If you have been looking for the best Baby Back Ribs recipe then look no further. Our recipe is easy and yields the best Traeger Baby Back Ribs you’ll ever try! Making Ribs on your Traeger doesn’t have to be intimidating- they are always a hit and a crowd favorite.
Baby Back Ribs are a BBQ staple and they are a great way to sink your teeth into some new skills then into some great food. Below is the recipe for Fall-off-the-Bone baby Back Ribs on your Traeger that will allow you to flavor them as you like. Traeger Pork Ribs have never been easier to make and they turn out delicious every time.
Cooking to temperature is the secret to success and our recipe will show you step by step instruction on how to do just that.
How do you remove the membrane from Baby Back Ribs?
To ensure for the most tender ribs, you will want to remove the thin membrane covering the rack.
If the membrane stays on it can make it a bit tough when cooked. And since we want them to be fall of the bone- you will definitely want to remove it!
To remove it, use a knife to gently slide under the membrane then using your fingers pull the membrane away from the bones. If slippery or difficult to remove, use a kitchen towel to take hold of it and pull.
How to make Baby Back Ribs
Here’s what you’ll need:
- 1-3 Racks Baby Back Pork Ribs
- Mustard
- Honey
- Brown Sugar
- Butter
- Apple Juice
- Apple Cider Vinegar
Instructions
- Start smoker on 225 degrees F.
- I used a Traeger Timberline 1300 found here
- Trim all ribs of any excess fat.
- Remove membrane using a paper towel from back of rib rack (this allows more flavor throughout the ribs)
- Cover with light layer of mustard
- Sprinkle racks generously with rub on both sides
- Place ribs directly on smoker and smoke, spritzing with apple juice every 30 minutes, until internal temp reads 160 degrees F.
- I use my Thermoworks Thermapen MK4 for this step.
- Lay ribs upside down on foil
- Add brown sugar (LOTS!), butter, honey, apple juice and a dash of apple cider vinegar
- Double wrap in foil and place back in smoker and cook at 225 until internal temp reads 204 degrees F.
- Use Thermoworks Thermapen MK4 here again.
- Remove from foil (watch out for steam!) and if desired, sauce ribs generously and return to smoker for an additional 30 minutes or until sauce tightens.
- Slice between rib bones and serve
Tools Used:
Heavy Duty Tin Foil
The Best Fall-off-the-Bone Baby Back Ribs
Ingredients
- 1-3 Racks Baby Back Pork Ribs
- Mustard
- Honey
- Brown Sugar
- Butter
- Apple Juice
- Apple Cider Vinegar
Instructions
- Start smoker on 225 degrees F. I used a Traeger Timberline 1300
- Trim all ribs of any excess fat.
- Remove membrane using a paper towel from back of rib rack (this allows more flavor throughout the ribs)
- Cover with light layer of mustard
- Sprinkle racks generously with rub on both sides
- Place ribs directly on smoker and smoke, spritzing with apple juice every 30 minutes, until internal temp reads 160 degrees F. I use my Thermoworks Thermapen MK4 for this step.
- Lay ribs upside down on foil
- Add brown sugar (LOTS!), butter, honey, apple juice and a dash of apple cider vinegar
- Double wrap in foil and place back in smoker and cook at 225 until internal temp reads 204 degrees F.
- Remove from foil (watch out for steam!) and if desired, sauce ribs generously and return to smoker for an additional 30 minutes or until sauce tightens.
- Slice between rib bones and serve
Notes
Tools Used: Traeger Timberline 1300
Thermoworks Thermapen MK4
Heavy Duty Tin Foil
Nutrition Information:
Serving Size: 1 gramsAmount Per Serving: Unsaturated Fat: 0g
How do you reheat leftover ribs?
If you end up with leftovers and want to save some for the next day we recommend wrapping them in foil and placing them in the refrigerator. They should stay good for up to three days.
To reheat- simply warm up in your microwave, oven or grill.
What can I serve with ribs?
Ribs go exceptionally well with any side dishes like baked bean, corn bread, salad or fruit. Because of the rich flavor you will a few other lighter dishes to pair with it. You could also go simple by serving it with chips.
Here are more recipes you may enjoy:
- Smoked Meatloaf
- Smoked Chicken Wings
- How to Make Crispy Buffalo Chicken Wings
- How to Make Hot Dog Burnt Ends
- Smoked Beef Back Ribs
I tired out this delicious recipe for my family. We absolutely loved them! I did two racks on our Traeger grill and it was perfect. The recipe was straight forward and easy to follow! Thanks for the great recipe @slowpoke_smokin!
What rub is used in this recipe?
I used Meat Church Honey Hog on these but you can use any rub really. I lean towards the sweeter rubs.
Loved this recipe!! My loin backs turned out perfect! Thanks for the recipe!
Cassidy, that’s great to hear. Thanks for the comment. Be sure to try others! Might I recommend the Pineapple Upside Down Cake? Delish!
No lie, these are the best ribs I’ve ever had!
Wow! Thank you Jessica. I’m glad you enjoyed them. Thanks for the kudos!
Approximately how long does it take to do these start to finish. Using this recipe for a party & want to make sure I start early enough to make this happen.
I budget about 7-8 hours. Best of luck. Let me know how they turn out.
I just made this recipe on my smoker! HECK YA! Best decision ever!! They’re amazing! Thank you!
Matt, glad to hear it brother! Always happy when it turns out for other folks as well! Smoke on!
I am looking forward to trying these out tomorrow. It would really help if there were at least estimated times for each step. I have looked at lots of rib recipes and some require hours of 5-4-1, or 3-2-1, etc. It would just help me know what to expect
Any, good question and thanks for the feedback. I plan on about 7 hours for these. 3.5-4, 2-2.5, .5-1. I’ll go update the recipe.
I was wondering how long to expect these to take? It looks like a fabulous recipe but there is no time to gauge when to start smoking them. Can you maybe give me a ball park for three racks on a pit boss smoker? Thank you so much!
Hi Amy, I usually plan for about 7 hours on these.
Best ribs I’ve ever made. Made them a few times and they are the best. Didn’t have any apple juice but did have orange juice so used that instead. Also used organic honey in place of brown sugar. My wife and kids are gluten free and only use natural sugars (stevia, organic honey..ect.). My girls love this recipe.
Wow Mike, that means a lot! I’m glad this one is a winner for you guys. 👍🏻
Great recipe,, used a Bradley Electric smoker with a Sweet &Smokey rub. Everything else was by your recipe ..
Hey Ed, thanks for the feedback. Glad they turned out.
Can you use a higher temp if you want them to not take as long or will they not turn out the same?
Hey Adam, I wouldn’t go above 250° or 275° That being said, you can do hot and fast ribs especially if you’re wrapping. I usually turn mine up to 275° after wrapping anyway. Hope this helps.
What are the best flavored chips to use on this recipe?
I prefer a more mild pellet such as cherry or pecan.
Looks amazing. If you put racks on foil upside down, does that mean you are putting honey, butter, brown sugar on the bone side?
Thanks! I usually put some of everything down on the foil before I lay the rack on there. And where you’ve stripped the membrane, that flavor should be absorbed throughout the whole rack.
I love your ribs smoking recipe. You have explained very well. For your users who want to convert from propane gas to natural gas grill, here is the link to this article which will give a good experience to your user. Gas Grill to Natural Gas Grill
Thanks for the kind words Craig! That’s an awesome link. Thanks for sharing.
Your recipe looks awesome and we’re defiantly trying it out! For one rack of baby backs could you give an estimate of how much of each ingredient you are typically using? Also do you melt the butter and make a sauce out of all of the ingredients? Can’t wait for them to come off the BBQ!
Hey thanks! I don’t melt the butter, no. And for one rack, I’d use maybe 1 cup apple juice or peach nectar, 1/4 or 1/2 C brown sugar, 1/4-1/2 stick butter, 2 Tbsp Cider Vinegar (optional). I’d love to hear how they turn out.
Thank you for the specific amounts to use. They had a great smoked flavor! They were a bit on the dry side of which makes total sense after seeing the difference in measurements from what we used. Your time frame was right on. We will defiantly make again using the above measurements of which I’m sure will make them perfect!
Ah shucks! Sad to hear they were dry. Glad to hear flavor was there. Thanks! Feel free to leave a review or rating. Thanks!
Tried out this recipe and loved it. Thanks for sharing. The ribs turned out so tender.
When wrapped do you place the ribs bone side up or down?
Should the racks loose 25*-35* when adding brown sugar and such? Took off at 160 and now they are climbing back up very slow.
Best ribs ever! Recipe is spot on!