Smoky, spiced, and sweet – these Smoked Ribs are tender and juicy. Coated with a sweet and savory brown sugar rub and finished with sticky bbq sauce, these ribs are perfect for weekend grilling.
Serve these Smoked Ribs up with some Baked Beans with Bacon and some Corn Muffins for a complete meal!
I love my Traeger, although I will admit that I’m not a smoking expert. But I like good food, and I like smoked meat, and I’ve had some really good meals come from the smoker.
The good thing is that ribs on the smoker are actually really, really easy. When I first started doing research and testing, I got caught up in the 3-2-1 method, which has you smoke the ribs, then wrapping them for 2 hours, and saucing for 1 hour.
But you all know how much I love easy. And I found that I actually prefer the easier way of just adding a spice rub and smoking them. No needing to worry about babysitting them, or worrying about multiple steps.
This is simple. Delicious. Easy. Just how I like it!
Ingredients
- Spice Mix: This is an easy, homemade spice mix, made from spices you probably have on hand already. I use brown sugar, salt, onion powder, smoked paprika, dry mustard, garlic powder, black pepper, and cayenne pepper. Feel free to adjust this as desired.
- Ribs: I used baby back ribs, but you can also use spare ribs. The cook time will differ, though.
- Mustard: I like to use mustard as the “glue” for the spice mixture. I’m using plain yellow mustard.
- BBQ Sauce: I like to add a coat of bbq sauce at the end. This really is optional, though. You can skip the bbq sauce and serve them dry, with bbq sauce at the table for those that want it.
How to Make Smoked Ribs
STEP 1: Mix together the brown sugar and spice mixture in a small bowl. You want to make sure there aren’t any clumps.
STEP 2: Remove the packaging from the ribs, and pat dry with paper towels. If there is a silver skin on the bottom, you want to remove it with a sharp knife. Brush the mustard over the ribs, making sure to brush the top, bottom, and sides.
STEP 3: Take the spice mixture and cover the ribs with it. I like to use my hands to press it in to make sure it all sticks.
STEP 4: Wrap the ribs with plastic wrap, making sure to wrap them tightly. Refrigerate the ribs for 12 hours, or overnight.
STEP 5: When ready to cook the ribs, preheat your smoker to 250ºF. Unwrap the ribs and place them in the smoker, meat side up.
STEP 6: Cook the ribs until they are about 195ºF to 205ºF. When they are almost done, brush them with the barbecue sauce. Let the ribs sit for about 15 minutes before slicing and serving.
Tips and Tricks
I find that most of the time, the silver skin has been removed from the bottom of the ribs. But if it is there, you will want to remove it.
To test the doneness of the ribs, I like to use the flexibility test. Use a pair of tongs to lift from the center. If the ribs are flexible and just start to break apart, they are good to go!
The cook time will depend on your smoker, as well as the thickness of the ribs. Cook time can be anywhere from 4-6 hours.
If you need the ribs faster, you can skip the wrapping and refrigerating, but I find that it helps the meat to form a crust better when refrigerated.
More Rib Recipes
Instant Pot Ribs
Slow Cooker Ribs
Braised Country Style Ribs
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Smoked Ribs
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup light brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon onion powder
- 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon dry mustard powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- Pinch of cayenne pepper
- 1 rack baby back ribs
- 3 tablespoons yellow mustard
- 1/3 cup prepared barbecue sauce
Instructions
- In a small bowl, combine the brown sugar, salt, onion powder, smoked paprika, mustard powder, garlic powder, black pepper, and cayenne pepper.1/2 cup light brown sugar, 1 tablespoon kosher salt, 1 tablespoon onion powder, 1 tablespoon smoked paprika, 1 teaspoon dry mustard powder, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon black pepper, Pinch of cayenne pepper
- Remove the ribs from the packaging and pat dry. If the silver skin is attached, use a sharp knife to remove it. Place the ribs on a large baking sheet.1 rack baby back ribs
- Brush the mustard evenly over the ribs, making sure to rub on both sides and the edges.3 tablespoons yellow mustard
- Cover the ribs completely with the spice rub. I like to use my hands to make sure they are fully sticking to the ribs. Wrap the ribs tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 12 hours.
- Preheat a smoker to 250ºF.
- Carefully unwrap the ribs from the plastic wrap. Place meat side up in the smoker. Close the lid and smoke until the ribs are about 195ºF to 205ºF. This will take anywhere from 4-6 hours.
- When they are almost ready, brush with the barbecue sauce and continue to cook until the sauce is sticky and the ribs are done.1/3 cup prepared barbecue sauce
- Let the ribs sit for about 15 minutes before slicing.
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