How to Smoke Ribs in an Electric Smoker | Charbroil® (2024)

FAQs

How to Smoke Ribs in an Electric Smoker | Charbroil®? ›

Essentially, 3 2 1 ribs go like this: 3 hours of smoking the ribs directly on the pellet grill. 2 hours wrapped in foil, still cooking on the grill. 1 hour of cooking, unwrapped and slathered in barbecue sauce.

Essentially, 3 2 1 ribs go like this: 3 hours of smoking the ribs directly on the pellet grill. 2 hours wrapped in foil, still cooking on the grill. 1 hour of cooking, unwrapped and slathered in barbecue sauce.

Start by placing your ribs directly on the grill grates of the smoker for 3 hours to infuse the meat with that good, smoky flavor. 2 hours wrapped. Next up, wrap those smoky ribs in foil (usually with brown sugar, apple cider, butter, and other goodies) for 2 hours to add more flavor and keep that rib meat juicy.

You can expect these ribs to take about 4 hours if you maintain 225°F (107°C) but other factors do play a part such as: Temperature of the meat when it goes into the smoker.

Place ribs bone-side down in smoker at 225 F /110 C and cook for three hours. Remove ribs from the smoker and wrap tightly in aluminum foil to form an airtight seal. Return to the smoker bone-side up and smoke for two hours. Unwrap the ribs and return to the smoker bone-side down for one more hour.

Place ribs in smoker and cook for 3 hours. After 3 hours, remove the ribs and wrap in heavy-duty aluminum foil (Optional: You can baste with your favorite BBQ sauce at this time). Return to smoker and cook for an additional 1- 1½ hours, or until internal temperature reaches 160°F.

Place the uncovered ribs on the smoker rack and leave them for 2 hours. Remove them from the smoker after that and wrap them in aluminum foil. Return them to the smoker for another 2 hours. Take them out at the end of the 2 hours and remove the foil for the last hour of cooking.

Adding Moisture while Smoking Ribs

I like to cook with a water pan in a pellet grill or offset, which is a personal preference. We also use a spritz while the 3-2-1 ribs are smoking. The added moisture to the cooking chamber really helps with color on the smoked ribs and keeping the texture moist.

If you don't flip your ribs while smoking, you are obviously an experienced smoker. When smoking meat, you are using a very low heat and the heat, and smoke, envelopes the meat, so there really is no need to flip it. Remember, if you are looking, you aren't cooking!

Place the ribs meat-side up on the grill. Smoke the ribs for three hours, or when your MEATER wireless thermometer tells you that the internal temperature of the ribs has reached 165 degrees Fahrenheit.

How do you prepare ribs before smoking? ›

Wet ribs are what most of us think of as barbecued ribs: Apply a favorite rub, smoke “low and slow” for 4-6 hours, and baste with barbecue sauce toward the end of cooking. Dry ribs, on the other hand, are grilled hot and fast, basted with a vinegar-based mop, and sprinkled with rub after cooking—not before.

One thing is certain about ribs and pork: If you overcook them, they do become dry and tough. There is something very important to learn with the “low and slow” cooking method employed here. Food is ready when it's ready. Not to be evasive, but for the most part, you cannot judge simply by cooking time.

What is the Stall? The stall, the plateau, or the zone occurs when smoking or cooking larger cuts of meat at low temperatures for extended periods of time. It is when the interior temperature of that meat reaches about 150°F to 170°F and stops going up. This state can last for hours.

Smoke the ribs until they are as tender as you like them. This will probably take about 5 hours at 225°F (107°C) or perhaps an hour longer if the ribs have a little more meat on them.

Smoke unwrapped for 2.5 hours. Spritz with apple cider vinegar and water solution at the 1 hour mark, and then every 30 minutes. Turn the Ribs twice during the process to allow even cooking. Spread the butter and bbq sauce mixture on both sides of the ribs.

Place the ribs meat-side up on the grill. Smoke the ribs for three hours, or when your MEATER wireless thermometer tells you that the internal temperature of the ribs has reached 165 degrees Fahrenheit.

A Few Words on The 2-2-1 Method

The initial 2 hour step is where the smoke flavor gets into the meat, the middle 2 hour step is where the super tenderizing takes place. The last 1 hour step is where the crust develops on the outside.