This 3-2-1 method is great for wanting to learn how to smoke BBQ ribs for someone who is just brand new to smoking. Smoking any type of meat isn't as intimidating as grilling can be. The thing you got to remember about smoking is that smoking is low and slow. You don't have to worry about when to flip your choice of meat or whether to use indirect heat or direct heat. Pretty easy peasy.
All you have to do is figure out what type of wood pellets/chips to use, what type of meat you want to smoke, and how you want to flavor that meat. Let the smoker do the rest. I have a Traeger Smoker and their wood chips are called pellets.
I just purchased a Ninja Woodfire Electric Grill and I absolutely love it. Smoking and Grilling are fun again. I love this appliance cause it's portable and the perfect size grill for one or 2 people. It also has an outdoor air fryer in it as well.
If you like smoker recipes like I do please try out Smoked Corn on the Cob, Smoked Queso, Smoked Asparagus, and Smoked Salsa.
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Ingredients Needed
Seasoning - There are so many different types of seasonings to buy at your local hardware store and it's fun to experiment with. I really like Dano's seasoning cause it's low sodium and kind of has a spicy kick to it.
Pork Ribs - 1 rack of baby back ribs, trim as much fat of as possible
BBQ sauce - I like to use this for dipping my ribs in.
See recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.
How to Make 3-2-1 Ribs
You will master smoking bbq ribs every time with this simple method for a smoker and it's really easy.
Step 1: 3 hours on the smoker: Place the seasoned spare ribs bone side down in the smoker and close it. The ribs left on the will absorb all the smoke flavor in these 3 hours. 225 degrees is a good starting temp. This is what the ribs will look like after 3 hours.
Step 2: 2 hours wrapped in foil: Take the ribs off the smoker and wrap them in foil. This is when you can brush the ribs with apple juice or spray the ribs with apple cider vinegar if you want.
Step 3: Remove the foil and add the BBQ sauce then place it back on the smoker for 1 hour. Can you see how this is an easy method for smoking ribs the first time? This step is optional.
Best BBQ TIPS
Once you got all the above method figured out, this is when you can really start to experiment with flavors and seasoning combos. Just think of all the rib recipes you can make using this method.
Make sure to have plenty of paper towels cause BBQ ribs are a messy food.
Set your smoker to a low temp of 225 degrees. Rub your pork ribs with the seasoning and let it sit out for 30 minutes to soak in the flavor.
When your smoker is ready set your meat on one of the racks inside your smoker and close the lid. Do not open the smoker as this will let out all the heat.
Best Wood Chips for Pork Ribs
Some of the wood chips work well with certain types of protein. Wood chips can range from Mild to Strong such as Hickory, oak, and mesquite. You could also try a sweet or fruity wood chip like apple, pecan, cherry and maple.
What can I serve with pork ribs?
Summer food is my favorite cause you can either grill or smoke it. Maybe you're looking for some sides to serve with pork ribs so try these! A lot of these don't require an oven to make. My family loves potato salad and calico beans.
Crock Pot Mac and Cheese, Slow Cooker Calico Beans, or my Aunt Carol’s Potato Salad Potato Salad
Smoked Corn on the Cob or Smoked Asparagus is always a good idea too.
For dessert try this Berry Cheesecake Salad.
Recipe FAQs
3 hours smoking ribs on smoker, 2 hours having the ribs smoke in a foil packet, and 1 hr of smoking the ribs uncovered and slathered in BBQ sauce.
This is kind of similar to the Rub. The sky is the limit out there and there are so many good store bought BBQ sauces. I really like Stubbs's Hickory BBQ sauce. I'm not a BBQ Pit master or anything so that is what I choose to use.
You can use an oven to cook ribs. Set the temperature of your oven to 300 degrees. Bake 2 ½ to 3 hours for spare ribs or 1 ½ to 2 hours for baby back ribs. Halfway through cooking, cover the ribs with aluminum foil to protect them from drying out. Brush with barbecue sauce.
321 Ribs take a total of 6 hours to cook.
More Great Smoker Recipes to Try
If you tried this 3-2-1 Method for Smoking Ribs or any other recipe on my website, please please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how you go in the 📝 comments below. I love hearing from you! Follow along on Tiktok @jennarecipediaries
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Smoking BBQ Ribs for Beginners
- Prep Time: 10min
- Cook Time: 6 hrs
- Total Time: 6 hrs 10 min
- Yield: 4 1x
Description
This 3-2-1 method is great for wanting to learn how to smoke BBQ ribs for someone who is just brand new to smoking. Smoking any type of meat isn't as intimidating as grilling can be.
Ingredients
- 1 cup of BBQ sauce of choice
- 1 rack of Pork Ribs
- ½ cup of seasoning (I like Dano's)
Instructions
- 3 hours on the smoker: Place the seasoned spare ribs bone side down in the smoker and close it.  The ribs left on the will absorb all the smoke flavor in these 3 hours. 225 degrees is a good starting temp.
- 2 hours wrapped in foil: Take the ribs off the smoker and wrap them in foil. This is when you can brush the ribs with apple juice or spray the ribs with apple cider vinegar if you want.Â
- Remove the foil and add the BBQ sauce then place it back on the smoker for 1 hour. Can you see how this is an easy method for smoking ribs the first time?
Notes
Smart points can vary depending on the number of ounces you eat.
3 oz of pork ribs is 6 smart points.Â
- Category: easy
- Method: smoker
- Cuisine: American
Keywords: bbq smoked ribs for beginners
Craig Brown says
I was looking for a good recipe for ribs, but at first glance, you impressed me and I fell in love with this recipe as I went down. I'm going to make this great recipe with Pit Bass Smoker.
Thanks for this awesome recipe, Cheer
★★★★★
Cindy says
Green Mountain Grills are awesome!
Brendan Shelton says
I really like that you talked about how the dry rub that you use is like the first and most important layer of the flavor. My family is meeting up this fall for a reunion and we want to try smoking a few meals. We need to find a good pellet smoker that is pretty easy to learn how to use because we are new to this.