Simple BBQ Ribs Recipe (2024)

FAQs

How do you BBQ ribs for beginners? ›

Learning how to cook ribs on the grill may take a little time and patience, but the process couldn't be easier! Just coat the ribs in the spice rub, wrap them in foil, and stick them on the grill. They cook over indirect heat for about two hours before finishing over the flames.

Essentially, 3 2 1 ribs go like this: 3 hours of smoking the ribs directly on the pellet grill. 2 hours wrapped in foil, still cooking on the grill. 1 hour of cooking, unwrapped and slathered in barbecue sauce.

For ribs with incomparably smoky flavor, you have to cook them low and slow on the grill, adding more charcoal and wood chips every so often to keep the temperature steady. Ribs cooked this way need some pampering (you would too, if you were spending hours in a sauna).

Your goal is to get good color and caramelization on the outside of the ribs, but also to cook them long enough that the tough collagen breaks down and the meat becomes tender. Generally, the ribs will be browned before the meat is done, which is where the balancing act comes in.

As a fatty cut, ribs take well to spice rubs, but we love our ribs with some sticky barbecue sauce too. Just apply the rub as you normally would before cooking, and then brush the glaze on in the last 5 minutes on the grill to achieve the perfect crusty, gooey ribs.

Wrapping your ribs are key if you want to lock in all of the moisture and flavor! Double wrap each rack of ribs securely and enjoy some ribs in no time.

Tip #4: Wrap and butter it up.

It also adds moisture and speeds up cooking time. Wrapping should be done about half way through the cooking process or when internal meat temp is 150-160 degrees. Use two layers of heavy duty foil to wrap the meat.

Most recipes call for an apple cider or apple juice wrap during the second step of the smoking where the ribs are tightly wrapped in tinfoil to tender them up. Instead of apple juice, I use a white wine and apple cider vinegar.

If your ribs are chewy, you either forgot to remove the membrane from the back of the ribs or you didn't cook them long enough. If your ribs are dry, you likely cooked them too hot and fast.

Place ribs bone-side down in smoker at 225 F /110 C and cook for three hours. Remove ribs from the smoker and wrap tightly in aluminum foil to form an airtight seal. Return to the smoker bone-side up and smoke for two hours.

Is it better to cook ribs in the oven or grill? ›

Slow-roasting your ribs in the oven before finishing them on the grill is the best method we've found for juicy, fall-off-the-bone ribs that don't require an expensive smoker or low temperature grill setup.

USDA research has found that washing or rinsing meat or poultry increases the risk for cross-contamination in the kitchen, which can cause foodborne illness.

The secret to incredibly tender ribs is baking them low and slow. Baking ribs in the oven is so easy.

Do you bake ribs covered or uncovered? You can cook ribs either covered with foil or uncovered. Foil is used to stop the meat from drying out but is not essential. If cooking uncovered and you notice the meat is drying out or browning too quickly, you can cover with foil for the remaining cook time.

To keep ribs moist while smoking on a grill or oven, use a spray bottle to mist them with liquid (e.g., apple juice) every 20-30 minutes. Consider brining or marinating beforehand, maintaining a consistent temperature, and wrapping the ribs in foil to trap steam.

Cook ribs on the preheated grill, adding water every hour if liquid has evaporated, 1 hour 30 minutes to 2 hours 30 minutes. Add barbecue sauce to ribs and continue cooking for 30 minutes more. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the center should read 145 degrees F (63 degrees C).

Be sure to wrap the foil tightly to lock in moisture, as the steam from the ribs helps tenderize the meat, imbuing it with its own porky flavors. This is pork on pork, and one of the best ways to ensure the juiciest results. Another is the simple glaze you then prepare on the stovetop.

Remove the ribs from the marinade and add them to the grill over indirect heat, bone-side down. Cover the grill and cook, rotating once or twice, until the meat is tender and the internal temperature reaches somewhere between 180 and 195 degrees.