By Becky Hardin
Published May 31, 2023
Easy, tender, and juicy – you can’t go wrong with these smoked baby back ribs! Smoked Ribs are simply divine, they deliver a deep flavor that’s bound to please the crowd. Whip these up for dinner, BBQs, or summer parties – kids and adults alike will adore tucking into these beauties!
What’s in Baby Back Pork Ribs?
All you have to do with your baby back pork ribs is slather them in a delicious dry rub full of slices, then mist them with apple juice throughout the cooking process to make them sweet and juicy.
Baby Back Pork Ribs: Two racks serves 4 people, feel free to adjust the recipe as needed for different numbers of people.
Apple Juice: Put it in a spray bottle to infuse your meat with delicious flavor!
Celery Salt: For a bit of zing!
Garlic Powder: Add more if you’re a big fan of garlic.
Chili Powder: This is the core source of smoky flavor in this recipe.
Black Pepper: an essential for any basic spice blend.
Ground Paprika: This brings some extra depth to the recipe.
Cayenne Pepper: For my spice lovers!
Variations on Smoked Baby Back Ribs
This rib recipe is super simple and easy to customize. Feel free to swap out the spice blend for your favorite spice blend, such as pork chop seasoning , Italian seasoning , Creole seasoning , blackened seasoning , chili seasoning , fajita seasoning , taco seasoning , or herbs de Provence .
For this recipe, we will smoke our ribs at 300°F for 3 hours.
While many people love the 3-2-1 method for fall-off-the-bone tender ribs, it is not the traditional method for smoking ribs. Here, we employ a more traditional method that leads to perfectly cooked ribs that stay on the bone, but are still super tender!
Baby back ribs are ideal because they are leaner and more tender, but you can also use spare ribs or St. Louis-style ribs.
Yes, you should flip them after 1 hour, then every 30 minutes until they’re done. If you use a rib rack, you do not need to flip your rubs.
Smoked ribs are done when they are dark brown, tender, and the meat begins to shrink away from the bones. The internal temperature should be 202°F.
If your ribs were cooked too fast at too high of a temperature, they will be tough. Smoking ribs is a low-and-slow method that results in tender ribs.
How to Store and Reheat Smoked Pork Ribs
Store leftover smoked ribs in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days for maximum freshness and safety. Reheat in a pan covered with aluminum foil in a 250°F oven for about 30 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches 140°F.
How to Freeze Smoked Pork Baby Back Ribs
Freeze smoked ribs tightly wrapped in 2 layers of plastic wrap and 1 layer of aluminum foil in a Ziplock bag for up to 3 months. Let thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
What to Serve with Smoked BBQ Ribs
These easy smoked ribs work great with a variety of sides, such as Baked Mac and Cheese , Shoestring Fries , Corn Pudding , or Grilled Potato Wedges with Chimichurri .
Crispy-tinged with a tender and juicy center, you will not believe how perfect these baby back ribs are!
Ingredients1x2x3x
Ingredients
- ▢ 2 racks Baby Back Pork Ribs
- ▢ 2 cups apple juice in a spray bottle
Dry Rub Seasonings
- ▢ 2 teaspoons celery salt
- ▢ 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- ▢ 2 teaspoons chili powder
- ▢ 2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
- ▢ 3 teaspoons ground paprika
- ▢ ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
Video
Instructions
- Remove the silver skin (membrane) off the back side of the ribs if the butcher did not already do this by taking the blunt end of a knife and tracing it under the membrane. Pull the membrane away from and off of the ribs. 2 racks Baby Back Pork Ribs
- Preheat the smoker to 300°F for 15 minutes with the lid closed.
- Combine the rub seasonings in a small bowl or ramekin. Rub the ribs on the top side thoroughly with the seasoning. Let ribs rest as the smoker comes to temp. 2 teaspoons celery salt, 2 teaspoons garlic powder, 2 teaspoons chili powder, 2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper, 3 teaspoons ground paprika, ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- Place the ribs directly on the grill grate of the smoker. Smoke for 30 minutes, then spritz several times with apple juice. Repeat spritzing every 30 minutes until 3 hours has passed. Flip the ribs once at 1 hour, and then every 30 minutes after. Check to be sure the internal temp of the ribs has reached 202°F before removing. 2 cups apple juice
- Rest the ribs on a wooden cutting board for 10 minutes. Working from left to right, slice next to the next bone (on the left hand side of it) to make even sections. Serve with your favorite bbq sauce if desired. Enjoy!
Equipment
- Smoker
Becky’s Tips
- If your smoker uses wood chips, look for lighter woods with a fruitier flavor, such as hickory, oak, mesquite, grapevine, apple, cherry, or pecan. Avoid overpowering woods such as elm, cedar, cypress, fir, pine, redwood, spruce, sycamore, poison oak, or eucalyptus.
- Trim and prep your ribs properly before starting. Be sure to remove the silver skin (membrane) on the back of the ribs.
- Don’t be stingy with the rub! Be sure to fully coat the ribs on all sides with the rub for the best flavor.
- Spritz the ribs often with apple juice to keep them moist and juicy.
- Rest the ribs for 10 minutes before cutting to keep the juices in.
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
More Rib Recipes We Love
- Oven Baked Ribs
- St. Louis Grilled Ribs
- Air Fryer BBQ Ribs
- Crockpot BBQ Ribs
- Instant Pot BBQ Ribs
Smoked Ribs Recipe
Equipment
- Smoker
Ingredients
Ingredients
- 2 racks Baby Back Pork Ribs
- 2 cups apple juice in a spray bottle
Dry Rub Seasonings
- 2 teaspoons celery salt
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
- 2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
- 3 teaspoons ground paprika
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
Instructions
- Remove the silver skin (membrane) off the back side of the ribs if the butcher did not already do this by taking the blunt end of a knife and tracing it under the membrane. Pull the membrane away from and off of the ribs. 2 racks Baby Back Pork Ribs
- Preheat the smoker to 300°F for 15 minutes with the lid closed.
- Combine the rub seasonings in a small bowl or ramekin. Rub the ribs on the top side thoroughly with the seasoning. Let ribs rest as the smoker comes to temp. 2 teaspoons celery salt, 2 teaspoons garlic powder, 2 teaspoons chili powder, 2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper, 3 teaspoons ground paprika, ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- Place the ribs directly on the grill grate of the smoker. Smoke for 30 minutes, then spritz several times with apple juice. Repeat spritzing every 30 minutes until 3 hours has passed. Flip the ribs once at 1 hour, and then every 30 minutes after. Check to be sure the internal temp of the ribs has reached 202°F before removing. 2 cups apple juice
- Rest the ribs on a wooden cutting board for 10 minutes. Working from left to right, slice next to the next bone (on the left hand side of it) to make even sections. Serve with your favorite bbq sauce if desired. Enjoy!
Video
Notes
- If your smoker uses wood chips, look for lighter woods with a fruitier flavor, such as hickory, oak, mesquite, grapevine, apple, cherry, or pecan. Avoid overpowering woods such as elm, cedar, cypress, fir, pine, redwood, spruce, sycamore, poison oak, or eucalyptus.
- Trim and prep your ribs properly before starting. Be sure to remove the silver skin (membrane) on the back of the ribs.
- Don’t be stingy with the rub! Be sure to fully coat the ribs on all sides with the rub for the best flavor.
- Spritz the ribs often with apple juice to keep them moist and juicy.
- Rest the ribs for 10 minutes before cutting to keep the juices in.
Nutrition
By Becky Hardin
Published Jul 12, 2017
This Essential Grocery List is an absolute life saver for my family on the busy weeks. When I started this journey to learn how to cook, I quickly realized that the first step in cooking is having staple ingredients on hand. I want to avoid having to run out to the grocery store every single time I prepare a new recipe. Having a well-stocked pantry has made my life in the kitchen so much simpler, because when it’s time to cook, I have what I need.
Essential Grocery List
It’s so helpful to have a basic grocery list to help me remember which foods to buy at the store. This food shopping list is my go-to!
It’s better to stock up on things like grains, seasonings and spices, baking essentials, oils, condiments, canned and frozen foods, etc. so I can just grab them when I need them. These things have a long shelf life , so I keep them in my kitchen for convenience.
However, I do have to go to the supermarket sometimes, and there’s a way to make that trip easy and hassle-free: I keep a grocery list! If I go in blindly, I’ll leave with things I don’t need, and nothing that actually helps me prepare a good meal.
In the list below, I’ve compiled everything I always have on my stock-up grocery list.
I’ve got you covered! I created an easy grocery list filled with all of the essentials. Plus there’s a free printable version that you can take with you to the grocery store. It has everything you need to stock your pantry, your freezer, and your refrigerator.
Click to get my Free Printable Grocery List
What to Buy at the Grocery Store
This is the perfect grocery list filled with all the basics and essentials. It should help get you going if you’re new to cooking, or if you’re just left staring helplessly at an empty pantry and don’t know how to fill it.
When I first started cooking, things could seem overwhelming. I quickly realized that they more prepared I could be, the more confident I felt. If you already have the basics in your kitchen, then you can shop stress-free.
So print out our easy grocery list, stock up your pantry and fridge, and you’ll be cooking in no time!
Click to get my Free Printable Grocery List for the perfectly stocked pantry and freezer!
Fresh Produce
- Apples
- Bananas
- Strawberries
- Avocados
- Bell Peppers
- Carrots
- Broccoli
- Garlic
- Lemons/Limes
- Onion
- Parsley
- Cilantro
- Basil
- Potatoes
- Spinach
- Tomatoes
GRAINS
- Breadcrumbs
- Pasta
- Quinoa
- Rice
- Sandwich Bread
- Tortillas
MEAT/PROTEIN
- Chicken
- Eggs
- Ground Beef
- Sliced Turkey
- Lunch Meat
DAIRY
- Butter
- Sliced Cheese
- Shredded Cheese
- Milk
- Sour Cream
- Greek Yogurt
BAKING GOODS
- Baking powder
- Baking Soda
- Granulated Sugar
- Brown Sugar
- Flour
- Honey
- Vanilla Extract
- Dry Yeast
- Chocolate Chips
- Cocoa Powder
- Powdered Sugar
FREEZER
- Fruit and Berries
- Frozen Veggies (Corn, Peas, Broccoli, etc)
- Juice Concentrate
- Pizza or Other Convenience Meals
- Pie Crust
- Cookie Dough
CANNED/DRIED GOODS
- Chicken stock/broth
- Salsa
- Diced Tomatoes
- Jam/Jelly
- Peanut Butter
- Pasta Sauce
- Beans (Black Beans, Chickpeas, Baked Beans, etc)
- Soups
- Tuna
- Green Chiles
- Canned Veggies
- Coffee or Tea
Get more details on the best non-perishable and pantry foods
CONDIMENTS/SPICES
- Black Pepper
- Chili Powder
- Cinnamon
- Crushed Red Pepper
- Cumin
- Garlic Powder
- Ketchup
- Mustard
- Mayo
- Nutmeg
- Paprika
- Salt (Course Sea Salt and Kosher Salt)
- Soy Sauce
- Steak Sauce
- Hot Sauce/ Buffalo Sauce
- Salad Dressings
OILS/VINEGARS
- Apple cider vinegar
- Balsamic vinegar
- Coconut Oil
- Olive Oil
- Vegetable/Canola Oil
- Red Wine Vinegar
- White Vinegar
- Cooking Wine
- White Wine Vinegar
SNACKS
- Crackers
- Nuts
- Quick Oats
- Popcorn
- Tortilla Chips
- Cereal
Click to get my Free Printable Grocery List for the perfectly stocked pantry and freezer!
Click ☝🏻 for my FREE Grocery List Printable!
I hope this essential grocery list can help you buy what you need and make your home cooking so much easier!
Stock Your Kitchen
Find more ideas for your grocery list, stock up your kitchen, and print more cooking guides and charts to keep handy!
Non-Perishable Foods to Stock Up On
Frozen Vegetables to Stock Up On (and Recipes to Make)
Ultimate List of Cooking Herbs for Your Kitchen
Ultimate List of Cooking Spices for Your Kitchen
Cooking Oil 101: Types of Cooking Oils to Use
26 Types of Pasta and When to Use Them
What Fruits and Vegetables are in Season?
Meat Temperature Chart (Free Printable)
How to Meal Prep (Guide for Beginners)
Basic Cooking Measurements & Kitchen Conversion Chart
