Smoked No-Wrap Baby Back Ribs

These smoked baby back ribs skip the wrap. No foil, no fuss. The result? Tender ribs with a beautiful mahogany bark, deep smoke flavor, and just the right amount of bite.

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 4

Total Time 4 10

Servings people

Calories 331kcal

Author Breanna Stark

Equipment

Ingredients

1 rack baby back pork ribs
¼ cup BBQ rub use our ultimate rib rub recipe, or your favorite store-bought pork rub
apple cider vinegar and apple juice for spritzing optional, use a 50:50 mix
BBQ sauce for serving

Instructions

Remove the membrane from the back of the ribs. Slide a butter knife under the membrane at one end to get it started, then grip the loosened edge with a paper towel and pull it free. Trim off any loose flaps of meat.
Season generously on all sides with BBQ rub. Let sit at room temperature for 15 minutes.
Preheat your smoker to 225°F.
Place ribs bone-side down on the grates. Leave them undisturbed for the first hour to start building bark.
After the first hour, spritz every 45-60 minutes with the apple cider vinegar and apple juice mix. Continue smoking until the ribs hit 200°F internal, approximately 4 hours total.
Start checking doneness around the 3.5 hour mark. The probe should slide in with little resistance. Pick the rack up from one end — it should flex and bow significantly without snapping. Bones should have pulled back about ¼" from the ends.
Rest for 5-10 minutes before slicing between the bones. Serve with BBQ sauce on the side.

Notes

Spare ribs: You can use the no-wrap method for spare ribs, just add approximately 2 hours to the cook time.

Wood: Pecan or oak works well with pork. Both are mild enough to let the meat come through without overpowering it.

Temperature: 225°F gives you the most smoke flavor. Going to 250-275°F works if you're short on time, but smoke output drops on pellet grills as the temperature rises.

Nutrition