These smoked pork ribs are coated with a flavorful spice rub and cooked low and slow until tender. Follow this method and you’ll get deeply smoked, well-seasoned ribs every time.
We thought we had a perfect ribs recipe—then we tried this one and there’s no going back. —Angie Zoobkoff
Smoked Pork Ribs FAQs
Removing the membrane (silver skin) helps ribs separate and tenderize. Slide an inverted spoon under a corner to loosen it, grip the membrane with a paper towel, and peel it away slowly. A spoon is safer than a knife; if you prefer, ask your butcher to remove it.
Baby back (back) ribs come from along the pig’s back and are meatier and shorter than spare ribs, which come from the belly area. Both cuts smoke beautifully; choose what you prefer or what’s available.
Classic Southern sides pair perfectly: cornbread, baked beans, potato salad, coleslaw, braised greens, and creamy mac and cheese all complement smoked ribs.
Smoked Pork Ribs
David Leite
Equipment
- Smoker, wood chips/chunks/pellets (per your smoker), spray bottle
Ingredients
For the barbecue spice rub
- 1/2 cup fine sea salt or kosher salt
- 1/2 cup ground black pepper
- 1/4 cup muscovado, turbinado, or light brown sugar
- 3 tablespoons sweet paprika
- 2 tablespoons ground coriander
- 2 tablespoons ground cumin
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
For the smoked pork ribs
- 2 tablespoons pork barbecue rub (or more, if needed)
- 1 rack pork ribs (spare or baby back), membrane removed
- Water, cider vinegar, or a combination, for spritzing and a water pan
- 1/3 cup store-bought or homemade barbecue sauce
Instructions
Make the barbecue spice rub
- Combine all rub ingredients in an airtight container. Store in a cool, dry place for several months.
Make the smoked pork ribs
- About an hour before smoking, sprinkle 1 to 1 1/2 tablespoons of the rub on each side of the ribs and rub it in, leaving the meat visible beneath the rub. Reserve remaining rub for other uses.
- Preheat your smoker to 225–250°F (110–120°C) following the manufacturer’s directions. Add wood chips, chunks, or pellets according to your smoker’s instructions.
- Place ribs bone-side down in the smoker. Set a pan of water near or below the ribs to maintain humidity. Fill a spray bottle with water, cider vinegar, or a mix of both.
- Smoke the ribs, maintaining temperature and adding wood as needed, until they turn deep reddish brown, about 2 1/2 to 3 hours depending on smoker temperature and rib thickness. Occasionally spritz the ribs with the spray bottle to keep them moist.
- Lightly brush the top of the ribs with barbecue sauce and smoke for 15 minutes. Flip the ribs, brush the other side with sauce, and smoke another 15 minutes.
- Remove the ribs, wrap them tightly in two layers of foil, and return to the smoker. Cook until exceptionally tender and internal temperature reaches about 190°F (88°C), roughly 1 hour.
- Keep the ribs wrapped and let them rest for 30 minutes before unwrapping and serving.
Adapted From
Smokehouse Handbook
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated and should be used as an approximation.
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Recipe Testers’ Reviews
Only a portion of tested recipes make the site. This recipe passed rigorous blind testing and earned the Leite’s Culinaria stamp of approval.
Elie Nassar
These ribs are straightforward to make and reliably delicious—porky, balanced between sweetness and spice. The recipe is clear enough for a beginner, though you’ll need to tend the smoker periodically. I used an offset Texas-style smoker and a water-and-cider-vinegar spritz; total smoke time was about 3 1/2 hours, with wrapping after they reached the right color and bend.
Jackie Gorman
This method produces consistent, high-quality barbecue. We smoked at about 250°F using charcoal and wood chunks, and followed the saucing and foil-wrapping steps—both added important texture and moisture. We’ll tweak time and temperature slightly next time, but the method is excellent.
Joel Jenkins
The rub has a lot of pepper but yields a great result. I smoked with applewood and used a gas smoker with a water tray. After saucing and wrapping, the ribs were tender but retained a satisfying bite. Total time was roughly five hours, with intermittent attention throughout.