The Best Smoked Baby Back Ribs (Kansas City Style)
We love these Smoked Baby Back Ribs with a FANTASTIC homemade dry rub! Make these delicious Kansas City-style ribs on your smoker and wow your friends and family.
We like to use our smoker, but we mostly love to smoke things with a fairly quick smoke time like this smoked ribs recipe or my smoked salmon! We love to be able to throw everything on around lunchtime and have it perfectly smoked and ready by dinner!
This flavorful ribs recipe is simple, and the secret ingredient is the homemade dry rub! In developing this backyard recipe, I used inspiration from my home city of Kansas City. An award-winning recipe for competition barbecue (and a very popular restaurant here) was the inspiration for the homemade seasoning rub. And I have to say, I think I got pretty close to their rub!
The rub we use in this recipe is just fantastic on either grilled or smoked pork ribs and would absolutely work for competition ribs for your next barbecue competition. Of course, you can try different rubs out, especially if you have some pre-mixed rub to use up! I just recommend choosing a rub that’s heavy on brown sugar and paprika when you’re smoking pork.
I want to disclose that I developed this recipe for my tastes. So I should probably share what those are, right?
To me, the perfect ribs have a dark chewy bark with smoky flavor, a balanced combo of sweet, savory and spicy from the dry rub, and tender meat that just has a little bit of pull left to it. My goal is not to get the meat actively falling off the bone, but for it to pull fairly easily when pulled.
The cooking process for these delicious ribs is pretty simple! No brine needed, just a simple dry rub using common spices, and a long time on the smoker over low temperature. I do not wrap my ribs, but I do include instructions in the recipe card below incase you won’t to.
If you choose to wrap your ribs, please know that I won’t judge! People love to argue about the right way to barbecue, but I’ll always support you doing barbecue in a way that tastes best for you.
Unless you like to grill your steaks to medium well, then we need to talk!
Recipe Tips and Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use pork spareribs for this recipe?
Absolutely! If you can’t find baby back pork ribs, substitute spare ribs (St. Louis Ribs) for baby back ribs for a more affordable option.
Can I use this dry rub recipe on another cut of meat?
Absolutely, it’s delicious on pork shoulder, pork chops and even chicken. You can use it on slow cooker or pressure cooker pulled pork, too!
Can I use my own dry rub or a purchased dry rub for this recipe?
Well, sure! Of course you can use a different spice mix . I just recommend that you use one that is formulated for pork, typically higher in brown sugar, garlic and dry mustard and lower in black pepper than rubs used for beef.
Should I wrap these ribs in aluminum foil?
No, you don’t have to, but you can for the final hour of cooking! If you want to pull the ribs 20-30 degrees before they are done, you can brush on your favorite barbecue sauce (or leave them plain) and wrap in aluminum foil, then finish on the smoker or in the oven on low heat.
Can I double this recipe?
Yes, you can make a double batch! You may need to purchase a rib rack to fit the extra racks of ribs on the smoker.
Can I make this recipe ahead of time?
To help yourself prepare, you can make the rib rub recipe and store in an airtight mason jar until you’re ready. You can also rub the ribs, cover them, and allow them to rest overnight in the refrigerator.
What wood chips should I use for this ribs recipe?
We typically use a lighter wood for baby backs, like cherry wood, apple wood or even pecan wood.
I don’t have smoked paprika! What do I do?
Don’t worry! Regular paprika will work just fine. Smoked paprika just adds even more smoky flavor. It’s pretty awesome.
Serving Suggestions
If you’re looking for a side dish recipe to go with these smoked pork ribs, check out this awesome list of side dishes for pork!
If you’d like to use your smoker to make the side dishes, I’ve got you! I highly recommend making my Smoked Corn on the Cob, Smoked Mac and Cheese or Easy Smoked Jalapeno Poppers. For a smoked appetizer, I like this Smoked Buffalo Chicken Dip!
Saving Leftover Smoked Ribs
Store leftover pork ribs in your refrigerator in an airtight container for 2-3 days. You can also freeze smoked ribs in an airtight container (I use my Foodsaver) for up to 2-3 months!
Just thaw, then reheat them in the oven. If you’re worried about them drying out while reheating, wrap in foil first!
Smoked Pork Ribs with Homemade Dry Rub
Ingredients
- 2 racks of baby back ribs 4-6 pounds total
- 4 tablespoons yellow mustard like French’s
For the spice rub:
- 2 tablespoons white sugar
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
- 2 teaspoons black pepper
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper optional
Optional Basting Liquid:
- 1/2 cup apple cider
- 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
Instructions
- Prepare ribs by peeling off the thin membrane (the silver skin) with a small knife and then patting dry with a paper towel.
- Prepare dry rub by combining all ingredients in a small bowl and mixing well.
- Add ribs to large sheet pan, then brush mustard on each rack of ribs.
- Apply spice blend to both sides of the ribs, focusing on the meaty side (not the bone side) then rubbing to coat evenly.
- Cover the tray with plastic wrap and allow the ribs to rest on the counter to remove the chill from the refrigerator.
- While the ribs rest, prepare smoker for smoking on low heat, roughly 225-250 degrees Fahrenheit, with a water pan for added moisture. You can add apple juice or a splash of apple cider vinegar to the water pan for aromatics.
- Add ribs directly to the smoker grate, meat side up. Smoke for 5-6 hours, checking the ribs' temperature about once per hour. (Optional) After the second hour, you can begin occasionally basting or spritzing the mixture of apple cider and apple cider vinegar if you choose to use it.
- (Optional): When the ribs hit 165 degrees or higher, you can choose to wrap your ribs in aluminum foil. If you do wrap, flip the packet so the back side of the ribs are facing up. If you do not wrap, leave the ribs meat side up.
- Pull the ribs off the smoker when they hit the internal temperature of 190-195 degrees Fahrenheit. Allow to rest for 15-20 minutes before carving.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Those ribs look ridiculously good! Is it 1/2 teaspoon or 1/2 tablespoon for the black pepper? Thanks
Thank you for the catch, Bob! It’s tablespoon. Thanks again, I have it updated!