Smoked Ribs Recipe
This smoked ribs recipe slow cooks spare ribs low and slow over cherry wood, spritzes them with apple juice and whiskey then wraps them in butter and finishes them at high heat till tender. Painted with homemade apple whiskey glaze and slapped back on the grill at the end. Tender enough to bite right through, with a dark sweet bark, and glazed with sauce that tastes like it was way harder than it is.
Author’s Notes
Ribs Take Some Time, and They Pay You Back
You know, ribs do take some time, but you wanna start them off nice and slow. This allows for the fat to render and the bark to build, and you do not wanna rush it. Smoke these nice and slow, let that color build up, let the fat render correctly, and these ribs are very rewarding at the end.
They come out nice and tender, and I like my ribs bite through, not fall off the bone completely. You bite them and you get a clean bite, you know, not completely fall off and shred. So give them their time.
My personal favorite is a spare rib, cause they have more fat, and more fat means more juiciness in my opinion. Baby back ribs are a very lean rib, so they’re not as juicy. That’s why my go to is a spare rib or a St. Louis cut, cause those come already nice and trimmed for you, so you don’t have to worry about trimming those ribs up.
Miguel
Ingredients
| Ingredient | Notes |
|---|---|
| Spare ribs or St. Louis cut | St. Louis racks come already trimmed so there’s less knife work for you to do. |
| The rub | You can use the sweet rub listed on the card, your favorite store bought sweet rub, or just salt pepper and garlic. Either road will work. |
| Apple whiskey | Used in the glaze, the spritz, and the wrap. It’s the common theme throughout the entire cook. |
| Brown sugar, ketchup, apple juice, vinegar | The remainder of the glaze. Simply mix together and let cook down till it’s thick enough to paint on. |
| Butter | Only for the wrap. This is what takes your ribs from good to pull apart tender. |
| Apple juice | Only used for half the spritz mixture, then give it a splash in the wrap as well. |
| Cherry wood | Cherry is a sweet smoke that helps build that dark mahogany color we love. |
Exact measurements and directions can be found on the recipe card below.
How To Make This Smoked Ribs Recipe
- Pull the membrane off the back of the ribs. Optional, but I’d rather have it off.
- Dry rub only, this cook doesn’t need a binder first. Let the ribs “sweat” for about 30 minutes so the seasoning penetrates.
- Onto the smoker they go at 250 degrees F over cherry wood.
- Mix together the glaze ingredients. Start to finish on the stove over medium high heat till it reduces down and thickens. You can make this ahead and store in the fridge till needed, simply reheat loose.
- Apple juice and whiskey mix sprayed on every 30 to 45 minutes till the color of the ribs is set.
- See that color? Once it’s like that, it’s time to wrap.
- The wrap is butter, a splash of apple juice, whiskey, and back on the smoker with the temp up to 300 degrees F till they bend with a slight crack.
- The tong test. Use tongs to pick a rack up in the middle. If the meat bends and you see a slight crack it’s done. If the meat tears right through you’ve gone too far.
- Unwrap, and back on the grill uncovered to paint them with glaze then go for about 10 more minutes uncovered till the glaze sets.
- Rest, slice, enjoy.
Why Low And Slow is Important
If you rush this cook and start with high heat you lose out on two critical components of a great rib. Ribs have a lot of fat and connective tissue, neither of which breaks down quick. Low heat allows the fat to render and bark to build. That’s why your finished rib is juicy, not greasy. Wrapping takes a shortcut through that tenderizing process. Butter, a little liquid, and trapped steam essentially braise the ribs till they’re tender without spending all day smoking. The final unwrapped stretch also lets the glaze set so it’s sticking to the rib instead of dripping off.
Make it Without a Smoker
Of course you can make this smoked ribs recipe in the oven. Temperatures stay the same, and even the wrap would happen in there. You lose the smoke, which a little liquid smoke added to either the glaze or the wrap will help get you part of the way back. Spritzing, wrapping, and the bend test all work exactly the same way inside.
What to Serve With It
Mac and cheese, bbq beans, a loaded baked potato, or some onions sautéed in butter. Really ribs are the main event of the meal, so let the sides be there to just get along.
Make Ahead And Storage
The glaze can be made days ahead of time, stored in the fridge and reheats loose with a quick warm up. Leftover ribs store airtight in the fridge for a couple days. The trick to reheating ribs and keeping them moist is low heat and wrapped in foil. Once heated through you can unwrap them for a few minutes if you’d like the glaze crispy again.
Miguel’s Tips
- Let them go low and slow. You’ll never get rendered fat or bark back if you rush this cook.
- Spritz often. Once you hit the color you want on the ribs, keep that bottle close. Once ribs dry out they never recover.
- Wrap it tight. Foil has to be sealed tight or steam escapes and the braise never happens.
- Don’t overshoot the bend test. Sure you want them tender, but past a certain point there’s no texture left and you’re just chewing on collagen.
Smoked Ribs FAQ
What temp do you smoke ribs at?
Smoked them at 250 degrees F over cherry wood for the first portion of the cook. I then let them wrap at 300 degrees F till tender.
How do you know when ribs are done smoking?
Pick a rack up in the middle with some tongs and look for it to bend, but not tear apart. When it bends and you see a slight crack in the meat they’re done.
Can I use baby back ribs instead?
You sure can! Same cook, just will take less time. Since baby backs are leaner than spare ribs they won’t be quite as juicy. Start checking for bend earlier.
Related Recipes
Keep the smoker rolling: my Honey BBQ Smoked St. Louis Style Ribs run a sweeter lane on the same cut, the Hot and Fast Party Ribs are the shortcut version when you don’t have all afternoon, the Whiskey Chicken Wings put this same bottle to work on wing night, and the Whisky Injected Smoked Pulled Pork Sandwiches take the whiskey and pork combo all the way.
Smoked Ribs Recipe with Apple Whiskey Glaze
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Remove the membrane from the back of the ribs. Optional, and you can score it instead, but removing it is recommended.
- Season the ribs with the rub. No binder needed if the ribs are moist, or use a little mustard or oil if you prefer. Let them sweat for about 30 minutes so the seasoning absorbs.
- Smoke the ribs at 250°F over cherry wood, nice and slow.
- While the ribs smoke, make the glaze. Combine the glaze ingredients in a pot over medium high heat until the sauce thickens, then set aside to cool. A squeeze bottle makes it easy to apply later.
- Once the color is setting, spritz the ribs with the apple juice and whiskey mix every 30 to 45 minutes to keep them from drying out.
- When the color is nice and dark and the bark has set, wrap each rack in foil with butter, a splash of apple juice, and a splash of the apple whiskey. Seal tight.
- Return the wrapped ribs to the smoker with the heat raised to 300°F and let them braise for around 1 more hour.
- Check tenderness with the tong test. Pick a rack up in the middle. When it bends with a slight crack in the meat, they’re done. If the meat tears through, they’ve gone too far.
- Unwrap and place the ribs back directly on the grill grates uncovered. Paint them with the glaze and let them go about 10 more minutes so the sauce can set.
- Pull them off, let them rest, then slice and serve with your favorite sides.
Nutrition
Notes
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