There is a good chance that the last time you ate BBQ for dinner it included at least one of of the most popular BBQ meats in the United States.
BBQ isn’t just a cooking method, it’s a way of life in many states across the country.
But there are some states that just can’t get enough of certain BBQ meats, whether it’s ribs or brisket. But which are the most popular BBQ meats, and which states love them the most?
With the help of Google trends, we were able to answer that question.
So, let’s find out.
Difference Between Grilling and BBQing
Grilling and barbecuing are two different cooking methods.
When you cook meat over direct heat for a short period of time, you are grilling. For instance, cooking steak over an open flame.
Barbecuing involves cooking meat low and slow for several hours. Smoky flavors are created by using wood chips or chunks. An example is using a charcoal smoker to make pulled pork.
You can grill and smoke on a smoker grill combo. Or if you use a kettle grill, turn you kettle into a smoker to expand it’s usage.
Most Popular BBQ Meats
We used Google Trends to see how popular online searches were for BBQ meats over a 5-year period of time.
We were able to determine how popular a smoked meat was for each state. An overall popularity value was calculated for each meat.
The most popular BBQ meats are shown below.
List of the Top 16 BBQ Meats
This is great data, but in this post we want to associate the most popular BBQ meats with the states that are crazy about them.
Let’s look at the BBQ meats in more detail. They are listed in order by popularity. When comparing all 50 states, the state which it was most popular had a search value of 100.
This value corresponded to the location (or state) with the most popularity as a fraction of total searches in that location.
1. Leg of Lamb
- State That Loves It The Most: Pennsylvania
- Popularity Score: 68
2. Whole Turkey
- State That Loves It The Most: Missouri
- Popularity Score: 64
3. Pork Tenderloin
- State That Loves It The Most: Utah
- Popularity Score: 58
4. Turkey Breast
- State That Loves It The Most: Kansas
- Popularity Score: 56
5. Pork Shoulder
- State That Loves It The Most: Colorado
- Popularity Score: 52
6. Whole Chicken
- State That Loves It The Most: Iowa
- Popularity Score: 51
7. Brisket
- State That Loves It The Most: Wyoming
- Popularity Score: 47
8. Chicken Breast
- State That Loves It The Most: Utah
- Popularity Score: 46
9. Chicken Wings
- State That Loves It The Most: Missouri
- Popularity Score: 45
10. Beef Short Ribs
- State That Loves It The Most: Nebraska
- Popularity Score: 45
11. Pork Ribs
- State That Loves It The Most: Nebraska
- Popularity Score: 44
12. Chuck Roast
- State That Loves It The Most: Iowa
- Popularity Score: 42
13. Meatloaf
- State That Loves It The Most: Iowa
- Popularity Score: 39
14. Pork Butt
- State That Loves It The Most: Iowa
- Popularity Score: 37
15. Pork Loin
- State That Loves It The Most: Iowa
- Popularity Score: 28
16. Tri Tip
- State That Loves It The Most: Idaho
- Popularity Score: 21
States that Love BBQ the Most
Sixty-two percent of the most popular BBQ meats (10 out of 16) were loved the most by states in the Midwest. Five BBQ meats (whole chicken, chuck roast, meatloaf, pork butt, and pork loin) were most popular in the state of Iowa.
Missouri is home to 2 of the most popular meats (whole turkey and chicken wings). There are 2 in Nebraska (beef short ribs and pork ribs). And Kansas has one of the most popular meats (turkey breast).
Two of the pork cuts (pork loin and pork butt) are most popular in Iowa. Iowa is the largest producer of pork in the United States, accounting for almost one-third of all US production.
These results may be surprising. With so many BBQ styles associated with southern regions, you would think that the southern states would dominate the list of BBQ loving states.
Popular BBQ Styles
The most popular BBQ Styles across America are discussed in the following video.
Though the southern states have long been associated with BBQ due to their iconic styles, data shows that people in the Midwest just love the BBQ meats.
This popularity could be attributed to notable chefs from cities like Chicago and Kansas City applying their own distinct twist on classic styles. Though its origin may lie in the south there is no doubting that this enduring tradition has become an increasingly popular part of Midwest culture.
And when it comes to the Midwestern states, Iowa is king. It has some of the best BBQ restaurants in the country.
Here are some of Iowa’s best bbq spots to add to your destination list:
The Bottom Line
Using search data and Google Trends we were able to determine the most popular BBQ meats and the states that love them the most.
Popularity scores for several BBQ meats were determined using Google Trends. Leg of lamb was found to be the most popular of all the meats.
Whole turkey and pork tenderloin were not far behind.
Everybody loves some good ole barbecue, especially the meat. But that love is different depending on where you live.
We found that people who live in the Midwestern United States love BBQ meats the most.
And the state of Iowa is just BBQ crazy!
For additional information about the different types of smokers used by BBQ enthusiasts across the country , check out our guide, What is the Best BBQ Smoker for You?
FAQs for the Most Popular BBQ Meats
What meats are best for BBQ?
Just about any kind of meat can be smoked. The beauty of smoking is that tougher (cheaper) cuts are excellent choices. Often these don’t turn out well when cooked by other methods.
For the tastiest meat, choose a cut that has a good amount of fat and collagen. As the meat cooks low and slow, the fat and collagen melt, leaving meat tender, juicy and full of natural flavor.
What is the easiest meat to BBQ?
For beginners, pork shoulder is the easiest meat to smoke and can provide delicious results with minimal effort. It has a high fat content that naturally bastes during smoking, keeping it flavorful and moist. It is easy to season pork shoulder in many different ways to create a range of tasty options.
