How To Smoke Ribs

Are you craving meaty, delicious, tender, fall-off-the-bone ribs? Smoking ribs isn’t hard; we’ll show you how to smoke ribs – the best BBQ ribs you’ll ever eat – and in a few hours, you can roll up your sleeves and dig into a meal of smoked goodness!

Got yourself a grill and want to master ribs? We’re here to help with down-and-dirty tips, tricks, and a tried-and-true method for making show-stopping ribs. This method is a perfect beginner smoked ribs recipe, but it’s also great for anyone who just wants a tried-and-true, no-fuss method for smoking ribs. 

Starting with a flavor-packed dry rub, these are the best damn finger-licking ribs on the block – pass the napkins and let’s get started!

WHAT YOU TO SMOKE RIBS

Knowing how to smoke ribs on a grill starts by knowing what equipment and ingredients you’ll need. To make this easy smoked ribs recipe, you’ll need:

• A grill – With a tight-fitting lid.
• Foil pan – You’ll fill this with water.
• Wood chips – To give your ribs the perfect smoky flavor.
• Ribs – We use baby back ribs or St. Louis style ribs, but all types of ribs will work. 
• Dry rub – Use your favorite dry rub for pork ribs in a smoker.
• Apple cider vinegar and a spray bottle – For spritzing (more on that below).
• BBQ sauce – Use your favorite bbq sauce. Pick something a bit spicy, a bit sweet.
• Rib rack – Not essential, but this clever contraption can help the ribs get maximum smoke for maximum flavor.

BEST TYPE OF RIBS FOR SMOKING

We love using meaty baby back ribs, but the larger St. Louis style ribs work well, too. Smoked baby back ribs vs. smoked St. Louis ribs – what’s the difference? Baby backs are shorter, smaller ribs cut from the upper ribs (where the ribs meet the spine) and have nothing to do with baby pigs. St. Louis ribs are meatier, larger ribs and are cut from closer to the belly. 

Baby back ribs can be more tender, but they’re both tender and delicious when you’re cooking the ribs low and slow like this. 

Spare ribs are a cut of meat that comes from the lower part of a pig’s ribcage. They are taken from the belly side and have meat between the bones. Spare ribs are known for their meatiness and are often used in recipes like smoked pork spare ribs. 

The choice is yours – pick your ribs, and let’s get cooking!

BEST TYPE OF WOOD FOR SMOKING RIBS

The best wood for smoking ribs comes down to what type of smoke flavor you want to infuse into your ribs. For example, bolder wood, like mesquite wood, can give your ribs a Texan flair. On the other hand, milder woods like oak can give your ribs a mild smoky flavor.

Another great wood for smoking ribs is hickory wood. Hickory wood imparts a strong, rich, and slightly sweet flavor into ribs when used for smoking, like these hickory smoked pork ribs and Memphis style spare ribs. 

WHAT’S THE BEST RIB RUB?

For smoking spare ribs, we love a bold and assertive rub that’s got a good balance of spice and sweetness. Make your own or use a bought blend – it’ll all work! If you want a convenient pre-made mix in a jar that always wins, try Girls Can Grill Pork Rub!

SMOKING RIBS FOR BEGINNERS

First, pat your ribs dry with paper towels and trim the ribs to remove the membrane. To remove the membrane, cut a corner of it away from the ribs, grab the membrane with a paper towel, and pull it away from the ribs. With a bit of muscle, it’ll pull away.

Rub the ribs in a heavy coating of the spice mixture, then wrap them tightly in plastic wrap and let them rest in the fridge for one hour.

Preheat your grill for indirect heat and arrange a small aluminum pan with a bit of water in it off on the side of the grill over the grate. 

Get your wood chips ready for smoking. If you’ve never done that before, wander over to this article and read about how to use wood chips on a gas grill. 

Arrange the ribs over indirect heat, cover them, and cook them for 45 minutes when the grill is ready.

Spritz the ribs with a light coating of vinegar, close the grill again, and continue to cook, spritzing as needed, for 3 hours.

After the ribs are done cooking, baste the ribs in sauce and fire over high heat to get a nice sear. Remove quickly, rest for 5 minutes, then slice and serve.

HOW TO SMOKE RIBS ON A GAS GRILL

The process is the same as above, except you’ll fire up the grill to get it to temperature, set the wood chips in place, and then turn down enough burners so that the ribs aren’t over direct heat. Then, follow the rest of the steps above!

3-2-1 METHOD FOR SMOKING RIBS

The 3-2-1 method for smoking ribs is a straightforward technique that ensures tender, flavorful results. Here’s how it works:

1. 3 Hours of Smoking: Begin by seasoning your ribs and letting them smoke on the grill for the initial three hours. This allows the meat to absorb the smoky flavor and start cooking.
2. 2 Hours of Wrapping: After the first three hours, wrap the ribs in heavy-duty aluminum foil to keep them moist. This step helps to tenderize the meat further. You can add a bit of liquid, like apple juice or your favorite marinade, to enhance the flavors.
3. 1 Hour of Unwrapping: In the final hour, unwrap the ribs and return them to the grill. This step allows the exterior to firm up and develop a nice crust. It’s the finishing touch to achieve that perfect balance of tenderness and a caramelized outer layer.

We use this method in our Traeger 3-2-1 ribs to get perfectly delicious ribs every time!

EXPERIMENTING WITH DIFFERENT FLAVORS

While this recipe is the foolproof way to make ribs, you can totally play around with other flavors to get your desired result. Some great options are adding brown sugar to the rub or using apple juice in place of apple cider vinegar, like in these smoked pork loin ribs.

We also love using Worcestershire sauce to add a kick of umami flavor to our ribs, like in these vertical smoked ribs. You can even experiment with different types of smoking wood to get a unique, smoky flavor that takes your ribs to the next level. 

WHY SPRITZ RIBS?

Spritzing ribs is an important part of smoking pork ribs. We like to spritz the ribs every 45 minutes or so; this keeps them moist but also allows for the sugars in the apple cider vinegar to caramelize on the top of the ribs, giving them that prized flavor-packed coating. 

What to serve with Smoked Ribs

You can slice the pork off the bone and serve it next to any of your favorite side dishes! Try it with roasted brussels sprouts, classic coleslaw, summer scallop and crab pasta, pickles, beef tallow furikake fries, or mashed potatoes. 

Leftovers & Reheating

Leftover smoked pork ribs will last in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days or in the freezer for 2-3 months. To reheat, thaw in the fridge if frozen, then microwave or warm on the stove until heated through.

More Smoking Recipes

• Smoked Rack of Pork
• Smoked Lamb Ribs Recipe
• Smoked Beef Short Ribs
• Smoked Pork Loin

Now that you have everything you need to make bone tender ribs, it’s time to get smoking! With these quick tips, you’ll become the grill master you always wanted to be. If you try any of these tips, let us know which ones were the most helpful down below! 

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