Smoked Baby Back Ribs Recipe
An easy and delicious Smoked Baby Back Ribs recipe that is flavorful and simple to make! The whole family is going to love them!
Ingredients
Dry Rub:
- 2 ½ tablespoons smoked paprika sub regular paprika
- 2 ½ tablespoons lemon pepper
- 2 tablespoons kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon smoked garlic powder sub regular garlic powder
- ½ tablespoon onion powder
- ½ tablespoon ground black pepper
- ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper optional
Baby Back Ribs:
- 2 racks baby back ribs
- 1-2 tablespoons worcestershire sauce see notes
- 2-4 tablespoons yellow mustard
- 9 ounces smokey barbecue sauce more if desired
Mop Ingredients:
- 1 cup water
- 1 cup apple juice
- 1 cup apple cider vinegar
Instructions
- Make Dry Rub: Combine 2 ½ tablespoons smoked paprika, 2 ½ tablespoons lemon pepper, 2 tablespoons kosher salt, 1 tablespoon smoked garlic powder, ½ tablespoon onion powder ½ tablespoon ground black pepper, and ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper (if using) in a small bowl. Set aside.
- Prep Ribs: Place 2 racks baby back ribs, meat side down, on a baking sheet. Using a small knife, gently lift off the corner of the membrane (the layer of thin connective tissue) and gently pull to remove. Pat ribs dry with a clean paper towel. Coat the outside of the ribs with 1-2 tablespoons worcestershire sauce, then 2-4 tablespoons yellow mustard, and then the dry rub mixture.
- Optional: Wrap ribs in plastic wrap, tightly, and store in fridge for 12-24 hours. The next day, remove ribs from fridge and let ribs come to room temperature.
- Prep Smoker + Mop: While ribs are coming to room temperature, turn smoker up to 225℉ (use whatever pellets or smoking chips you prefer) and combine the Mop Ingredients in a clean spray bottle.
- Smoke Ribs: Place ribs on preheated smoker, left side if using a pellet smoker, for 4 hours. Spray with Mop every 45-60 minutes. After 4 hours turn smoker up to 250℉. After 1 hour turn smoker up to 275℉. Once ribs have reached an internal temperature between 190 - 203℉ (approximately 1 hour) (see notes) remove ribs from smoker and turn smoker up to 350℉.
- BBQ Sauce: Brush the ribs generously with your favorite BBQ sauce and place back in smoker for 6-8 minutes, or until the BBQ sauce becomes tacky.
- Rest + Serve: Remove ribs from smoker and let rest 15 minutes (I usually cover with aluminum foil during the resting period). Serve and enjoy!
Notes
- Worcestershire sauce: If you are concerned with Whole30/Paleo, simply omit this step.
- Mop: Continue to spray the ribs with the mop every 45-60 minutes throughout the cooking time.
- Letting sit overnight: If you forgot to do this the night before or you just simply don't want to do this, you can skip this part and the ribs will turn out just fine (I have done it many times). But if you want the best results, letting it sit in the rub overnight is the best way to go!
- Internal Temp: Pork needs to be cooked to a minimum internal temperature of 145 degrees F to be considered safe to eat BUT if you took your ribs off the smoker at that temp they would be a little tough. The longer you cook them, the more tender they become. We recommend an internal temp between 190-203 degrees F. The closer you get to 203 the more fall-off-the-bone they will become, so cook to your personal preference.
- Instant Pot: here is a great recipe for how to make Instant Pot ribs. Always fun to try out different kitchen gadgets!
Nutrition
Calories: 393kcal | Carbohydrates: 17g | Protein: 28g | Fat: 24g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 10g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 98mg | Sodium: 2268mg | Potassium: 546mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 11g | Vitamin A: 1249IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 78mg | Iron: 2mg
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