Aaron Franklin: Learn About the BBQ Pitmaster

Aaron Franklin is an award-winning barbecue pitmaster and restaurateur dedicated to perfecting and sharing central Texas–style barbecue. While his massively popular barbecue joint, Franklin Barbecue, has become an Austin, Texas, institution, Aaron’s journey to culinary stardom began with a ninety-nine dollar offset smoker and a terrible first brisket. “Somewhere along the cook, I was sitting in the backyard, watching the fire, and I thought, ‘I think this is what I want to do. I think I want to open up a barbecue place.’ And I never really lost that feeling.”

Aaron smoked dozens of briskets in his backyard, tweaking his techniques slightly each time and saving his money to invest in new equipment. In 2009, Aaron and his wife, Stacy, set up shop in a trailer. Franklin Barbecue routinely sold out of their wildly popular brisket, generating enough buzz for Aaron and Stacy to open a brick-and-mortar location in 2011.

Now well established in the Texas culinary scene for the meat that emerges from his storied barbecue pits, Aaron Franklin has won a James Beard Award for Best Chef: Southwest and got inducted into the American Royal Barbecue Hall of Fame in 2020. He is also the author of two books, Franklin Barbecue: A Meat-Smoking Manifesto and Franklin Steak.

After a few years operating out of a trailer, Franklin Barbecue opened the doors to its full-size restaurant in Austin, Texas, in the spring of 2011. Aaron’s post oak–smoked brisket quickly gained a reputation beyond central Texas as some of “the best BBQ in the country” (Bon Appétit, Summer 2011). In 2014, Texas Monthly named Franklin Barbecue one of “The 50 Best BBQ Joints in the World” (and the best barbecue joint in Texas).

The restaurant is famous for its near-constant line and its worth-the-wait ribs, pulled pork, and, of course, brisket. Aaron is just as passionate about making barbecue as he is about sharing his knowledge with others. If you can’t make it to his restaurant, you can learn how to smoke brisket with barbecue pitmaster Aaron Franklin.

In 2013, Franklin produced a web series in partnership with PBS called BBQ With Franklin. The popular series laid out many basics of grilling and smoking, from preparing the meat to how to select smoking woods. He reunited with PBS in 2015 for a series of the same name in which he traveled around the United States, exploring the techniques and history of barbecue.

Franklin’s two cookbooks delve deep into the detail-oriented world of backyard barbecue. Franklin Barbecue: A Meat-Smoking Manifesto, Aaron’s New York Times–bestselling first book, which he co-authored with Jordan Mackay, runs down the elements necessary for delicious, successful barbecue, including the meat, the smoker, the wood, and the patience it takes for everything to come together.

His 2019 release, Franklin Steak, also co-authored with Mackay, zeroes in on the characteristics and components necessary to cook a steak with optimal flavor and texture. Get Aaron Franklin’s tips for grilling a perfect steak.

Become a better chef with the MasterClass Annual Membership. Gain access to exclusive video lessons taught by the world’s best, including Aaron Franklin, Yotam Ottolenghi, Gabriela Cámara, Niki Nakayama, Chef Thomas Keller, Dominique Ansel, Gordon Ramsay, Alice Waters, and more.