Our step-by-step guide on how to smoke beef ribs so you can make deliciously rich, tender, and juicy smoked beef ribs in your backyard.
Carnivorous beef-loving friends gather around!! We are sharing our step-by-step guide on how to smoke beef short ribs so you can make deliciously rich, tender, and juicy smoked beef ribs in your backyard.
These flavorful short ribs are seasoned with our homemade beef rub with the perfect blend of herbs and spices, slowly cooked on the smoker, and kissed by mesquite wood smoke. When the ribs have the perfect smoke flavor, they are wrapped and braised in their au jus until they nearly fall off the bone, tender and dripping with deliciousness.
What Are Beef Short Ribs?
There are three cuts of beef short ribs from three different sections of the cow.
- Beef Back Ribs – are the most common. Comes from the thick side of the prime rib.
- Plate Ribs – come from a section right below the primal rib called the plate section.
- Chuck Ribs – located right under the chuck from the first to the fifth rib.
Learn more about cuts of beef short ribs here.
We used bone-in plate short ribs consisting of rib and plate sections for this smoke. This cut usually has two but no more than five ribs. The ribs are fattier but tend to have a nice fat and meat ratio.
The problem is that this “Dinosaur” or “Dino” beef rib is difficult to find. David special ordered the beef short ribs from a local butcher.
But, never fear, short ribs can usually be found in the grocery store made into short cut ribs, also known as “riblets.” You can use the shorter cut if you cannot get your hands on the long bone cut.
No matter the cut of the beef short rib, the ultimate goal of smoking beef ribs is to slow cook them until the collagen breaks down, making them tender and juicy.
The large bone is all about presentation; you pay for much more bone than meat. But I have to say it sure is fun for us carnivores to gnaw on!
Let’s smoke some beef ribs!
Ingredients Needed to Smoke Beef Ribs
The recipe card at the end of this post lists the full ingredient list with measurements.
Ribs: A rack of trimmed beef short ribs, 5 to 6 pounds (4 long bones or 4 to 5 short bones).
Beef Rub: There are multiple rubs on the market for beef. We love making our own beef rub to control what goes in it. Our recipe includes salt, pepper, cayenne, oregano, chili powder, and garlic powder.
Equipment and Supplies for Smoking Beef Ribs
- smoker or charcoal grill set up for indirect heat
- charcoal
- charcoal chimney
- Mesquite wood chunks or preferred wood chunks
- probe thermometer and/or instant-read thermometer
- tongs
- heavy-duty aluminum foil
How to Smoke Beef Ribs
Here’s a basic overview of how to smoke beef ribs. The recipe card at the end of this post provides detailed instructions with times and temperatures.
#1 Prep the Ribs
Start with a 5 to 6-pound rack of plate beef short ribs or enough riblets within the 5-pound range. If they are not trimmed already, trim them so there is no more ⅛-inch fat over the top.
Combine all the ingredients for the beef rub in a small bowl; stir with a whisk to mix to remove clumps. Rub beef rub on both sides, including the ends.
If you have time, wrap the ribs in plastic wrap and let them cure in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours or as long as overnight. Smoking the ribs immediately is ok, but sitting in the refrigerator for several hours allows the rub to penetrate the meat better.
#2 Fire Up The Smoker!
Preheat the smoker to 225 to 250 degrees F. Use only half as much charcoal as usual to maintain this low temperature. (A half chimney-full.)
For this smoke, David fired up our new offset Texas Original Pit named “Charlie.” Charlie is short for “Charlie Choo Choo” because, holy crap, that bad boy smokes like a train!
Alternatively, set up whatever smoker you have or a charcoal grill for indirect heat.
#3 Smoking the Ribs
When the coals are ready to cook, place the seasoned ribs onto the hot grate and insert a temperature probe (if using).
Toss some wood chunks onto the hot coals; cover and allow the ribs to smoke.
When smoking meat, David makes heat adjustments by adjusting the vents on the smoker. Since there is heat loss from opening the lid to the smoker or grill, bring the temperature back to 225 to 250 degrees F.
#4 Low and Slow
Add fresh coals and more wood chunks every hour or so for at least the first 3 hours. Check the smoker’s temperature hourly to ensure it stays as close to 225 to 250 degrees F as possible. Resist the temptation to open the lid unless you need to add more charcoal or wood to maintain temperature and smoke.
#5 Testing For Doneness
Smoke the beef ribs until a dark “bark” (outside crust) forms and the internal temperature of the ribs is about 165 degrees F, about 4 hours. If you don’t use a probe thermometer, use an instant-read meat thermometer to test for doneness.
#6 Wrapping the Meat
When the beef ribs have reached an internal temperature of 155 degrees F, remove them from the smoker or grill and wrap them in a double layer of heavy-duty aluminum foil. Return the ribs to the smoker, maintaining the ideal smoker temperature between 225 to 250 degrees F.
Benefits of Wrapping Meat:
- Higher Cooking Temp: You can cook at a higher temperature over indirect heat.
- Tenderizes Meat: Wrapping helps tenderize the ribs and break down the collagen to melt the tough connective tissues of the rib.
- Keeps Meat Juicy: The foil captures the natural au jus of the ribs, which helps to braise the ribs in their own juices. This allows the surface of the smoked beef short ribs that have dried out during cooking to absorb some of the juices.
Never Mind the Stall
The collagen starts to break down the internal temp of the ribs at about 165 degrees F. This surface evaporation causes the rib’s internal temperature to plateau. Pit Masters call this “the stall.” Don’t panic. Just wait out the stall.
The stall lasted about an hour on this particular cook, taking the total cook time of the ribs to about 6 hours. However, this could vary from rack to rack and grill to grill.
#7 Remove the Ribs & Serve
Continue to monitor the temperature of the ribs every 15 minutes or so. Carefully unwrap the foil and rewrap as not to lose any of that wonderful au jus in the bottom of the foil.
The ribs are done when they have reached an internal temperature of 200 to 205 degrees F. At this point, remove the ribs from the grill and allow them to rest covered loosely by the foil so that some steam can escape for about 30 minutes before serving.
What To Serve With Smoked Beef Short Ribs
- Grilled Potato Wedges
- Mini Cheesy Broccoli Casseroles
- Steakhouse Baked Potatoes
- Low-Carb Cauliflower Creamed Spinach
- Kale Wild Rice and Mushroom Casserole
- Potatoes Au Gratin
- Mama Rosa’s Potato Salad
- 3-Ingredient Bacon-Fried Cabbage
- Apple-Cabbage Slaw
- Classic Wedge Salad With Blue Cheese Dressing
Recipe FAQs
Beef can take on just about any wood flavor you put to it. We love the flavor of mesquite wood. However, oak, hickory, pecan, or any fruit wood, such as cherry or apple, is also delicious.
Absolutely! If you normally use butcher paper, go right ahead.
David and I have wanted to get our hands on some beef ribs for a long time. I’m telling you it was worth the wait, and smoked beef short ribs will surely appear on our smoker again soon!
Smoked Beef Short Ribs
Useful Equipment:
- Charcoal
- Mesquite Wood Chunks
- Heavy-Duty Aluminum Foil
Ingredients
- 1 rack pounds beef short ribs 5 to 6 (4 long bone or 4 to 5 short bones), trimmed
Beef Rub:
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 2 teaspoons black pepper
- 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- ½ teaspoon chili powder
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
Instructions
#1 Prep the Beef Short Ribs
- Trim the ribs so that there is no more ⅛-inch fat over the top.
- Rinse them under cold running water and blot dry with paper towels.
- Combine all the ingredients for the beef rub in a small bowl; stir with a whisk to mix to remove any clumps. Rub the spice rub onto the ribs on both sides, including the ends. (see notes)
#2 Fire Up The Smoker!
- Preheat the smoker or grill set up for indirect heat to 225 to 250 degrees F. To maintain this low temperature, use only half as much charcoal as usual. (A half chimney-full.)
#3 Smoking the Beef Short Ribs
- When the coals are ready to cook, place the seasoned ribs onto the hot grate and insert a temperature probe (if using).
- Toss a couple wood chunks onto the hot coals; cover and allow the ribs to smoke.
- When smoking meat, David makes heat adjustments by adjusting the vents on the smoker. Since there is heat loss from opening the lid to the smoker or grill, bring the temperature back up to 225 to 250 degrees F.
#4 Low and Slow
- You will need to add fresh coals and more wood chunks almost every hour or so for at least the first 3 hours. Check the temperature of the smoker every hour, to ensure it is staying as close to 225 to 250 degrees F as possible. Resist the temptation to open the lid unless you need to add more charcoal or wood to maintain temperature and smoke.
#5 Testing For Doneness
- Smoke the beef ribs until a dark “bark” (outside crust) forms and the internal temperature of the ribs is about 165 degrees F, about 4 hours. If you don’t use a probe thermometer, use an instant-read meat thermometer to test for doneness.
#6 Wrap & Holding
- When the beef ribs have reached an internal temperature of 155 degrees F, remove them from the smoker or grill and wrap them in a double layer of heavy-duty aluminum foil. Return the ribs to the smoker, maintaining the ideal smoker temperature between 225 to 250 degrees F.
#7 Remove the Ribs & Serve
- Continue to monitor the temperature of the ribs every 15 minutes or so. Carefully unwrap the foil and rewrap as to not lose any of that wonderful au jus in the bottom of the foil.
- The ribs are done when they have reached internal temperature of 200 to 205 degrees F. At this point, remove the ribs from the grill and allow them to rest covered loosely by the foil so that some of the steam can escape for about 30 minutes before serving.
Ron Kendrick says
This looks awesome. By the way, that great up front photo ( a la Space Odyssey 2001) is what drew me into reading the recipe and instructions(plus I really like ribs).. Since we are in “stay at home mode” I plan to try this one as soon as I can get the meat. Thanks for sharing. This rating is for the delicious looking recipe as documented in these outstanding photos. . This is possibly the best written set of instructions I have ever seen for ribs. I’ll rate again after I have sampled the results.
The Mountain Kitchen says
Hi Ron! Thank you so much for the kind words. Enjoy the ribs and let us know how they turn out! 🙂
Patrons of the Pit says
Outstanding! Nothing quite like beef on the bone to set a soul straight. Wow that looks good. The old boy sure can run a grill, and I tip my hat to him. Heck, you both can cook the pants off a donkey. I just wrote that. Not sure if it works or not, but I’m going with it.
Peace out, and hey to David…
The Mountain Kitchen says
Man, you sure have a way with words. Pure poetry! Thank you and David says “hay” back!
Tom Osborne says
Great recipe & instructions. I buy the plate ribs the butcher uses for beef short ribs. The chuck ribs have too much fat & connective tissue and the back ribs are too short. I’ve pinned a lot of Dinosaur bone recipes over the years and yours is one of the best.
The Mountain Kitchen says
Hi Tom! Thanks for the review. We appreciate your input. Happy 4th to you & yours!