There’s nothing quite like a rack of baby back ribs slowly smoking on the pellet grill on a warm summer afternoon. But here’s the best part: these tender, meaty smoked baby back ribs are ready in about 3½ hours.
There’s no 3-2-1 method, no wrapping the ribs in foil, and no need to cook ribs all day long. Just season a whole rack, put it on the pellet grill at 250°F and let the smoker do the work.
These ribs come out tender and full of smoky flavor, with just the right amount of bite before they’re finished on the grill with your favorite barbecue sauce.
They’re an easy summer dinner when you want that delicious smoked-rib flavor without spending the entire day tending the grill.
I start my pellet grill in smoke mode and wait until I see smoke coming from the grill. Then I turn the temperature up to 250°F and put the whole slab of seasoned ribs directly on the grill grates.
While the ribs smoke, I check the pellet hopper occasionally to make sure there are still plenty of pellets to keep the smoker going.
After about 3½ hours, the ribs are tender and meaty with a beautiful smoky flavor. A quick finish on the grill with barbecue sauce gives them that sticky, caramelized coating that makes these ribs hard to resist.
Why I Love These Smoked Baby Back Ribs
The beauty of cooking ribs on a pellet grill is that most of the work happens while you’re enjoying the day. Once the ribs are seasoned and the smoker is going, there’s no need to constantly tend a fire.
The steady low temperature gives the ribs plenty of time to become tender while the wood pellets add delicious smoky flavor.
I start my pellet grill in smoke mode and wait until I see smoke coming from the grill. Then I increase the temperature to 250°F and place the seasoned rack directly on the grill grates.
I do keep an eye on the pellet hopper throughout the cooking time. There’s nothing worse than checking your ribs only to discover the grill ran out of pellets!
After about 3½ hours, the ribs are tender and meaty with a beautiful smoky flavor. I finish them on the grill with a generous coating of barbecue sauce, letting the sauce caramelize slightly before serving.
If you love my oven-baked baby back ribs, this recipe gives you another great way to enjoy ribs. The oven version uses my favorite ice-cube technique to create incredibly tender, fall-off-the-bone ribs, while these pellet-grilled ribs are all about that slow-smoked flavor.
How to Make 3½-hour Smoked Baby Back Ribs
Remove the silver skin
Before seasoning the ribs, remove the thin silver membrane from the back of the rack. I find that a paper towel gives you a good grip and makes it much easier to pull the membrane away from the ribs.
Season the ribs
Pat the ribs dry and generously coat both sides with your favorite barbecue rub. Make sure the rub covers the entire rack so every bite is flavorful.
Start the pellet grill
Set the pellet grill to smoke mode and let it run until you see smoke coming from the grill. Then increase the temperature to 250°F.
Place the whole rack of ribs directly on the grill grates and close the lid.
Smoke the ribs
Smoke the ribs at 250°F for about 3½ hours. Cooking time can vary depending on the size and thickness of the rack, so use tenderness as your guide rather than relying solely on the clock.
I like to check the pellet hopper periodically throughout the cook to make sure there are plenty of pellets remaining.
Finish with barbecue sauce
Once the ribs are tender, transfer them to a hot grill. Brush them generously with your favorite barbecue sauce and grill for a few minutes, turning and brushing with more sauce as needed.
The heat helps the barbecue sauce caramelize and gives the ribs that sticky, flavorful finish.
Tips for Making Smoked Baby Back Ribs
- Remove the silver skin first. Removing the membrane from the back of the ribs helps the seasoning reach the meat and makes the ribs easier to eat.
- Use a whole rack. Smoking the ribs as one slab helps keep the meat juicy and makes preparation easy.
- Don’t rush the smoking process. The ribs need time to cook low and slow and develop that delicious smoky flavor.
- Watch the pellet hopper. Check the pellets occasionally during cooking so your smoker doesn’t run out of fuel.
- Use your favorite barbecue rub. A good dry rub adds plenty of flavor before the ribs even hit the smoker.
- Sauce at the end. Adding the barbecue sauce during the final grilling step keeps it from burning and gives you that delicious caramelized coating.
What to Serve With Smoked Baby Back Ribs
These ribs are made for summer cookouts. Serve them with classic barbecue sides like corn on the cob, potato salad, coleslaw, baked beans or a fresh summer pasta salad. Add plenty of napkins because these are definitely finger-licking ribs!
More Rib Recipes
If you’re looking for another way to make baby back ribs or you want a homemade rub recipe, try my Best Dry Rub Baby Back Ribs. They’re baked low and slow with an ice cube tucked into each foil packet, creating steam that helps make the ribs incredibly tender before they’re finished on the grill.
For a cozy, slow-cooked dinner, try my Braised Beef Short Ribs. These short ribs are braised until fork-tender in a rich, flavorful sauce and are perfect for a hearty meal when the weather turns cooler.
Smoked Baby Back Ribs on a Pellet Grill
Equipment
- Pellet Grill
Ingredients
- 1 rack baby back pork ribs
- Barbecue rub enough to generously coat the ribs
- Barbecue sauce for finishing
Instructions
- Removing the silver skin before smoking allows the seasoning to better flavor the meat.
- Keep the ribs together as one rack while smoking for easy preparation and juicy, tender meat.
- Cooking times can vary, so use tenderness as the final guide.
- Check your pellet hopper during the cook to make sure the smoker doesn’t run out of pellets.
- Use your favorite barbecue rub and sauce to make these ribs your own.
Notes
- Removing the silver skin before smoking allows the seasoning to better flavor the meat.
- Keep the ribs together as one rack while smoking for easy preparation and juicy, tender meat.
- Cooking times can vary, so use tenderness as the final guide.
- Check your pellet hopper during the cook to make sure the smoker doesn’t run out of pellets.
- Use your favorite barbecue rub and sauce to make these ribs your own.
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