Barbecue season is here and that means that pitmasters across the country are dusting off their grills, buying their wood chips, and planning for the first cookout of the year. Dreams of summer have gotten us through the winter and spring, and now we can finally live out those dreams with fresh-off-the-grill burgers and juicy wings. To see which BBQ will be enjoyed most across the country, BBQ Revolution took it upon themselves to find out each state's pick of the best BBQ style.
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To determine this, the site looked at Google Trends and Google Search data to see which BBQ style reigns supreme, focusing on the 5 main kinds of BBQ: Texas style, Kansas City style, North Carolina style, South Carolina style and Memphis style. They also searched for the favorite cut of meat across the country to even further solidify which BBQ is the most popular.
The Most Popular BBQ Style in Each State
The results of this highly divisive study might surprise you, and they'll definitely cause an uproar among the BBQ lovers whose favorite style wasn't chosen. As popular as each BBQ style is, one type of BBQ is by far more popular than the others- Texas style BBQ. According to Google Trends, this style is the favorite in 33 states, over half the states in the country!
The Most Popular Style is a Clear Winner
Looking at the map, it's clear that the country is divided. The West Coast and Southeast are unanimously in support of Texas style BBQ, while the Midwest and East Coast prefer a variety of styles, varying state by state. Texas style BBQ is known for its grilled and smoked meats, especially beef brisket and other pork products.
After Texas style BBQ, Kansas City style and North Carolina style are tied, with 6 states each. In contrast to Texas-style BBQ, these styles are most popular around the state where they originate. The loyal supporters of Kansas City style and North Carolina style all reside in states nearby, while Texas-style BBQ lovers can be found in every corner of the country.
Homemade Smoked Barbecue Beef Brisket with Sauce
Kansas City style BBQ is special for its wide variety of meats used, along with its slow-cooking method and sweet, thick tomato-based sauce. As for North Carolina style, this BBQ is classified by the popularity of the old-school whole hog method, along with its iconic vinegar-based dipping sauce.
The fourth most popular BBQ style is Memphis style, which was chosen in four states. This BBQ involves pork ribs and pulled pork, along with its famous dry rub, which can contain up to 40 different spices.
Last but not least, South Carolina style BBQ is the least favorite, only chosen in one state- South Carolina. This style involves pork, sometimes whole hog and sometimes another cut. South Carolina is also known for its delicious mustard-based Carolina gold sauce.
America's Favorite Smoked Meat Matches Our Favorite BBQ Style
To further investigate Americans' preferences when it comes to BBQ, BBQ Revolution looked at the most popular BBQ meats across the country. What they discovered goes hand in hand with the results of the favorite BBQ style.
Brisket is the most popular BBQ meat across the country, which makes sense since so many Americans love Texas style BBQ! After that, a range of smoked BBQ meats were favored. Out of the top 15 most popular BBQ meats, almost half are pork cuts.
From the most popular BBQ style to the favorite smoked BBQ meat, one thing is certain- Texas-stye BBQ is America's favorite.
