Smoked Beef Short Ribs

These smoked short ribs are juicy and full of flavor despite requiring very little prep time or effort as they cook. You just season your beef ribs with a bit of steak seasoning, pop them in your smoker, and give them a spritz of apple cider vinegar here and there. Making fall-off-the-bone tender smoked short ribs has never been this easy!

Jump to:

• Best Smoked Beef Short Ribs
• 🥘 Ingredients
• 🔪 How To Smoke Short Ribs
• 🥗🥘🍲 Best Served With
• 💭 Angela's Pro Tips & Recipe Notes
• 🍖 More Rib Recipes
• 📖 Recipe Card
• 💬 Comments & Reviews

Best Smoked Beef Short Ribs

These tender and juicy beef smoked short ribs are all the excuse I need to fire up the smoker. They are so easy to prep and deliver mouth-wateringly delicious results every single time.

Short ribs already have a rich, beefy flavor to them, so all you need is a touch of steak seasoning and let the smoker do the rest. A spritz of apple cider vinegar every once in a while keeps them tender, but it's otherwise a hands-off recipe.

If you're looking for more reasons to fire up your smoker, or you want to smoke some side dishes while your ribs cook, check out all of my favorite smoker recipes.

🥘 Ingredients

• Short Ribs - 6 large short ribs, roughly 2-2 ½ pounds.
• Steak Seasoning - 2 tablespoons of steak seasoning, see my recipe or use your favorite brand (*see note).
• Apple Cider Vinegar - 2 tablespoons (if mixing more, use equal parts ACV and water).
• Water - 2 tablespoons.
• BBQ Sauce (optional) - ½ cup BBQ sauce (up to 1 cup if more is desired).

🔪 How To Smoke Short Ribs

I find that dry brining my ribs overnight makes them extra tender and flavorful, but if time is an issue you can skip it and go straight to throwing them in the smoker.

Besides your smoker, you'll need a food-grade spray bottle, some tongs, a sharp knife and cutting board, and a basting brush for BBQ sauce if using any.

Preheat. Preheat your smoker to 225°F (107°C). (If dry brining your ribs overnight in step 3, hold off on this step).

Prep. Trim any excess fat and/or membrane from your 6 large short ribs. Combine 2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar and 2 tablespoons of water in a food-grade spritz bottle, then season the short ribs all over with 2 tablespoons of steak seasoning.

Dry brine (optional). After seasoning the ribs, either smoke them immediately or dry brine them in the fridge overnight. To dry brine, place the ribs on a rack that is inside a dish (this helps with air circulation and catching any drips) and refrigerate them, uncovered, until ready to smoke.

Smoke Your Short Ribs

Smoke. Place your seasoned short ribs in your preheated smoker for 3 hours, do not open the lid until the time is up. After 3 hours, open the lid and spritz the ribs with the apple cider vinegar blend, continue smoking and spritzing every 30 minutes until the short ribs reach 200-205°F (93°C-96°C).

Add BBQ sauce (optional). Slather your short ribs with ½-1 cup of BBQ sauce in the last 30 minutes of smoking time, if desired. Then remove from heat and serve.

🥗🥘🍲 Best Served With

If you need some ideas for side dishes, check out our page on what to serve with ribs. Of course, you can't go wrong with classics like corn on the cob or smoked baked potatoes. Enjoy!

💭 Angela's Pro Tips & Recipe Notes

• My prime rib rub would also be delicious on these smoked short ribs! It can be substituted for the steak seasoning if desired. 
• The size of your short ribs will affect the cooking time. Plan ahead, knowing that your ribs could take 5-7 hours to cook.
• Storing: Wrap leftover smoked short ribs tightly in plastic wrap or foil and place them in a shallow airtight container. Refrigerate for up to 4-5 days.
• Reheating: To reheat, place ribs in a baking dish covered with foil and pop them in an oven preheated to 250°F (120°C). Bake until the ribs reach an internal temp of 140°F (60°C), usually about 25-30 minutes.

🍖 More Rib Recipes

• Baked BBQ Baby Back Ribs
• Boneless Country Style Pork Ribs
• Sweet Chili Dry Rub Smoked Beef Ribs
• Baked Beef Back Ribs
• Smoked St. Louis Ribs
• Air Fryer Boneless Country Style Beef Ribs

📖 Recipe Card