Two slabs of bone-in smoked beef ribs.

These smoked beef ribs are coated with a simple rub of salt, pepper, paprika, garlic, and onion and then cooked low and slow on your smoker. Definitely satisfy that primal urge to gnaw meat from a bone. They're one of the best things we've ever thrown down on the smoker.

Two slabs of bone-in smoked beef ribs.

If you have yet to experience the unparalleled aroma and taste of smoked beef ribs left for hours over smoldering hard wood, then this recipe needs to jettison to the top of your must-make list. Call your butcher. Cancel your Saturday plans. Fire up the smoker. And prepare to be enthralled.–Angie Zoobkoff

Smoked Beef Ribs

Two slabs of bone-in smoked beef ribs.

You can smoke the ribs as individual ribs, or you can have your butcher leave them as one large rack that you carve when done. These are sometimes called dinosaur ribs, like what Fred Flintstone eats at the drive-in.

Jake Levin

Prep 30 mins

Cook 7 hrs 30 mins

Total 8 hrs

  • Smoker, wood chips, chunks, or pellets (depending on your smoker), spray bottle

For the beef barbecue rub

  • 1/2 cup fine sea salt
  • 1/2 cup ground black pepper
  • 3 tablespoons sweet paprika
  • 1 tablespoon garlic powder
  • 1 tablespoon onion powder
  • 1 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper

For the smoked beef ribs

  • 1 (5-pound) three-bone rack of beef plate short ribs*
  • Water cider vinegar, or a combination

Make the beef barbecue rub

  • In an airtight container, mix the rub ingredients together. Cover and store it in a cool, dry place for up to several months.

Make the smoked beef ribs

  • About an hour before smoking, sprinkle 1/4 cup of the rub on the ribs and use your hands to spread it evenly. Reserve the remaining rub for other uses.

  • Prepare a smoker per manufacturer's directions for a temperature between 225° and 275°F (110° and 135°C). Toss the wood chips, chunks, or pellets in the smokebox or use them per manufacturer's directions.

  • Place your ribs, fat side up, in the smoker. Place a pan of water below or near the ribs to help keep some moisture in the environment and fill a spray bottle with water, cider vinegar, or a combination of both.

  • Smoke the ribs, being certain to maintain the smoker temperature and add wood as needed and occasionally spritz the ribs with the spray bottle, until the ribs are a very deep brown and reach an internal temperature of 165°F (74°C), 2 to 6 hours, depending on the exact temperature of your smoker and the thickness of the ribs.

  • Remove the ribs from the smoker and wrap in heavy-duty aluminum foil or pink butcher's paper (not freezer paper, which is often coated with chemicals).

  • Return the ribs to the smoker and continue cooking until they reach an internal temperature of 200°F (95°C) and the meat is exceptionally tender, 2 to 3 hours more.

  • Keep the ribs wrapped and let them rest for 1 hour before serving with napkins aplenty.

*What are beef plate ribs?

Beef plate ribs are the Fred Flinstone version of barbecue. Also called Dinosaur ribs, these ribs can be grilled individually or they can be left as a large rack that gets carved after cooking. Having them cut lengthwise is a particularly impressive way to serve them. Besides the stupendous size, beef ribs tend to have more gelatinous fat running through the meat and it gets rendered down in the grilling, making the ribs like eating brisket or a really good steak.

Serving: 1 rib Calories: 1024 kcal (51%) Carbohydrates: 17 g (6%) Protein: 108 g (216%) Fat: 57 g (88%) Saturated Fat: 24 g (150%) Cholesterol: 326 mg (109%) Sodium: 1042 mg (45%) Potassium: 2346 mg (67%) Fiber: 7 g (29%) Sugar: 1 g (1%) Vitamin A: 1970 IU (39%) Vitamin C: 1 mg (1%) Calcium: 146 mg (15%) Iron: 15 mg (83%)


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Originally published July 30, 2019

Recipe © 2019 Jake Levin. Photo © 2019 Keller + Keller. All rights reserved. All materials used with permission.

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