How to Smoke Pork Ribs
Using the popular 3-2-1 method for smoking ribs is incredibly easy!
Prep Time20 minutes mins
Cook Time6 hours hrs
Total Time6 hours hrs 20 minutes mins
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Keyword: ribs recipe, smoked ribs
Servings: 6 servings
Calories: 1184kcal
- 2 racks baby back ribs , membrane removed
- 1/3 cup yellow mustard
- 1/4 cup apple juice
- 1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- generous amount of your favorite dry rub
- 1/2 cup light brown sugar
- 1/3 cup honey
- 4 Tbsp butter
- 6 Tbsp bourbon , divided (or more apple juice)
- 1 cup your favorite bbq sauce
Lay out 4 large sheets of aluminum foil and set aside. Fill hopper of smoker with wood pellets, I usually use hickory, but pecan or cherry would work as well.
Remove membrane from back of ribs. Slide a butter knife into the bone-side of the rack of ribs and make a small slit. Grab the membrane and pull it off. Use a paper towel to get a better grip on it.
Combine mustard, apple juice and Worcestershire sauce. Brush over ribs on both sides. Season ribs with dry rub on both sides. Be generous.
Start smoker on the smoke setting for 5-10 minutes. Increase heat to 225 F degrees. Smoke the ribs, meaty side up, for 3 hours.
Leave smoker on at 225 F degrees and place ribs on foil sheets. Sprinkle rack of ribs on both sides with half of brown sugar and honey, then top with 2 Tbsp of butter. Pour in 3 Tbsp bourbon. Repeat with remaining rack of ribs and remaining brown sugar, honey, butter and bourbon.
Add another foil sheet on top of the ribs and crimp to seal tightly. Return foil packs of ribs to grill and cook for 2 hours.
Carefully remove ribs from foil, and brush ribs with bbq sauce. Place ribs back on grill grate and grill for 1 hour. Slice and enjoy!
TO GRILL ON TRADITIONAL GRILL:
- Set up grill so there is a hot area and a not hot area of the grill grates. Soak wood chips for about an hour.
- Fill 3 aluminum foil pouches with wood chips, seal and poke a few holes in it to allow the smoke to come out. Each time you open the grill door to tend to the ribs (at the beginning, after 3 hours, and after 2 hours), change out the pouches for a fresh one.
- Start grill on HIGH, place 1 pouch of wood chips over the heat until you see smoke coming through the pouches’ holes. Lower heat and keep temperature around 225 F degrees. Place ribs on the not hot side of the grill and cook as directed in above recipe.
TO COOK IN OVEN:
- Preheat oven to 225 F degrees. Follow recipe as written, except add a teaspoon or so of liquid smoke (found in the spice aisle of most grocery stores) to the mustard mixture you brush on the ribs before adding the rub.
Calories: 1184kcal | Carbohydrates: 55g | Protein: 88g | Fat: 62g | Saturated Fat: 15g | Cholesterol: 355mg | Sodium: 1033mg | Potassium: 1638mg | Sugar: 50g | Vitamin A: 390IU | Vitamin C: 0.8mg | Calcium: 144mg | Iron: 4.7mg