Meaty, juicy, and fall-off-the-bone tender, Traeger 3-2-1 Ribs is the way to go if you’re cooking ribs on your pellet smoker. Turning out perfectly every time, give your racks of ribs the royal treatment with this smoker recipe!
Table of Contents
This Traeger 3-2-1 Ribs recipe is just about as easy as smoked ribs get, and with this tried-and-true no-fail method, you’ll be ready to tear into meaty and oh-so-delicious tender ribs with a great smoky flavor.
I love using my Traeger pellet smoker for smoking ribs. Accurate temperature control and the perfect amount of smoke make these some of my favorite pork ribs, and I love ribs! You can’t go wrong with this recipe. It starts with meaty ribs, a spice blend that’s so good you don’t need any brown sugar, and my secret ingredient for keeping the ribs moist and tender throughout the long smoking process.
Ingredients
- Baby back ribs – About 2 racks of pork ribs.
- Salt – we always use kosher salt
- Paprika
- Mustard powder
- Garlic powder
- Onion powder
- Black pepper
- Oregano – Dried.
- Chili powder
- Mayonnaise
- Butter – Unsalted
- Maple syrup – Use the real stuff!
- BBQ sauce – I love a sweet and spicy sauce, but you can use your favorite.
What Ribs Are Best For Smoking?
I love baby back ribs. No, they’re not from baby pigs, and they’re called baby back ribs because they’re smaller than the other rib bones and are cut from near the top of the back where the ribs meet the spine.
Baby back ribs smoke nicely and I like not paying for a huge amount of bone. However, you can also smoke St. Louis-style ribs, which are larger and meatier, or any cut of spare ribs. This recipe is scaled and timed for baby back ribs.
How To Make The Best 3-2-1 Ribs On Your 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.
Prep the ribs:
Remove the thin membrane on the back of the ribs by cutting a corner of it away from the backside of the ribs, then grabbing it with a paper towel and giving it a good pull. The membrane should pull away from the ribs.
Whisk the salt, paprika, mustard powder, garlic and onion powders, pepper, oregano, and chili powder together.
Rub the ribs with the mayo, then sprinkle them evenly with the dry rub.
Refrigerate the ribs until ready to use, or for 1-4 hours.
Prep your Traeger pellet grill:
Set the Traeger grill/smoker to 225-F.
Place the ribs on the smoker, bone side down, and smoke for 3 hours.
Wrap the ribs:
Lay a large sheet of heavy-duty aluminum foil on a counter or work surface. Place three 1 tablespoon dollops of butter in a line down the center of the sheet, a few inches apart.
Drizzle the syrup over the butter.
Lay the ribs, meat side down, onto the butter, and fold the foil up around the ribs.
Repeat for the second rack of ribs.
Return the ribs to the smoker and cook for an additional 2 hours, meat side down.
Sauce the ribs:
Remove the ribs from the smoker and let them rest for 5 minutes before unwrapping.
Place the ribs onto the smoker and brush with your favorite BBQ sauce. We love our homemade keto bbq sauce.
Smoke for 1 hour or until the sauce is set and tacky.
Rest the ribs for 5 minutes before cutting and serving your juicy ribs!
Recipe Tips
- 3 hours smoke time, 2 hours wrapped, 1 hour sauced – that’s the 3-2-1 smoked ribs method!
- You can use your favorite BBQ rub for ribs; just watch that it isn’t too salty.
- Heavy-duty foil is what you need for wrapping ribs so that the rib bones don’t tear the foil.
- Add wood chunks to the pellet smoker in the hot corners to add extra smoke flavor to your ribs.
- To make keto 3-2-1 ribs, use avocado mayo, Choczero syrup, and sugar-free BBQ sauce.
- For an in-depth tutorial on how to smoke ribs, check out this article by Girls Can Grill!
How To Serve 3-2-1 Ribs
I love having extra sauce on the side for dipping my ribs, and cool and creamy coleslaw goes so well with hot and meaty smoked ribs. Or, while you’ve got the smoker going, make this creamy and spicy Smoked Jalapeno Mac and Cheese or Smoked Potato Salad.
Storage
If you’ve got leftover ribs, package them in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. Warm them in the microwave or oven to heat them, or nosh on them right out of the fridge!
Frequently Asked Questions
The 3-2-1 refers to how long the ribs cook in each stage of the process, so in total, these ribs will take 6 hours on your smoker.
Yes, you can use any smoker, event electric smokers or any other pellet smoker, as long as it can hold the heat at a consistent temperature. Running the grill too hot changes the timeline of this cook, so make sure to check temperature more than time.
Ribs should have an internal temp of 185-190-F for them to be perfectly tender and delicious.
MORE PELLET SMOKER RECIPES
Pork Recipes
Smoked Pork Butt (on a Traeger)
Poultry Recipes
Traeger Smoked Chicken Thighs
Poultry Recipes
Smoked Beer Can Chicken
Poultry Recipes
Smoked Chicken Quarters
If you’ve tried my Traeger 3-2-1 Ribs or any other recipe on GirlCarnivore.com please don’t forget to rate the recipe and let me know where you found it in the comments below.
I get inspired by your feedback and comments! You can also join in on the adventures on Instagram @girlcarnivore, Twitter & Facebook.
Traeger 3-2-1 Ribs
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
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 185 to 190F.
- 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
Avocado mayo
Choczero syrup
True organics Texas Style BBQ Sauce
Nutrition
Bookmark this recipe now!
Save Recipe Bookmark
Loved this recipe. These baby back ribs turned out amazing. Saving this recipe for future use.
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.