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Grilling 24x7 » Recipes » Smoking St Louis Style Ribs on Pellet Grill

Smoking St Louis Style Ribs on Pellet Grill

by Frank Campanella 8 Comments

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! 

smoked st louis ribs on a cutting board

St Louis Ribs on Pellet Grill

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. 

If you don't have a pellet smoker, you can use this easy Air Fryer Ribs recipe!!!

single bone of sliced spare ribs st Louis style

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."

picking up a st Louis spare rib of a plate

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. 

seasoned st Louis spare ribs with bbq dry rub

How to Prep & Season Smoked St Louis Ribs

  1. 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.)
  2. 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.
spare rib cut into a st Louis ribs

3. 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.)

4. 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.)

5. 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.

bbq ribs on a pellet smoker

How to Smoke Ribs on Pellet Grill

  1. First, place the ribs (meat side up) along with the rib tips on the pellet grill and smoke for 2 hours. No peeking!
  2. 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.
  3. 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.
dry rub st Louis spare ribs

4. 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.

st louis spare ribs on a cutting board

5. 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.

6. Next, use a probe thermometer to gently poke into the meat of the ribs. They should feel tender and be around 200 degrees F.

7. Finally, let the ribs rest for about 10 minutes before slicing into individual bones and serving.

picking up bbq ribs off the cutting board

Tips for Pellet Smoked Ribs

Make sure not to touch the ribs for the first hour or two until the rub has set up and formed a crust. After the you can spray or mop to keep the ribs moist.

Only sauce the ribs during the last half hour of the cooking process to prevent the sauce burning.

What to Serve with Pellet Smoker 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. 

scooping bbq beans with a spoon
BBQ Baked Beans

How to Store Pellet Smoked 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. 

Smoking St Louis Style Ribs FAQs

What are the best pellets for 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.

Can you marinate St. Louis ribs overnight?

Sure if you prefer to season or marinate the ribs overnight go ahead. Just be sure not to do it more than 24 hours ahead or it can change the texture of the ribs.

Do you let St Louis ribs rest?

I recommend letting the ribs rest about 15 minutes before slicing to let the tender meat tighten up a little so they don't fall apart.

Why are my St Louis ribs tough?

Most likely you did not cook the ribs long enough. If your ribs are still tough you can wrap them in foil and place them back in the smoker for another 30-60 minutes then check again for tenderness.

handful of hickory wood pellets for bbq

More like this Pellet Smoker Ribs Recipe:

  • Smoked St. Louis Ribs on My SQ36 Offset Smoker
  • Sweet & Spicy Hawaiian Style Spare Ribs
  • Pit Barrel Cooker Review - Spare ribs
  • Pellet Grill Smoked Beef Short Ribs
  • Beef Short Rib Sandwiches with Pimento Cheese

st louis spare ribs on a cutting board
Print Pin
4 from 2 votes

Pellet Smoked Ribs (St Louis Style)

These tender smoked St. Louis Ribs on a pellet grill are tender and flavorful. You only need a handful of ingredients and a little patience, and you will have mouthwatering ribs in under just 6 hours!
Course Main Course
Cuisine BBQ
Keyword Pork Ribs, Smoked Ribs, Spare Ribs, St louis Ribs
Prep Time 15 minutes minutes
Cook Time 6 hours hours
Servings 8
Calories 695kcal

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.

Notes

serving size about 3-4 ribs with sauce

Nutrition

Calories: 695kcal | Carbohydrates: 15g | Protein: 51g | Fat: 91g | Saturated Fat: 32g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 14g | Monounsaturated Fat: 33g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 290mg | Sodium: 792mg | Potassium: 874mg | Fiber: 0.5g | Sugar: 12g | Vitamin A: 451IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 83mg | Iron: 4mg

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Rocky Dunlap

    January 15, 2023 at 1:57 pm

    3 stars
    No where does it say what temperature to use for the 5 hours???

    Reply
    • Frank Campanella

      January 16, 2023 at 10:27 pm

      250, I will double check the recipe thanks.

      Reply
  2. John

    January 22, 2023 at 3:03 pm

    5 stars
    I have the pit boss portable pellet grill the # 155 and can only put 1 rack of ribs on is the process the same

    Reply
    • Frank Campanella

      January 24, 2023 at 9:25 pm

      yes the process is the same no matter how many racks as long as they are not overcrowded

      Reply
    • Marcus

      September 14, 2023 at 6:27 pm

      Get a rack for the ribs. You can put the ribs in vertically and condense the space

      Reply
      • Frank Campanella

        September 15, 2023 at 2:40 am

        You can do that, If I need to smoke a lot of racks I will use one but not if Im only doing a few

        Reply
  3. Dot Rogers

    May 25, 2023 at 10:47 pm

    How often to mop ribs after the first 2 hrs

    Reply
    • Frank Campanella

      May 26, 2023 at 8:20 pm

      normally once an hour but it's only really important if the meat is drying out.

      Reply

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