There’s no quintessential American dish quite like Smoked Ribs! These are one of my favorite summer meals. My dad’s been making them for our family for decades, so I asked him to help me bring you the most delicious Simple Smoked Ribs Recipe! They are tender, juicy, full of sweet and savory BBQ flavor, and ready in just a handful of beginner-friendly steps.
This post is sponsored by the National Pork Board. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
If you’re hosting a get-together this summer, smoked ribs are a fantastic main dish! They are surprisingly easy to make, feed a crowd, impressive, and always a fan favorite. So, if you are planning a cookout or dinner party, consider serving up some smoked baby back ribs!
While you may think of them as something you can only get at a barbecue joint, making smoked ribs at home is easier than you might think! In addition to grilling and baking ribs in the oven, you can make ribs in the air fryer or the smoker!
Today, we’ll learn how to smoke ribs with my dad, my family’s resident smoke master! He’s treated us to his tender and juicy smoked ribs since I was a little girl, so I asked him to show me all his secrets. Below is his simple process and tried-and-true tricks, ensuring perfect, melt-in-your-mouth smoked pork ribs every time. My mouth is watering — let’s get this smoker party started!
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Why You’ll Love It
Need that final nudge to fire up the smoker? Consider that these ribs are:
- Impressive and perfect for entertaining. Be prepared for a chorus of “oohs” and “ahhs” when you serve this baby back ribs recipe! They tray up beautifully and can easily be doubled to serve a crowd, making them great for outdoor parties and backyard BBQs!
- Exceptionally flavorful with great texture. Enjoy classic tender, juicy, meaty, and savory smoked meat. Though it will taste like you’re dining at your favorite smokehouse, you’ll actually be in the comfort of your own backyard!
- Surprisingly simple! Though it may seem intimidating, smoking baby back ribs is actually quite straightforward. Plus, my dad shares all his no-fail tips to make them perfect every time.
🥂Make it A Rosy Moment
Smoked ribs might sound like backyard barbecue fare—but done right, they’re a love letter to slow cooking, summer evenings, and feeding your people well. Here’s how to make them feel even more special:
- Sunday Supper on the Patio: Serve your ribs family-style on a big platter with charred corn on the cob, heirloom tomato salad, and a pitcher of sweet tea (or chilled rosé if you’re feeling festive). Add twinkle lights and a gingham tablecloth for a little nostalgic charm.
- Casual Cookout, Elevated: Pile your ribs high on a wooden board, flanked by pickles, fresh herbs, and warm rolls. Pair with individual jars of homemade barbecue sauce for a sweet DIY moment. Bonus: Set out cloth napkins and pair with a Hugo Spritz—it’s still a party, after all!
- A Rosy Take on Game Day: Skip the wings and go bold! Make a big batch of ribs, then cut them into mini portions for easy snacking. Serve with dill pickle pasta salad and a bourbon cocktail—everyone will ask who catered (and you can just smile).
Important Ingredients and Substitutions
To start, we’ll need to grab a few everyday ingredients:
- Baby Back Pork Ribs - Each recipe makes 1-2 racks of ribs, but you can multiply it as needed. You can find baby back ribs in the refrigerator case or the butcher counter at the grocery store. Be sure to purchase baby back ribs! Baby back ribs are different from spare ribs, a type of pork ribs that are larger and meatier, and therefore require a longer cooking time. Finally, you will need to trim off the membrane before smoking; some butchers will do this for you if requested.
- Yellow Mustard - This helps the dry rub adhere to the ribs and provides a layer of tangy, earthy flavor. Though you can substitute stone ground mustard or smooth Dijon if needed, yellow mustard is our favorite pick.
- Dry Rub Seasonings - Light brown sugar, garlic powder, black pepper, kosher salt, and smoked paprika make an easy and flavorful seasoning mixture. If preferred, you can use your favorite pre-made dry rub or add onion powder for extra savoriness or chili powder for more smoke and a touch of spice.
- Honey Babecue Sauce - It wouldn’t be a rib recipe without BBQ sauce, now would it?! We prefer a honey-based sauce, but you can use a brown sugar barbecue sauce if preferred.
Full Recipe Below
Find the full list of ingredients & measurements below!
Preparing the Baby Back Ribs
Now that we have our ingredients, we need to prep the ribs by removing the membrane. Here’s how to do it:
- Take the ribs from their packaging, place them on a cutting board or baking sheet, meat side down.
- Using a spoon or butter knife, lift a corner of the membrane from the ribs.
- Fold up a paper towel and grab the membrane. Pull it off the back, bone side of the ribs. It should peel off in a large sheet.
Step by Step Instructions
Next up is the fun part: smoking ribs! Though this can be intimidating, my dad’s process and tips make it doable and delicious:
- Step 1: Prep the smoker with applewood wood chips and preheat it to 225°F. Combine the dry rub ingredients in a small mixing bowl.
- Step 2: Brush the yellow mustard onto the sides of the ribs. Liberally sprinkle the dry rub onto the mustard.
- Step 3: Place the ribs on the smoker and smoke for 2 hours.
- Step 4: Baste the ribs generously with the honey BBQ sauce and close the smoker.
- Step 5: Smoke for 2-3 more hours or until the ribs hit an internal temperature of 200°F. Remove the ribs from the smoker. Slice into individual pieces and serve!
Top Tip
Don’t rush the process! Smoking is time-consuming, but the results are totally worth it. Allow the ribs the whole cooking time and track their temperature with a food thermometer until the internal temperature reaches 200°F. Pork is technically safe to eat at 145 degrees, but the ribs will have the most tender and juicy texture at 200°F.
Tips for the Perfect Smoked Ribs
- Use a meat thermometer to eliminate the guesswork and know precisely when the ribs are done. For even more convenience, you can use a remote thermometer with Bluetooth pairing to track the temperature from your phone!
- Adjust the wood chips. If desired, you can use different wood chip varieties, like hickory or cherry, or even charcoal for different smoky notes.
- Keep an eye on the bark. As the mustard and dry seasoning smokes, it will form a light caramelized crust around the ribs, also called the bark. If the bark starts to get thick, causing the ribs to get stiff, spray them every 15-30 minutes with a mixture of apple cider vinegar and water, apple juice, Coke, or Cherry Coke!
- Adjust the cooking time. These ribs are tender and juicy, but not quite to the fall-off-the-bone level. To achieve that, transfer the ribs to foil once they have reached 200°F. Wrap them up loosely and smoke for another 30-60 minutes until you can easily pull out the bones.
Serving Suggestions
Smoked ribs are always a crowd pleaser, especially when served up with lots of delicious side dishes, such as:
- Baked Beans
- BBQ Smashed Potatoes
- Coleslaw
- Fattoush Salad
Storage Directions
- Refrigerating: Leftover ribs keep covered in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
- Freezing: Once cooled to room temperature, the ribs can also be frozen in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months. Defrost the ribs overnight in the fridge before reheating.
- Reheating: For the most tender meat, wrap the ribs loosely in aluminum foil and reheat in a 250°F oven or smoker for 30-45 minutes, or until hot. For a crispier bark, remove the aluminum foil halfway through the reheating process.
💡Recipe FAQ
Yes, you can easily convert your grill into a smoker by adding a smoker box filled with pellets. Be sure to keep an eye on the grill temperature when using this method, as some grills are better than others at consistently maintaining a low temperature.
If your smoker smokes, you can use it to make this recipe! Electric, pellet, charcoal, vertical, and offset smokers all can make exceptional smoked ribs.
I do not recommend using spare ribs in this recipe. They are larger and meatier, requiring a longer cooking time. For the best results, use baby back ribs!
Yes! A simple dry rub mixture can create delicious BBQ dry-rubbed ribs, omitting the need for a sauce. If using just a dry rub, I recommend spraying the ribs with apple cider vinegar and water, apple juice, Coke, or Cherry Coke every 30 minutes throughout the smoking time to keep the bark tender and flavorful.
Related Recipes
If you tried this Simple Smoked Ribs Recipe or any other of the delicious recipes on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below. Thanks for visiting!
📖 Recipe
Simplest Smoked Ribs Recipe
Equipment
- 1 smoker
- glass mixing bowls
- basting brush
Ingredients
- 1-2 lbs. baby back pork ribs
- ¾ cup yellow mustard
- ¼ cup light brown sugar packed
- 1 Tbsp. garlic powder
- 1 tsp. ground black pepper
- 1 Tbsp. kosher salt
- 1 Tbsp. smoked paprika
- 1 cup of your favorite BBQ sauce
Instructions
- Prep the smoker with applewood wood chips and preheat to 225 degrees.
- Prep the ribs by removing the membrane from the back of the ribs. Starting at the small end, slide a butter knife under the membrane and peel it back slightly.
- Fold up a paper towel and grab onto the edge of the membrane and it should easily pull off the back of the ribs.
- Prep the dry rub by combining the ingredients in a small mixing bowl.
- Cover each side of the ribs with yellow mustard then season with the dry rub liberally on both sides.
- Place the ribs on the smoker and smoke for 2 hours. After two hours, baste with the bbq sauce and close the smoker.
- After about 4-5 hours or when the ribs hit 200 degrees internal temperature remove the ribs from the smoker.
- Slice into individual ribs and serve
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