Are you looking for a mouthwatering Smoked Beef Short Ribs recipe? Make these succulent, bone-in, meaty short ribs smoked on a pellet grill to achieve the perfect tenderness and rich flavor with every bite.
Craving tender, smoky barbecue ribs?
Our smoked short ribs recipe delivers incredible beef ribs that are mouthwateringly moist and packed with rich smoke flavor, one of our favorite beef recipes.
Short ribs have the perfect meat-to-fat ratio that turns out incredibly juicy with this low-and-slow smoking recipe. We use our favorite barbecue rub to create a deep crust on the ribs. Then, we give step-by-step instructions to monitor temperature and smoke levels so your short ribs develop that quintessential pink smoke ring while smoking to fall off-the-bone doneness.
Table of Contents
In this recipe:
The Cut: what are English Style Short ribs?
English-style short ribs are thick meaty short ribs cut with the bone running through the length of the meat. They are often 2 to 4 inches long with a one-inch thick portion of beef on top. Imagine types of pork ribs, but even meatier. Because the big short ribs we use are cut from the plate area of the ribs, just like our dino ribs, they have a lot of fat and are perfect for slow cooking methods like with our slow cooker short ribs recipe, braised in a Dutch oven, or even sous vide beef ribs.
We love smoking English cut short ribs because they are big and meaty, just like smoked beef ribs. They take well to the smoke flavor. The long cooking time lets the tough connective tissue break down to get tender, unlike flanken-style beef ribs that we grill hot and fast for a good char.
You can find short ribs at most grocery stores all year long in the meat department, but they are often chuck short ribs, which work great in this recipe. When buying beef short ribs, look for ribs that are evenly sized in length and thickness so that your cooking time will be even with the bone-in. You want to see good marbling throughout the meat and a thick, pillow-shaped portion of beef on top of the bones from edge to edge.
Ingredients
When it comes to smoking beef, we find keeping the ingredients list simple gives the best results.
- Bone in Beef Short Ribs – we love the thick, meaty short plate ribs. We buy ours from Porter Road, one of our favorite places to order meat online. However, most markets have beef chuck short ribs in stock at all times. Both pack a big beefy flavor great for low-and-slow cooking like this recipe.
- GirlsCanGrill Brisket Rub – or an SPG blend (salt, pepper, and garlic powder) for a traditional Texas flavor or your favorite bold barbecue spice blend.
- Kosher Salt
- Black Pepper
- Vinegar mop, beer, or water for the mop.
How to smoke short ribs
- Start by prepping your short ribs. Remove them from the package and pat them dry. If there is a membrane on the back of the ribs, remove it by gently sliding a butter knife under it and pulling up. Using a paper towel, grip the thin silver skin and peel it off. Then, give the surface of the meat a heavy coating of spices, salt, and pepper on all sides. Let them sit at room temperature for 45 minutes while you preheat the grill so they come to room temperature.
- Prep your Traeger smoker or pellet grill for 225 degrees F. Check that the auger is filled with pellets, and consider adding a chunk or two of hickory wood to the hottest corners of your pellet grill for added smoky flavor.
- When the grill is preheated, add the beef short ribs to the grill grate and close the lid. Let the ribs smoke for 2 to 3 hours before checking the temperature with a digital meat thermometer.
- At this point, if you have a nice bark, you can choose to start spritzing the meat with a mop every 30 to 45 minutes for the duration of the cook as you check the temperature. Alternatively, you could also wrap the short ribs in butcher paper like we do when we smoke full plate ribs to help keep them moist. However, on our Trager grill, we kept them on the grill grates and spritzed with our apple cider mop a few times for the duration of the cook to keep the bark perfect on the top of the meat.
- Continue to smoke the beef ribs until they reach 203 to 205 degrees F with an instant-read thermometer. The probe should slide easily into the tender meat without resistance. Note that the cooking time will vary depending on the thickness of the meat and your smoker. We recommend a digital meat thermometer for the best results.
- Using long tongs, remove the smoked beef short ribs from the grill and let them rest for 10 minutes before serving them with your favorite barbecue sauce or homemade chimichurri.
Girl Carnivore Expert Recipe Tips
- We use Jack Daniel’s Charcoal Pellets in our Traeger grill for a more robust grilled flavor.
- We recommend hickory or post oak for smoking beef ribs.
How to Smoke Short Ribs on A charcoal grill:
- To smoke beef short ribs on a charcoal grill, set up your grill for a two-zone fire by arranging lit coals on one side of the grill. On the other side, you may want to add a small aluminum water pan to add moisture to the environment and catch the drippings. If you are using smoking wood, add a chunk of hickory, post oak or even mesquite (if you like a heavy smoke flavor), at this stage. Add the grill grate and cover the grill with the lid. Adjust the air vents so the grill can preheat to 225 – 250 degrees F.
- When the grill is ready, place the short ribs on the cooler side of the grill and cover with the lid. Cook as directed in the recipe card
- With a charcoal grill, you may need to add more fuel throughout the cook to maintain an even cooking temperature since these smoke for a long time. We recommend Cowboy Lump Charcoal because it has a great wood flavor all on its own that we boost with the addition of smoking wood chunks.
How to Smoke Beef Short Ribs on A gas grill:
- If you’re using a gas grill, make sure your propane tank is full. Then, set your grill up for a two-zone fire by preheating the grill and cleaning the grill grates. Turn off 2 of the 3 or 3 of the 4 burners and close the lid to allow the grill to preheat to 225 – 250 degrees F. For more flavor, use a smoker box or foil packet filled with hickory wood chips to smoke on a gas grill. Have extra wood chips ready, as you will need to replace them every 30 to 45 minutes.
- Then, place the ribs on the cooler side of the grill over indirect heat, bone side own, and allow the ribs to cook as instructed in the recipe card until the internal temperature reaches 203°F.
What side dishes go with Smoked Short Ribs?
We love serving individual ribs Texas barbecue style with white bread, some bbq sauce, and a pickle. But they are great with all of your favorite side dishes like classic coleslaw, smoked baked beans, creamy mac and cheese, or extra crispy beef tallow french fries.
Wine Pairing
We love serving smoked beef with big, bold red wines. Think of a deep Cabernet Sauvignon or Syrah. We also love smoked beef short ribs with a smooth bourbon for sipping when we want something a little more punchy.
Leftovers and Storage
Wrap up any leftover beef short ribs tightly in aluminum foil, and once cooled, store them in the fridge for up to 4 days. We scrap the meat from the bones before storing them to make reheating the meat easier. You can shred the leftover smoked beef to use in tacos, pasta dishes, or over creamy potatoes.
To reheat, place the shredded beef into a skillet over medium-low heat with a splash of beef broth and stir until heated through. If reheating with the bone, preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Place the short ribs, wrapped in foil, in the oven and cook until heated through, about 10 to 15 minutes.
More Mouthwatering Recipes for a Smoker
These melt-in-your-mouth little shorties are the perfect main dish or hearty appetizer with delicious smoke flavor. One that will have everyone licking their fingers and raving about how good they are. Now, all you have to do is get your hands on these meaty bone-in short ribs and turn on the grill. You’ll be a master sat smoking beef short ribs in no time.
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Smoked Beef Short Ribs
Ingredients
- 3 – 4 lbs Bone in Beef Short Ribs
- 2 tbsp GirlsCanGrill Brisket Rub or SPG blend (salt, pepper and garlic powder) or your favorite bold barbecue spice blend.
- 1 tsp Kosher Salt omit if using SPG blend
- Black Pepper omit if using an SPG blend
- Vinegar mop for mop*
Instructions
Prep the Short Ribs:
- Remove the short ribs from the package and pat dry.3 – 4 lbs Bone in Beef Short Ribs
- Remove the membrane on the back of the ribs if desired / needed by using a butter knife. Slide the butter knife beneath the thin layer and gently pull up. Grab it with a paper towel and gently pull it off the back of each rib.
- Season the ribs liberally with the spice blend, salt and pepper. Allow the ribs to sit at room temperature for 45 minutes.2 tbsp GirlsCanGrill Brisket Rub, Black Pepper, 1 tsp Kosher Salt
Prep the Smoker
- Prep your pellet grill for 225 degrees F.
- Check that the auger is filled with pellets. See our suggestions below for pellet brands and additional smoke.
Smoke the Short Ribs:
- When the grill is preheated, add the beef short ribs to the grill grate and close the lid.
- Smoke the ribs for 2 to 3 hours until a nice bark forms.
- At this point you can choose to start spritzing with your mop in a spray bottle every 30 to 45 minutes for the duration of the cook. Alternatively, you could also wrap the short ribs in butcher paper to help keep them moist.Vinegar mop
- Continue to smoke the beef ribs until they reach 203 to 205 degrees F with an instant-read thermometer. The probe should slide easily into the tender meat without resistance.
Serve:
- Using long tongs, remove the smoked beef short ribs from the grill and let them rest for 10 minutes.
- Serve the smoked short ribs with your desired side dishes and a side of bbq sauce.
Notes
- To smoke beef short ribs on a charcoal grill, set up your grill for a two-zone fire by arranging lit coals on one side of the grill. On the other side, you may want to add a small aluminum water pan to add moisture to the environment and catch the drippings. If you are using smoking wood, add a chunk of hickory, post oak or even mesquite (if you like a heavy smoke flavor), at this stage.
- Add the grill grate and cover the grill with the lid.
- Adjust the air vents so the grill can preheat to 225 – 250 degrees F.
- When the grill is ready, place the short ribs on the cooler side of the grill and cover with the lid.
- Cook as directed in the recipe card With a charcoal grill, you may need to add more fuel throughout the cook to maintain an even cooking temperature since these smoke for a long time.
- We recommend Cowboy Lump Charcoal because it has a great wood flavor all on its own that we boost with the addition of smoking wood chunks.
- If you’re using a gas grill, make sure your propane tank is full. Then, set your grill up for a two-zone fire by preheating the grill and cleaning the grill grates. Turn off 2 of the 3 or 3 of the 4 burners and close the lid to allow the grill to preheat to 225 – 250 degrees F. For more flavor, use a smoker box or foil packet filled with hickory wood chips to smoke on a gas grill. Have extra wood chips ready as you will need to replace them every 30 to 45 minutes.
- Then, place the ribs on the cooler side of the grill over indirect heat, bone side own, and allow the ribs to cook as instructed in the recipe card until the internal temperature reaches 203°F.
Nutrition
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