BBQ Smoked Ribs - The Only BBQ Rib Recipe You'll Ever Need (2024)

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Do you like your ribs? Well, here's the third recipe this season! How many garden parties have you had this summer? If you’ve had more than five, then BBQ ribs must have been present in at least one serving! Were they any good? Here you can learn tips and tricks on even better results.

BBQ Smoked Ribs - The Only BBQ Rib Recipe You'll Ever Need (1)

never eating chewy ribs ever again

Once, I was at a BBQ party and our host served BBQ ribs. I can tell you, they were chewy, hard and not seasoned very well. Honestly, it was like chewing rubber. My expectations were so high because the smell was making us ravenous. Obviously, our host hasn’t done his research. Simply placing BBQ ribs on the grill won’t cut it. There are many more things you need to be aware of such as keeping juices inside the meat, selecting the correct spice rub and even grilling at proper temperatures.

Bacofoil the Original Kitchen Foil

There are many tools and tricks that can help you get those perfectly tender BBQ ribs. Trust me, paying attention to these tricks might just make the difference between happy disappointed guests.

Luckily, Bacofoil is at hand to help. Chef Dean Edwards' top tip from is to use Bacofoil The Original Kitchen Foil for slow cooking on the barbecue as it protects the meat whilst cooking, stopping it from drying out and infusing the flavour beautifully. Check out how Bacofoil can help you make the best BBQ ribs here.

To summarize, cooking on the grill using Bacofoil is good because it helps to infuse the flavours of the spice rub. In addition, it distributes the flavours evenly across the ribs. Most importantly, it keeps the meat moist by keeping it wrapped out to avoid it drying out. The result? Juicy, tasty, and finger-licking good BBQ ribs. Best of all is that it's a cheap cut of meat.

BBQ Smoked Ribs - The Only BBQ Rib Recipe You'll Ever Need (2)

brining and smoking the BBQ ribs

Why should you brine your BBQ ribs? It increases flavour, moisture inside the meat and ultimately makes the BBQ ribs very tender. You can check out my article on how to brine chicken for the basics of brining. Not so difficult! I promise.

Also, to add a more flavourful punch to the meat, you can try smoking the ribs. The smoking technique has been known to us for ages, and it works! It also helps preserve various types of meat. I talked about a very simple method of how to smoke chicken properly in my smoked chicken recipe. Make sure you check it out. For these BBQ ribs, I used hickory wood chips.

If you don't brine and smoke the ribs, you could bake the ribs in the foil first and finish it off on the grill. Everyone loves that last touch on the grill. Just be careful not to overdo it, otherwise the BBQ ribs can get dry and stringy.

BBQ Smoked Ribs - The Only BBQ Rib Recipe You'll Ever Need (3)

cooking process

Don’t forget to remove the ribs halfway through the cooking process. Place the hooks at the bottom end of the ribs and place them back in the smoked “upside down”. That way, both ends will get evenly cooked. This will help deal with the temperature discrepancy between the top and bottom area inside the smoker. Therefore, you might find this little trick worthwhile. If you don't brine and smoke the ribs, you could bake the ribs in the foil first and finish them off on the grill.

Glaze for the BBQ ribs

Did I impress you with my glossy glaze? Not only does it look good in pictures, but it’s also delicious. I used ketchup, sugar, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, garlic and oil. Simply mix all ingredients in a small pot and keep on stirring until the sugar is dissolved. What I love about this sauce is that it has that nice BBQ flavour that everyone looks for in a decent BBQ sauce. The sweetness of the ketchup complements the smoky BBQ ribs perfectly.

When I started out with my first ever grill, I tried slathering all kinds of sauces on the ribs. However, soon I found that sweeter sauces burned faster. My advice? Smoke the ribs plain in the smoker and finish them off on the grill with your sauce of choice. A lot less mess and no burning either. Live and learn! If you have some BBQ sauce left over add it to the table as a condiment for dipping!

BBQ Smoked Ribs - The Only BBQ Rib Recipe You'll Ever Need (4)

alternative recipe from the video

Obviously, there are many glazes and sauces you can serve with the BBQ ribs. You can also get inspired by the video above by Bacofoil. Why don’t you add an exotic twist to traditional barbecue ribs with this Indian spiced recipe? The slow cooking method ensures the ribs fall apart effortlessly once cooked, making it the perfect finger food for sharing on a lazy summer afternoon. The ginger glaze adds a complementary sweet taste to the dish. For added crunch, prepare the coronation slaw to serve on the side.

BBQ Smoked Ribs - The Only BBQ Rib Recipe You'll Ever Need (5)

Accompaniments

One of my favourites for BBQ recipes is the grilled courgette salad with feta and pomegranate. This lightens the meal overall but there's nothing stopping you from adding something starch such as sweet potato fries or bakes potato.

Spicy Smoked Ribs

Honey Glazed Smoked Ribs

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📖 Recipe

BBQ Smoked Ribs - The Only BBQ Rib Recipe You'll Ever Need (6)

Smoked BBQ Ribs

★★★★★5 from 1 review
  • Author: Michelle Minnaar
  • Total Time: 1 hours 40 minutes
  • Yield: 4 1x
Print Recipe

Ingredients

UnitsScale

  • 2 racks of brined pork ribs, weighing around 1kg (2lbs)
  • Salt and pepper
  • Hickory wood chips
  • 120ml (8 tbsp) tomato ketchup
  • 30ml (2 tbsp) brown sugar
  • 15ml (1 tbsp) mild mustard
  • 30ml (2 tbsp) Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 garlic clove, crushed
  • 15ml (1 tbsp) vegetable oil

Instructions

  1. For a very basic brining method, check out my How To Brine Chicken article.
  2. After the ribs have been brined overnight, pat them dry and season well.
  3. Preheat the Char-Broil Big Easy Smoker on the High setting and fill the smoking box with wood chips.
  4. Wait for 10 minutes until the chips begin to smoke, then change the heat setting to Low.
  5. Hang the ribs on hooks and let them hang on the side of the smoking basket. Place the basket inside the smoker.
  6. Close lid and cook until the ribs’ internal temperature is 68°C (155°F). This takes about 60 minutes.
  7. Remove the ribs from the smoker and wrap them in foil, letting them rest for about 15 minutes.
  8. Mix the ketchup, sugar, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, garlic and oil in a small pot. Keep on stirring until the sugar is dissolved.
  9. Finish the ribs off on a hot grill while slathering some BBQ sauce on them. Enjoy!

Notes

  • Because of the temperature discrepancy between the top and bottom area inside the smoker, you might find it worthwhile to remove the ribs halfway through cooking. Place the hooks at the bottom end of the ribs and place them back in the smoked “upside down”. That way, both ends will get evenly cooked.
  • When I started out I tried slathering all kinds of sauces on the ribs but the higher the sugar content, the quicker it burnt. My advice? Smoke the ribs plain in the gadget and finish them off on the grill with your sauce of choice. A lot less mess and no burning either. Live and learn!
  • If you have some BBQ sauce left over add it to the table as a condiment for dipping!
  • Prep Time: 20 minutes
  • Cook Time: 80 minutes

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1 serving
  • Calories: 541
  • Sugar: 8.5 g
  • Sodium: 569 mg
  • Fat: 32.8 g
  • Saturated Fat: 10.8 g
  • Carbohydrates: 9.4 g
  • Protein: 52.3 g
  • Cholesterol: 146 mg

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BBQ Smoked Ribs - The Only BBQ Rib Recipe You'll Ever Need (7)

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A special thanks toKelly Reevefor assisting with the recipe shoot.

BBQ Smoked Ribs - The Only BBQ Rib Recipe You'll Ever Need (2024)

FAQs

What's the best recipe for smoked ribs? ›

Instructions
  1. Remove the membrane from the ribs and cover the ribs in yellow mustard. ...
  2. Cook on a smoker at 250 degrees uncovered for 3 hours. ...
  3. Lay out a large sheet of aluminum foil. ...
  4. Take ribs out of the foil, brush on BBQ sauce, and put them back on the smoker (without the foil) for about 30 minutes to an hour.
Sep 21, 2023

How to cook prepackaged BBQ ribs? ›

CONVENTIONAL OVEN:

Use scissors to cut open the plastic pouch and remove the slab of ribs from pouch. Place ribs bone side down on the foil lined baking sheet. Heat for about 10–12 minutes until sauce and meat begin to brown. Remove from oven and cool enough to handle before slicing into portions and serving.

What is the 2 2 2 rule for smoking ribs? ›

A Few Words on The 2-2-1 Method

The initial 2 hour step is where the smoke flavor gets into the meat, the middle 2 hour step is where the super tenderizing takes place. The last 1 hour step is where the crust develops on the outside.

What is the secret to smoking ribs? ›

One advocates smoking ribs using the 3 2 1 method. This low-and-slow ribs method requires a smoking temperature of 225° F. The ribs are smoked at this temperature for three hours, tenderized in a wrap for two hours, and then finished, unwrapped, for one hour. Voila!

How do you keep smoked ribs juicy? ›

Start by placing your ribs directly on the grill grates of the smoker for 3 hours to infuse the meat with that good, smoky flavor. 2 hours wrapped. Next up, wrap those smoky ribs in foil (usually with brown sugar, apple cider, butter, and other goodies) for 2 hours to add more flavor and keep that rib meat juicy.

How do you make smoked ribs fall off the bone? ›

It's simple,
  1. Grill / smoke the ribs for 3 hours.
  2. Wrap them in aluminum foil for continue cooking for another 2 hours.
  3. Baste (with sauce, or more rub), grill over fire or inside under a broiler, and finish for another hour.
Feb 6, 2022

Do you need to pre cook ribs before BBQ? ›

Ribs benefit from a lengthy cook time over a low temperature, which can be tough to control on the grill, and can easily lead to burnt meat. Follow this tip: Pre-cooking the ribs before they hit the grill not only gives you more control over the cooking temperature, but it can also make for more tender meat.

How long to prep ribs before smoking? ›

Preparation: Before smoking, it's recommended to prepare the ribs by removing the membrane from the bone side, applying a dry rub or marinade, and allowing them to rest in the refrigerator for a few hours or overnight for better flavor absorption.

Do you cook ribs in foil first or last? ›

Wrap time!

You don't want to overload your ribs with smoke so you dont have to have smoke on them the whole 5-6 hours you are smoking. After letting them smoke for a 3 solid hours you want to take them off the smoker and wrap them in foil.

How to smoke ribs for beginners? ›

To summarize this more tender alternative:
  1. Smoke the ribs for 2 hours directly on the grate at 225°F (107°C)
  2. Wrap the ribs in foil and smoke another 2 hours at 225°F (107°C)
  3. Unwrap the ribs and place them back on the grate. Cook for an additional hour to firm them up and set the bark.

Is 250 too high to smoke ribs? ›

This is one of the most simple and straightforward methods for smoked spare ribs because sometimes, simple really is the best. Here's how to do it: Preheat your smoker to 250 degrees F. Use your favorite hardwood. I recommend fruit, hickory, or apple wood for these ribs.

Is it OK to stack ribs in a smoker? ›

Smoking these ribs are so simple. Season and marinate overnight, just stack them on top of each other and close the lid and you'll be good to go.

How do you get more flavor in smoked ribs? ›

Smoke your ribs low and slow - Smoking your ribs at a low temperature (around 225-250 degrees) and for a longer time (around 4-6 hours) will help to tenderize the meat and infuse it with smoke flavor. Use the right wood - Different woods will give your ribs a different flavor.

Should you flip ribs while smoking? ›

Place ribs bone-side down in smoker at 225 F /110 C and cook for three hours. Remove ribs from the smoker and wrap tightly in aluminum foil to form an airtight seal. Return to the smoker bone-side up and smoke for two hours. Unwrap the ribs and return to the smoker bone-side down for one more hour.

Do I smoke my ribs meat side up or down? ›

Place the ribs meat-side up on the grill. Smoke the ribs for three hours, or when your MEATER wireless thermometer tells you that the internal temperature of the ribs has reached 165 degrees Fahrenheit.

What should I put on ribs before smoking? ›

I think the best rib rubs start with sugar as a base. Pork and sweet were just made to go together. From there, you'll see recipes with salt and pepper plus a mix of things that are custom to each pitmaster. I like to add in smoked paprika for a boost of wood-fired flavor as well as a gorgeous red color that pops.

Should you wrap ribs in foil when smoking? ›

Tender Meat: The foil helps to keep the meat moist, which can result in tender and juicy meat. This is especially important for tough cuts of meat like ribs, which can become dry and tough if not cooked properly.

Do you have to soak ribs before smoking? ›

Soaking meats in a solution of water or other liquids, salt and sugar leads to incredibly moist cooked meats and poultry. The process, called brining, requires advanced preparation, but is usually worth the wait. Brining these ribs overnight makes them extra moist, but the step can be eliminated if time is short.

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