Description
If your ribs have ever felt like they were missing something, this easy dry rub rib recipe for pellet smoker fixes that fast. It delivers a perfect balance of sweet, smoky, and savory flavors that build into a rich crust while smoking low and slow, giving you juicy, tender ribs packed with bold BBQ taste without needing sauce.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons smoked paprika
- 1 tablespoon paprika
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt
- 2 teaspoons black pepper
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)
- 1 teaspoon mustard powder
- 2 racks pork ribs
- 1 tablespoon olive oil or mustard
Instructions
- Preheat your pellet smoker to 225°F
- Remove the membrane from the ribs
- Coat ribs lightly with oil or mustard
- Mix dry rub ingredients and apply evenly to ribs
- Let ribs rest for at least 1 hour or overnight
- Place ribs on smoker bone side down
- Smoke for 3 hours without opening the lid
- Wrap ribs in foil or butcher paper with a splash of liquid
- Cook wrapped for 2 more hours
- Unwrap and return to smoker for 30 to 60 minutes
- Check tenderness and remove when ready
- Rest, slice, and serve
Notes
- Wrapping helps keep ribs tender and juicy
- Mix hickory and apple wood for balanced flavor
- Let the rub sit longer for deeper flavor
- Works great on chicken and pork chops too
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 5–6 hours
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Smoking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/2 rack
- Calories: 520
- Sugar: 8g
- Sodium: 700mg
- Fat: 32g
- Saturated Fat: 11g
- Unsaturated Fat: 19g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 10g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 42g
- Cholesterol: 130mg