Description
This easy smoked baby back ribs recipe results in succulent, tender, and juicy ribs with a flavorful spice rub. Best prepared by rubbing the ribs 1-2 days in advance and slow-smoked for a total of 5 hours to achieve fall-off-the-bone tenderness. Perfectly paired with jalapeño cheddar cornbread muffins, roasted oven fries, or red cabbage slaw.
Ingredients
Scale
Ribs
- 2 racks baby back ribs
Spice Rub
- 3 tablespoons packed light or dark brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
- 2 teaspoons granulated garlic or garlic powder
- 2 teaspoons granulated onion or onion powder
- 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
Sauce
- ⅔ cup barbecue sauce, divided
- ¼ cup apple cider
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 2 tablespoons butter, cut into small cubes
Instructions
- Remove Membrane: Loosen the membrane on the back of each rack by slipping a small sharp knife between the rib bone and membrane. Grip with paper towels and pull off the membrane. Discard it.
- Apply Spice Rub: In a small bowl, whisk brown sugar, salt, black pepper, chili powder, granulated garlic, granulated onion, and smoked paprika together. Rub both sides of the ribs thoroughly with this spice mixture. Cover and refrigerate overnight or up to 2 days for best flavor, or smoke immediately if short on time.
- Preheat Smoker: Heat your smoker to 225 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Smoke Ribs: Place rib racks on smoker racks with meaty side up, cook uncovered for 3 hours.
- Wrap and Continue Cooking: Remove ribs from smoker. Keep smoker on at 225˚F. Place each rack on a large sheet of heavy duty aluminum foil. Brush ribs with ⅓ cup barbecue sauce, drizzle apple cider and vinegar around the edges, and dot the top with butter cubes. Wrap tightly in a double layer foil packet to prevent leaks. Return to smoker and cook an additional 2-3 hours until ribs are tender when pierced.
- Unwrap and Sauce: Carefully unwrap foil, being cautious not to lose the juices. Brush ribs with remaining ⅓ cup barbecue sauce. Place ribs back on smoker uncovered and cook for 15 minutes more, or until the sauce becomes sticky and caramelized.
- Serve: Transfer ribs to a cutting board, reserving foil juices. Cut into portions, arrange on a platter, and drizzle with the reserved juices. Serve hot with plenty of paper towels.
Notes
- Do Ahead: Rub the ribs and refrigerate up to 2 days before smoking for deeper flavor.
- Storage: Smoked ribs can be cooled and refrigerated wrapped in foil with juices. Reheat in foil at 350-400˚F oven or grill until warmed through.
- Smoker: Any grill or smoker that maintains 225˚F will work. Pellet smokers like Traeger are popular choices.
- Heavy Duty Foil: Use thick foil and double wrap to prevent liquid leakage.
- Barbecue Sauce: Pick your favorite brand; Stubbs Original Bar-B-Q is recommended for its robust, peppery, and gluten-free profile.
- Serving Suggestions: Serve with jalapeño cheddar muffins, herbed oven fries, or red cabbage slaw for complementary flavors.
- Oven Cooking Alternative: If you lack a smoker, rub ribs, wrap tightly in foil, and bake at 300˚F for about 2 hours until tender. Reheat on grill with sauce mixture for caramelization.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving (approx. 1/4 rack)
- Calories: 600 kcal
- Sugar: 12 g
- Sodium: 1100 mg
- Fat: 40 g
- Saturated Fat: 15 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 22 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 25 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 45 g
- Cholesterol: 130 mg
