No Wrap Smoked St. Louis BBQ Ribs
Updated on August 7, 2024 by Rodney • This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. • 2 Comments • Jump to Recipe
This Smoked St. Louis BBQ Ribs recipe is my favorite way to cook my ribs on the smoker. Low and Slow. The meat practically falls off the bone!
I often wrap my ribs when smoking them but this time I wanted to smoke my BBQ St. Louis Style Ribs without wrapping.
There’s a lot of discussion from so-called experts on the internet on the best way to smoke ribs. Many want the rib meat to practically fall off the bone while others (me included) like a little “pull”.
When I bite into a rib, I want to leave teeth marks if that makes sense. One is not better than the other, just personal preference. I have made them both ways and my ribs are always delicious.
The other highly debated item when smoking ribs is whether you should wrap your ribs during the cooking process or not. Again I have made them both ways but I like making them without wrapping and it’s a lot less work.
I like to make my own dry rub but feel free to use whatever you prefer. If you don’t have any dry rub and don’t want to buy or make your own at a minimum you should season with some Salt, Pepper and Garlic or Onion Powder.
Baby Back vs St. Louis Style
Baby back ribs are probably what you most often see in grocery stores. They typically have less meat between the bones, but more on top.
St. Louis Style on the other hand has more meat between the bones and are fattier than baby backs.
Equipment Needed
Equipment can have a big impact on how a recipe turns out. Below are some of my favorite pieces of equipment that I use when making this recipe.
- Smoker
- Spray Bottle
- Digital Meat Thermometer
Gather your Ingredients
You will need the following ingredients to make this Smoked St. Louis BBQ Ribs recipe (see recipe card for quantities): St. Louis-Style Ribs, Yellow Mustard, Dry Rub for Ribs, Apple Juice and BBQ Sauce.
How to Make Smoked St. Louis BBQ Ribs
- Pat the ribs dry with paper towels and remove the membrane from the back of each rack if needed.
- Apply an even coat of Yellow Mustard to the front, back and sides of the ribs. Apply a generous amount of your favorite dry rub for ribs over the mustard binder.
- Let sit at room temperature for 15 minutes. You can also refrigerate for up to 4 hours.
- Preheat your smoker to 225°F.
- Place the ribs bone-side down directly on the grill grates. Close the lid and smoke until the internal temperature reaches approximately 200°F, approximately 4 1/2 hours.
- Meanwhile, add the apple juice to a spray bottle and spritz the ribs after the 1st hour and every 45 minutes thereafter.
- Once the ribs have an approximate internal temperature of 200°F, brush the ribs on both sides with a light layer of your favorite BBQ Sauce. Continue cooking until the sauce sets, about 10 minutes.
- Remove the ribs from the grill and let rest for 10-15 minutes, then slice between the bones into individual ribs.
Printable Recipe Card
No Wrap Smoked St. Louis BBQ Ribs
Equipment
- Spray Bottle
Ingredients
- 2 racks St. Louis Style Pork Spareribs
- Yellow Mustard
- Dry Rub for Ribs
- 8 oz Apple Juice
- BBQ Sauce
Instructions
- Pat the ribs dry with paper towels and remove the membrane from the back of each rack if needed.
- Apply an even coat of Yellow Mustard to the front, back and sides of the ribs. Apply a generous amount of your favorite dry rub for ribs over the mustard binder.
- Let sit at room temperature for 15 minutes. You can also refrigerate for up to 4 hours.
- Preheat your smoker to 225°F.
- Place the ribs bone-side down directly on the grill grates. Close the lid and smoke until the internal temperature reaches approximately 200°F, approximately 4 1/2 hours.
- Meanwhile, add the apple juice to a spray bottle and spritz the ribs after the 1st hour and every 45 minutes thereafter.
- Once the ribs have an approximate internal temperature of 200°F, brush the ribs on both sides with a light layer of your favorite BBQ Sauce. Continue cooking until the sauce sets, about 10-15 minutes.
- Remove the ribs from the grill and let rest for 10 minutes, then slice between the bones into individual ribs.
Nutrition
Nutritional information provided for this recipe is based on 1 serving. This information is an estimate and may vary based on several factors. If nutritional information is important to you and your diet, please verify this recipe with a Registered Dietitian.
Do you flip the ribs at any time?
No need to flip using this method. Enjoy!