Smoked Beef Back Ribs

Beef back ribs are an underrated cut of beef when it comes to smoked meat. With just a little bit of seasoning and an apple cider spritz, these smoked beef back ribs are fall off the bone tender and packed with delicious flavor! Whether you slather them with BBQ sauce or eat them with just the seasoning, they’re delicious either way!

Beef Back Ribs vs Dino Ribs

When people think of beef ribs, they think of the much more expensive dino ribs. What makes beef back ribs different is that they are actually a different cut of meat. The meat is from the underside of the ribs that sits on the prime rib (think prime rib roast).

Beef back ribs are often overlooked since they are a bit less meaty than their dino ribs counterpart and I’m here to tell you – you’re missing out! This cut of meat has wonderful fat marbling that melts down to tender meat with tons of flavor. Thank me later, but for now, let’s get in on how to smoke beef back ribs the RIGHT way.

Why You’ll Love Smoked Beef Back Ribs

Budget Friendly: Beef back ribs are much cheaper than regular beef ribs. I got the rack pictured in the photos for only $25 at Costco.

Bold Flavor: The smoke from the oak pellets penetrates the meat and gives so much depth to the flavor. The slow cooking allows for the fat to melt right down into the meat giving it so much richness.

Fall Apart Tender: As with most meats smoked low and slow, the meat just falls right off the bone! Eat it alone or with your favorite bbq sauce (Lillie’s Q is a good one).

Ingredients

Beef Back Ribs – NOT regular beef ribs which are super expensive. These are beef BACK ribs and shouldn’t run you that much money.

Seasonings – onion powder and garlic powder for flavor to infuse the meat.

Spritzer – beef stock mixed with apple cider vinegar to infuse flavor and prevent the beef from drying out during the smoking process.

Salt and Pepper – to taste

How to Make Smoked Beef Back Ribs

Heat up your smoker to 250°F. I used oak pellets from Camp Chef for this recipe, but hickory or mesquite work well too. Pellets really have an impact on flavor, so choose wisely!

Remove the membrane from the back of the ribs so that flavor from the seasonings can penetrate into the beef. I do this by using a paper towel to grip it as I pull as it’s often slippery.

Season all sides liberally with salt, pepper, onion powder, and garlic powder.

Place the ribs meat side up in the smoker and insert the temperature probe.

Once the internal temperature reaches 165°F, wrap the ribs in either butchers paper or aluminum foil. Begin basting or spritzing the beef with the apple cider vinegar and beef stock mixture every 45 minutes to an hour until it is completely done cooking.

Continue smoking and basting the beef back ribs until the internal temperature reaches 203°F. Keep the ribs wrapped while it cools so that it can absorb most of the juices. It should rest at room temperature, wrapped, for at least a half hour to cool.

Once ready to eat, you can serve as it or with your favorite BBQ sauce. Enjoy!

How to Store Leftovers

Wrap in tin foil or butcher paper and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. For longer storage, use a vacuum sealer and store in a freezer for up to 4 months. I love using the FoodSaver for this!

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