Smoked Beef Ribs

Savory smoked beef ribs will have you licking your fingers after they’ve been cooked slowly to tender, mouth-watering perfection.

Why this recipe works

If you’re looking for something delicious to try at your next cookout or party, smoked beef ribs are the answer. With just a few seasonings, some apple cider vinegar, water, and hot sauce, these ribs are smoked low and slow until they become incredibly tender.

The finished product will be delicate, juicy, and full of smoky flavor. Serve these smoked beef ribs with your favorite sides plus barbecue sauce and enjoy!

Ingredients you will need

Get all measurements, ingredients, and instructions in the printable version at the end of this post.

Ingredient Info and Substitution Suggestions

BEEF – You’ll want to use beef back ribs for this particular recipe. Different cuts of beef ribs will require different smoke times. For a recipe using short ribs, hop on over to our smoked beef short ribs.

SEASONING – We used Montreal Steak Seasoning and Famous Dave’s Rib Rub along with olive oil for the seasoning rub. You can use any rib rub or seasoning combination you prefer. 

SPRAY MIX – The spray mixture is made up of apple cider vinegar, water, and hot sauce. Spraying the ribs will help them retain moisture while smoking.

How to Make Smoked Beef Ribs

These step by step photos and instructions are here to help you visualize how to make this recipe. You can Jump to Recipe to get the printable version of this recipe, complete with measurements and instructions at the bottom.

1. Preheat smoker to 235 F. Be sure that your hopper is full of pellets before you begin so that you don’t run out during the long cooking process.
2. Add ingredients for the spray mixture to a spray bottle. Close and shake to combine.
3. In a small bowl whisk together olive oil, Montreal steak seasoning and rib rub.
4. Using gloved hands, rub mixture all over both sides of the ribs.
5. Place ribs on the preheated smoker and smoke for 2 1/2 hours undisturbed.
6. Raise temp to 275 F and smoke for another hour, spraying every 20 minutes.
7. Remove from smoker then wrap in butcher paper. Place wrapped ribs inside an empty cooler. Close the lid and let rest 30-60 minutes.

Frequently Asked Questions & Expert Tips

Serving Suggestions

There’s an endless sea of sides to serve with smoked beef ribs. Some of our favorites include potato salad, macaroni and cheese, coleslaw, and corn on the cob. 

Pair the ribs with your favorite barbecue sauce for dunking or brushing on top.

More Rib Recipes

• Rib Tips
• Oven Beef Ribs
• Instant Pot Beef Ribs
• Smoked Beef Short Ribs
• Boneless Beef Short Ribs

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Smoked Beef Ribs

The finished product will be delicate, juicy, and full of smoky flavor. Serve these smoked beef ribs with your favorite sides plus barbecue sauce and enjoy!

5 from 1 vote

IMPORTANT – There are often Frequently Asked Questions within the blog post that you may find helpful. Simply scroll back up to read them!

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Course: Dinner

Cuisine: American

Servings: 4 servings

4 hours hrs 40 minutes mins

Calories: 607

Author: Amanda Davis

Ingredients

• ▢ 3 ½ pounds beef back ribs
• ▢ 3 Tablespoons olive oil
• ▢ 1 Tablespoon Montreal Steak Seasoning
• ▢ 1 Tablespoon Famous Dave's Rib Rub

Spray Mixture

• ▢ ½ cup apple cider vinegar
• ▢ ½ cup water
• ▢ 1 teaspoon hot sauce

Things You’ll Need

• ▢
  Smoker we used a Traeger
• ▢
  Spray bottle
• ▢
  Vinyl gloves
• ▢
  Butcher paper
• ▢
  Cooler

Before You Begin

• You can use any rib rub or seasoning combination you prefer. 
• Spraying the ribs will help them retain moisture while smoking.
• Resting beef ribs after smoking helps the meat to relax, which in turn helps the bones separate from the meat easily. Resting will also redistribute the juices evenly throughout the beef. To do so, we like to wrap the ribs in butcher paper (or aluminum foil) and then place them in a cooler to rest for 30-60 minutes. Allowing the beef to rest for a longer period of time will result in ultra-tender ribs, and the cooler plays a crucial part by insulating the beef during that process.
• Store leftovers in an air-tight container kept in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. 

Instructions

• Preheat smoker to 235 F. Be sure that your hopper is full of pellets before you begin so that you don’t run out during the long cooking process.
• Add ingredients for the spray mixture to a spray bottle. Close and shake to combine.
• In a small bowl whisk together olive oil, Montreal steak seasoning and rib rub.
• Using gloved hands, rub mixture all over both sides of the ribs.
• Place ribs on the preheated smoker and smoke for 2 1/2 hours undisturbed.
• Raise temp to 275 F and smoke for another hour, spraying every 20 minutes.
• Remove from smoker then wrap in butcher paper. Place wrapped ribs inside an empty cooler. Close the lid and let rest 30-60 minutes.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving (4 ribs) | Calories: 607cal | Carbohydrates: 2g | Protein: 55g | Fat: 40g | Saturated Fat: 14g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 20g | Cholesterol: 171mg | Sodium: 218mg | Potassium: 1071mg | Fiber: 0.2g | Sugar: 0.2g | Vitamin A: 54IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 46mg | Iron: 7mg

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