10 Best Grilling Cookbooks 2026 in the United States

The cookbook 'Cooking on the Big Green Egg: Everything you need to know from set-up to cooking techniques, with 70 recipes' is a comprehensive guide tailored for users of the Big Green Egg grill. It caters to various experience levels, making it suitable for both beginners and more experienced cooks. One of its strengths lies in its detailed set-up instructions, ensuring that users can start grilling with confidence.

The book offers a decent variety of recipes (70 in total), covering different types of dishes that showcase the versatility of the Big Green Egg. This variety can keep your grilling experience exciting and help you explore different cuisines. The instructions are clear and well-organized, making it easy for readers to follow along and replicate the recipes accurately. Additionally, the book provides a wealth of tips and techniques that can enhance your grilling skills and help you make the most of your grill.

However, the book's focus on the Big Green Egg means it may not be as useful for those using other types of grills. At 208 pages and weighing 2 pounds, it's a substantial hardcover that feels durable but may be a bit heavy for some users to handle easily. All content is in English, with high-quality publishing standards from Quadrille, released in April 2021. This makes it a current and reliable resource for Big Green Egg enthusiasts.

'Project Smoke' by Steven Raichlen is a solid choice for anyone interested in mastering smoked foods, whether you're a beginner or already have some grilling experience. The book is well-structured around seven key steps to smoking, which helps make the process less intimidating for newcomers. It covers a variety of grill types and smoking methods, making it adaptable no matter what kind of equipment you have.

With 100 recipes that range from classic favorites like brisket to more unique options such as smoked bacon with bourbon, it offers plenty of variety to keep things interesting. The instructions are clear and approachable, guiding you through each recipe and technique with enough detail to help you succeed without feeling overwhelmed. Additionally, the book provides useful tips and insights to improve your smoking skills over time.

A limitation is that the book focuses solely on smoking rather than general grilling, so if you're looking for a wide range of grilling styles beyond smoking, this might feel a bit narrow. Also, while the recipes aim to be accessible, some might require ingredients or equipment not everyone has on hand, which could be a minor hurdle. At around 336 pages, it’s comprehensive yet still manageable to explore. This makes 'Project Smoke' a great pick for anyone looking to dive into smoked cooking with clear guidance and recipe variety, especially if you want to focus on smoking techniques rather than all grilling styles.

The Backyard Traeger Cookbook is designed for weekend grillers who want to step up their game and become confident backyard chefs. It offers a good mix of simple recipes that don’t overwhelm beginners but still provide flavorful results. Since it's focused on Traeger grills, which are pellet grills, it’s best suited for users who own or plan to use this type of grill, as the techniques and recipes are tailored to pellet grilling.

The instructions are straightforward and easy to follow, making it accessible for those new to grilling or anyone looking to improve their skills. With 110 pages, the book covers a decent variety of recipes and includes tips to help you get more consistent results and explore different flavors. If you’re looking for a cookbook with very advanced techniques or a wide variety of grill types (like charcoal or gas), this might feel a bit limited.

For Traeger grill owners or those wanting to master pellet grilling, this book serves as a practical, friendly guide to making memorable meals for gatherings without feeling too complicated.