Barbecue University™ 2023

As the last fire burned down to embers, Barbecue University™ 2022 was declared one of the best sessions ever. But Steven Raichlen, the global grilling authority who founded Barbecue University™ more than 20 years ago, was already collecting suggestions and plotting ways to make 2023’s curriculum even better.

Barbecue University™, the intensive three-day course that was named “the #1 cooking experience in America” by the Food Network, has trained hundreds of students of all skill levels in the art of live-fire cooking. Some attendees have come from as far away as Dubai, Australia, Japan, and South Africa to learn from Raichlen, a Barbecue Hall of Famer, popular cookbook author, and television host. Other students return year after year.

Alums of the Class of 2022 cooked on 30-plus of the most innovative grills and smokers in the industry, from the portable Nomad (great for tailgating), to sleek stainless steel gas grills, to wood burners from KUDU and Grillworks, to the latest tri-fuel grill from luxury grill manufacturer Kalamazoo Gourmet. They prepared up to 10 dishes a day, from appetizers to desserts, followed by a lavish lunch. Among the items on the menu were breakfast pizzas, fennel-grilled striped bass, brisket burnt ends, bourbon bacon apple crisp, and much more.

This year’s menu, inspired by Steven’s long-running television shows, will be equally as electrifying. Expect brisket breakfast tacos, cowboy tomahawks, authentic Mexican barbacoa, a spectacular Gulf Coast shrimp “boil” (done on the grill, of course), desserts like flaming pineapple shawarma, and much, much more. Steven will answer any “burning” questions you have about grilling and smoking.  

We’ll also continue our popular “BBQ Mystery Boxes,” which challenge students to spontaneously develop and prepare recipes featuring a surprise ingredient, just as Steven does on Project Fire, now in its fifth season on American Public Television.

Speaking of mysteries, stay tuned for an announcement of the dates and location of the next Barbecue University™.   In the past, we’ve held the school at The Greenbrier in West Virginia, the Broadmoor in Colorado Springs, and Montage Palmetto Bluff in South Carolina.

What won’t change is a scenic luxurious setting, warm camaraderie, and information-packed classes designed to help you take your grilling to the next level.

“A fantasy camp for coal heads” is how Cooking Light magazine described the school.

“I have attended cooking classes and retreats throughout the U.S. and Europe, but have never experienced anything like Barbecue University,” wrote travel writer and author Larry Olmsted on Forbes.com.

So sign up for our mailing list below to be the first to know when the dates and the location of Barbecue University™ is announced!