If you’re new to smoking meats or cooking on a Traeger (or any pellet grill), you’ve come to the right place, and we’ll walk you through the 3-2-1 method for making some of the best smoked ribs you’ve ever had.
Pork Spare Ribs — Smoked on a Wood Pellet Grill
Pellet Grill Spare Ribs 🔗
This is a phenomenal recipe for barbecued spare ribs cooked right on your pellet grill. It’s easy and will yield great results every time. Photo by: Sabrina Baksh
Prep: 25min
Total: 325min
Serving Size: 6 servings
Nutrition Facts: servingSize 6 servings, calories 1123 kcal, Carbohydrate 35 g, Protein 49 g, Fat 88 g, Saturated Fat 30 g, Trans Fat 1 g, Cholesterol 263 mg, Sodium 415 mg, Fiber 2 g, Sugar 21 g, unSaturated Fat 47 g
Ingredients:
- 2 racks pork ribs (St. Louis cut preferred)
- 1/2-2/3 cup Pitmaster BBQ Rib Rub
- 1/4 cup softened margarine, yellow mustard, or oil (optional (2 tablespoons per rack))
- 3/4 cup apple juice (1/4 cup for spritz, 1/2 cup for wrapping)
- 1/4 cup cider vinegar
- 1/2 cup brown sugar (for wrapping (1/4 cup per each rack of ribs))
- 1/4 cup butter or margarine (for wrapping (2 tablespoons per each rack of ribs))
- Small spray bottle
- Aluminum foil (2 large sheets)
Instruction:
- Gather your ingredients.
- Set the pellet cooker for 225 degrees F., keep the lid closed until it comes up to temp. I recommend using cherry, apple, maple or mesquite pellets for this recipe.
- Place ribs on a large cutting board and remove membrane from the back. Use a knife to separate it off the edge, get a good grip, and carefully pull it away. Use a paper towel if it becomes too slippery. Trim away large knobs of fat or loose pieces of meat.
- Combine rub ingredients in a small bowl. You'll need 1/2-2/3 cup for both racks of ribs.
- You have a few options here. You can spread 2 tablespoons each of either margarine, yellow mustard or oil on the ribs before applying the rub. You can skip this step entirely and apply the rub directly onto the meat. Either way, season the rib well!
- Place ribs bone side down in the grill and let them go for 3 hours at 225 degrees F.
- Optional step: Combine apple juice with cider vinegar and pour into a clean, food safe spray bottle—Spritz ribs after 2 hours into cooking time.
- After 3 hours of cooking time, remove ribs and place each rack onto a large sheet of aluminum foil. Add 1/4 cup of apple juice, 1/4 cup brown sugar, and 2 tablespoons butter to each rack of ribs, seal them up and return them to the grill for another 2 hours.
- After the 2 hours are up, unwrap ribs, place them back onto the grill, and let them finish cooking for an additional 60 minutes. If you plan on saucing the ribs, this is the time to do it. Brush a thin layer of sauce to the ribs every 15 minutes until done. The sauce should be nice and caramelized.
- Remove ribs once they reach an internal temperature of 205 degrees F. Place them onto a clean cutting board, tent with foil and let them rest for 20 minutes. Cut into individual ribs with a sharp knife and serve.
FAQ
How long do you cook spare ribs on a pellet grill?
Pellets, 4 hours, 15 minutes of cooking time for smoked pork spare ribs.
How long do I smoke spare ribs at 225?
Remove the ribs from the racks and tightly wrap them in aluminum foil. Before sealing the aluminum foil packet, add a little apple juice, wine, beer, or any other favorite flavor (about 1/8 of a cup) to improve the steam process. Smoke your ribs directly on the racks for 3 hours at 225°F.
What temperature do you cook spare ribs on a pellet grill?
The majority of the smoke flavor will come from the pellet grill during the first part of the cooking process, so fire it up and set the temperature to 225°F. You can season the ribs up to 24 hours ahead of time and keep them covered in the refrigerator until it’s time to fire up the smoker.
What is the 3 2 1 rule for ribs?
In essence, making 3 2 1 ribs involves smoking the ribs for 3 hours on the pellet grill, wrapping them in foil for 2 hours while they continue to cook on the grill, and then cooking them for 1 hour while unwrapped and doused in barbecue sauce.