What better way to christen a new pellet smoker than by making ribs. I found a super easy way to get the ribs juicy, smoky, tender, and with a delicious bark thanks to my own BBQ rib rub recipe. This pellet smoker ribs recipe works with any kind of ribs you have. I used pork ribs but this will work for baby back ribs or St. Louis style ribs as well.

Should ribs fall off the bone when cooked?

No! Ribs that cook so long that they fall off the bone are overcooked and generally mushy. Ribs should still have some bite to them but not be tough.

What is the easiest method to cook ribs?

Ribs cooked in a pellet smoker, such as a Traeger, are the easiest method, in my opinion. The pellet smoker I use is a Pit Boss Classic and it does the job just fine. I love how there is no messing with water pans or wood chips like with a traditional smoker. You just fill up the hopper with your choice of pellets (depending on what flavor you want), set the temperature, and start smoking.

I have seen a lot of complicated methods for smoking ribs but none of that stuff is necessary for everyday cooking. Simply pre-heat your pellet smoker to 225F, rub your ribs with seasoning or your favorite dry rub, place the rack in the smoker and let them cook until they pass the bend test. No need to wrap the ribs in foil, have a fancy liquid marinade in a spray bottle, coat with yellow mustard, or use apple juice or apple cider vinegar. Of course, I will go into more detail on what you do need to do below.

How to make the best pellet smoker ribs

The first step is picking your favorite rack of ribs. Like I said before, you can use this method with any kind of ribs. I like pork spare ribs because they are cheaper than baby backs and spare ribs have more meat. 1 rack of baby backs will feed 1 adult while spare ribs will feed 2 adults.

Next you need to get some pellet smoker pellets. There are different flavors depending on what smoke flavor you want...such as hickory, competition blend, apple, pecan, cherry or mesquite. I use hickory for most of my smoking needs.

Prepping the ribs

While you are prepping the ribs, start preheating your pellet smoker at 225F. It is important to follow the instructions and start-up procedure of your brand of pellet smoker. I like to also line the bottom of my smoker with a layer of aluminum foil, but only do this if your pellet smoker instructions permit it.

Important - remove the membrane

Ribs usually come with a thin layer of tough skin on the bone side of the rack. This is called the silver skin, or membrane, and it needs to be removed so the seasonings can penetrate the meat. Here is a good video showing exactly how to accomplish this. A paper towel comes in handy for getting a grip on the membrane because it is slippery.

Season the ribs

Now that the silver skin is removed from the ribs we can season them. I lay mine out on a rimmed baking sheet and add about 2-3 tablespoons of rib rub per side. You don't want to completely coat them...leave some meat peaking through.

I think a dry rub with some brown sugar, paprika, garlic powder, chili powder, onion powder, and kosher salt is perfect and gives a nice sweet, smoky, and salty flavor to the ribs. Click here for my recipe. You can also add some black pepper if you want.

Once the smoker is pre-heated, you can put the rack (or 2 racks) directly on the grates and let them smoke. Leave them alone for at least 4 hours. The less you open the grill, the shorter your cook time will be. You do want to keep an eye on the smoker temperature and make sure it stays where you set it.

seasoned racks of ribs in a pellet grill

How long does it take to smoke ribs at 225F on a pellet smoker?

The answer depends on the size of your rack of ribs but generally a rack of baby back ribs will take 4 to 5 hours and spare ribs will take 6 to 7 hrs.

This method truly is the best way to make smoked baby back ribs and one of my favorite smoker recipes.

How do you know when the ribs are done?

I like to use the bend test. This test ensures you will have perfectly cooked and juicy ribs every time. Thermometers are not really reliable with ribs because the meat is so close to the bone. For the bend test, pick up the ribs with tongs and if the bark breaks and the ribs almost split in half, they are done.

showing the bend test on a rack of smoked ribs

Adding your favorite BBQ sauce (optional)

When the ribs are ready to come off of the smoker (they passed the bend test), you can brush both sides of the ribs with a thin layer of your favorite barbecue sauce. Leave them on the smoker at 225F for 30 more minutes so the sauce can caramelize.

Place the ribs on a cutting board and use a sharp knife to cut the ribs between each bone.

Traditional sides such as beans or corn are great, but I love to serve these with Spaghetti squash and brown butter sage sauce, bacon wrapped asparagus, keto coleslaw, or cauliflower Mac and cheese!

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