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The American Barbecue Showdown - Episode Guide

Season 1

Barbecue in the Blood

Episode: 1x01 | Airdate: Sep 18, 2020 (44 min)

Barbecue in the Blood

The competition kicks off with a smokin' staple: the barbecue combo plate. That's two mouthwatering meats and two succulent sides.


 

Red, White and Barbecue

Episode: 1x02 | Airdate: Sep 18, 2020 (41 min)

Red, White and Barbecue

The competitors make a feast for 50 first responders in a Fourth of July throwdown. Tri-tip, pork chops, cheeseburgers and more are on the menu.


 

Don't Need Teeth to Eat This Beef

Episode: 1x03 | Airdate: Sep 18, 2020 (44 min)

Don't Need Teeth to Eat This Beef

Time to celebrate the greatest invention in the history of food: ribs! The cooks tackle pork and beef ribs — one with a dry rub, one with a wet sauce.


 

Tournament of Sandwiches

Episode: 1x04 | Airdate: Sep 18, 2020 (43 min)

Tournament of Sandwiches

The smokers serve up a trio of sandwiches: savory chicken with crunchy slaw, tender and tangy pork, and five-layer stacks of beef and sausage.


 

Raccoon, Iguana and Hare — Oh My!

Episode: 1x05 | Airdate: Sep 18, 2020 (41 min)

Raccoon, Iguana and Hare — Oh My!

The pitmasters sink their teeth into some wild meats, delivering dishes like lizard stew, beaver tail crackling and pulled alligator.


 

Cooking It Old School

Episode: 1x06 | Airdate: Sep 18, 2020 (43 min)

Cooking It Old School

Working in pairs, the barbecuers prepare popular proteins from the past, cooking mutton, goat and whole salmon on wooden platforms and over open pits.


 

Barbecue Around the World

Episode: 1x07 | Airdate: Sep 18, 2020 (42 min)

Barbecue Around the World

Ingredients and equipment from Morocco, Argentina and Japan spice things up and force the contestants to cook outside their comfort zones.


 

The. Whole. Hog.

Episode: 1x08 | Airdate: Sep 18, 2020 (44 min)

The. Whole. Hog.

The final two tackle their biggest challenge yet: building their own pits and cooking a whole hog and brisket. It's gonna be a long night!

Season 2

The Fire Within

Episode: 2x01 | Airdate: May 26, 2023 (44 min)

The Fire Within

The contestants craft signature barbecue plates to show what they can make over an open flame, including one dish cooked al fresco in the all-new Trench.

Saucy and Spicy

Episode: 2x02 | Airdate: May 26, 2023 (42 min)

Saucy and Spicy

Things get spicy when the judges ask the cooks to take their pick from a pantry packed with peppers that range from friendly to face-melting.

Land, Sea & Fire

Episode: 2x03 | Airdate: May 26, 2023 (42 min)

Land, Sea & Fire

The pitmasters dig deep in the Trench to make a mouthwatering surf and turf menu, cooking their proteins both above and below ground.

Breakfast Showdown

Episode: 2x04 | Airdate: May 26, 2023 (42 min)

Breakfast Showdown

After a dramatic campfire breakfast cook-off, the competitors roll through a new challenge: barbecuing a stuffed roast with a delicious surprise inside.

BBQ Trash or Treasure?

Episode: 2x05 | Airdate: May 26, 2023 (45 min)

BBQ Trash or Treasure?

The four fire tamers still in the game get creative to cook perfectly pulled meat and sides using an array of rickety, makeshift smoker rigs.

A Festive Feast

Episode: 2x06 | Airdate: May 26, 2023 (41 min)

A Festive Feast

The competition gets personal as the barbecuers race to make family-style holiday feasts inspired by their own most delicious traditions.

Don't Bring a Skewer, To A Swordfight

Episode: 2x07 | Airdate: May 26, 2023 (40 min)

Don't Bring a Skewer, To A Swordfight

Semifinalists tackle a new test in close quarters, sharing one dome to suspend their dishes over open fire as they attempt Brazilian-style churrasco.

The Piggy Bank

Episode: 2x08 | Airdate: May 26, 2023 (42 min)

The Piggy Bank

The last two pitmasters standing go whole hog in this fiery finale, serving snout-to-tail spreads to determine who will go home a barbecue champion.

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