BBQ culture is evolving fast, and according to the 2026 BBQ Trends Report from PS Seasoning, half of backyard cooks are firing up BBQ flavors multiple times a week, and more than 80% do so at least monthly.
This isn’t a summer hobby anymore. It’s a year-round culinary lifestyle.
The report surveyed nearly 200 avid BBQ enthusiasts and backyard pitmasters nationwide and identified five big trends reshaping how Americans cook outdoors.
When I read through the findings, I realized I already have recipes on Girls Can Grill that hit every single one of them. Here’s how to cook on trend this summer.
Santa Maria Style Tri Tip
(Christie Vanover / Girls Can Grill)1. Value Cuts Are the Move
The PS Seasoning report found that pitmasters are increasingly turning to alternative cuts like tri-tip, pork shoulder steaks and smoked chuck roasts to get premium BBQ results without the premium price tag.
Tri-tip is the perfect example. It’s a leaner, more affordable cut that delivers big, beefy flavor when cooked over live fire in classic Santa Maria style with red oak, simple seasoning and a seared crust.
If you haven’t made tri-tip your summer steak, this is the year.
Nashville hot meets hot honey.
(Christie Vanover / Girls Can Grill)2. Sweet Heat Is Everywhere
The report called sweet-heat combinations the defining flavor movement of 2026, dubbing it “Swicy & Heat 2.0.”
Hot honey ranked among the most requested emerging flavor profiles in the survey.
Nashville Hot Honey Chicken hits this trend dead center. It’s spicy, sticky, sweet, and completely craveable.
Stacked on a biscuit, it’s the kind of dish that stops people mid-bite. This one was ahead of its time when I developed it. Now the data caught up.
Korean-Inspired Beef Lettuce Wraps
(Christie Vanover / Girls Can Grill)3. Global Flavors on Familiar Proteins
The survey found growing interest in globally inspired flavors being blended into familiar American cooking styles rather than replacing them.
Korean-inspired flavors specifically ranked among the top influences in the report. Beef lettuce wraps bring that Korean BBQ energy with savory, garlicky, slightly sweet grilled beef into a format that’s easy to serve at any backyard cookout.
Fresh, fast and packed with flavor, this is the kind of recipe that introduces people to global technique without any intimidation factor.
Hawaiian Grilled Pineapple Coleslaw
(Christie Vanover / Girls Can Grill)4. Pineapple and Fruit Flavors Are Having a Moment
Cherry, pineapple and hot honey ranked as the top emerging flavor profiles in the 2026 survey.
Grilling pineapple caramelizes its natural sugars and adds a light smokiness that transforms a basic slaw into something memorable.
Serve Hawaiian grilled pineapple coleslaw alongside your ribs, your chicken, your tri-tip, and it bridges the sweet-savory gap perfectly. It hits the fruit-forward flavor trend without feeling gimmicky.
Big Red and Chipotle Beef Jerky
(Christie Vanover / Girls Can Grill)
PS Seasoning named “Newstalgia” one of 2026’s most powerful flavor forces. It defined this category as comfort flavors reimagined through modern technique.
Think root beer BBQ sauce, cinnamon sugar rubs, and childhood favorites showing up in unexpected places on the smoker.
Big Red Beef Jerky is my version of that. Big Red soda is pure nostalgia for anyone who grew up in Texas or the South, and using it as a jerky marinade is exactly the kind of move that makes people say “wait, what?” and then immediately ask for the recipe.
BBQ in 2026 isn’t just about firing up the same burgers every weekend. It’s about layering flavors, trying new techniques and having fun with what goes on the grill. These five recipes will get you there.
Dining and Cooking