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 is fattier than baby backs.

I often get asked about the cool trays I use when grilling. They are from Cuisinart and come in a pack of two – one red and one black. The idea is to use the red one for the raw meat and the black one for when the meat is cooked. This prevents cross-contamination. Here’s a link to the Grill Trays I use.

Our Favorite Grilling Gadgets

BBQ Gloves

Buy Now →

Grilling Prep and Serve Trays

Buy Now →

Meat Thermometer

Buy Now →

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.

More Recipe Ideas

Printable Recipe Card