These tender smoked St. Louis Ribs on a pellet grill are tender and full of flavor. You only need a handful of ingredients and a little patience, and you will have mouthwatering spare ribs in under just 6 hours!
The most flavorful smoked St. Louis Ribs are so easy to make in your pellet smoker, right in your backyard!
Smoking your St. Louis ribs low and slow will give them the perfect texture and will be tender as can be without falling off the bone.
This weekend go-to is the perfect recipe to enjoy as a family or even for a backyard BBQ.
What is the difference between smoked spare ribs and smoked St. Louis ribs?
Spare ribs (or side ribs) are a bit larger, wider, and come with more meat than St. Louis ribs. Spare ribs are also easier to purchase than St. Louis ribs.
St. Louis style ribs are more tender than smoked spare ribs since they are closer to the loin. They are also shorter than spare ribs due to trimming off the “rib tips.”
These ribs are also more presentable on a plate and usually cook more evenly than spare ribs.
This is why you will see St Louis spare ribs are used in bbq cooking competitions and served in restaurants more often than spare ribs.
Think of it this way, St. Louis pork ribs are just a cleaned-up version of Spare ribs.
What can you serve with Ribs
Any classic BBQ sides will pair perfectly with smoked pork ribs. Salads, vegetables like corn on the cob, or baked potato will pair nicely. I like to serve mine with a Broccoli Salad , coleslaw, or even baked beans.
How do I store my leftover St. Louis ribs?
You can store your leftover ribs in the fridge for three to four days. Be sure to keep them in an airtight container, plastic wrap, or aluminum foil.
What wood pellets should I use to smoke St. Louis ribs?
It depends on what kind of smoky flavor that you’re looking for. If you’re feeding a group of people, I will go with hickory pellets since they have a milder flavor. I like to use hickory, which gives the ribs a delicious smoky flavor. For anyone whos new to using a pellet grill. Make sure you only use pellets and never wood chips. I know it seems obvious, but I had to say it just in case.
How to Prep and Season Your St. Louis Ribs:
First, pat the ribs dry with paper towels and lay on the cutting board meat side down. Use another paper towel to pinch the thin membrane attached to the bones. Peel it off and discard it. (pro tip: if you’re unable to grab the membrane with the paper towel, feel free to use your knife to get it started.)
Next, using a sharp knife, locate the point where the bone meets the first joint and make a horizontal cut in-between, separating the rib tips from the main rack.
Then, trim off the last bone on the skinny end of the rack just to square up the ribs. (This is an optional step but will give you a more even final product.)
Take the rib tips, cut them into 2-3 inch pieces, and toss them along with the end bone you trimmed in bbq rub. You can smoke these alongside the ribs. (pro tip: I use these as a test to see how tender the meat is and as a little snack.)
Once the St. Louis ribs are trimmed, drizzle both sides with avocado oil. Season the bone side of the ribs with bbq rub, then flip and season the meat side. Let the rub absorb into the ribs for 15 minutes.
How to Cook St. Louis Ribs:
First, place the ribs (meat side up) along with the rib tips on the pellet grill and smoke for 2 hours. No peeking!
Then, while the ribs are smoking, you can prepare the “mop” by combining water, apple juice, apple cider vinegar, and soy sauce into a spray bottle or a container if you prefer to mop it on.
After 2 hours check the ribs to make sure the rub has created a crust on the meat. Drag your finger over the rack. If the rub stays on, it’s time to spray. If the rub comes off, continue smoking for another hour. Spray the ribs to add moisture and flavor. Continue smoking the ribs for another 2 hours.
After four total hours of smoke, the ribs should be ready to wrap. Lay out the large sheets of foil on a table. Place the ribs on top of the foil, then top with a ½ stick of sliced butter on each rack and a tbsp of honey for sweetness. You can also spray with a little more of the mop. Tightly wrap the ribs in the foil and place them back on the smoker. Cook for 1 hour.
After 1 hour, carefully remove the ribs from the foil. The meat should be choked up, exposing more of the bone. Brush a coat of sauce on the ribs and smoke for about 20 minutes. Repeat with a second coat just before serving.
Next, use a probe thermometer to gently poke into the meat of the ribs. They should feel tender and be around 200 degrees F.
Finally, let the ribs rest for about 10 minutes before slicing into individual bones and serving.
Looking for More Smoked Rib Recipes?
Smoked St Louis Ribs on the Pellet Grill
Ingredients
- 2 Racks Pork Spareribs
- 2 tbsp Avocado Oil
- ¼ cup BBQ Dry Rub
- ½ cup BBQ Sauce
- 1 stick Butter
- 2 tbsp Honey
"Mop" Ingredients
- ¼ cup Apple Cider
- ¼ cup Apple Juice
- 2 tbsp Soy Sauce
- ½ cup Water
Instructions
- Preheat the Pellet Smoker to 250 degrees F.
Prepping and Seasoning the Ribs:
- Pat the ribs dry with paper towels and lay on the cutting board meat side down. Use another paper towel to pinch the thin membrane attached to the bones. Peel it off and discard.
- Next using a sharp knife locate the point where the bone meets the first joint and make a horizontal cut in-between separating the rib tips from the main rack.
- Trim off the last bone on the skinny end of the rack just to square up the ribs. This is an optional step but will give you a more even final product.
- Take the rib tips and cut them into 2-3 inch pieces, toss them along with the end bone you trimmed in bbq rub. You can smoke these alongside the ribs. I use these as a test to see how tender the meat is and as a little snack.
- Once the St. Louis ribs are trimmed drizzle both sides with avocado oil. Season the bone side of the ribs with BBQ rub then flip and season the meat side. Let the rub absorb into the ribs for 15 minutes.
Cooking Instructions:
- Place the ribs (meat side up) along with the rib tips on the pellet grill and smoke for 2 hours at 250 degrees F. No peeking!
- While the ribs are smoking, prepare the “Mop” by combining water, apple juice, apple cider vinegar, and soy sauce into a spray bottle or a container if you prefer to mop it on.
- After 2 hours check the ribs to make sure the rub has created a crust on the meat. Drag your finger over the rack – if the rub stays on its time to spray. If the rub comes off, continue smoking for another hour. Spray the ribs to add moisture and flavor. Continue smoking the ribs for another 2 hour.
- After 4 hours of smoke the ribs should be ready to wrap. Lay out the large sheets of foil on a table. Place the ribs on top of the foil the top with a ½ stick of sliced butter on each rack along with a tbsp of honey for sweetness. You can also spray with a little more of the mop. Tightly wrap the ribs in the foil and place back on the smoker. Cook for 1 hour.
- After 1 hour carefully remove the ribs from the foil. The meat should be choked up exposing more of the bone. Brush on a coat of sauce on the ribs and smoke for about 20 minutes. Repeat with a second coat just before serving.
- Use a probe thermometer to gently poke into the meat of the ribs. They should feel tender and be around 200 degrees F.
- Let the ribs rest for about 10 minutes before slicing into individual bones and serving.
Rocky Dunlap
No where does it say what temperature to use for the 5 hours???
Frank Campanella
250, I will double check the recipe thanks.
John
I have the pit boss portable pellet grill the # 155 and can only put 1 rack of ribs on is the process the same
Frank Campanella
yes the process is the same no matter how many racks as long as they are not overcrowded
Dot Rogers
How often to mop ribs after the first 2 hrs
Frank Campanella
normally once an hour but it’s only really important if the meat is drying out.