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Our Smoked Baby Back Pork Ribs are cooked low and slow until tender and juicy, with rich smoky flavor and a generous coating of homemade BBQ sauce. Perfect for summer cookouts and must-try for any barbecue lover!
5 Star Reviews ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
“Thank you so much for sharing this amazing recipe! Will surely have this again! It’s really easy to make and it tasted so delicious! Highly recommended!” -Allyssa
“I have been making these ribs for the past couple of years during football season, and boy are they good! These ribs will be on my table this weekend for the Super Bowl.” – Paula
“Smoked ribs are a must this time of year!! It’s feels so nice outside, that all we want to do is grill! The meat just falls off the bone & the flavor is so good!!” – Kristyn
Why I Love These Ribs
There’s just something about Smoked Baby Back Pork Ribs that screams summer to me—especially when we make them for the 4th of July. It’s become a bit of a tradition around here. We love firing up the smoker, spending the afternoon outside, and letting that incredible smoky aroma fill the backyard.
These ribs are cooked low and slow until they’re fall-off-the-bone tender, then slathered in our favorite Homemade BBQ Sauce. I’m not shy with the sauce, I brush it on throughout the smoking process and always serve extra on the side. Whether you’re using a smoker or adapting them for the grill (yes, you can use a traditional grill!), these ribs are packed with flavor and perfect for your next summer cookout.
🩷 Emily
Ingredients You’ll Need
- 2 racks baby back pork ribs
- salt and pepper
- Our Homemade BBQ Sauce
The Best Homemade BBQ Sauce
The sauce we like to use for this recipe is a Kansas City-style BBQ sauce. It is thick and sweet and perfect for slathering on ribs. Combine ketchup, cider vinegar, brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, soy sauce, oil, garlic, chili powder, and Tabasco sauce. Stir all the ingredients together and heat until thick. Use this BBQ sauce as a baste while smoking or serve on the side for dipping, or both!
The homemade BBQ sauce can be used on more than just these ribs. We make the sauce all the time for other recipes too. Try it with instant pot pulled pork, shredded chicken, or Grilled Honey BBQ Chicken for a burst of barbecue flavor.
How to Smoke Baby Back Ribs
- Room temperature – Set the ribs out at room temperature for 20 to 30 minutes before grilling. Season with salt and pepper. Then start up the smoker and set to high smoke.
- Smoke – Place each rack of ribs on the smoker and smoke for six hours.
- BBQ sauce – About one hour before the ribs are done cooking, make the BBQ sauce and set aside a cup of the sauce in a small bowl.
- Baste and serve – During the last 30 minutes of grilling time, baste generously with a small bowl of sauce. Serve warm with the remaining sauce on the side.
Tips and Suggestions
- Get the right type – Try and find fresh and high-quality types of ribs. Baby back ribs or St. Louis-style ribs are usually the best and still affordable.
- Remove the Membrane – If there is a silvery membrane, remove it before adding the dry rub. There is a thin white membrane that is attached to the back of the ribs. Removing that will help the seasoning adhere better as well as tenderize the ribs while smoking.
- Preheat – Make sure the smoker is on and preheated before adding the ribs to it. The ribs will begin cooking right away.
- Wrap in Foil – An option to ensure tenderness is to wrap the ribs in heavy-duty aluminum foil after they have been cooked for a few hours. This will help lock in the flavors and continue to be tender. Add apple juice to the foil for added flavor and moisture.
- Let them Rest – It is best to let the easy-smoked ribs sit at room temperature before cutting into them. They will be tender and juicy and will probably fall off the bone.
- Make it Gluten Free – To make this recipe GF, all you need to do is make sure you have a GF soy sauce (yes soy sauce has gluten in it). With that easy swap, you should be good to go!
Frequently Asked Questions
If you don’t have a smoker, no problem! Before we owned a smoker we were able to smoke our ribs on our traditional grill. There are a few supplies you will need: a smoker box and Hickory wood chips soaked in water for at least 30 min.
You simply add the soaked hickory chips to the smoker box and place it on the grill. Grill the ribs with the bone side down, and meat side up, over indirect medium heat until the meat is very tender and has pulled back from the end of the bones (about 1 ½ to 2 hours). During the last 20 minutes of grilling time, baste generously with the homemade BBQ sauce.
Try to keep the temp between 225–250 °F for best results
Many pitmasters prefer the “bend test”—when ribs bend into a loose arch and the meat pulls back from the bone.
Wrapping in foil (the “Texas Crutch”) locks in moisture and speeds tenderization, though some BBQ purists avoid it. It’s optional depending on your texture preference.
Yes! Many use apple juice, cider vinegar, or even Cherry Coke or root beer in a spray bottle to keep them moist during the smoke .
Definitely, although low and slow is best. But of you are in a hurry you can cook them in about 4 hours by smoking at 275 °F and wrapping halfway through.
Baby back ribs are smaller, leaner, and come from the upper back of the pig. Spare ribs are larger, fattier, and come from the belly area, making them extra juicy when smoked. Both are delicious—it just depends on whether you prefer lean or rich, juicy ribs. I personally like baby backs for their meatiness and lower fat.
Storing Leftovers
- In the Fridge – If you are lucky enough to have leftovers from your smoked rib recipe, don’t worry, they can easily be stored and reheated. Wrap the ribs in plastic wrap, then place ribs in an airtight container or resealable plastic bag. They will keep in the fridge for up to a week.
- In the Freezer – Wrap the ribs in a layer of plastic wrap and then a layer of foil or in a resealable plastic freezer bag. They will keep in the freezer for up to 3 months. To re-heat, that in the refrigerator overnight and then let them sit at room temperature for 30 minutes.
- Re-Heating – Place the ribs on a sheet of foil and baste them with leftover barbecue sauce. Tightly seal the foil, then bake at 250 for about 30 minutes.
What to Serve with Smoked Ribs
These ribs are great with our yummy BBQ side dishes. There are all types of salads to choose from for summer BBQs and get-togethers. I love serving ribs with air fryer baked potatoes, perfect corn on the cob, coleslaw, and crock pot baked beans. You can also serve with macaroni salad or potato salad.
Have you tried these Smoked Baby Back Ribs?
Let me know how it turned out in the comments below! I’d love to hear what sides you paired with it too! 💨
Smoked Baby Back Ribs
Ingredients
- 2 racks baby back pork ribs, about 4 lbs. (optional: we like to get the pre seasoned ribs from Costco)
- kosher salt
- black pepper, freshly ground
- 2 cups Homemade BBQ Sauce
Instructions
- Set the ribs out at room temperature 20-30 minutes before grilling. Season with salt and pepper. Then start up the smoker and set to high smoke.
- Place each rack of ribs on the smoker and smoke for 6 hours.
- About 1 hour before the ribs are done cooking, make the Homemade BBQ Sauce and set aside a cup of the sauce in a small bowl.
- During the last 30 minutes of grilling time, baste generously with a small bowl of sauce. Serve warm with the remaining sauce on the side.
Equipment
- Smoker Pellet Grill
Notes
- Choose quality ribs – Baby back or St. Louis-style ribs work best for smoking.
- Remove the membrane – Peel off the thin layer on the back for better seasoning and tenderness.
- Preheat the smoker – Get it hot before adding ribs so they start cooking right away.
- Foil wrap for tenderness – After a few hours, wrap ribs in foil with a splash of apple juice to lock in flavor and moisture.
- Rest before slicing – Let ribs sit for a few minutes after cooking to stay juicy and tender.
- Gluten-free option – Use gluten-free soy sauce to keep the recipe GF-friendly.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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I would say these ribs, because you can smoke them, smother in the sauce, and enjoy any kind of another side dish! My husband, and I enjoy smoking meats, chicken, turkey! I think these ribs, a nice cold beer, any cold drink would be an excellent 5 star for Superbowl Sunday😋
I have been making these ribs for the past couple of years during football season, and boy are they good! These ribs will be on my table this weekend for Super Bowl. Go Chiefs!!!
Smoked ribs are a must this time of year!! It’s feels so nice outside, that all we want to do is grill! The meat just falls off the bone & the flavor is so good!!
Thank you so much for sharing this amazing recipe! Will surely have this again! It’s really easy to make and it tasted so delicious! Highly recommended!
These really are so easy to make and so TENDER!