Sticky Smoked Party Ribs – Cooking With Fire
Sticky smoked party ribs are 2 racks of St. Louis cut ribs, cut into single ribs and rubbed with barbecue seasoning. They are smoked hot and fast at 300 to 350°F, then wrapped in a foil tray with brown sugar, honey, barbecue sauce, apple cider vinegar, soy sauce and butter. Braised for about an hour, then uncovered to set the sauce. Cook time is about 2 to 2 1/2 hours. My Brown Sugar Bourbon Party Ribs are my version with baby backs and a bourbon based glaze. Just lower temps and a longer cook.
By cutting the rack into single ribs before putting them on the smoker you will have seasoning and smoke on all four sides of each rib. More area for your sauce to adhere to as well. They will cook quicker too.
Made for tailgating or any game day meal. Eat them straight out of the tray with a stack of napkins.
Quick Look: Sticky Smoked Party Ribs
- Method: Cut into single ribs, smoked hot and fast, braised covered in sauce, uncovered to set the sauce
- Smoker temp: 300 to 350°F
- Smoke time: About 1 hour to 1 hour 15 minutes, depending on how dark you want your ribs
- Braise time: About 1 hour in a foil tray with sauce and butter
- Set time: Uncover and let the sauce set, about 10 to 15 minutes
- Total time: About 2 to 2 1/2 hours
- Serves: 6 to 8
- The one thing that matters most: Rotate your ribs. With high heat, the ribs over the hot spot will get darker quicker
If you want my full rack of ribs done low and slow with cherry wood, check out my Smoked St. Louis Ribs. Same cut, completely different cook.
Why This Recipe
- Higher temp. I am cooking these ribs at 300 to 350°F, not 225 or 250. When you’re cutting the rack into single ribs you don’t need to cook them for 6 hours. You will have bark on the ribs in an hour and be done in two.
- Single ribs. Since you’re cutting the rack into single ribs you have the ability to put seasoning on all four sides of the rib. And more area for sauce at the end.
- Leaving the membrane on. Because you’re smoking at a higher temp, your membrane will crisp up. One less step.
- The sauce. Brown sugar, honey, barbecue sauce, apple cider vinegar, soy sauce and some hot sauce, with a little bit of butter thrown in. You will have a sweet and sticky sauce that isn’t too sweet. It gets cooked on the stovetop while your ribs are smoking.
- Braising your ribs. By braising your ribs in the tray they will become tender. Then uncovering them at the end allows the sauce to set on the ribs instead of pooling underneath them.
I like to smoke my ribs low and slow, but sometimes I have company coming in 2 hours. I still want to have ribs on the table. This is how I do it, and nobody at the table has ever asked how long they took.
Key Ingredients
For the Ribs
- Pork ribs. Two racks of St. Louis cut pork ribs. St. Louis cut ribs are a spare rib that has been trimmed of the rib tips and cartilage. This gives you a flat rack with uniform bones, which will be helpful when cutting them into single ribs. Keep the membrane on. Two racks is about 24 ribs, which is plenty for a table of 6 to 8.
- Barbecue seasoning. Whatever barbecue seasoning you like, about 3 to 4 tbsp across both racks. I like to use a cherry barbecue rub.
For the Sticky Barbecue Sauce
- Brown sugar. 1/2 cup. This is what makes the sauce sticky.
- Barbecue sauce. 1/2 cup. Use whatever barbecue sauce you like.
- Honey. 1/4 cup. Helps with sweetness and with sticking to the ribs.
- Apple cider vinegar. 2 tbsp. Acid to balance out the sweetness. Without it the sauce reads like candy.
- Soy sauce. 2 tbsp. Adds saltiness and flavor. You won’t know that it’s there.
- Hot sauce. 1 tbsp, optional. If you want a little heat with your sweet. I use it. The ribs are not spicy, the heat just keeps the sugar in check.
- Butter. 1 stick total, unsalted. Half a stick goes in your sauce. The other half goes in your tray with the ribs.
Similar to my Hot Honey Smoked Ribs, but without the hot honey. The butter in the tray is what makes the sauce coat the ribs instead of just sitting on them.
Substitutions or Additions
- Use baby back ribs. You can use baby backs. Just check on your ribs a little sooner during the smoke time. They are smaller bones with less meat. My Brown Sugar Bourbon Party Ribs use baby backs.
- Add bourbon. You could add some bourbon to your sauce while it’s on the stovetop, which is what I did with my bourbon party ribs.
- Add heat. Use 2 tbsp of hot sauce or add some cayenne to your rub. Similar to my Peach Bourbon Glazed Ribs, but those are on the sweeter side.
- Change up your rub. Use any barbecue rub that you enjoy. Sweet rubs will pair well with this sauce. A peppery rub balances it out.
- Cook in the oven. Use the same temps and times. Just place your ribs on a wire rack over a sheet pan for the first hour, then move to your tray. You will lose the smokiness, so use a barbecue sauce that has some smoke in it.
- Pellet grill or kettle grill. Any grill that can maintain 300 to 350°F and has a lid. Set up a kettle for indirect heat.
- Rib tips. If you buy your spare ribs and they aren’t trimmed, you can smoke your rib tips alongside and make my Smoked Rib Tip Burnt Ends.
- Same sauce, different cut. This tray and sauce method is the same move I use on my Pork Belly Burnt Ends. Cubed pork belly in place of the ribs, same braise, same sticky finish.
How to Make Sticky Smoked Party Ribs (Step by Step)
Cut your racks into single ribs. Place the rack meat side down so you can see the bones. Cut between each rib. Leave the membrane on.
Season your ribs. Apply your barbecue seasoning to all sides of every rib. Get the ends too. That is the part that was hiding inside the rack.
Place the ribs on the smoker. Set them on the grates at 300 to 350°F with a little space between them. Smoke for 1 hour to 1 hour 15 minutes.
Make the sauce while the ribs smoke. Combine the brown sugar, barbecue sauce, honey, apple cider vinegar, soy sauce, hot sauce and half a stick of butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Allow the butter to melt and stir together. Keep it on low.
Rotate your ribs. About every 20 minutes or so, rotate your ribs. I have a hot spot on my smoker, so I swap the ribs over the hot spot with the ribs that are further away from it.
Move to the foil tray. When your ribs reach the color you want, place them in your foil tray. Pour your sauce over the ribs. Add the remaining half stick of butter to the tray.
Cover and braise. Cover the tray with foil and seal it tight. Allow to braise for about an hour. The ribs should be tender and a probe should slide in between the bones easily.
Uncover your tray. Allow the ribs to sit uncovered on the smoker for about 10 to 15 minutes. You want your sauce to set on the ribs. Watch them. There is a lot of sugar in that tray.
Cool and serve. Allow to cool for a few minutes and enjoy. The sauce will be very hot. Serve them out of the tray with the extra sauce.
Your ribs will be well above 145°F, which is the USDA minimum for pork, long before they are tender. Go by feel, not the clock. If you’re looking for more information on my baby back ribs, check out my Smoked Baby Back Ribs.
Tips From Miguel
You do not need to remove the membrane. You’re smoking at a higher temp, so the membrane will crisp up. I always remove it when doing a low and slow smoke. Not on this one.
Rotate your ribs. Every smoker has a hot spot. The ribs that are over the hot spot will get darker. Rotate them every 20 minutes or so. I swap the dark ones to the cool side and the pale ones over the fire.
Start your sauce as soon as your ribs are on the smoker. It only takes about 5 minutes over medium heat. You want it ready when your ribs are done smoking.
Make sure your tray is sealed tight. You want the moisture to stay in the tray. If steam gets out, the ribs dry out before they get tender.
Only uncover at the end of the cook. Brown sugar and honey can burn if left uncovered for too long. The foil protects the sauce while the ribs get tender.
Storage and Reheating
- Fridge: Store in the fridge for 3 to 4 days in an airtight container with the sauce.
- Freezer: Store in the freezer for up to 3 months in the sauce. Thaw in the fridge.
- Reheat: Cover and place in the oven at 300°F or back on your smoker with a spoon of the sauce. Once they are warmed up, uncover for a few minutes to allow your glaze to set again.
- Make ahead: Smoke your ribs the day before and reheat them the next day. The sauce can be made two days ahead.
If you’re building a whole game day spread, these go next to my Pulled Pork Nachos. Both come out of a tray and both disappear fast.
More Pork Recipes to Try
Sticky Smoked Party Ribs FAQs
What are party ribs?
Party ribs are a rack cut into single ribs before cooking. You have more area to put your rub on and more area for your sauce to adhere to, and they cook faster than a full rack. You serve them like wings.
Can I smoke party ribs at 300 degrees?
Yes. That is the whole point of this recipe. Single ribs do not need a low and slow cook. About an hour of smoke at 300 to 350°F, about an hour covered in sauce, and they are tender.
Do I need to remove the membrane from party ribs?
No. Because you’re smoking them at a higher temp, the membrane will crisp up. On a low and slow rack I pull it. On this cook I leave it.
How do I know when my party ribs are done?
Your ribs are done when you can insert a probe or toothpick between the bones and it slides in with little to no resistance. Your ribs will be well above 145°F, which is the USDA minimum for pork. Go by feel.
Sticky Smoked Party Ribs
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Place each rack meat side down and cut between every bone to separate the ribs. Leave the membrane on. Season every rib on all sides with barbecue seasoning.
- Preheat the smoker to 300 to 350°F. Set the ribs on the grates with space between them and smoke for about 1 hour to 1 hour 15 minutes, rotating every 20 minutes or so, until they have a dark crust all over.
- As soon as the ribs go on, combine the brown sugar, barbecue sauce, honey, apple cider vinegar, soy sauce, hot sauce and half a stick of butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir until the butter melts and everything is combined. Keep warm on low.
- Transfer the ribs to a foil tray. Pour the sauce over them, add the remaining half stick of butter in pieces, and toss to coat. Seal the tray tightly with foil.
- Return the tray to the smoker at 300 to 350°F and braise, covered, for about 1 hour, until a probe slides between the bones with little resistance.
- Remove the foil and leave the tray on the smoker uncovered for about 10 to 15 minutes, until the sauce thickens and clings to the ribs. Watch closely so the sugar does not burn.
- Let the ribs cool a few minutes. Serve straight from the tray with the extra sauce.
