Smoked St. Louis Style Ribs are the easiest and arguably the best part of the BBQ/smoking world. My recipe is super simple and the end result is a wonderfully tender, full-of-flavor rib that will leave everyone wanting more. Don’t be scared. We gonna do this together and it’s gonna be great!
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It’s summertime and what is summer without a backyard bbq. I just can’t imagine. The weather is warm and cooking outside is just part of the fun. These St. Louis Style Ribs are the perfect recipe for this time of year. They’re simple to make, loved by everyone, and I even have a great homemade BBQ sauce to go with them.
This Smoked St Louis Style Ribs Recipe is simple to make, even easier to enjoy, and is the perfect BBQ recipe to serve anytime of year! Do not be intimidated. Cooking ribs is a really simple task. Does it take awhile? Yes. Is is worth it? 100%.
smoked st. louis style ribs ingredients
- St. Louis Style Ribs
- Yellow Mustard
- All-Purpose Seasoning
- Apple Juice
- Apple Cider Vinegar
- BBQ Sauce
how to smoke a st. louis style rib
To begin, preheat your smoker to 250°. I have a pellet smoker and use a mixed pellet blend because I don’t necessarily love a strong smoke flavor from one type of wood. If you don’t have a smoker, preheat your oven and follow the recipe instructions as written.
prep the ribs
Next, we need to prep the ribs. Again, this is a simple step. There is a thin, white membrane on the back of the ribs against the bones. Using a paper towel, grip the corner of the membrane and remove it. It should just peel right off. This just prevents anyone having to chew on it later. If you don’t take it off, you’ll still get a great rib!
Now, it’s time to season our ribs. I keep this very simple using yellow mustard and my all-purpose seasoning blend. Using a pastry brush, smear the mustard over the ribs and then sprinkle the seasoning all over them so that it sticks. You want the ribs thoroughly coated in the mustard and seasoning.
the rib spritz
To keep our ribs nice and moist, we need to use a spritz. Simply mix half apple cider vinegar with half apple juice. That’s it. You can use a spray bottle, you can use a bowl with a pastry brush. Use whatever you have. I couldn’t find my spray bottle so I used a squirt bottle I found at the very back of my cabinet. Anything will work.
smoking the st. louis style ribs
We have everything ready and prepped, now, let’s get to the smoker. Place the ribs in the 250° smoker meat side up and allow them to smoke undisturbed for 1 hour. After an hour, give them a healthy spritz, splash, and/or squirt of the apple juice/vinegar mixture. Let them smoke for another 30 minutes and repeat this spritz, splash, squirt step.
The ribs need 3 hours total in the smoker with 5 or so additions of the spray/spritz/splash. This is not written in stone. You won’t mess this up.
finish in the oven
Once the ribs have had 3 hours in the smoker, it’s time to finish them in the oven. You can continue them in the smoker, but I just feel like it’s a waste of my pellets.
Grab your BBQ sauce of choice (mine is excellent), and lightly brush the sauce over the ribs. Using either pink butcher paper or foil, wrap the ribs well. You don’t want any leakage here.
Place the wrapped ribs, meat side down, onto a baking sheet and put them into a 250° oven. To finish the ribs, plan on at least an additional 3 hours.
the rib temperature debate
There are two main schools of thought when it comes to the final temperature on ribs. Competition circles tend to go for a more ‘bite tender” temp. This ranges from 195°-200°. Bite tender is honestly not my favorite. I like my ribs “fall apart” tender and “melt- in-yo-mouth-tender”. That temperature is about 200°-203°.
As long as you get to 195°, you’ll have great ribs. You just need to decide which level of tender you prefer. This is truly a “you do you, boo” situation.
finishing our st. louis style ribs
Once the ribs have reached your desired temperature, it’s time to let them rest. You’ve spent this much time on them, take a few extra minutes to ensure they are perfect. I like to let mine rest 15-20 minutes while still wrapped. After that, all that’s left to do is slice and serve.
recipe frequently asked questions
Unlike a baby back rib, St. Louis style ribs are flatter and more straight. Because of their shape, they can cook more evenly and can brown a bit easier. They are also meatier, fattier, and just better in my opinion.
Yes and yes! No need to worry about either of those pesky dietary concerns here.
I have several great recipes that would be perfect to serve with this recipe!
–Creamy Coleslaw
–Tangy Potato Salad
–Carolina Mustard BBQ Sauce
–Dill Pickle Pasta Salad
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Smoked St. Louis Style Ribs
Equipment
- smoker If you don't have a smoker, use your oven.
Ingredients
- 1 rack St. Louis style spare ribs
- 3-4 tbsp bbq sauce
- 2-3 tbsp yellow mustard
- 2-3 tbsp all-purpose seasoning
Instructions
- Preheat your smoker to 250°.
- Using a paper towel, grip and remove the membrane from the bone side of the ribs.
- Using a pastry brush, smear the mustard over the ribs and then sprinkle your seasoning all over so that it is evenly coated.
- Place the ribs in the smoker meat side up and allow them to smoke undisturbed for 1 hour. After an hour, give them a healthy spritz, splash, and/or squirt of the apple juice/vinegar mixture. See notes below.
- Let them smoke for another 30 minutes and repeat this spritz, splash, squirt step. The ribs need 3 hours total in the smoker with 5 or so additions of the spray/spritz/splash.
- Once the ribs have had 3 hours in the smoker, it's time to finish them in the oven.
- Grab your BBQ sauce of choice (mine is excellent), and lightly brush the sauce over the ribs. Using either pink butcher paper or foil, wrap the ribs well. You don't want any leakage here.
- Place the wrapped ribs, meat side down, onto a baking sheet and put them into a 250° oven. To finish the ribs, plan on at least an additional 3 hours. See notes below for temperatures.
- Once the ribs have reached your desired temperature, it's time to let them rest 15-20 minutes. Slice, serve, and enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
Thank you!
I am so incredibly happy that you are here! I hope you try my Smoked St. Louis Style Ribs recipe and fall in love with it. If you make this recipe, please share and tag me on Instagram, Facebook, or TikTok! And, please leave a comment or star rating below. I absolutely love seeing each and every one of your kitchen masterpieces. And, as always, if you ever have any questions about any of my recipes, please don’t hesitate to contact me!
Happy Cooking!
–Rufus
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