SaucyRossyBBQ KCBS Helper

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KCBS in Minnesota MN

149 tracked contests over 13.5 years, 1,073 teams on the scoresheets — the 15th busiest of 94 regions on file.

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At a glance

Contests

149
122 scored · 3 upcoming

This season

8
contests in 2026 · 169 teams competing

Teams competed

1,073
distinct teams on record

Typical field

36
teams · biggest 77

Avg winning score

693.81
Master · of 720 · best 710.27

Avg category score

164.62
across 16,347 meat entries

Perfect 180s

49 🔥
3 per 1,000 entries

Grand champions

119
titles handed out here

State championships

28 🏅
on the calendar

Towns

36
65 venues · 76 recurring contests

Seasons on record

14
2013 – 2026

Published purses

$311,900
across 49 contests that listed one

Cancelled

6
not counted as contests held

How Minnesota stacks up (against all 94 regions on file)

The bar is Minnesota's standing on that measure: a full bar is the region that leads it, an empty one is the region that trails it. Rate-based measures need a minimum body of results before a region is ranked at all, so a single hot weekend can't buy a place. The median is the middle region, not the average — one huge region would drag an average somewhere no region actually is.

Regions like this one

Matched on the shape of the scene — how many contests it runs, how deep the fields get, how the room scores and how often it hands out a 180 — not on the map. Counts are compared on a log scale, because 5 contests to 15 is a different scene while 300 to 310 is the same one.

Season by season

Click a column heading to re-sort. Winning score is the Master overall (of 720); a season with no scored Master contest leaves it blank.

SeasonContestsTeamsAvg fieldBiggest Avg winBest180sState titles
2026 8 169 31 77 696.92 700.00 4 3 events →
2025 8 156 31 58 698.70 701.67 4 5 events →
2024 10 151 31 58 698.38 699.98 3 4 events →
2023 10 169 31 59 695.21 698.23 1 3 events →
2022 11 158 29 59 691.76 695.39 — 3 events →
2021 8 155 28 60 695.05 697.15 — 3 events →
2020 3 67 34 45 695.06 700.57 — 3 events →
2019 4 102 41 50 694.25 697.69 1 4 events →
2018 10 180 44 70 694.88 703.41 5 — events →
2017 12 201 41 71 692.59 701.12 8 — events →
2016 15 261 39 71 692.84 710.27 8 — events →
2015 15 234 41 60 689.86 700.59 3 — events →
2014 13 206 42 67 694.39 703.42 7 — events →
2013 16 240 38 68 692.92 706.32 5 — events →

Contests per season (up to 2026)

When they cook (month of year)

Field depth over time (average teams per contest, and teams competing that season)

What it took to win (average Master winning score, and 180s scored)

How the room scores (every judged meat, against the sport as a whole)

A lower average means a harder room. “vs sport” is this region's average minus the same meat's average everywhere KCBS is scored.

MeatAvg herevs sportEntries180s180s /1k
Chicken 165.93 +0.77 4,332 17 3.9
Pork Ribs 164.18 +0.56 4,642 8 1.7
Pork 165.21 +0.91 3,708 7 1.9
Brisket 163.01 +0.79 3,665 17 4.6

Top teams who cook here (by power rating)

Power rankTeamRating
#1SHAKE 'N BAKE BBQ1988
#2CLARK CREW BBQ1967
#4SLAPS BBQ1948
#6DIRT ROAD BBQ1942
#8GETTIN' BASTED1929
#13THE AMERICAN DREAM BBQ1902
#20LAST CALL HEROES BBQ1874
#21JAESTAR BBQ1874
#22PORKY BUTTS BBQ1873
#24SHIGGIN & GRINNIN1872
#23HOT DADDY'S BBQ1872
#26SMOKIN HOGGZ BBQ - MA1868
#27LUCKY'S Q1868
#29TRUEBUD BBQ1862
#31PELLET ENVY1861

The regulars (most contests cooked in Minnesota)

TeamContestsGCsLast
SHIGGIN & GRINNIN707Aug 28, 2026
SPITFIRE663Aug 28, 2026
Hogline534Jul 15, 2022
LUCKY 19 SAUCE COMPANY522Aug 28, 2026
CITY SLICKERS BBQ482May 9, 2025
ACES HIGH BBQ461Jul 10, 2026
NECTAR OF THE HOGS421May 8, 2026
TRUE SMOKE BBQ38—Sep 13, 2019
HOT DADDY'S BBQ373Aug 28, 2026
MYASSIS SMOKIN37—Aug 24, 2018
CROIX VALLEY SAUCES37—Sep 18, 2020
RUB MY RACK363Aug 28, 2026

Highest scores in Minnesota (Master · /720)

ScoreTeamWhere
710.2744QUETOPIA Mankato Cookout Day 1 Jun 10, 2016
706.3200Pig Skin BBQ 6th Annual Big Island BBQ Aug 23, 2013
704.5372GRILLS GONE WILD IOWA 9th Annual Big Island BBQ Aug 26, 2016
703.4286GRILLS GONE WILD IOWA Treasure Island International BBQ Championship Jun 15, 2013
703.4172THE SMOKING HILLS Big Island BBQ Aug 22, 2014
703.4056IOWA'S SMOKEY D'S BBQ Mankato Cookout (Day 1) Jun 8, 2018
702.8340CLARK CREW BBQ Mankato Cookout (Day 2) Jun 9, 2018
702.3088Hogline Bend of the River CookOut Jun 27, 2014
701.7144SPITFIRE Treasure Island International BBQ Championship Jun 15, 2013
701.7028LUCKY'S Q Mankato Cookout Day 1 Jun 10, 2016

Most GCs in Minnesota

TeamGCs
SHIGGIN & GRINNIN7
LUCKY'S Q5
GRILLS GONE WILD IOWA4
Hogline4
Furlongs Smoke & Seafood4
SONS OF BUTCHERS3
TIPPYCANOE BBQ CREW3
SPITFIRE3
Son of a Boar BBQ3
Sensuous BBQ3

Contests that come back (recurring)

ContestEditionsBiggestLast held
KTD Smokin Gobbler Cook-off1340Jul 12, 2024
Smokin' in Steele1067May 30, 2025
Minnesota in May877May 8, 2026
Boomer Backyard BBQ Cookoff (BACKYARD ONLY)618Aug 15, 2026
KTD Smokn' Gobbler433Jul 10, 2026
Minnesota in May (Masters)460May 13, 2022
SMSU Smokefest446Aug 16, 2019
Certified BBQ Judging Class4—Apr 29, 2017
Sam's Club National BBQ Tour430Jul 22, 2016
Revenge of the Pit (BACKYARD ONLY) (Day 2)3—Jul 24, 2027
MN Masters BBQ327Aug 28, 2026
Bent Brewstillery BBQ (BACKYARD ONLY)330Sep 7, 2024

Where it happens (towns in Minnesota)

TownContestsSeasonsAvg fieldLast
Worthington201426Jul 10, 2026
Owatonna191243May 29, 2026
Mankato13638Jun 9, 2018
St. Peter9455May 8, 2026
Falcon Heights8468May 11, 2018
Cambridge7342May 13, 2022
Albert Lea7645Aug 22, 2021
Marshall7738Aug 16, 2019
Canton6617Aug 15, 2026
Roseville6424Sep 7, 2024
Brainerd4424Dec 1, 2023
Woodbury4430Jul 22, 2016

Reps who work Minnesota

RepContestsLast
Laurie Tweten32Jul 24, 2027
John Scharffbillig31Jul 24, 2027
Dave Rogers13May 8, 2026
Peg Rogers13May 8, 2026
Bunny Tuttle10Aug 22, 2024
Rich Tuttle10Aug 22, 2024
Tom Juhl9Aug 22, 2021
Cindy Juhl8Aug 22, 2021
Dena Milhous5Aug 21, 2021
Ron Milhous5Aug 21, 2021

State championships 🏅

ContestTeamsGrand champion
MN Masters BBQ Aug 28, 2026 22 RUB MY RACK
KTD Smokn' Gobbler Jul 10, 2026 33 Shiggin & Grinnn
Minnesota in May May 8, 2026 77 Burnt Trees BBQ
MN Masters BBQ Aug 22, 2025 26 Son of a Boar BBQ
KTD Smokn' Gobbler Jul 11, 2025 26 Home Farm BBQ
Smokin' in Steele May 30, 2025 28 Dry 2 Da Bone
Minnesota in May May 9, 2025 58 Ash Kickin' BBQ
Fire on Ice BBQ Championship Feb 21, 2025 42 Shiggin & Grinnin
MN Masters BBQ Aug 23, 2024 27 Son of a Boar BBQ
KTD Smokin Gobbler Cook-off Jul 12, 2024 34 Hot Daddy's BBQ

Coming up in Minnesota

DateContestTown
Jul 23, 2027 Revenge of the Pit (BACKYARD ONLY) (Day 1) Cannon Falls
Jul 23, 2027 Revenge of the Pit (ONE MEAT RIBS) Cannon Falls
Jul 24, 2027 Revenge of the Pit (BACKYARD ONLY) (Day 2) Cannon Falls

Where else these teams cook

Of the 914 teams with a recorded finish in Minnesota, this is where else they turn up — the honest picture of which scenes share a travelling field. Follow one to open it up.

RegionShared teamsShare of the field hereContests they cooked there
Iowa IA 288 32% 140 compare →
Wisconsin WI 282 31% 151 compare →
Kansas KS 214 23% 372 compare →
Missouri MO 201 22% 399 compare →
Tennessee TN 143 16% 120 compare →
South Dakota SD 143 16% 49 compare →
Illinois IL 133 15% 173 compare →
Nebraska NE 111 12% 64 compare →

On the map (every mapped contest in Minnesota — tap a pin)

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