Smoked Ribs

Nothing is quite like ribs that are fall-off-the-bone tender, tangy and delicious. Our smoked ribs recipe really delivers on the flavor, thanks to the smoking process, a dry rub and barbecue sauce. This 3-2-1 smoking method breaks it down into simple steps that are easy to follow, even if you’ve never smoked ribs before.

Ingredients for Smoked Ribs 

• Yellow mustard: The mustard acts as a glaze to make the dry rub stick to the ribs; it also adds a nice tangy flavor to the meat.
• Pork baby back ribs: Baby back ribs are leaner and smaller than spare ribs, which means they’ll smoke faster. The meat is mostly on top of the bone, which makes them especially enjoyable to eat.
• Barbecue dry-rub seasoning: The special spice blend (whether a homemade dry rub or a store-bought version) infuses flavor to the meat for the entire smoking time, resulting in incredibly tasty ribs.
• Apple cider or apple juice: The cider or juice helps keep the ribs moist during the second part of the smoking process. It also imparts a slight apple fragrance and aroma.
• Barbecue sauce: Barbecue sauce turns smoked baby back ribs into delicious barbecue ribs. Messy equals delicious!

Directions 

Step 1: Add dry rub to the ribs

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Brush yellow mustard over both sides of the ribs. Sprinkle barbecue dry-rub seasoning over the mustard.

Step 2: Smoke the ribs

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Preheat the smoker to 225°F; add wood chips or pellets according to the manufacturer’s directions. Place the ribs in the smoker with the bone side facing down (meatier side up); smoke the ribs for three hours.

Step 3: Add apple cider

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Place the ribs, bone side facing up, on a large sheet of foil, then pour the apple cider or juice over the ribs. Seal the foil tightly around the ribs and return them to the smoker, still bone side up, for two hours.

Step 4: Add barbecue sauce

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Carefully remove the ribs from the foil and brush them with barbecue sauce. Return them to the smoker, bone side down, and smoke them until a thermometer inserted in the meat reads 200° to 210°F and the meat is very tender.

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Recipe Variations 

• Add brown sugar: Sprinkle brown sugar over the ribs before pouring the cider on them; later on, the sugar helps create a sweet flavor underneath the barbecue sauce.
• Add butter: Top the ribs with a few pats of butter (or even honey butter) when adding the cider, before sealing the foil. This makes them extra yummy.
• Use a different liquid: Apple flavors aren’t a requirement for the liquid here; try beer, pineapple juice, or even cherry cola.

How to Store Smoked Ribs

Vacuum seal the cooled ribs if you have a sealer available (our testers recommended these vacuum sealers). If not, tightly wrap them foil, then in a zippered storage bag with all of the air removed. The key to keeping the ribs moist is to ensure that they’re not exposed to air. Smoked ribs keep for about four days in the refrigerator.

Can you freeze smoked ribs?

Yes, smoked ribs can be frozen for three to four months. Break the ribs into portions before storing them for easier management. Vacuum-seal them if possible; if that’s not an option, wrap them tightly in foil, then in a zippered freezer bag with all the air pressed out. Thaw them in the refrigerator.

How do you reheat smoked ribs?

Slow and steady is the key to delicious reheated smoked ribs. Heat them at 250° either in the oven or in the smoker; you could also reheat them on a grill. If using the oven, place them in a baking dish and cover it with foil. The ribs are ready when the meat reaches 165° when reheated by any of these methods; this could take up to 30 minutes.

Smoked Ribs Tips

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What’s the difference between baby back ribs and spare ribs?

Baby back and spare ribs come from separate areas of the animal, and they’re structurally different. Baby back ribs are shorter and have less fat and a leaner, more tender meat, hence the generally higher price.

Spare ribs are longer and straighter and tend to have more of the meat between the bones, rather than on top. They also have more marbling due to fat in the meat. Due to the size of spare ribs, they take longer to cook than baby back ribs.

What is the 3-2-1 method for smoking ribs?

The 3-2-1 method, which is used in this recipe, breaks the smoking process down into three segments. The first is three hours long and infuses the ribs with a nice smoky flavor. The second part is two hours long and steams the ribs to keep them moist, and the final segment is all about that baste (that baste, that baste, that baste).

Can I make smoked ribs in the oven?

While you can cook ribs in the oven, you’ll need a liquid smoke flavoring to get a smoky flavor (or just skip it and have tasty ribs without that smoky essence). Heat the oven to 225°, add liquid smoke to the ribs before coating them with mustard and then follow the same steps or 3-2-1 process mentioned above. The ribs will still be delicious and tender.