Kids BBQ Championship: Top Moments from the Competition

Relive the ups and downs of this pintsize barbecue competition, and find out which kids were outgrilled and which ones grilled their best for a chance to win $20,000.

Finale: Pitmaster Kids

We're going to run a real-deal barbecue pitmaster event," Eddie announces to finalists Carter, Paris and Tyler. "Just like a real barbecue event, each meat will be served in a different round," Camila explains. The best part is that the kids won't be timed; however, their chicken, ribs and brisket dishes will be due at specific times throughout the day. At stake: $20,000 and the title of Kids BBQ Champion.

Juiced Up for Redemption

"I'm going to cook this chicken again now to prove to [the judges] that I can do it right," says Carter, remaking his apple juice chicken. Last time the judges found it lacked flavor, so this time he's adding salt to the juice before injecting it into the breasts. After tasting it, Eddie thinks Carter did redeem himself, but guest judge Graham Elliot feels it's "as delicate as you can get with calling it barbecue."

Bittersweet Win

Paris ends up winning Round 1 with her barbecue chicken breast and wings. "I want to keep eating the wings," says Camila, and the judges agree the breasts weren't even needed. Paris decides to use the same dry rub she used on the chicken for her baby back ribs in Round 2, but with a sweeter sauce. Graham worries, "I don't want to be eating a big thing of rib dessert," and he and Eddie warn her not to make it too sweet.

Finding the Right Rib Balance

"My idea for the ribs today is to have just enough sauce so it'll give a nice glaze," explains Carter of his St. Louis cut, serving extra sauce on the side for an elegant presentation. The judges find Paris' ribs a bit overcooked and Tyler's slightly sweet, but Carter's impressive. "It's like night and day," says Graham, comparing it with the chicken Tyler cooked earlier. "He cooked this to perfection," says Camila. Carter takes Round 2.

Risking It on Brisket

"I've never used a smoker," worries Tyler as he goes into Round 3 to prepare his brisket. "And I'm a little bit panicked that it won't be good." On top of that, the judges surprise the kids with a side-dish twist. "I'm expecting something fresh from you," Eddie tells him, and that's exactly what Tyler plans to make by grilling watermelon. Eddie asks him if he thinks the dish is worth $20,000, and Tyler answers confidently.

Breaking the Three-Way Tie

"This is a pretty near-perfect side dish," says Graham of Tyler's grilled watermelon. But the judges are disappointed with Paris' and Carter's side dishes. The win in this round goes to Tyler, which means each kid has won a round. "It's going to come down to who has the best brisket," says Eddie as the judges prepare for tasting the kids' final offerings. "My confidence level is, like, 20,000 percent," says Paris.

Naming the Kids BBQ Champion

"It's just another plate of ribs," says Graham of Paris' brisket, which is covered in the same sweet barbecue sauce as the ribs she made in Round 2. "You got the fresh herbs," says Camila after tasting Tyler's flavorful jus, but Graham thinks the meat could have cooked longer. Upon tasting Carter's, Camila and Graham find their pieces too fatty. In the end the judges decide Tyler takes the last round, and he wins the champion title and $20,000.

Episode 5: Hearty, Meaty Cowboy Cuisine

"I really want to make it to the finale," says Josie after finding out the winner of the first challenge will gain 10 minutes of help from a judge in the elimination challenge. Tasked with making a hearty breakfast for a cowboy, Josie makes pork chops with stewed apples and scrambled eggs. "This girl wants to feed some cowboys," says Kent, finding her offering the heartiest among the kids'. She wins the round.

Mismanaged Advantage

"I love to cook steak," Josie exclaims when the judges reveal the elimination challenge. But for a side, the kids have to cook chili, which she isn't keen on. She chooses Eddie for her advantage so he can help her with the chili. But when the judges reveal a twist — that the kids must also cook cornbread — she ends up using him to make that instead. "She did not use me wisely," Eddie tells his fellow judges, who find her chili too tomato-y.

Changing Up the Chili

"I think my white chicken chili is definitely outside of the box," says Carter, who prefers it to the classic red chili. He worries that it might be too soupy, so he keeps cooking it, but it comes out too thick. Despite that, the judges love it: "You do things that nobody else thinks of," says Eddie about Carter's chili. And Tyler gets rave reviews for his chili topped with corn chips. Both he and Carter earn spots in the finale.

Masking the True Steak Flavor

Paris decides to inject her steaks with balsamic vinegar and rub them with chipotle powder. The judges appreciate her beautiful sear, but Kent feels the flavor of the steak is hidden by the vinegar. Unfortunately, Paris ends up in the bottom two along with Josie, whose coffee-rubbed steak was too charred, nearly burnt. Josie is sent home, and Paris gets the last spot in the finale.

Episode 4: Putting All Her Eggs in One Basket

"My eggs aren't boiling," says Josie, freaking out because she thinks she won't be able to pull off her andouille-stuffed deviled eggs. Eddie asks her about a plan B. "I wasn't planning on it," she says, and with just eight minutes left, she doesn't even have enough time to think of one. Luckily, the eggs cook enough for her to assemble the dish. "I'm just glad this isn't an elimination challenge," she says.

Rocking the Remoulade

"Last week I was in the bottom two, so that means this week I really need to step up my game," says Tyler, who's making shrimp po' boys for the State Fair Food on the Go challenge. Eddie warns him that he's had some great po' boys in Louisiana. "This will be one of them that you remember," Tyler tells him. "This is a very fresh, light version," Camila says. And guest judge Adrian Davila loves Tyler's remoulade sauce. Eddie isn't let down.

Whipping It Into Shape

Tyler wins the first challenge, gaining an advantage in the elimination challenge, Blue Ribbon Desserts. He can pick from among a hand mixer, a rolling pin and a dough blender. At first Tyler reaches for the rolling pin, but then he takes the mixer so that no one else can use it. "There's a strategy behind it," he says, realizing that most might want to whip cream. But his competitors are pretty resourceful, all using their blenders to make whipped cream.

Apple of the Judges' Eyes

"I have a giant sweet tooth," says Carter, who's been eagerly waiting for a sweets challenge, as he loves baking. He decides to halve apples, core them and fill each half with a crumbly, nutty crisp. "It's very impressive how you cooked everything on the grill," Camila tells him. And Eddie calls his presentation "gorgeous." Carter and Tyler make the top two, but Carter wins the challenge.

Mature Beyond His Years?

"I'm making pina colada upside-down cakes," Ty tells the judges. "You're too young to know about pina coladas," Eddie exclaims. Ty has a pretty smart technique for making them in a cupcake pan, but worries because he's never made them on the grill before. But he says it will be "better than Paris' dump cake." Paris' retort: "Focus on yourself." However, he burns the cakes, and Paris has a messy presentation. Both end up in the bottom two, but Ty is sent home.

Episode 3: The Early Bird Misses the Mark

"Man, I have too much time," says Jacob, who's making Hawaiian relish for his pork chops in the luau-themed challenge. His strategy is to get everything ready early so he's not rushing in the end. Even after Eddie springs a seafood twist on the kids, Jacob is still grooving, unfortunately to his detriment. "That is barbecue charcoal," guest judge Danielle Bennett says of his pork, and Jacob ends up in the bottom two.

Starstruck, Then Striking Gold

"I'm kind of in a rush to cook the side dish, and Diva Q walks over into my station," says Josie, freaking out that her BBQ idol, Danielle, is inspecting her cooking. Once Danielle leaves, Josie has trouble concentrating and cuts herself. But everything pays off when Danielle calls Josie's coleslaw an "all-star, knock-it-out-of-the-park winner." Josie makes the top two.

Sliding Into a Predicament

Danielle walks over to Tyler to inquire about his pork sliders. "I usually just do it, like, until they look cooked," he says. But she reminds him that checking the temperature is really important. Unfortunately, when it's time to taste the slider, Camila says, "It's not cooked all the way." Unable to eat them, the judges place Tyler in the bottom two with Jacob, but Jacob is sent home.

Presented with a Premonition

"I'm going to blow the judges' socks off," says Paris. "I dreamed about it." She presents her Hawaiian-inspired beef tacos and spicy shrimp to them, and she doesn't shy away from packing a lot of food onto the plates. The judges are all very impressed with her presentation and flavors. She and Josie make the top two, and Paris is awarded the win.

Episode 2: Pairing Peanut Butter and Bacon

"This is just something that I actually started off doing when I was young," says Jacob about topping his hot dogs for the first challenge with peanut butter. "You're still young," Eddie corrects him. "I'm pretty sure I've got this," he says after adding bacon to his dogs. But guest judge Kardea Brown finds the texture of his dog too chewy because of the peanut butter and cabbage.

Playing the Game Like a Pro

"I'm elevating my hot dog," says Carter, deciding to top his with guacamole. "A what?" asks Eddie when Carter presents it as a "guacadog." "That is an elevated hot dog," Eddie agrees. Carter wins the challenge and an advantage to choose his protein in the Elimination Challenge. "It is a competition," he says, before choosing beef to make his burger, which means no one else can use it. "No!" shout the kids in unison.

Going Downhill Fast

"Cheeseburgers are my thing," says Sydney, but not being able to use beef, she chooses ground turkey, an ingredient she hasn't used to make burgers before. "Time is really getting the best of me," she says, realizing she's behind in making her two required side dishes. The judges find her turkey overcooked. "When things go downhill, it's hard for her," Eddie tells his fellow judges.

An Unsuspecting Nemesis

"The wind is hating us today," says Carter, who has his guacamole-stuffed burgers and corn on the grill. "I'm just freaking out," he says, not realizing soon enough that the wind has blown out his flame. He has no choice but to plate. Camila finds his burger underdone, but his sides are good enough to keep him in the competition. "I think this is a step back," Eddie says of his fall from first place.

When Things Are Too Expected

"I'm seeing a consistent theme," Camila points out to Tyler about his herbed potatoes and herbed corn on the cob. She says she hopes next time he won't be so repetitive, even though it's his signature style. The judges love his burger, though, and Tyler ends up in the top two with Josie. "I think this is the best burger I've had so far," Eddie says of Josie's lamb-and-feta burger. She ends up winning the challenge.

Letting It Ride Really Long

"You let it ride, and you let it ride without seasoning," Kardea says of Jacob's side dishes. Despite the judges liking his pimento cheese-stuffed burger, Jacob ends up in the bottom along with Sydney. "I've been on the bottom twice now," Jacob says, worried his name might get called any moment. But in the end the judges send home Sydney for her overcooked turkey burger.

Episode 1: A Signature Challenge for a Budding Bunch

Camila and Eddie welcome the eight best young grillers and barbecuers to Kids BBQ Championship. "Show us your distinct flavor in a rub, marinade or sauce," Eddie tells them of the first Elimination Challenge, which includes butchering a chicken. "What's neat about kids cooking is that they take creativity to a whole different level than adults do," says Camila, excited to see what the kids create.

A Cut Above the Rest

"She may be the killer assassin," Camila says, watching Sydney cooking quietly and confidently. But when guest judge Tim Love comes over to see what Sydney's up to, she gets nervous and cuts her finger. "I felt like I embarrassed myself in front of Tim," she says, but after getting bandaged up she's back to competing shape, and Tim's right there to dry her tears.

Untimely Management

"I'm trying to experiment," LJ tells Tim of his side-dish twist, which in this case is an orange spread with peanut butter. "If you're going to go for it, why not go for it," Tim says. But later Eddie sees that LJ is plating way too early, spending time he could use to perfect his chicken and side dish. "I just can't pay attention to details," LJ says. "I don't have time for that."

Going for a Long Ride

"I just let them ride," Jacob tells Tim of putting the green beans on the grill without any oil, salt or pepper. Tim finds it hilarious, but when it comes to judging time, he sees the beans are way past charred — "pretty carcinogenic," as Tim calls them. "I guess I let my green beans ride just a little too long," Jacob jokes, "past their destination." He ends up in the bottom.

Amping Up the Fresh Flavor

"I like to use fresh ingredients and fresh herbs," says Tyler of his direction for the challenge. Despite what Camila calls a sloppy presentation, the judges love Tyler's fresh-herb-rubbed chicken and his mac and cheese. He and Carter make the top two, but the judges award Tyler the first win. "I didn't know there was going to be winners," Tyler says, barely reacting to the news.

A Raw Deal

"Look at that chicken," Eddie says, showing LJ his chicken is still raw. LJ claims he was rushed, but Eddie calls him out for plating too soon. When it comes to LJ's side dish, the judges don't care for it, but LJ says he thought it was really good. "If barbecue don't work out for you, you can sell used cars," Eddie tells him. In the end LJ joins Jacob in the bottom two, but LJ gets sent home.

More Kids BBQ Championship

Go behind the scenes of the show with a tour of the outdoor set, meet the kid competitors, and get to know the hosts and judges, Camila Alves and Eddie Jackson.

Kids BBQ Championship