The kids are back to the books. The sun hangs a little lower at quitting time, and your favorite spot at the tailgate is calling your name.

But before the stores put out the Halloween candy and you break out the fixin’s for your famous chili, there is just enough summer for one last cookout.

Labor Day weekend comes out of the box with an entire extra day to make the most of the last of the season. Our BBQ classics are tried-and-true Labor Day recipes, and they are sure to please if you’re hosting—we’re talking ribs on the grill, smoked brisket, and BBQ pulled pork. Our top appetizers and sides travel well if you’re meeting friends at the lake.

If you’re looking to shake up the menu, skip down to our recipes for pork steaks, cheesy BBQ chicken pull-apart sliders, or our make-your-own Cowboy Hot Dog Bar—it all tops the list of our most popular BBQ recipes of the summer.

Our Best Labor Day Recipes: Summer BBQ Classics

How to Cook Ribs On a Grill From Start to Finish

What it is: A tutorial that holds your hand from selecting your perfect rack of ribs at the grocery store to slicing your finished masterpiece.
Why we love it: World Champion BBQer Doug Scheiding of Rogue Cookers breaks down the tips and tricks he has learned from his time in the competition-BBQ world and makes them accessible to the backyard BBQ cook. The result is a reliable way to smoke ribs on the grill that will have your friends and family vying for another bite.
Head Country BBQ sauce or seasoning used: Head Country Championship Seasoning in Original, Head Country Championship Seasoning in High Plains Heat, Head Country Bar-B-Q Sauce in Original, Head Country Bar-B-Q Sauce in Apple Habanero
FULL RECIPE: How to Cook Ribs On a Grill From Start to Finish

Texas-Style World Champion BBQ Brisket

What it is: A how-to that takes the intimidation out of smoking the king of Texas meats: the brisket.
Why we love it: Doug Scheiding is back with his trademark approach that makes the most of the science of BBQ and grilling while making it easy and fun to try at home. Brisket doesn’t have to be intimidating, and Doug proves it in this recipe and tutorial.
Head Country BBQ sauce or seasoning used: Head Country All-Purpose Marinade, Head Country Championship Seasoning in Original
FULL RECIPE: Texas-Style World Champion BBQ Brisket

Tri Tip

What it is: Tri Tip is the bottom sirloin on a steer where three muscles come together. Generally considered California or Santa Maria BBQ, this cut is best when it’s smoked to temp and then reverse seared, like a steak, to a juicy medium rare.
Why we love it: Tri tip is a big cut and beautifully marbled, making it a smoky, flavorful cut when cooked over fire. Try slicing it thinly, and don’t miss it piled high in a tri tip sandwich.
Head Country BBQ sauce or seasoning used: Head Country All-Purpose Marinade, Head Country Championship Seasoning in Original, Head Country Championship Seasoning in High Plains Heat
FULL RECIPE: Reverse-Seared Smoked Tri Tip

Smoked Pulled Pork

What it is: Perhaps the greatest of all crowd pleasers. Time and gentle heat breaks this big cut of meat down into tender shreds
of pure, juicy flavor, making it smoked pulled pork a low-and-slow BBQ classic.
Why we love it: Smoked pulled pork is the most forgiving of the BBQ classics, making it the perfect cut for a beginner (or a very busy) cook. A buffet piled high with this smoked pulled pork recipe is the perfect centerpiece for a backyard cookout, a Taco Tuesday spread, or a sandwich station with plenty of Texas toast, slider buns, and toppings galore.
Head Country BBQ sauce or seasoning used: Head Country Championship Seasonings in Original, Head Country Championship Seasonings in High Plains Heat
FULL RECIPE: How to make BBQ smoked pulled pork

Skewered Picanha

What it is: Picanha, a favorite at most Brazilian steak houses, is also known as top sirloin with the fat cap still attached. It’s also known as the Coulotte steak, without the fat cap—very lean, but flavorful. The name comes from a Picana, which is the pole used to herd cattle in Spain and Portugal.
Why we love it:This cut is tender, flavorful, a showstopper when served family-style on a wood cutting board, gorgeous on the dinner table, and in danger of disappearing if left unattended in the company of hungry guests.
Head Country BBQ sauce or seasoning used: Head Country All-Purpose Marinade, Head Country Championship Seasoning in Original
FULL RECIPE: Skewered Picanha

Beef Ribs Burnt Ends

What it is: A slab of humble beef ribs turned into delectable meat candy, complete with a crisp, sweet crust.
Why we love it:It’s not possible to have just one burnt end. They’re sumptuous mouthfuls of everything we all love the most about BBQ: the sweetness of BBQ sauce caramelized with smoke, fat, big meat flavor. Plus, these are a cinch to make.
Head Country BBQ sauce or seasoning used: Head Country Bar-B-Q Sauce in Hot & Spicy, Head Country Championship Seasoning in High Plains Heat
FULL RECIPE: Beef Rib Burnt Ends

The Best Cookout Food: Our Top Sides and Appetizers

Smoked Queso Blanco Dip

What it is: A Dutch oven’s worth of everything you thought queso could be: onion, chorizo, green chiles, fresh tomatoes—and smoke. This is the smoked queso blanco dip that became Internet famous in the thick of the 2020 pandemic, when all any of us wanted was to shelter in place with a Dutch oven of delicious cheese.
Why we love it:This queso mingles with fire and smoke in cast iron on the grill. What results is a creamy, spicy dip packed with flavor. This recipe makes enough to top burgers and nachos, or omelets if it’s breakfast time—and we aren’t afraid to admit that it’s an indulgent supper, paired with a stack of fresh, salty tortilla chips.
Head Country BBQ sauce or seasoning used: Head Country Championship Seasoning in High Plains Heat
FULL RECIPE: Smoked Queso Blanco Dip

Oven Roasted BBQ Potato Salad

What it is: The rich flavor of roasted potatoes changes the game in this classic BBQ side dish, where smooth and creamy meets crispy and salty.
Why we love it:The dressing gets a punching-up from the version you remember, with some added sweet-and-smoky from your favorite flavor of Head Country BBQ sauce. We love to pair this potato salad with pulled-pork sandwiches or classic backyard BBQ chicken.
Head Country BBQ sauce or seasoning used: Head Country Bar-B-Q Sauce in Original
FULL RECIPE: Oven Roasted BBQ Potato Salad

Easy Baked BBQ Beans

What it is: Pulling back the foil on a tray of fresh baked beans to sneak a sniff is one of life’s simple pleasures. This recipes pulls the big flavor and comforting aroma of BBQ sauce in on the fun.
Why we love it:These beans are no side show, in spite of how easy they are to make. We wouldn’t eat brisket or ribs without them, and we love how the leftovers taste with BBQ sandwiches and coleslaw or potato salad.
Head Country BBQ sauce or seasoning used: Head Country Bar-B-Q Sauce in Hickory Smoke
FULL RECIPE: Easy Baked BBQ Beans

Pimento Cheese Dip

What it is: You don’t have to be from the South to love this pimento cheese dip recipe—our take on the famous co-mingling of creamy cheeses and candy-red pimentos.
Why we love it:We added our Championship Seasoning to this regional classic to complement the cheesy creaminess of the dip and the subtle zing of the pimentos (you can use diced roasted red peppers, too). Opt for our High Plains Heat for an extra kick.
Head Country BBQ sauce or seasoning used: Head Country Championship Seasoning in Original
FULL RECIPE: Pimento Cheese Dip

Labor Day Weekend Cookout: More of Our Top Recipes

Sweet & Spicy Grilled Pork Chops

What it is: Want to make your ‘chops sing? Take ’em sweet and spicy. Our recipe for Sweet & Spicy Pork Chops is a quick and easy way to get it done.
Why we love it: This recipe walks through how to grill chops to perfection, with the added fanfare of a sweet sauce made from butter, our Sweet & Spicy Seasoning, brown sugar, honey, and the juice from a peach—a highlight of any summer.
Head Country BBQ sauce or seasoning used: Head Country Championship Seasoning in Sweet & Spicy
FULL RECIPE: Sweet & Spicy Grilled Pork Chops

St. Louis Pork Steaks

What it is: This recipe turns inexpensive pork steaks into a succulent dinner.
Why we love it:We added our Championship Seasoning to this regional classic to complement the cheesy creaminess of the dip and the subtle zing of the pimentos (you can use diced roasted red peppers, too). Opt for our High Plains Heat for an extra kick.
Head Country BBQ sauce or seasoning used: Head Country Bar-B-Q Sauce in Original, Head Country Championship Seasoning in Original
FULL RECIPE: St. Louis Pork Steaks

Cowboy Hot Dog Bar

What it is: You don’t have to be from the South to love this pimento cheese dip recipe—our take on the famous co-mingling of creamy cheeses and candy-red pimentos.
Why we love it:We added our Championship Seasoning to this regional classic to complement the cheesy creaminess of the dip and the subtle zing of the pimentos (you can use diced roasted red peppers, too). Opt for our High Plains Heat for an extra kick.
Head Country BBQ sauce or seasoning used: Your favorite Head Country Bar-B-Q Sauces and Seasonings
FULL RECIPE: Cowboy Hot Dog Bar

Cheesy BBQ Chicken Pull-Apart Sliders

What it is: You don’t have to be from the South to love this pimento cheese dip recipe—our take on the famous co-mingling of creamy cheeses and candy-red pimentos.
Why we love it:We added our Championship Seasoning to this regional classic to complement the cheesy creaminess of the dip and the subtle zing of the pimentos (you can use diced roasted red peppers, too). Opt for our High Plains Heat for an extra kick.
Head Country BBQ sauce or seasoning used: Head Country Bar-B-Q Sauce in Hot & Spicy, Head Country Championship Seasoning in High Plains Heat
FULL RECIPE: BBQ Chicken Pull-Apart Sliders