🔥 What Ribs Are Best for Smoking?
Planning to smoke ribs on your pellet grill? Start with baby back ribs. They’re leaner, smaller than spare ribs, and cook more evenly, making them perfect for the classic 3-2-1 method.
We’ve smoked ribs on everything from offset pits to charcoal kettles, but baby backs on a pellet smoker? Foolproof. That’s why this recipe is timed specifically for them.
In this recipe:
Table of Contents
🔪 What You’ll Need
Ingredients:
- Baby back ribs – Smaller, faster-cooking ribs, ideal for 3-2-1 method.
- Kosher salt- best for seasoning
- Paprika
- Mustard powder
- Garlic powder
- Onion powder
- Black pepper
- Oregano (dried)
- Chili powder
- Mayonnaise – nuetral binder, or use yellow mustard
- Unsalted butter
- Maple syrup – use the real stuff)
- BBQ sauce – sweet and spicy preferred, or your favorite)
Tools:
- Pellet smoker like a Traeger
- Meat thermometer
- Heavy-duty aluminum foil or butcher paper
- Spray bottle for mop/spritz
- BBQ brush
- Drip pan
- Water pan
📝 How to Make 3-2-1 Ribs on a Pellet Smoker
There are a few steps in making 3-2-1 ribs, but never fear, I’ve got it all broken down for you.
1. Prep the Ribs
- Remove the silver skin from the back of the ribs. Use a paper towel or butter knife to peel it away.
- Mix all the dry spices together.
- Rub ribs with mayo, then coat with the dry rub evenly.
- Refrigerate 1–4 hours.
2. Smoke for 3 Hours
- Preheat your Traeger to 225°F.
- Place ribs bone-side down on the smoker.
- Smoke for 3 hours uncovered.
3. Wrap for 2 Hours
- Lay foil on your workspace.
- Add 3 tablespoons butter spaced out down the center.
- Drizzle maple syrup over butter.
- Place ribs meat-side down on the butter.
- Wrap tightly in foil and return to smoker for 2 hours.
4. Sauce for 1 Hour
- Let ribs rest for 5 minutes after removing from foil.
- Return to smoker, brush with BBQ sauce.
- Smoke 1 hour more, until ribs reach 190–205°F for tender or up to 210°F for fall-off-the-bone.
💡 Girl Carnivore Expert tips
- 3-2-1 method = 3 hours smoke, 2 hours wrapped, 1 hour sauced.
- Choose your favorite BBQ rub—watch for salt content.
- Use heavy-duty foil to avoid tearing.
- Add wood chunks in hot spots of pellet smoker for more smoke.
- Going low-carb? Use avocado mayo, Choczero syrup, and sugar-free BBQ sauce.
🍽️ How to Serve
Serve with extra BBQ sauce and:
- Smoked Potato Salad
- Creamy coleslaw
- Smoked Jalapeño Mac and Cheese
🧊 Leftovers & Storage
- Store in airtight container in the fridge 3–4 days.
- Reheat in oven, microwave, or enjoy cold.
❓ Recipe FAQS
What ribs are best for smoking?
Baby back ribs are lean, tender, and great for beginners. St. Louis-style ribs are meatier and also work well for 3-2-1.
How long does it take to make Traeger 3-2-1 Ribs?
The 3-2-1 breakdown = 6 total hours on your smoker.
Can you do 3-2-1 ribs in an electric smoker?
Yes! Any smoker works, just maintain consistent heat.
What is the final temp for smoked ribs?
For tender ribs, aim for 190–205°F. For fall-off-the-bone, go to 205–210°F.
Do you flip ribs during 3-2-1?
No flipping needed, just rotate positions if cooking multiple racks.
Can you overcook 3-2-1 ribs?
Yes, especially during the final hour. Watch your temp.
MORE PELLET SMOKER RECIPES
Recipes With Pork
Traeger Pork Butt
Poultry Recipes
Smoked Chicken Thighs
Poultry Recipes
Smoked Beer Can Chicken (Traeger)
Poultry Recipes
Smoked Chicken Quarters
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Traeger 3-2-1 Ribs Recipe
You don’t have to a pro-pitmsater to make amazing ribs at home. You just need to know the secret formula and we’re spilling the beans. We're taking all the guess work out of the game and gives you blue ribbon results every time. Let us introduce you to our favorite way to whip up ribs when we don’t want to baby sit the grill for hours – the 3-2-1 method.
Ingredients
For the ribs:
- 2 racks baby back ribs
For the spice mix:
- 1 tbsp salt
- 1 tbsp Paprika
- 1 tsp mustard powder
- ½ tsp Garlic powder
- ½ tsp Onion powder
- ½ tsp Black pepper
- ½ tsp Oregano
- ½ tsp Chili powder
For the binder:
- 1/2 cup Mayo or yellow mustard
For the Wrap:
- 6 tbsp butter unsalted
- 4 tbsp maple syrup
Serving:
- 1 cup BBQ Sauce
Instructions
Prep the ribs:
- Remove membrane by carefully using a butterknife to lift up the membrain. Then grab it with a paper towel in your hand and gently pull back.2 racks baby back ribs
- Whisk spices together in a small bowl.1 tbsp salt, 1 tbsp Paprika, 1 tsp mustard powder, ½ tsp Garlic powder, ½ tsp Onion powder, ½ tsp Black pepper, ½ tsp Oregano, ½ tsp Chili powder
- Rub the ribs with the mayo evenly all over.1/2 cup Mayo
- Sprinlke the baby back ribs with the rub.
- Place the ribs on a baking sheet and set in fridge until ready to grill, 1 to 4 hours
Prep the pellet smoker:
- Pre-heat your smoker to 225F.
- When the smoker has come temp, place your ribs on the smoker, bone side down.
- Close the lid and allow the ribs to smoke for 3 hours
Wrap the ribs:
- Carefully remove the ribs from the smoker.
- Arrange a large sheet of heavy duty aluminum foil on a clean work surface and place 3 tablespoons of butter along the center, with a few inches between each.6 tbsp butter
- Drizzle the syrup over the butter.4 tbsp maple syrup
- Arrange the ribs, meat side down, onto the butter and fold the foil up around the ribs to secure.
- Repeat for the second rack of ribs
- Wrap in another layer of foil, with the seal on top.
- Return the wrapped baby back ribs to the smoker and cook for another 2 hours meat side down.
Sauce the ribs:
- Carefully remove the ribs from the smoker.
- Allow the ribs to sit for 5 minutes before unwrapping.
- Using caution, unwrap the ribs. The steam can be very hot.
- Place the ribs back onto the smoker and brush with sauce.1 cup BBQ Sauce
- Let the ribs smoke for 1 more hour, or until the sauce is set and tacky and the ribs have reached an internal temp of 190 – 205 F for bite-tender ribs or 205 – 210 F for fall-off-the-bone ribs.
- Remove the ribs from the smoker.
Rest & Serve:
- Rest the ribs for 5 to 7 minutes before slicing the meat along the bones.
- Serve with coleslaw and additional bbq sauce if desired.
Notes
Add wood chunks to your pellet smoker. Place them in the hot corners and allow the chunks to add extra smoked flavor to your grill.
An instant read thermometer, like the one I use from Thermoworks, will go a long way to making sure your ribs are progressing correctly through this cook. If you cook them too far, the meat will actually fall off the bone. You want a good bite, and tender meat, but not bones that pull out of the ribs.
This recipe was tested in a Traeger pellet smoker but will work in any pellet grill. The 3-2-1 ribs method also works on any grill.
To Cook 3-2-1 Ribs on a Gas grill or Charcoal grill, set the grills to maintain a temperature of 225. Check the grill’s internal temp and use a thermometer with an ambient temperature probe to make sure you are holding heat. Swings in temperature will cause these ribs to cook longer or faster.
We used Cowboy Charcoal & Hickory Pellets for a deeper smoked flavor.
Keto substitutions and what we use for ourselves:
Avocado mayo
Choczero syrup
True organics Texas Style BBQ Sauce
Avocado mayo
Choczero syrup
True organics Texas Style BBQ Sauce
Nutrition
Serving: 1g | Calories: 565kcal | Carbohydrates: 30g | Protein: 19g | Fat: 41g | Saturated Fat: 15g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 11g | Monounsaturated Fat: 13g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 103mg | Sodium: 1950mg | Potassium: 423mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 24g | Vitamin A: 1117IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 73mg | Iron: 1mg
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You had me at “fall off the bone”. YUM.
I’m not very experienced with larger cuts of meat so your instructions were so, so helpful, and the ribs turned out just amazing! Can’t wait to make them again.
Loved this recipe. These baby back ribs turned out amazing. Saving this recipe for future use.
These ribs were fall off the bone delish!! Appreciate how straightforward your recipe was to follow with all the steps and tips. We’ll definitely make this again!
Love your easy step by step instructions for these smoked ribs recipe! I made your pellet smoker recipe and it turned out perfect!! My family asked me to make this recipe again.
The perfect method for ribs! Tasty and Delicious!