Southern Thunder BBQ Cooking School
Hands-on BBQ and grilling classes taught by experienced pitmasters at our dedicated cooking school in Marietta, Georgia.
Teaching BBQ Since 2014 • Hands-On Instruction • Atlanta / Marietta
Following a recipe is one thing. Understanding what is happening inside your cooker — and knowing how to adjust when things don't go exactly as planned — is another.
At Southern Thunder, we combine classroom instruction, live demonstrations, and hands-on cooking. You'll learn the principles behind fire, heat, smoke, timing, and doneness — and then put them into practice.
Learn the principles and techniques before you start cooking.
Watch instructors demonstrate preparation and cooking techniques up close.
Put what you've learned into practice at the cookers.
Leave understanding not just what to do, but why you're doing it.
Instruction starts with understanding the principles, moves to demonstration, and then to the cookers.
Depending on the class, students prepare meat, work with grills and smokers, monitor temperatures, evaluate doneness, and see firsthand how the techniques they've learned affect the finished food.
Our goal isn't simply to produce great BBQ during class. It's to teach you how to produce great BBQ yourself.
Southern Thunder operates from a dedicated BBQ cooking school designed to support both instruction and hands-on cooking.
Comfortable seating and work surfaces give students a place to learn, follow the course materials, take notes, and ask questions before moving to the cookers.
Camera demonstrations displayed on a large screen let everyone clearly see preparation, trimming, seasoning, and other techniques.
Students work around a variety of grills and smokers and see how the same principles apply across different types of equipment.
Our step-by-step illustrated course materials support the instruction during class and provide a reference students can use when cooking at home.
What matters isn't simply what happens during class. We want you to leave understanding the techniques well enough to reproduce the results on your own cooker.
Not only did everything taste great, but it sure was fun from start to finish! I have a new hobby that I’ll enjoy for many years to come.
Class was great! I gained confidence and feel that my smoking results will be more consistent.
The hands-on application of trimming, injecting, and rubbing the different types of meats during the class helps your comfort level when you go home and try it on your own.
For more than a decade, Southern Thunder BBQ Cooking School has taught thousands of students from across the country how to cook better BBQ.
Our classes combine experienced instructors, proven teaching methods, hands-on cooking, and detailed materials designed to help students succeed at home.
12+ Years Teaching
Thousands of Students
Students From Across the Country
Award-Winning Pitmasters
4–5 Hours • BBQ Fundamentals
Build a solid foundation in BBQ while learning to cook brisket and ribs. Learn fire and temperature management, smoke, meat preparation, doneness, and the principles that make great BBQ repeatable.
Learn More10 Hours • Premium Hands-On Class
Our flagship all-day BBQ class. Prepare and cook brisket, ribs, pork, and poultry while learning the principles and techniques behind consistently great BBQ.
Learn More4 Hours • Grilling Fundamentals
Learn the fundamentals of grilling, including fire management, two-zone cooking, temperature control, and knowing when food is really done.
Learn More8 Hours
Learn how to prepare and cook a whole hog — and how to plan and conduct a successful whole-hog BBQ for a crowd.
Learn MorePractice competition BBQ under realistic conditions. Teams plan, organize, cook, and receive feedback designed to help them prepare for an actual BBQ competition.
Learn MoreKnow someone who loves to cook? A Southern Thunder gift certificate covers a seat in a hands-on class, and it never expires.
