Colorado BBQ Outfitters Smokin' at its peak
Call 719-465-1041

Recipes

BBQ Recipes

Favorite recipes from Colorado BBQ Outfitters. Stop by the store for rubs, sauces, wood, tools, and advice for your next cook.

Easy Brisket Fabulous 3-2-1 Ribs CBO Pulled Pork Smoked Spatchcocked Chicken Golden Toad Shrimp Bombs CBO Smoked Tri Tip Homemade Smoked Bacon Smoked Buffalo Chicken Dip Homemade Smoked Pastrami Homemade Corned Beef Bone Suckin' Ribs Bacon Wrapped Peanut Butter Jalapeno Poppers Jamaican Jerk Chicken Old Fashioned Coleslaw Smoked Chicken Wings

Easy Brisket

Cooking time: 8 to 16 hours | Cooking temp: 180F to 200F | Wood: Hickory, mesquite, or oak

What You Need

  • Untrimmed flat or packer brisket
  • John Henry Texas Brisket Rub
  • Beef tallow
  • Pink butcher paper or foil

Instructions

Do not cut off the fat cap on one side of the brisket. Trim off any hard fat deposits and leave the soft fat trimmed to no more than 1/2 inch thick. Save the soft fat in a pan during the cook to make beef tallow, or buy beef tallow at the store.

Liberally rub the brisket with John Henry Texas Brisket Rub. Smoke at 180F to 225F until the internal temperature reaches 160F or the stall, whichever comes first.

At the turn, inject the smoked brisket with beef tallow before wrapping. Double wrap in pink butcher paper or foil and cook at 50 degrees hotter than the smoke temperature until the internal temperature reaches 200F.

Let the brisket rest for at least 30 minutes or as long as you can. Slice across the grain, pour any remaining juices over the meat, leave the fat on for flavor, and enjoy.

Fabulous 3-2-1 Ribs

Cooking time: 6 hours | Cooking temp: 225F | Wood: Sweet woods

What You Need

  • Baby back ribs or spare ribs
  • John Henry Honey Rib Rub
  • Kosmos Rib Glaze
  • Optional brown sugar, honey, maple syrup, or butter

Instructions

Peel the membrane off the bone side of the ribs. Liberally apply John Henry Honey Rib Rub, wrap in cellophane, and refrigerate for 8 to 24 hours.

Smoke the ribs uncovered, bone side down, for 3 hours. Wrap in foil and place back on the grill bone side up for 2 hours. If desired, add brown sugar, honey, maple syrup, butter, or your preferred additions before wrapping.

Unwrap the ribs and place them back on the grill for 1 hour meat side up. Mop with BBQ sauce 20 minutes before finishing, or glaze with Kosmos Rib Glaze after pulling them off the grill.

CBO Pulled Pork

Cooking temp: 180F to 225F | Wood: Sweet woods

What You Need

  • Pork shoulder or Boston butt
  • Meat Church Honey Hog Rub
  • Favorite BBQ sauce
  • Beast Claws

Instructions

Liberally rub the pork butt with Meat Church Honey Hog Rub the night before. Wrap in cellophane and refrigerate overnight.

Smoke fat side up at 180F to 225F until the internal temperature reaches 160F or the stall, whichever comes first. Double wrap in foil and cook at 50 degrees hotter than the smoking temperature until the meat reaches 200F.

Let the pork shoulder rest for 30 minutes up to several hours. Shred with Beast Claws and enjoy.

Tip: around 195F, check tenderness. If there is a bone, wiggle it. If it moves easily or comes out, the pork is done. Without a bone, insert a fork and rotate it 90 degrees. If it turns with little effort, it is ready.

Smoked Spatchcocked Chicken

Cooking time: 2 to 3 hours | Cooking temp: 200F to 225F, then 375F to 400F | Wood: Sweet woods are best

What You Need

  • Whole chicken, Cornish hen, or turkey
  • Bull Rack solid tray with wire rack
  • Favorite poultry rub, such as John Henry's Chicken Tickler
  • Butter, optional

Instructions

Spatchcock the bird by removing the backbone, turning it over, and pressing down on the breast bone until you hear it crack. This lowers cook time and helps the bird smoke and cook more evenly.

Separate the skin from the meat wherever possible and add rub under the skin. For extra flavor, whip butter with your favorite rub and tuck it under the skin.

Smoke for 1.5 to 2 hours, depending on how much smoke you want, or until the internal temperature reaches 115F to 120F. Turn the heat up to 375F to 400F and watch closely until the breast, thigh, and armpit reach 165F. Pull it off and enjoy.

Golden Toad's Fire Grilled Shrimp Bombs

What You Need

  • Golden Toad's BBQ Finishing Sauce
  • Golden Toad's Prime Steak Rub
  • Kielbasa sausage, cut into 3/8 inch discs
  • Shrimp, 31-40 count or larger, peeled, detailed, and cleaned
  • 10 to 12 inch bamboo skewers

Instructions

Soak skewers in water. Defrost shrimp and season with Golden Toad's Prime Steak Rub.

Skewer kielbasa and shrimp, starting with kielbasa and alternating until each skewer has 4 or 5 of each. Heat the grill to high.

Place shrimp bombs on the grill uncovered and without sauce for about 5 minutes. Turn and grill another 5 minutes. Brush with Golden Toad's BBQ Finishing Sauce, turning every couple minutes and brushing as needed until shrimp are cooked through and sauce is caramelized. Total cook time is usually 12 to 20 minutes.

CBO Smoked Tri Tip

What You Need

  • 1 2-3 pound tri tip roast, fat cap and silverskin removed
  • 2 tablespoons beef seasoning, or equal parts salt, pepper, and garlic powder
  • 3 tablespoons salted butter
  • 1 sprig rosemary

Instructions

Season the tri tip with Hey Grill Hey Beef Rub. Smoke around 225F using your favorite BBQ wood. Tri tips are like rib roasts in that you smoke them to your desired internal temperature.

For extra bark or crust, put a cast iron skillet over high heat with half a stick of butter and a sprig of rosemary. Sear 2 to 3 minutes per side in the butter, spooning more over the top.

Rest for 15 minutes, then carve against the grain. Enjoy.

Homemade Smoked Bacon

Measurements are based on a 4 pound pork belly.

What You Need

  • Pork belly, skin removed
  • Brining bag or Briner Bucket
  • 1 cup warm distilled water
  • 0.7 teaspoons or 4.10 grams Prague powder #1
  • 8 tablespoons dark brown sugar
  • 6 teaspoons Morton's kosher salt
  • 6 teaspoons ground black pepper

Instructions

Remove the skin from the pork belly. Add all ingredients to a brining bag or Briner Bucket and rub the cure all over the belly.

Cure 3 to 7 days, flipping the belly every day. After curing, rinse off the cure very well.

Smoke at 225F to an internal temperature of 150F. Sweet woods are preferred. Cool completely before slicing, wrap in cellophane and foil for the fridge, slice across the grain, and cook like store-bought bacon.

Smoked Buffalo Chicken Dip

What You Need

  • 3 boneless skinless chicken breasts, about 1 3/4 pounds or 2 cups shredded
  • Extra-virgin olive oil
  • John Henry Chicken Tickler Rub
  • Heath Riles BBQ Garlic Butter Rub
  • 1 8-ounce block cream cheese
  • 1/2 cup favorite wing sauce
  • 1/2 cup ranch dressing
  • The Slabs Stephy Style Rub
  • 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Instructions

This recipe is recommended over charcoal, but any heat source will do. Drizzle chicken with olive oil and season on both sides with John Henry Chicken Tickler Rub and Heath Riles BBQ Garlic Butter Rub.

Coat cream cheese on all sides with The Slabs Stephy Style Rub, set it on aluminum foil, and score it. Cook chicken and cream cheese away from the fire at 275F to 325F for about an hour, until chicken reaches 165F.

Wrap chicken in foil and steam for about 5 minutes while the cream cheese turns golden brown. Shred chicken, mix with wing sauce and ranch, then stir in the smoked cream cheese and about half the cheddar.

Transfer to a cast iron skillet, top with remaining cheese, and cook about 45 minutes until bubbly and hot. Let cool before serving.

Homemade Smoked Pastrami

What You Need

  • 4 pounds or more corned beef, homemade or store-bought
  • Golden Toad Prime Steak Rub
  • Oak and cherry wood

Instructions

Desalinate the corned beef by covering it with cold water in the fridge for at least 8 hours, changing the water at least once.

Smoke the corned beef flat at 225F with your favorite BBQ wood to an internal temperature of 160F or the stall, whichever comes first. Oak is good for smoke and cherry is good for color.

Double wrap in foil and roast until the internal temperature reaches 203F. Slice across the grain and serve on rye bread with brown mustard.

Homemade Corned Beef

What You Need

  • 4 quarts water
  • 250 g kosher salt
  • 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
  • 1/3 cup pickling spice blend, plus 1 tablespoon for cooking
  • 2 teaspoons pink curing salt
  • 4 garlic cloves, minced
  • 5 pound beef brisket, untrimmed flat
  • 4 cups beef broth
  • 3 large carrots, peeled and cut into 2 inch pieces
  • 1 pound small red potatoes, halved
  • 1 head green cabbage, cored and quartered

Instructions

In a Dutch oven or large stock pot, add water, kosher salt, brown sugar, pickling spice, pink curing salt, and garlic. Bring to a boil, lower to a simmer, and cook until salt and sugar dissolve. Turn off heat and cool.

Preheat oven to 350F. Place corned beef in a Dutch oven or roasting pan. Sprinkle with 1 tablespoon pickling spice and pour in beef broth. Add potatoes, carrots, and cabbage.

Bring to a boil on high heat. Cover and cook in the oven for 3 1/2 to 4 hours, adding water if necessary to keep the brisket covered. Look for an internal temperature of 190F to 200F. Slice across the grain.

Bone Suckin' Ribs

What You Need

  • 1 jar Bone Suckin' Sauce
  • 5 pounds baby back pork ribs

Instructions

Preheat oven to 300F. Put ribs in a shallow pan and baste with Bone Suckin' Sauce. Cover with foil and bake for 3 hours.

Uncover, baste with more Bone Suckin' Sauce, raise temperature to 350F, and bake uncovered for 30 minutes. Enjoy.

Bacon Wrapped Peanut Butter Jalapeno Poppers

Cook time: 25 minutes | Cooking temp: 350F

What You Need

  • 8 fresh jalapeno peppers, seeded
  • Chili pepper roasting rack
  • 1/2 cup peanut butter
  • Favorite BBQ rub, to taste
  • 8 slices bacon
  • Toothpicks

Instructions

Fill each jalapeno half with peanut butter. Wrap each jalapeno with a half slice of bacon and secure with a toothpick. Add your favorite rub if desired.

Arrange the wrapped jalapenos in a chili roasting rack. Grill about 25 minutes, or until the bacon becomes dark brown.

Jamaican Jerk Chicken

What You Need

  • 1 whole chicken, halved
  • 1 lime
  • Pinch of salt, optional
  • 2 to 3 tablespoons Walkerswood jerk seasoning, adjusted to taste
  • Red rum

Instructions

Rub chicken with lime and salt. Mix jerk seasoning with red rum and brush onto chicken halves. For best results, marinate at least 2 hours or overnight in the refrigerator.

Brush more seasoning onto the chicken just before grilling. Grill or bake slowly until done, then cut into quarters and serve. Good accompaniments include Jamaican festival bread and vegetable brochettes with pineapple.

Old Fashioned Coleslaw

Prep time: 10 minutes | Serves 10 to 12 adults

What You Need

  • 2 pounds tri-color bagged coleslaw
  • 1 1/2 cups mayonnaise
  • 2/3 cup sour cream
  • 2 teaspoons celery salt
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 2 teaspoons ground mustard
  • 1 teaspoon pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon celery seed
  • 1 teaspoon dill weed
  • 4 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
  • 4 tablespoons sugar
  • 1/2 green or red pepper, optional
  • 4 to 5 scallions
  • Cayenne, to taste

Instructions

Whisk all ingredients except coleslaw together in a salad bowl. Add bagged coleslaw and toss to coat. Chill until ready to serve.

Smoked Chicken Wings

What You Need

  • Chicken wings
  • Kosmos Wing Dust
  • Wing sauce, optional
  • Redlaw Serrano Apricot Sauce

Instructions

Wings can be smoked frozen or thawed. If frozen, drain off liquid about 20 to 30 minutes into the cook. Get the smoker to 225F.

Toss wings in Kosmos Wing Dust. Smoke for about 45 minutes to 1 hour, then turn the heat up to 350F to 400F to crisp the wings to your liking. Wings can be cooked higher than 165F if you prefer.

Wings can be rubbed or sauced. Redlaw Serrano Apricot BBQ sauce is a favorite option.