There’s a joke on the internet that men at 35 needs to either get really deep into WWII history or smoking meat. As a 35 year old who taught literature and has a food blog, obviously I chose smoked meat. I’ve never been one for historical nonfiction plus these smoked ribs with dry rub have been all I’ve thought about since perfecting the recipe.
These smoked ribs with dry rub are something I have been testing and tweaking for 3 summers now. They come out smoky, juicy, and with a slight kick that balances well with barbecue sauce.
Homemade dry rub for smoked ribs
I prefer to make my own dry rub when I can. I do a large batch when mixing so I can store and use later, but the recipe at the end of this post can get 2-3 racks of ribs depending on the size of your ribs. This is a smoky sweet rub using brown sugar, kosher salt, smoked paprika, cumin, garlic powder, onion powder, and chipotle powder. All of these are pretty standard pantry items for my pantry.
If you are a fan of smoked ribs with dry rub, this is a well balanced traditional barbecue flavor that you can eat with or without sauce. In my opinion, it gives just enough heat and sweet to compliment the smokiness. My daughters both eat these with no issue or complaint of heat, and they are both pretty heat sensitive. If you are extra sensitive to heat, you could omit.
You can make a big batch of this homemade dry rub for smoked ribs and store in an airtight container. I usually make a triple batch since I make ribs often.
Best store-bought dry rub for smoked ribs
Like Ina Garten says, if you can’t make your own, store bought is fine. Admittedly, I haven’t done a wide test of different rib rubs you can buy at a store. I prefer homemade and when I like a store bought product, I’ll remain loyal–it’s one reason why I make a very boring food influencer. I do, however, really like the Fire & Smoke Sweet Preacher Pork rub, the Trader Joe’s BBQ Rub with Coffee and Garlic, and the Kinder’s Hickory Brown Sugar Rub.
Fire & Smoke Sweet Preacher Pork Rub
This rub is most similar to the flavor profile I go for with my smoke rubs. It has cumin, smoked paprika, salt and pepper but the addition of brown sugar and molasses rounds out the smokiness with sweet. You can find this at Walmart, Kroeger, Publix, and many other big grocery stores. I have made pulled pork and ribs with this, and it is definitely my favorite dry rub for ribs of the three store-boughts I mention here.
Trader Joe’s BBQ Rub with Coffee and Garlic
I’ve used the Trader Joe’s Rub longer than I’ve had this blog. It was my go-to rib rub when I was still cooking ribs in the oven and finishing them on the gas grill. I’ll stand by that seasoning even if I no longer use that method for ribs. It’s smoky and a little bitter in a way that really compliments a sweet barbecue sauce. I wouldn’t eat these ribs without sauce, but it is very good if you have a honey barbecue sauce. I would say this is one that’s the most unique of the three.
Kinder’s Hickory Brown Sugar Rub
The Kinder’s Hickory Brown Sugar Rub can be found nationwide in most grocery stores these days. I am on my third large container of their Wood-fired Garlic seasoning which has been my new go-to seasoning for grilled chicken. This is a good standard barbecue rub that has a bit of a forward garlic citrus flavor the others don’t have. Unlike the Trader Joe’s one, this can be eaten without a sauce to balance it out and tastes great on any kind of meat.
Mustard as a Binder
For some reason, using a binder in smoked meats is a hotly contested thing all over the internet. Some people are strongly against using any kind of binder because it takes away from the true barbecue nature of smoked meats. Mustard especially seems to be a thing some people feel super strongly about. That’s not a hill I’m dying on. I think mustard is totally fine. You don’t taste it. It makes it easier to spot if you miss a spot with rub. I am pro mustard.
If you are wildly against mustard, don’t use it. I like it because it makes it easier for the rub to stick to the meat. You can rub the seasoning directly onto the meat or use oil. Mustard is cheap, easy, and (again) doesn’t add to the flavor.
Time and temperature for smoked ribs
You will find a ton of different opinions of time and temperature for smoked ribs. After two summers of trying different methods of smoked ribs with dry rub, I find smoking ribs 3 hours “naked” and 1 hour wrapped at 250-275°F plus 10-20 minutes sauced is my preferred method. My preferred texture are ribs that are tender, but not fall off the bone tender. I like a little bite to my ribs and I think if the meat is sliding off the bone it is over-cooked.
There is a popular 3-2-1 method out there that, in my opinion, makes okay ribs. They are totally fine ribs. If I am cooking something for 5+ hours, I don’t want to describe them as okay or fine. I think 3-2-1 ribs are often over cooked and way too tender at the end. Ribs are about texture as well as taste.
How to tell when ribs are done cooking
Meat thermometers are important but it there’s more to it than just the temperature. In the case of smoked ribs with dry rub, cooked safely does not mean cooked well. Pork needs to be cooked at 145°F to be safely consumed. Ribs are cooked to tender completeness arounds 195-202°F. Once ribs get past 205°F, they become more “fall off the bone” which, again, is not a preferred texture. The take-away from this should be that you can be confident you’ll safely cook your ribs with a thermometer, but your preferences will determine when they’re done.
The bend test for ribs
The bend test is one way many seasoned smokers use for ribs. Once you are close to your desired temperature (this would be after the aluminum foil step in my recipe), you can test your ribs for readiness using this method.
Pick up your ribs on one side using your tongs. If the ribs come up in a straight plank, they are not ready and you should rewrap in foil and continue smoking; the connective tissue did not break down and melt. When you pick it up, the ribs should bend at the middle of the rack and the meat will split a little at the bend. You’re looking for pliable not falling apart.
The toothpick test for ribs
Some smokers prefer the toothpick test for ribs. Similar to testing a cake to see if it is done, you should be able to test ribs by piercing the middle with a toothpick. A toothpick should be able to poke through the meat with little to no resistance if the ribs are done.
The twist test
People say that if you can twist a bone from the middle on the rack without resistance, the ribs are done. There will be no resistance because the fat and connective tissue will have melted away. While this will be technically true, the bones twisting without any resistance could mean that they are overdone and “fall off the bone” done. This method is similar to testing pulled pork’s doneness because you should be able to pull the bone easily with pulled pork.
A good charcoal smoker for beginners
Last summer, I spent my time learning how to properly smoke meat. I started small with a Weber Kettle and Kingsford Charcoal. I’ve since upgraded to a larger DynaGlo Offset Smoker and LOVE IT. None of this is sponsored, by the way. I’m just excited. I’ve been using my Weber Kettle exclusively for smoking for over 2 years, and it is great for family cooking and smoking–I’ve even taken it camping.
The reason why I chose to upgrade from a kettle grill to a full blown smoker was entertaining and cooking for a crowd. My kettle grill could fit 2 racks of ribs comfortably or maybe a big pack of drumsticks, but if I’m having a barbecue I’m serving way more food than that. This new smoker has six adjustable racks so it’s perfect for me. It is a smoker only, so if you’re looking for a grill-smoker-combo, look elsewhere.
I have learned that offset vertical smokers are great BUT you will have to babysit it more. I do have to regularly add more charcoal and wood to the hot box because it is smaller than a barrel smoker. For things like chicken and ribs, this is barely an issue. For longer smoked meats like pulled pork and brisket, this can be a challenge.
Yield: 3 racks of ribs
Smoked Ribs with Dry Rub
Smoked ribs with dry rubs are the quintessential summer recipe. These smoked pork ribs are juicy, tender, and perfect for summer barbecues.
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 4 hours 10 minutes
Additional Time 30 minutes
Total Time 4 hours 50 minutes
Ingredients
- 3 racks of St. Louis Spare Ribs (about 10 lbs)
- Yellow Mustard
- 3/4 cup Honey
- 12 tbsp. Salted Butter
- Barbecue Sauce
- Pork Rib Dry Rub
Pork Rib Dry Rub
- 3/4 cup brown sugar
- 1/4 cup kosher salt
- 1/4 cup smoked paprika
- 2 tbsp cumin
- 2 tbsp garlic powder
- 2 tbsp onion powder
- 1 tbsp chipotle chili powder
Instructions
- Preheat your smoker with your favorite wood and/or charcoal to 275°F.
- Remove silver skin membrane from the back of your ribs if it is still on. You can easily pull it off using a paper towel. Not removing this can make your ribs chewier than desired.
- Spread a thin layer of yellow mustard on your ribs. Sprinkle the ribs generously with the rub. You should have a fully coated rack of ribs. after the mustard and rub.
- Smoke ribs bone side down or standing in a rib rack for 3 hours at 275°F.
- After the 3 hours, remove ribs to wrap in aluminum foil.
- I use two sheets of foil the overlap halfway. Add a few knobs of butter and a drizzle of honey onto the middle of the foil before placing rack of ribs (bone side up) on top of butter and wrapping the ribs tightly.
- Allow the smoker to come back up to 275°F and smoke for another hour.
- After the 4th hour of smoking, remove ribs again. If saucing the ribs, add barbecue sauce to both sides before returning to the smoker unwrapped. Smoke ribs for 10-30 minutes and allow the barbecue sauce to get tacky. Alternatively, you can add ribs to a grill for a similar effect.
- Remove ribs and allow to rest for about 30 minutes before slicing and serving.
Notes
I prefer to smoke my ribs with charcoal and hickory wood chunks. You could do just wood, but I do prefer the stability and controlability of charcoal.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
12
Serving Size:
3-4 ribs
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 624Total Fat: 18gSaturated Fat: 9gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 0gCholesterol: 120mgSodium: 1874mgCarbohydrates: 57gNet Carbohydrates: 54gFiber: 3gSugar: 50gProtein: 53g
