs.com, we took a trip down memory lane, and looked back at all our best BBQ recipes over the past 20 years. These are the top 20 recipes that you, our readers, have visited most, cooked most, and ranked highest over the past 20 years. From Classic Chicago Italian Beef (the kind made famous on the popular TV show “The Bear”) to Meathead’s World Famous Memphis Dust for dry-rubbed ribs, there’s plenty to chew on here. Meathead’s Last Meal Ribs is still in the top 3 of our best BBQ recipes. But there’s a new sheriff in town. The #1 recipe of all time on AmazingRibs.com is now…Authentic Texas-Style Smoked Brisket!

Try them all!

Behold the best BBQ beef smoked brisket recipe ever! Brisket is more than a recipe, it is a concept and
  • Created by: Meathead
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This award winning, classic Memphis dust rub recipe is great on pork, chicken, fish, beef, and veggies. Memphis is known
  • Created by: Meathead
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Here's the best BBQ ribs recipe, step by step instructions for mouthwatering smoked ribs that are so juicy and tender,
  • Created by: Meathead
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If you've ever wondered how to make pastrami then we've got you covered. Moist, tender, and full of flavor, this
  • Created by: Meathead
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Pastrami depends heavily on the spice blend applied to the cured corned beef. After much research and trial and error,
  • Created by: Meathead
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This flavorful beef dry rub recipe is perfect for seasoning brisket, beef ribs, steak, and more. In Texas, many barbecue
  • Created by: Meathead
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This easy pulled pork recipe skips the slow cooker to create authentic low and slow smoked pulled pork on a
  • Created by: Meathead
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Our grilled and smoked turkey recipe and tutorial make your ordinary holiday meal extraordinary! Here's everything you need to know
  • Created by: Meathead
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Making bacon from scratch at home is easy and the results are much better than grocery store bacon. Once you
  • Created by: Meathead
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Classic Italian Beef Sandwiches are a popular regional specialty in Chicago and here is the recipe to make easy authentic
  • Created by: Meathead
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There are some tricks to learning how to cook a perfect prime rib, tenderloin, round, rump, and other beef roasts
  • Created by: Meathead
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Say so long to bottled BBQ sauce and hello to amped up homemade Kansas City-style sauce with this step-by-step recipe.
  • Created by: Meathead
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Create a holiday feast at home with our cured smoked ham recipe that will put any store-bought ham to shame.
  • Created by: Meathead
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Create delicious smoked Texas-style BBQ beef ribs at home with this tested smoked beef rib recipe. Whether it is meaty
  • Created by: Meathead
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Here's how to make ribs in your oven that most folks will think you nursed for hours in the smoker.
  • Created by: Meathead
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You seriously need to make this maple bacon. It's not hard. And it is so worth it. It's one of
  • Created by: Meathead
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Fans of Canadian bacon will rejoice this recipe for making flavorful smoked pork loin at home. Making Canadian bacon or
  • Created by: Meathead
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If you've dreaded stuff that passes for roast beef and wished you could find the real deal then this Baltimore
  • Created by: Meathead
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Home made corned beef is not only fun, it also puts the prepared corned beef at your local grocery store
  • Created by: Meathead
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Create the best ham you've ever tasted with this ultimate double smoked ham recipe. Ordinary store bought ham is taken
  • Created by: Meathead
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Improve your recipes and make the best BBQ possible with this one essential concept: temperature control. This article teaches you
  • Created by: Meathead
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What is meat and how does cooking alter it? Discover the science of what meat is made of, including water,
  • Created by: Meathead
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Learn about thermodynamics: the basis of all cooking! Find out how heat transference works by conduction, convection, radiation, induction, and
  • Created by: Meathead
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Meathead settles the argument of Charcoal Grills vs. Gas Grills once and for all.
  • Created by: Meathead
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  • Created by: Dave Joachim
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Published On: June 12, 2025

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