If you fancy yourself somewhat of a grill master, then you know just how important the right kitchen tools and equipment can be. So, if you’re looking to level up your BBQ setup, a great cutting board for prepping your BBQ dishes is essential. We’ve rounded up some of the best BBQ cutting boards out there based on their overall design, durability, and price. So, read on to learn more.
What is a BBQ Cutting Board?
So, what makes a BBQ cutting board different from a standard cutting board? Do you really need a separate board for Barbequing? It depends. A BBQ cutting board isn’t much different from your typical kitchen cutting board; in most cases, you’ll find the difference to be in the size and material of the board.
Most would consider wood to be the only real choice for BBQ cutting boards. This is because wood is easier on knives, antimicrobial, and helps retain juices when resting and slicing meats. Additionally, materials such as plastic don’t hold up when exposed to heat, so if you’re carrying your marinated steaks out to the grill on your cutting board, you want the board to be able to withstand being near (not on!) the heat.
BBQ cutting boards also tend to be larger. This doesn’t always have to be the case; however, many people grill or smoke larger cuts of meat such as brisket, or BBQ large amounts of food at once – in both of these circumstances, you will benefit from a larger board for prep, slicing, and even serving.
BBQ Cutting Board VS Regular Cutting Board
All things considered, the differences between a BBQ cutting board and a regular cutting board are very few. The most significant differences come in the type of materials used and the size of the board that’s recommended for BBQ use.
BBQ cutting boards tend to be larger boards to allow for cutting and serving larger cuts of meat or large amounts of food – the smallest BBQ boards tend to be about 15 x 12 inches. In addition, BBQ cutting boards are often wood or bamboo, whereas regular cutting boards can be plastic, wood, glass, stone, etc.
BBQ cutting boards also tend to feature juice grooves as it helps collect the juice from cooked meats allowing you to save drippings for gravy, sauces or jus. Regular cutting boards may also feature juice grooves, but it’s not necessary.
| BBQ Cutting Boards | Regular Cutting Boards |
| Typically, wood or bamboo | Plastic, wood, bamboo, stone, etc. |
| Larger sizes (15 x 12 in or more) | Range of sizes from small (8 x 6) to XXXL. |
| Juice grooves | Juice grooves are an option, but not necessary—typically flat board. |
| Variety of other features – handles, non-slip feet, strainers, etc. |
Best Materials for a BBQ Cutting Board
It is widely believed that wood is the best material for a BBQ cutting board. This is for several reasons – heat, knife care, stability/durability, cleaning and care, to name a few.
Needs to Handle Heat
A good BBQ cutting board will be able to handle heat. This doesn’t mean being directly on the grill, but materials such as plastic may not respond well to being near high temperatures making it difficult to use your cutting board to transfer food to or from the grill.
Easy on Knives
A lot of barbeque revolves around meat, and meat requires proper butchering and slicing. This can be hard on your knives, especially when cutting on harder surfaces such as stone or glass. Wood is a soft, self-healing material that won’t damage or dull your knives, even when doing heavier kitchen prep.
Sturdy
Wood is a very sturdy and durable material. In many cases, you can buy a high-quality wood board once and have it last you a lifetime. Durability and stability are essential when working with heavier items such as meats (or a lot of items) or carrying your board to transfer food to or from the grill.
Bacteria
If you’re handling a lot of meat or other items that can harbor bacteria, the ease of cleaning and care is incredibly important. While a plastic board is easy to pop into the dishwasher to sanitize and clean, wood boards, especially high-quality ones, are self-healing and antimicrobial, making them an excellent choice for barbequing.
Other Options
While wood is generally considered the best choice for BBQ cutting boards, you can also opt for a good quality plastic board, but you will have to be more mindful of having it around heat, replacing it when it becomes damaged, etc. Also, stay away from stone, glass or other hard surfaces for BBQ cutting boards.
How to Clean and Care for a BBQ Cutting Board
No matter what type of BBQ cutting board you use, you must ensure that it’s been properly cleaned and maintained. Barbequing typically involves the use of meats and other ingredients that can cause illness when tools and equipment haven’t been properly maintained.
If you’re using a plastic cutting board, this means cleaning the board with hot, soapy water or running it through the dishwasher and allowing it to dry completely. Plastic boards don’t require regular maintenance, but they need to be replaced when the board has developed too many cuts, scores or other damage that can harbor bacteria.
The more popular BBQ cutting board material, wood, is also easy to clean but requires more maintenance. To clean, use a cloth to wipe down with warm soapy water. Never submerge your wood cutting board or put it through the dishwasher. Instead, dry the board with a cloth and then leave to air dry completely – ideally upright to allow proper airflow and drying on both sides of the board.
In terms of maintenance, your wood cutting board will need to be oiled (conditioned) regularly with a food-safe oil such as mineral oil or an oil blend (many cutting board companies will sell their own conditioning treatments). Condition your board according to the instructions that came with your board, but a good rule of thumb is to oil your board at least once a month to help maintain its finish and longevity.
What to Look for When Buying a BBQ Cutting Board
When you’re in the market for a new BBQ cutting board, you should look out for many of the same things that you would consider when buying a regular board but with particular attention to material and size. Here are some of the most important things to look for in a new BBQ cutting board:
Size matters
The bigger, the better when it comes to BBQ cutting boards. To accommodate large dinners or big cuts of meat, you should aim for a board at least 15 x 12 inches. However, if you regularly cook brisket, other hefty cuts of meat or serve up larger BBQ meals, you may want to consider a board that’s closer to 18 x 24 inches or more.
Smaller boards can be great for regular kitchen tasks such as crushing garlic, chopping vegetables, or preparing garnish but may be of little use for barbequing.
Juice grooves
If you’re someone that prides themselves on their melt-in-your-mouth ribs or fall-off-the-bone roasts, you should be looking for a BBQ cutting board that has juice grooves. While juice grooves are beneficial for catching juice from fruits or oils, they are also convenient when working with meats as the juice that collects in the grooves can be used to make gravy, jus, or other sauces.
Material
While plastic is a perfectly acceptable choice for a BBQ cutting board, a high-quality wood board is the gold standard for barbecuing. Wood boards are more durable, will last you a lifetime, are easier on your knives and are a great choice if you cook a lot of meat. You can read more about the benefits of wood for BBQ cutting boards in the sections above.
Quality
Whether you go with plastic or wood, quality is important. A high-quality plastic cutting board will be more difficult to damage, meaning you won’t have to replace it as frequently and tends to be sturdier, which is great when you’re working with heavy meat or transferring food to and from the barbeque.
A high-quality, end-grain wood cutting board is a once-in-a-lifetime purchase when properly maintained. In addition, these boards tend to be antimicrobial, self-healing, sturdy and easy on knives, making them a worthwhile investment if you’re serious about grilling.
Ease of use
Most cutting boards are inherently easy to use, but built-in handles are an important feature when buying a BBQ cutting board that will greatly improve its usability. In particular, if your board is wood, built-in handles can be a game-changer as they make the board much easier to carry and move around, which is important if you use your board to transfer food from the grill or serve to your guests.
Price range
How much you’re willing to spend on a cutting board is an integral part of narrowing down your options. Your budget will depend on many factors, but you should consider that you really do get what you pay for when it comes to cutting boards. A larger investment upfront typically gets you a high-quality board that will last you a lifetime. At the same time, more budget-friendly opens tend to need to be replaced frequently, especially with regular use.
The Best BBQ Cutting Boards
Now that you know what you should be looking for when buying a BBQ cutting board, let’s take a look at some of the best options out there right now:
Prodyne Prep & Slice Cutting Board
Best For: Food Prep
The Prodyne Prep & Slice Cutting board features a bottom tray with a cutting board lid that allows you to marinate and season your meat while prepping your produce all at the same time.
- Material: Polypropylene
- Price Range: $30 – 40
- Size: 18.5 x 13.25 x 2 in
- Warranty: 30 days free return
- Best Feature: Tray for seasoning and marinating food
In addition, the tray makes it easy to carry your marinated food out to the grill and keep other items separate using the cutting board lid: a great compact, easy-to-use BBQ cutting board for the occasional griller.
Pros
- Separate seasoning/marinating tray
- Cutting board lid keeps things separated
- Easy to carry
- Dishwasher safe
- Less mess
Cons
- Plastic
- Careful around high heat of a BBQ
- Needs to be replaced when damaged by knives
Bamboo Carving Board w/ Drip Groove
Best For: Carving Meat
This uniquely designed bamboo board is a durable and eco-friendly option for preparing and carving meats.
- Material: Bamboo
- Price Range: $10 – 20
- Size: 15 x 12 x 0.7in
- Warranty: 30 days free returns
- Best Feature: Caving grid
The unique pyramid ridge design at the center of the board holds meat in place with deep juice grooves connecting from the center to the outside edges of the board. The reversible design also makes it a great all-purpose board for any kitchen.
Pros
- Pyramid ridge design for holding meats.
- Deep grooves from center to outside edge
- Reversible
- Eco-friendly material
- Extra-large
- Easy on knives
- Durable, long-lasting
Cons
- Clean up can be tedious with ridging – especially for raw meats
- Not dishwasher safe
- Needs to be regularly treated with mineral oil
Greener Chef XXXL Bamboo Cutting Board
Best: Overall
The Greener Chef XXXL Bamboo Cutting Board is the ultimate BBQ cutting board. The XXXL size makes it a versatile addition to any kitchen – from carving up your perfect BBQ brisket to creating more counter space by using it over a gas range or stove.
- Material: Bamboo
- Price Range: $90 – 100
- Size: 30 x 20 x 0.75in
- Warranty: 1-year warranty
- Best Feature: Size
An easy pour juice groove makes it so you can quickly add drippings to your sauces or gravy.
Pros
- Reversible
- Easy pour juice groove
- Rounded ends for easy grip
- Easy on knives
- Long-lasting
- Durable
- Easy to clean
- Creates additional counter space when used over gas ranges or stovetops
- Eco-friendly
Cons
- Not dishwasher safe
- Requires regular conditioning
Madison Large Walnut Cutting Board w/ Stand
Best For: The Occasional Griller
The Madison Large Walnut Cutting Board w/ Stand is a great option for a BBQ cutting board that doubles as a serving platter. The reversible design allows you to go from prepping your BBQ feast to serving up a charcuterie or grazing platter with the flip of a board.
- Material: Walnut wood
- Price Range: $70 – 80
- Size: 17 x 12 x 1.1in
- Warranty: 30 days free returns
- Best Feature: Stand
The beautiful walnut is knife-friendly and durable making it a great choice for those that occasionally barbecue.
Pros
- Easy on knives
- Beautiful
- Reversible
- Doubles as a serving tray
- Serving/prep compartments
- Comes with a stand for easy storage and drying
- Juice grooves
Cons
- Require regular conditioning
- Not dishwasher safe
- Compartments can get in the way
AZRHOM Large Acacia Wood Cutting Board
Best: Multipurpose
The AZRHOM Larger Acacia Wood Cutting Board combined the best of both worlds with incredible functionality for entertaining and barbequing alike.
- Material: Acacia Wood
- Price Range: $40 – 50
- Size: 17 x 12 x 1.5in
- Warranty: 30 days free returns
- Best Feature: Storage compartments
This reversible board has one side designed for great BBQ prep with an easy poor juice groove, non-slip pads, and sturdy design, while the other side features three compartments perfect for serving up your BBQ feast and entertaining.
Pros
- Easy on knives
- Beautiful
- Reversible
- Doubles as a serving tray
- 3 Serving/prep compartments
- Easy pour juice groove
- Thick, sturdy design
- Built-in handles
Cons
- Require regular conditioning
- Not dishwasher safe
- Compartments can get in the way
Home Hero Large Wood Cutting Board w/ Handle
Best For: Entertaining
This Home Hero Large Wood Cutting Board is the perfect board for the grill master that loves to entertain. Prep and sliced BBQ feast on the side that features deep juice grooves and a large work surface.
- Material: Wood
- Price Range: $40 – 50
- Size: 17.7 x 3.94 x 13.3 in
- Warranty: 30 days free returns
- Best Feature: Reversible serving tray
Then can flip the board and create the perfect serving platter complete with a compartment perfect for serving up cut food, crackers and more. This beautiful board also comes with a cheese knife, sharpener and cleaning brush.
Pros
- Easy on knives
- Beautiful
- Reversible
- Doubles as a serving tray
- Deep juice grooves
- Comes with cheese knife, sharpener and cleaning brush
- Thick, butcher block style makes it great for cutting meat and heavy kitchen prep work
Cons
- Require regular conditioning
- Not dishwasher safe
- Compartments can get in the way
Rottogoon Collapsible Cutting Board with Colander
Best For: Camping/Small Spaces
If you’re short on space or spend a lot of time camping, this Rottogoon Collapsible Cutting Board with Colander is the ideal kitchen tool for all your grilling needs.
- Material: Silicone and Plastic
- Price Range: $15 – 25
- Size: 16.7 x 12.2 x 1.2 in, folded
- Warranty: 30 days free returns
- Best Feature: Collapsible multi-use design
This collapsible cutting board can be used as a colander to wash produce or drain pasta, can be used to store your produce when you’re not cooking, and lays flat for chopping and slicing your delicious BBQ meal.
Pros
- All-in-one design
- Space-saving
- Dishwasher safe
- Hanging design
Cons
- Plastic
- Careful around high heat of a BBQ
- Needs to be replaced when damaged by knives
Villa Acacia Wood Carving Board for Meat
Best For: Brisket
If you’re looking for a BBQ cutting board that can handle large cuts of meat like your famous brisket, the Villa Acacia Wood Carving Board is it!
- Material: Acacia Wood
- Price Range: $75 – 85
- Size: 24 x 18 x 1.25 in
- Warranty: 30 day free returns
- Best Feature: Drip well
This board’s extra-large design allows it to fit most cuts of meat and features a unique pattern of juice grooves to collect drippings and protect your counters from mess. In addition, the reversible design means you can go from slicing your brisket to chopping vegetables quickly and easily.
Pros
- Deep juice grooves
- Easy to clean
- Reversible
- Beautiful
- Extra-large
- Easy on knives
Cons
- Needs regular conditioning
- Not dishwasher safe
Empune Bamboo Cutting Board Set of 3
Best: Budget Option
If you’re looking for BBQ cutting boards for all your needs, from prepping protein to slicing vegetables for grilling, you can’t go wrong with a set like the Empune Bamboo Cutting Board Set.
- Material: Bamboo
- Price Range: $30 – 40
- Size: 15.8 x 11 x 1.8 in
- Warranty: 30 day free returns
- Best Feature: Dipping compartment
Great for those on a budget, you get three sizes to suit any kitchen need, deep juice grooves, handles for easy mobility, and a dipping compartment for serving up a BBQ grazing platter to impress your guests.
Pros
- Dipping compartment
- Non-slip pads
- Eco-friendly
- Easy on knives
- Three sizes
- Built-in handles
- Can use a different board for designated things like meat, produce, serving.
- Deep juice grooves
Cons
- Required regular conditioning
- Not dishwasher safe
- Large size may not be big enough for larger cuts of meat
Final Words
If you’re looking to create the perfect barbeque experience from marinating to serving, having the perfect BBQ cutting board is a necessity. In my opinion, the best overall choice to consider is the Greener Chef XXXL Bamboo Cutting Board, but we’ve provided you with everything you need to know to choose the perfect board for you