Description

This easy smoked baby back ribs recipe yields tender, juicy, and flavorful ribs with a fall-off-the-bone texture. The ribs are rubbed with a savory spice mix and smoked low and slow for hours, then wrapped in foil with barbecue sauce and apple cider for extra tenderness and flavor. Ideal for a weekend BBQ or special dinner, these ribs pair wonderfully with jalapeño cheddar cornbread muffins, roasted oven fries, or red cabbage slaw.

Ingredients

Scale

Ribs

2 racks baby back ribs

Spice Rub

3 tablespoons packed light or dark brown sugar
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 teaspoons chili powder
2 teaspoons granulated garlic or garlic powder
2 teaspoons granulated onion or onion powder
2 teaspoons smoked paprika

Sauce

2/3 cup barbecue sauce, divided
1/4 cup apple cider
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoons butter, cut into small cubes

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Instructions

Prepare the ribs: Loosen the membrane on the back of each rack of ribs by slipping a small sharp knife between the rib bone and membrane. Grip the membrane with paper towels and pull it off completely; discard.
Apply the spice rub: In a small bowl, whisk together brown sugar, kosher salt, black pepper, chili powder, granulated garlic, granulated onion, and smoked paprika. Rub both sides of the ribs thoroughly with the spice mix. Cover and refrigerate overnight or up to 2 days for maximum flavor, if time allows.
Preheat smoker: Set your smoker to 225 degrees Fahrenheit and let it come to temperature.
Smoke the ribs: Place the rib racks meaty side up on the smoker rack. Smoke uncovered for 3 hours, maintaining steady temperature.
Wrap with sauce and cook longer: Remove ribs from smoker. Keeping smoker on and lid closed, arrange each rack on a large sheet of heavy duty aluminum foil. Brush ribs with 1/3 cup barbecue sauce. Drizzle apple cider and apple cider vinegar around the edges of ribs and dot with butter cubes. Double wrap ribs tightly in foil to create leak-proof packets. Return to smoker and cook for 2 to 3 hours until ribs are tender when pierced with a knife.
Final glaze and finish: Carefully unwrap the foil to expose the ribs, being cautious to retain the foil juices. Brush ribs with the remaining 1/3 cup barbecue sauce and return to smoker for 15 minutes or until the sauce is sticky and caramelized.
Serve: Transfer rib racks to a cutting board, reserving the foil juices. Cut into portions, arrange on a platter, and drizzle with the reserved cooking juices. Serve with plenty of paper towels.

Notes

You can prepare the ribs up to 2 days ahead by applying the spice rub and refrigerating. Smoked ribs can be stored in foil packs with juices and reheated in a 350–400˚F oven or grill until warmed through.
If you don't have a smoker, preheat your oven to 300˚F, rub the ribs, wrap tightly in foil, and bake for about 2 hours until tender but not falling apart. Then grill to caramelize with a sauce mixture of cooking juices, barbecue sauce, apple cider, and apple cider vinegar.
Use heavy duty aluminum foil and double wrap the ribs to prevent leaks and preserve moisture while cooking.
For best flavor, use a robust barbecue sauce such as Stubb’s Original Bar-B-Q Sauce (gluten free, no high fructose corn syrup).
Serve with jalapeño cheddar cornbread muffins, roasted oven fries, or red cabbage slaw for a complete meal.
Maintain a steady smoker temperature of 225˚F to achieve optimal tenderness and smoke flavor.

Nutrition

Serving Size: 1/4 rack (about 6 oz)
Calories: 450 kcal
Sugar: 12 g
Sodium: 850 mg
Fat: 30 g
Saturated Fat: 10 g
Unsaturated Fat: 18 g
Trans Fat: 0 g
Carbohydrates: 18 g
Fiber: 1 g
Protein: 30 g
Cholesterol: 90 mg