Ended up getting a BGE in my arsenal and wanted to see what recipe's the board has tried to get some inspiration. I have previously done back back pork ribs and a brisket on a buddy's egg, and will get to these eventually, but want to try something less time consuming/new to me. Thinking of maybe spatchcock chicken, chicken halves/quarters, or a tri-tip. Any other suggestions?

size?

Smoked meatloaf
Cold smoked cheese, when the weather is cold enough

Large size

Tri tip and spatchcock chicken are good ideas that allow you to learn how to use the Egg without committing lots of time and money. If you like smoked chicken wings thats another idea.

Pork belly burnt ends are also a fun dish to cook up that people really seem to love.

You can smoke a chuck roast too in about half the time it takes for a brisket. That meat shredded up makes a great BBQ sandwich, french dip, or cheesesteak.

Appetizer items are fun too. Armadillo eggs, pork shots, moink balls, smoked queso, smoked cream cheese, smoked bean dip.

That's a good friend to let you cook on his egg. Ain't no one touching mine.

Look up BGE or Kamado Joe FB groups, good inspiration there.

When I bought mine, the dealer told me that the first thing I should cook is burgers and the first thing I should smoke is pulled pork, so that's what I did.

Chicken wings indeed, not really smoked, just grilled.
AC's jerk chicken is great on the Egg. I have several batches of pics in this thread over the years. Need to cook these later this week.

https://texags.com/forums/34/topics/616283

-HEB chicken quarters
-cheap rib roast (smoke for couple hours then wrap til temp)
-2-2-1 baby back ribs

Pizza
Shotgun shells
Meatloaf
Chocolate chip cookies
Lamb chops or a leg.
Pork belly burnt end
Smoke your own cured belly for homemade bacon

Picanha on my mini. Way closer to the heat so it's a better cook.

A good one that I am cooking now is a reverse seared tri tip with grilled sweet potatoes

I think the BGE's best use is for smoking and would try this before grilling. Easy things to start with: spatchcock chicken, chicken quarters (thigh/drum stick), bone-in chicken breast, sausage, small pork butt, boneless turkey breast (makes great sandwiches). Goal is to get used to Egg and temp management and work your way up to the king of BBQ---brisket. Have fun, take notes.

Although I love smoking beef or pork ribs or a brisket, this chicken dish I discovered a few months ago has quickly become one of our regular Sunday evening meals.

I have an upright chicken holder thing that I place in a cast iron skillet. Fill the skillet up with green beans, carrots, and potatoes. I then season the chicken however I feel like doing and put the whole thing on the egg. I fill the skillet up with chicken broth once I get it in place. Smoke at 275-300 for a few hours over the conveggtor, and you've got a very cheap, easy, and good meal.

If you want to try something different, smoke a corned beef brisket. I like to go a little heavy with cayenne on the rub (along with salt, garlic powder and black pepper)

Mister Cooper: I say Ya Done Good! BGE (Lg, all they sold years ago) since 2008, LOVE IT! If ya get on Outdoors first thing they will YELL at you about is that the BGE IS NOT A SMOKER! And gotta say, truly, it is not a true smoker, not to say you cannot impart smoke to your meats, just not gunna get a Franklin Style brisket out of a BGE. My go to control has been the Flame Boss with WiFi for my BGE, works GREAT!

So here is my ultra simple, never fail, incredibly good BBQ Chicken recipe. Buy the bone in, skin on Chicken Breasts at HEB, or wherever. Note: lately the breast are HUGE, but I digress. Get the cheapest Zesty Italian salad dressing in the largest bottle you can find. Put the breasts in a one gallon zip lock, add the dressing, let them marinade over night, or up to 72 hrs. Fire up the BGE to 350 for indirect cook, place breasts in BGE bone side down, cook to internal of 145. Totally juicy and delicious!!!

Good Grilling and BBQ'g to you!!!!

Add a packet of GrillMates Mesquite seasoning to that Italian dressing.

This sounds money

There is a reason I stayed away from the Outdoors thread LOL. Never thought about bone-in chicken breast, seems like I will have to give it a try

If you like salmon definitely do a hot smoked salmon.

Brine a few hours (or overnight, depends on which recipe you use), dry off and leave uncovered in fridge overnight (or a few hours - again pending who's recipe you use).

Smoke around 200 give or take until internal temp hits 145.

Fantastic and will keep for several days in the fridge to eat with bagles, eggs, salads, etc.

Mister Cooper: Since you seem an enthusiastic convert to the BGE, let me add a few tips from a long time user, Pleas Note: Your mileage, and other users of the BGE, mileage may vary.

1. As previously state, DO NOT GO ON OUTDOORS FORUM AND STATE THAT YOU ARE SMOKING ON A BGE OR THAT A BGE IS A SMOKER! Most will just vilify you, the fanatics will live long enough to pi$$ on your grave! And in truth, they are right, our favorite cooker is a VERY GOOD, SMOKY, OVEN, but NOT a smoker.

2. Recently there was a knock down drag out war over some dude nearly burning his house down doing some kind of, in my opinion and many other BGE owners, over the top high temperature cleaning of the BGE. His BGE was set on WOOD!!! DO NOT TRY THIS until you have more BGE experience, and when you do, DO NOT DO IT! There is NO reason a BGE needs this type of cleaning! I will leave it to you to go to Outdoors to find that post and all of the various answers, pro and con, to this silly attempt to CLEAN a BGE.

3. DO MOUNT YOUR BGE CAREFULLY! The temps it generates can be VERY HIGH! I have a BGE rollable table by J. George that is wood, my BGE sits on a 12X12X1 1/2" cement paver, do be VERY careful of any wood that the BGE touches. DO NOT EVER set a BGE base on wood.

4. GOOD PRACTICE: Do shut off all the air (oxygen) that can get in when cook is over, if not, you can easily experience extreme temps while unattended, also, shut off will prolong the use of your charcoal. You will be amazed how little charcoal you use, even doing a brisket for 9 - 12 hours!

5. BGE After Market Products: Check with myself or other owners here prior to purchase, some of these are great, some are just not worth it. I for one have replaced the upper Daisy Wheel upper controller, never understood why they came up with such a lame excuse for air control as this, but that is just me.

Again, have FUN with a very well constructed piece of BBQ equipment that should provide yourself and family with GREAT food for years!!!!

How is an egg not a smoker? You're literally cooking with smoke.

Bruce Almighty said:

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How is an egg not a smoker? You're literally cooking with smoke.

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Evidently he's the sensitive type. While the Outdoor board can be relentless on pellet smokers (easy bake ovens), I don't remember ever reading someone saying they aren't smokers. Half that board uses a BGE or one of the off shoots

DatTall: They are NOT considered SMOKERs cuz the do not burn stick fuel, or produce continuous smoke. They WILL NOT give you the Smoke Ring that a true stick burner will, but what the heck. I use a Flame Boss to control my temps, cook with good lump and add true wood chunks, that said, I get enough smoke for myself and family, none of them have ever sent the brisket or other back to the kitchen for more smoke.

What a SMOKER is, is a moving target, having eaten 'stuff' from pellet grills, I will say a pellet grill ain't it, just me, but DO NOT care for pellet grilled meat, and I can afford any grill I want. Also, I DO NOT want to sit out all day in the heat stoking oak, or mesquite branches into what is considered a true SMOKER, and then trying to no avail to control the temp.

So, let'em say what they want, Give Me a BGE, or Give me Death! (a little over the top, but so what).

I get smoke rings on my egg.

MY MISTAKE: Said cook chicken breast to 145 internal, not correct, correct temp is 165!

I got smoke rings on my egg (akorn knockoff) and my pellet smoker

Mister Cooper: Son, you done good, you did not say you wanted to smoke 5 or 6 chickens, WOW! That is some feed you are putting on, how many folks??? It looks GREAT, sure they will enjoy it!!!

Best suggestion for getting used to cooking on a kamado (I have KJ) - take anything you wanted to cook, and figure out how to do it on your egg. Anything your wife wants to put in the oven - take it outside.

LOTS of youtube inspiration out there.

Personally, pulled pork is one of the most forgiving things you can make.

I do wings, rotisserie chickens, steaks, veggies, redfish on the halfshell, pork butt, brisket, meatloaf, mac-n-cheese (in dutch oven), carnitas, pork tenderloin, pizza, cinnamon rolls, etc.....

One thing I do a bit differently than others on my KJ - I smoke almost everything at 275F. The kamado style cookers hold moisture in much differently than a stick burner, and at 275F, I never have to deal with a stall.

Wait, what? A BGE isn't a smoker? lol

Salmon

Beef jerky - I have double decker insert for this.

I used to do Pizza, but then I got an Ooni. I can get that up to 900+ F so I don't use the grill anymore.

Smoked a pork belly, then cross-hatched and fried the skin on top, it was pretty good.

A DigiQ or other thermometer makes it too easy.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07KKNYTTR/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Mister Cooper said:

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Thanks for the recommendations. Ended up smoking an assortment of chicken (bone in quarters, thighs, and wings). Great success!

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Outstanding. Simply seasoned and well cooked chicken quarters are one of the most under appreciated meats out there. Beef and pork have their well deserved regional followings, but everyone likes good smoked chicken. It used to be one of my specialties, but I've gotten away from it as I've chased other cuts. You've inspired me to fire up the stick burner (as soon as it's somewhere between hell and Africa hot outside) and cook a crap ton of bbq chicken for my friends and neighbors. Props!