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Home » Recipes » Main Dish

Last Updated: Feb 17, 2024 by Angela Latimer · 2 Comments

Smoked St Louis Ribs

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Smoked St Louis Ribs 2 images.

Flavorful smoked St. Louis ribs are incredibly easy to make in your smoker using the 3-2-1 smoking method to seal in the wonderful juices. The ribs are tender, tasty, and packed with great flavors when combined with my easy pork dry rub.

Serve with your favorite BBQ side dishes for an unforgettable family meal. Try my smoker recipes, like this smoked beer can chicken, smoked corn beef, or smoked chicken quarters.

Smoked St Louis Ribs stacked 3 high.
There's so much to love about these easy smoked pork ribs.
Jump to:
  • 🥘 Ingredients
  • 🔪 How To Smoke St Louis Ribs
  • 💭 Angela's Pro Tips & Recipe Notes
  • 🪵 Best Types of Wood for Smoking Pork
  • 🥗 Sides
  • 🥡 Storing & Reheating
  • ❓ Recipe FAQs
  • 📖 Recipe Card
  • 💬 Comments & Reviews

If you are a rib lover like me, this hearty rib recipe will have you thrilled for dinner tonight. Keep in mind that the process of smoking ribs takes patience, but you will understand why they are worth the wait.

Using the “3-2-1” smoking method infuses the meat, and there is no fast way to get the ribs to be this perfect. What's the 3-2-1 method, you ask?

It's a no-fail smoking method where your protein is smoked for 3 hours uncovered, then wrapped and smoked 2 more hours, then unwrap and sauce the ribs to smoke for a final hour. They'll finish them to perfection!

🥘 Ingredients

Ribs

  • St. Louis Style Pork Ribs – Ask your butcher if you are unfamiliar with selecting pork ribs.

Pork Dry Rub

My easy pork rub adds lovely flavor and includes the following ingredients: brown sugar, salt, pepper, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, mustard powder, and ground sage.

Wrap Ingredients

  • Apple Cider Vinegar – A nice tang for your taste buds that also helps to soften the pork meat while keeping your ribs juicy and moist.
  • Melted Butter – The perfect flavorful finishing touch to so many things! It adds richness and moisture to your smoked ribs.
  • BBQ Sauce (optional) – Grab your favorite BBQ sauce if you like slathered ribs!

*Be sure to see the free printable recipe card below for ingredients, exact amounts & instructions with tips!*

🔪 How To Smoke St Louis Ribs

Making your smoked St. Louis Ribs is not tricky with this method, but it will take some time. As the meat cooks for hours, it becomes unbelievably juicy and tender with a delightfully crisp bark.

This recipe makes four hearty servings. Adjust the recipe accordingly if you choose to make more ribs.

3-2-1 Smoking Method

Step 1: Prep your smoker. Preheat your smoker to 225°F (107°C) according to the manufacturer's instructions.

Step 2: Season with dry rub. Combine all the pork dry rub ingredients in a small bowl, then rub liberally over both sides of the ribs with your hands.

Step 3: Smoke uncovered for 3 hours. Place your ribs into the smoker with the bone side down. You can compress or 'scrunch' the ribs together, which helps keep the juices in. Allow your pork ribs to smoke for 3 hours.

Step 4: Wrap the ribs. Remove the ribs from the smoker. Using aluminum foil or butcher paper, wrap the ribs meat side down in a parcel, but before sealing shut, pour 1 tablespoon of melted butter and 2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar over the ribs. *Use additional foil to seal entirely as needed.

Step 5: Smoke the wrapped ribs for 2 hours. Place the wrapped ribs back in the smoker with the bone side up and allow to smoke covered for 2 more hours at 225°F (107 °C).

Step 6: Unwrap the ribs. Remove the ribs from the smoker and unwrap from the aluminum foil.

Step 7: Apply barbecue sauce. (Optional) Coat the ribs generously with your choice of BBQ sauce.

Step 8: Smoked uncovered for 1 hour. Put the ribs back in the smoker bone side down for 1 hour at 225°F (107°C).

Step 9: Serve. Remove from the smoker and enjoy!

💭 Angela's Pro Tips & Recipe Notes

  • Give yourself plenty of time. Get started plenty early so your smoked ribs are ready for suppertime.
  • Understand your smoker. Using a smoker is fun, but be sure you know how your smoker functions before getting into the recipe. Follow directions and use care and caution.
  • Clean the ribs properly. It's controversial to rinse your ribs after removing them from the plastic packaging they typically are sold in. I prefer to do this anyway. To avoid cross-contamination, work in an easily sanitized area that is big enough to keep any 'splatter' restricted.

>>>See All Of My Recipes Here!<<<

🪵 Best Types of Wood for Smoking Pork

These woods are excellent for smoking pork or chicken of any cut. Choosing a complimentary flavor for your smoking brings out the best flavors in your meats.

  • Apple Wood - My top pick for pork.
  • Alder Wood - The subtle and delicate sweetness of alder wood is excellent for smoking pork. It's also a top choice for smoking salmon.
  • Hickory - one of my favorites, a flavor that is associated with Memphis BBQ.
  • Sugar Maple - Adds a slight sweetness.
  • Pecan - Subtle flavors that work well with pork.
  • Oak - A good choice for earthy tones. Pecan and oak flavors are both favorites in Texas BBQ.
  • Fruit woods - Orange and peach have a citrus hint, and pear is a close flavor to apple.

🥗 Sides

Some of my top picks as sides to serve with pork ribs include milk butter boiled corn on the cob, ground beef & bacon baked beans, smoked baked potatoes, smoked mac and cheese, and savory jalapeno cheddar scones.

Smoked St Louis Ribs on parchment paper.
Tender, juicy smoked St. Louis pork ribs cut and stacked and ready to eat!

🥡 Storing & Reheating

Allow your ribs to cool completely. Once cooled, you can store your leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 4 days in an airtight plastic container or wrapped securely in aluminum foil.

Use freezer-safe plastic storage containers or a double layer of heavy-duty aluminum foil to store in the freezer for up to 3 months. Place frozen pork ribs in the refrigerator to thaw completely before reheating.

Reheating

Reheat your ribs low and slow. To keep them moist, use aluminum foil to reheat them in the oven at 300°F (149°C) with some additional liquid like beef broth or beer.

❓ Recipe FAQs

Can I Shorten The Cooking Time Of The Ribs?

Yes! If you are in a rush to get your ribs cooked, it takes about 2 hours in the smoker at 225 °F, but make sure the internal temperature is approximately 190°F (88°C).

How Can I Tell My Smoked Ribs Are Cooked?

The easiest way to tell your ribs are fully cooked when smoking is once the meat begins to pull away from the bone. You can also lift the rack of ribs at the center point; they should fall into a 'U' shape and begin to split.

Can I Freeze These Smoked St. Louis Ribs?

Absolutely! If you need to store your leftovers for later, double-wrap the ribs in aluminum foil and place them in a heavy-duty storage bag. Write the date on the bag and squeeze any excess air out. Then, store in your freezer for up to 3 months.

Do you love a recipe you tried? Please leave a 5-star 🌟rating in the recipe card below and/or a review in the comments section further down the page.
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📖 Recipe Card

Smoked St Louis Ribs stacked 2 ribs high.
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5 from 9 reviews

Smoked St Louis Ribs

Flavorful smoked St. Louis ribs are incredibly easy to make in your smoker using the 3-2-1 smoking method to seal in the wonderful juices. The ribs are tender, tasty, and packed with great flavors when combined with my easy pork dry rub.
Author | Angela Latimer
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 1017kcal
Prep 10 minutes minutes
Cooking 6 hours hours
Total Time 6 hours hours 10 minutes minutes
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Ingredients
 

  • 1 Rack St Louis Style Pork Ribs

Pork Rib Rub

  • ¼ cup brown sugar
  • 1 tablespoon each, salt & pepper
  • ½ tablespoon paprika
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1 teaspoon dry mustard powder
  • ½ teaspoon ground sage

Wrap Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon butter (melted)

Optional

  • ¼ cup BBQ sauce

(Note: 2x or 3x only changes the ingredient list)

Help Us Out!If you love a recipe, be sure to come back and share your ratings. This helps future users, and allows me to continue sharing free recipes! Angela

Instructions
 

3-2-1 Smoking Method

  • Preheat the smoker to 225°F (107°C).
  • In a small bowl combine all the rub ingredients then apply rub liberally over both sides of the ribs .
  • Place your ribs into the smoker with the bone side down and allow to smoke for 3 hours.
  • Remove ribs from smoker. Using aluminum foil wrap the ribs meat side down in a parcel but before sealing pour the melted butter and apple cider vinegar over the ribs. Use an extra sheet of foil to seal completely as needed.
  • Place wrapped ribs back in the smoker bone side up and allow to smoke covered for 2 hours at 225°F (107°C).
  • Remove ribs from the smoker and remove foil.
  • (optional) Coat with your choice of BBQ sauce.
  • Put the ribs back in the smoker bone side down for 1 hour at 225°F (107°C).

Nutrition

Calories: 1017kcal (51%) | Carbohydrates: 22g (7%) | Protein: 51g (102%) | Fat: 79g (122%) | Saturated Fat: 26g (163%) | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 268mg (89%) | Sodium: 477mg (21%) | Potassium: 887mg (25%) | Fiber: 1g (4%) | Sugar: 19g (21%) | Vitamin A: 559IU (11%) | Vitamin C: 1mg (1%) | Calcium: 72mg (7%) | Iron: 3mg (17%)
Did you try this recipe? Rate it below!I can’t wait to see your results! Mention @bake_it_with_love or tag #bake_it_with_love!
Course BBQ, Pork Dishes, Smoked Meats
Cuisine American
« Pork Dry Rub
Instant Pot Hard Boiled Eggs »

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Comments

    5 from 9 votes (9 ratings without comment)

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  1. Courtney says

    August 15, 2022 at 5:53 am

    Do I put the butter on the bone side or on the meat side? I understand that it goes back in bone side up after putting the butter and apple cider on. Thanks!

    Reply
    • Angela @ BakeItWithLove.com says

      August 15, 2022 at 6:48 am

      The butter is poured over the ribs while the meat is facing downward, so it will pool in the bone side a bit as well as around the meat in the foil packet. Thanks for asking!

      Reply

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Smoked St Louis Ribs 2 images.
Author bio photo with cake.

Hi there, I'm Angela

I am an avid vintage cookbook collector, cook, baker, and total foodie. I love sharing new, fun, creative recipes and great classic recipes, just like my Grandma used to make! Every recipe on BIWL is tested to ensure that cooks of any experience level can succeed.

Welcome to Bake It With Love. Enjoy!

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