Ribs are a staple of barbecue cook-offs and summer picnics. Make this award-winning recipe for Smoked Beef Ribs that everyone loves!
Who loves ribs??!! Ribs are one of our favorite things to make. For many years when we lived in Nevada, we would go to the rib cook-off every fall and sample all they had to offer.
Needles to say, it was quite an experience and one that we try to recreate here in Idaho at least a couple of times during the summer months.
**Pair these with our Texas BBQ Sauce!
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While we mostly make baby-back pork ribs, when we make a trip to the butcher to restock the freezers, we pick up a few packs of these beef ribs.
I have to say – they are absolutely scrumptious and I always wonder why we don’t make them more often. They are so juicy and tender. I know you’ll love them!
Traeger Beef Ribs
Here are some commonly asked questions
How to store leftover beef ribs
If you happen to have any leftovers, place them in an airtight container and keep them refrigerated for up to 4 days.
Can this recipe be doubled?
You bet! Even the small camper Traeger can hold at least a couple of these racks of ribs side-by-side. So when we are cooking for a crowd, we can fit 4-5 racks on our pro-grill Traeger making doubling, tripling or quadrupling this recipe so easy.
What Traeger model is needed for this recipe?
I would say that most standing Traeger models can handle a whole lot of meat. We have the Pro 34 in blue & we take out the swinging rack from the lid when we make large things like a turkey – but I don’t think that is necessary for this ribs recipe. We have even made this recipe on our portable Ranger model that we use for camping and it had enough space.
Do I need to spritz?
There’s no need to spritz the meat while it’s smoking, but you may if you want to. Spraying the beef with apple juice or apple cider vinegar every 45 minutes to an hour will keep it moist and allow for a little more smoke to stick.
Simply fill a clean spray bottle with apple juice or apple cider vinegar and spray the meat every 45 minutes. You can also use bourbon for added flavor.
You can also just place a small heat-safe bowl filled with your liquid of choice inside the smoker while the meat is cooking.
Ingredients for Smoked Beef Ribs
- rack of short plate ribs or chuck ribs
- spicy beer brown mustard or mustard of your choice
- kosher or sea salt
- cracked black pepper
- Vinegar for spritzing in a food-grade spray bottle
DON’T LIFT THE LID
Your smoker is just like your oven – if you open the lid or open the door repeatedly then you are letting the heat out. Each time you do that you add cold air in and the smoker just has to work that much harder to get back up to temp so it can continue to cook at the proper temp.
This just makes the meat cook that much slower. So just leave the lid closed, rely on your thermometer, and be patient!
How to Make Smoked Beef Ribs
- Preheat the smoker to 250° F.
- Using a paper towel, dry off the surface of the ribs and remove the membrane from the backside of the ribs if it has not been removed. You can do this by using a butter knife to slide under the membrane to get started and pull off using a paper towel to grip the membrane.
- Cover the outside of the ribs with the mustard, this acts as a binding agent for the spices. As well as adding a little flavor kick.
- Mix together the salt and pepper and cover the ribs generously.
- Place ribs on the smoker centered on the grates away from any hot spots and close the lid. Smoke for 3 hours.
- After the initial 3-hour smoke, spritz the ribs with the vinegar every hour until an internal read thermometer reads 203-205° F.
- Remove the ribs from the smoker and double wrap in aluminum foil and rest inside a cooler for at least 1 hour.
- Serve with your favorite Texas BBQ sauce.
What to serve with smoked beef ribs
We pair these beef ribs with so many things. But since we are typically making them in the summer/warmer months – here are some of our absolute favorite BBQ pairings you’ll want to serve alongside these delicious ribs!
Sides
- Fruit Salad
- Strawberry Jello Salad
- Sea Salt Garlic Corn
- Slow Cooker Corn Casserole
- Smoked Mac and Cheese
- Parmesan Ranch Pasta Salad
- Slow Cooker Bourbon Baked Beans
Drinks
- Root Beer Float
- Peach Bourbon Arnold Palmer
- Limonada
- Raspberry Lemonade
- Instant Pot Iced Tea
- Red White and Blue Daiquiri
- Chocolate Milkshake
Desserts
- 4th of July Krispie Treats
- One Bowl Brownies
- Cherry Pie Bars
- Moose Tracks Ice Cream
- Lemon Lush Dessert
- No-Churn Coffee Ice Cream
- Strawberry Cobbler
- Cookie Ice Cream Sandwiches
beef rib recipe
What type of smoker is best for smoking beef ribs?
Any type of smoker can be used for smoking beef ribs, but we recommend using a Traeger Smoker. The Traeger Smoker uses wood pellets to create smoke, which gives the beef ribs a delicious flavor.
Notes
- You can use any style of mustard for the binder.
- You can experiment with adding different flavors to the vinegar spritz, some suggestions are hot sauce or substituting for apple cider vinegar.
- Try bourbon instead of vinegar for your spritz.
- Place a small metal bowl of apple juice or vinegar inside the smoker with the ribs instead of spritzing.
- Wood Pellet Choices: Apple, Pecan, Cherry
smoking beef ribs
Watch For The Stall
So – if you are using a thermometer throughout the smoking process, (instead of just poking and checking occasionally) you will notice something called the stall.
When the collagen in meat breaks down, the temperature will stop rising for a period of time. It’s aggravating, but every time-consuming cut of meat will have this. Brisket and pork shoulders are notorious for it.
Just continue to let it cook, be patient, and know that it is all worth it when you get to the end and you can enjoy the juiciest and most delicious cut of meat you’ve ever had!
Should I wrap the meat?
We aren’t wrapping for this recipe until the end when the meat needs to rest. However – there are plenty of people that swear by wrapping.
Basically wrapping helps to get through the stall faster. Wrapping is sometimes referred to in BBQ circles as the “Texas crutch,” since it helps you get over the stall hump.
So if you forgot to get things going earlier in the day or just have a bit less time to be patient – wrapping is the way to go.
The meat can take longer to cook without being wrapped, as well as lose moisture over time. The moisture in the meat is trapped when it’s wrapped.
If you love this beef ribs recipe, you’re going to love these other Traeger and grilling recipes too. Please click each link below to find the easy, printable recipe!
Products I love when making Traeger beef ribs…
This beef ribs recipe is SUPER EASY and delicious – and if you’re like me, then you maybe already have some of these items on hand OR maybe you have never made smoked ribs before, & you might be a bit nervous – but you’re going to love it. I have made a list below of the things I absolutely can’t live without when it comes to making this delicious dinner recipe. (you can also SHOP MY FAVORITES in my store)
If you love this recipe for Smoked Beef Ribs as much as I do, please write a five-star review, and be sure to help me share on Facebook and Pinterest!
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Smoked Beef Ribs
Ingredients
- 4- bone rack of short plate ribs or chuck ribs
- 3 tablespoons spicy beer brown mustard or mustard of your choice
- 2 tablespoons kosher or sea salt
- 2 tablespoons cracked black pepper
- Vinegar for spritzing in a food-grade spray bottle
Instructions
- Preheat the smoker to 250° F.
- Using a paper towel, dry off the surface of the ribs and remove the membrane from the backside of the ribs if it has not been removed. You can do this by using a butter knife to slide under the membrane to get started and pull off using a paper towel to grip the membrane.
- Cover the outside of the ribs with the mustard, this acts as a binding agent for the spices. As well as adding a little flavor kick.
- Mix together the salt and pepper and cover the ribs generously.
- Place ribs on the smoker centered on the grates away from any hot spots and close lid. Smoke for 3 hours.
- After the initial 3 hour smoke, spritz the ribs with the vinegar every hour until an internal read thermometer reads 203-205° F.
- Remove the ribs from the smoker and double wrap in aluminum foil and rest inside a cooler for at least 1 hour.
- Serve with your favorite Texas BBQ sauce.
Notes
- You can use any style of mustard for the binder.
- You can experiment with adding different flavors to the vinegar spritz, some suggestions are hot sauce or substituting for apple cider vinegar.
- Try bourbon instead of vinegar for your spritz.
- Place a small metal bowl of apple juice or vinegar inside the smoker with the ribs instead of spritzing.
- Wood Pellet Choices: Apple, Pecan, Cherry
Equipment
- 1 smoker/Traeger
Nutritional information for the recipe is provided as a courtesy and is approximate. Please double-check with your own dietary calculator for the best accuracy. We at Yummi Haus cannot guarantee the accuracy of the nutritional information given for any recipe on this site.
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