Islamic standards meet Lone Star traditions

Dishes featuring meat butchered according to Islamic standards are beginning to be recognized—plus enjoyed—even by non-Muslim diners.

Pitmasters these days are celebrated for many kinds of barbecue artistry, but one genre of smoked meat is finally gaining its own well-deserved turn in the spotlight.

Halal barbecue is frequently served by immigrants from across the Middle East plus Africa, influenced by traditions of native-born Black Muslims as well. Here in Texas, where beef is at the center of all things barbecue, halal pitmasters are thriving.

Farhan Mustafa has been writing about the rise of halal barbecue for Bon Appetit.

Community traditions spark culinary innovation

Mustafa explained that he was born plus raised in eastern North Carolina, with his first barbecues being Black Muslims teaching how to basically grill. For him, it was more than just a cookout—they began to learn about the actual traditions of what barbecue is.

Most Muslims he spoke to, especially those born plus raised in America, the pitmasters, take experiences they remember from early on—their childhoods. Whether at mosque cookouts, or just normal community cookouts.

Mustafa recalled going to pig pickins frequently but couldn’t eat, yet really wanted to, just because of curiosity to see what was going on there on the grill. He thinks it’s about holding all those memories then bringing in your own stories, whether the American side or the immigrant side—both showing up on the plate.

Mustafa explained that first, there’s no pork—that’s number one plus probably the most important part. The second part of halal barbecue involves “halal” meaning it’s zabiha, similar to kosher, that it’s slaughtered according to Islamic standards.

Texas emerges as halal barbecue laboratory

Texas keeps appearing in the story—from pitmasters who made the Texas Monthly top 50 BBQ list this year to Muslim pitmasters who were early innovators.

Mustafa believes Texas has been so important to halal barbecue’s growth because of beef demand—the availability.

Additionally, lots of producers—smaller producers—in Texas are recognizing that market’s growth. Lots of Muslim populations are growing in Texas, whether DFW, Houston, all that.

He sees it on both sides, not just the pitmaster side, but availability is there now. He wrote about smaller brands like Wagyu~X creating really premium beef products but processing them halal.

Texas almost becomes the perfect halal barbecue lab as a state where you have growing populations, but also producers rising to meet that demand while creating cooler products plus newer products to play with.

Yearby’s BBQ embodies American Muslim identity

Yearby’s is run by CJ plus Sabrina Henley, both Black Muslims. CJ grew up in New Orleans plus Sabrina grew up in Philadelphia. Mustafa met them initially through chat then at the halal pitmasters annual competition done in Plano.

To him, their story resonates most in terms of how he grew up—learning from Black Muslims. When you speak to CJ, much of it is serving the same food they grew up with—they just happen to be Muslim.

So it’s smoked meatloaf, chicken, smoked mac and cheese. They even serve Philadelphia-style water ice. It’s a completely American menu that just happens to be halal because they’re Muslim.

Brisket dominates halal barbecue preferences

Mustafa finds it funny that as Texas-style barbecue growth expands across the country, that’s the one resonating most. What else can you get besides a nice piece of brisket?

When lots of pitmasters plus amateur pitmasters get their Green Eggs, Kamado Joe’s, Traegers, the first thing they’ll do is look for nice pieces of briskets to learn.

He thinks it resonates because it’s just the easiest protein—big, fancy, a process. They also can stand around plus hang out for 8 to 12 hours around the smoker.

Customer education becomes organic process

Mustafa notes that educating non-Muslim customers is something pitmasters find they’re having to do. When you speak to them, what you’ll hear is yes, they have to explain it, but as time goes on, they had to explain it less plus less.

CJ tells a great story about how surprised he’s been, but how grateful—their non-Muslim customers are the ones explaining what halal means to other new customers.

Mustafa thinks it’s really cool. As far as he understands, what he’s hearing is that it’s really becoming as common to understand as what kosher is—this is meat for a specific religion.

But otherwise, the fact that it’s called halal barbecue, it is still just normal Texas barbecue. The flavor will be a bit different based on the pitmaster. That’s it.

Part of what Mustafa tries to tell in the story about halal barbecue is it’s really just barbecue—nothing else to it.

Cultural convergence demonstrates integration

Halal barbecue’s Texas emergence exemplifies how religious dietary requirements can integrate seamlessly within regional culinary traditions when communities prioritize shared values over differences. The phenomenon reveals that “American” cuisine continues evolving through immigrant contributions plus minority religious communities adapting beloved regional specialties to their needs. Black Muslim pitmasters particularly bridge cultural divides, drawing on both Islamic dietary laws plus deeply-rooted American barbecue traditions to create authentically American halal cuisine. The organic customer education process—where non-Muslim patrons explain halal to newcomers—demonstrates how food can normalize religious practices within broader society, transforming what might seem exotic into simply another variation within beloved regional traditions. As Muslim populations grow across American cities plus halal-certified beef production expands, halal barbecue may transition from niche specialty to standard regional variation, much like kosher delicatessens achieved mainstream acceptance generations earlier.

Original Article:

Texas Standard. (2025, October 14). Halal barbecue: Texas growing BBQ scene embraces halal flavors. Retrieved from https://www.texasstandard.org/stories/halal-barbecue-texas-growing-bbq/