Grab some napkins because these dry-rubbed Smoked Baby Back Ribs are saucy, meaty, and fall-off-the-bone tender. We tested this recipe until it was perfect, and if you’re a fan of meaty ribs, you’ll love it too. Fire up that smoker and chow down on these amazing ribs today!
Smoking ribs is a labor of love and can’t be rushed. Grab a cold drink, invite some friends over for the feast, and be the envy of the neighborhood as they smell these amazing ribs while they cook low and slow until perfect.
To learn how to smoke ribs, you need to start with good-quality ribs. We love using a rack of baby back ribs because they are meatier and more tender. There are few things better than these smoke-infused dry-rubbed ribs.
Next to the ribs, the rub is the most important part of this recipe. We’ve pulled out all the stops, using big and bold but still well-balanced flavors in this rub. It is perfect for pork and enhances its natural sweetness. Go bold or go home, right?
THE CUT: WHAT ARE BABY BACK RIBS?
There are pork back ribs, side ribs, St. Louis ribs, spare ribs, rib tips… so many types of ribs! Ribs can be cut in a variety of ways, and they all have different names. Don’t worry; baby back ribs don’t come from piglets.
They’re called baby back ribs because they have smaller bones and are cut from higher up on the pig, where the ribs attach to the backbone. We love them when grilling because the thickness allows the meat to stay tender and always produces a great bite without having the bones shine through.
As for the cooking method, we’re smoking these bad boys vertically, just like our vertical smoked ribs. Smoking ribs is a great way to infuse smoky flavor into the meat. The low temperature and hours of smoking break down the tough connective tissue, producing bone tender ribs.
INGREDIENTS FOR THIS DRY-RUBBED SMOKED BABY BACK RIBS RECIPE
You don’t need many ingredients for this pork ribs recipe. Here’s what you’ll need:
- Baby Back Ribs – Pick the meatiest baby back pork ribs with the smallest bones (you’ll need 2).
- Mustard – No need to be fancy; good ol’ yellow mustard will work just fine.
- GirlsCanGrill PK Pork Rub – Start with the best to make the best, and it’s hard to beat GirlsCanGrill’s award-winning blends! You can use your favorite bbq rub or blends, but we avoid any with lots of brown sugar because it can burn.
- Sasquatch BBQ Erubtion Rub – The flavors in this rub are incredible, and it just amps up the PK rub.
- Salt – We use kosher salt when cooking. You need a fair bit of salt to season meaty ribs.
- Barbecue sauce – Use your favorite sauce. We love our homemade keto bbq sauce.
HOW TO SMOKE RIBS
- To make this ribs recipe, prepare the ribs for the spice rub by patting them dry with a paper towel and cutting away any loose bits of fat. Remove the membrane from the back of the ribs. You can do this by cutting away a small section of it by sliding a butter knife under the thin membrane and pulling it up. Then, grab the membrane with a paper towel and pull it off and away from the ribs.
- Next, make the smoked ribs rub. Mix the PK Pork Rub and Erubtion with salt in a small bowl.
- Rub the ribs with the mustard – Make sure to rub both sides of the ribs. Using plastic gloves with this step is recommended.
- Sprinkle baby back ribs rub evenly on both the fronts and backs, including the bone side of the ribs, of both racks of ribs. Wrap the ribs in plastic wrap and chill in the fridge for 4-8 hours.
- Don’t be impatient! If you want ribs with maximum flavor, they need this time to absorb all the yumminess from the rub. Here’s an idea: rub the ribs and wrap them the day before you’re going to smoke them.
- Prep your barrel smoker and bring it to 275-300 degrees F with the charcoal stacked to one side of the smoker. This rib method is faster with a higher temperature.
- Use these nifty hanging hooks to smoke your ribs. Hanging ribs ensures they have smoke circulating all around them. Get them ready while your smoker comes up to temp. Then, hang the ribs on the cooler side of the grill according to your smoker’s directions.
- Add some wood chunks to the smoker for added flavor, then close the lid.
- Check the ribs after an hour, then again every 30-45 minutes after that. It’s OK to peek! You’ll need to cook ribs for about 2 1/2-3 hours for fall off the bone tender ribs.
- During the last 15 minutes of cooking, remove the ribs from the cooker and put the grill grate back into the barrel. Brush the ribs with your favorite BBQ sauce and return to the cooker to let the sauce set.
- Perfectly tender meat will be about 195-205 degrees. Use a digital meat thermometer to check the internal temperature of the ribs to make sure they’re tender.
- When done, remove the delicious ribs, tent them with aluminum foil, and let them rest for 5 minutes. Pass the BBQ sauce and napkins, and let the feast begin!
WHAT TO SERVE WITH SMOKED RIBS
Pass around some creamy coleslaw and dill pickles with your feast! The pickles cut through the richness of the smoky ribs, and coleslaw is a must-have with any smoked meal.
We kept it pretty keto here and served a radish salad as a substitute for potato salad.
You can also pair ribs with any number of salads or opt for this Smoked Jalapeno Mac and Cheese.
