Looking to fire up the smoker and make some smoked ribs? Let me walk you step by step for Straight Forward Smoked Ribs. Simple steps, simple ingredients, and delicious results. No need to worry about certain hours to do certain steps. Prepare the ribs, put them on the smoker, and forget about them until they are smoked to perfection.

From selecting the perfect cut of meat to marinating, seasoning, and smoking your ribs to perfection, we’ll take you through every step of the process. So if you have been wanting to smoke ribs but are a little intimidated, try this straight forward method of smoking ribs! (no wrapping)

Why I love these Straight Forward Smoked Ribs

No Wrap & Simple steps (not the 3-2-1 Method)
Easy to make (even for beginner smokers)
Easy weeknight dinner – put these on in the afternoon and enjoy by dinner time.
Budget Friendly- usually a rack of ribs are around $10-$14 and will feed the whole family.

Choosing the right type of ribs

You can follow this cooking method for either Baby Back Ribs or St. Louis Style. The only thing that is going to differ is the length of cooking time. Baby back’s will cook faster and the St. Louis style will take longer because they are thicker and have more meat on them. (Note*-That photo above is a rack of St. Louis Style- and below are Baby Back’s. I use this method every time.)

What you need for these Smoked Ribs

Baby Back Ribs or St. Louis Style Ribs– You can follow this method for either type of rib.

Sharp Knife – You will need a decent knife to help you get the silver skin off of the ribs.

Mustard– This is my favorite binder for ribs.

BBQ Rub– We have a huge variety of seasonings here so usually just use what we have and change it up. You can easily make your own with seasonings in your cupboard, too.

Plastic Wrap– Just some seran wrap works or press and seal is a great option, too.

BBQ Sauce– same here just use your favorite BBQ sauce.

Watch the video below!

Preparing the ribs for smoking

Step 1: Trim off the silver skin. Grab a sharp knife and flip the ribs to the backside. Get the knife under the silver skin (the white tight connective tissue) and carefully peel back the silver skin. You will use a combination of the knife and pulling with your other hand.

Step 2: Binder. We love to do a quick rub down with mustard.

Step 3: Season. We just use a combination of our favorite BBQ rubs.

Step 4: Wrap. Grab some plastic wrap and wrap them up. Refrigerate until ready to cook. This is best over night but if you don’t have the time at least a few hours will work.

How to smoke ribs on a pellet grill

Step 5: Set up the smoker. Pre-heat your smoker to 225 degrees F.

Step 6: When you are ready to cook, unwrap the ribs and insert your wireless thermometer if using. Place the rack of ribs directly on to the smoker grates and close the lid.

How long does it take to smoke ribs

For Baby Back’s

🔥Baby Back’s are going to cook faster I personally plan for about 4-5 hours at 225.

St. Louis Style

🔥St. Louis style will be longer since there is more meat. I would plan for 5-6 hours at 225 degrees.

Step 7: Sauce. When you have about an hour left to go, add your favorite bbq sauce. This timing doesn’t have to be perfect. The sauce will just caramelize if it’s on there longer. I sauced mine at 2 1/2 hours since I was going off of my “remaining time” from the thermometer app (which changed of course).

When are ribs done cooking?

Let continue cooking until the temperature reaches 190 degrees F. Then pull them off.

Once they rest a few, slice them up and serve with more BBQ sauce if desired and enjoy! I like to enjoy these with a nice helping of Smoked Shells N Cheese.

What type of pellets for smoked ribs?

Many people prefer hickory pellets. We generally keep Traeger’s Signature Blend in the hopper. They go great with everything!

Like this no wrap smoked ribs how to? Check out my:

Make sure to PIN IT!