Smoked Beef Ribs on the Traeger Grill are the beefy version of your favorite OWYD rib recipe. Tender, full of flavor, and a legit competitor for my favorite rib.

Smoked Beef Ribs

When most people think of ribs they think of baby back ribs, but if you have never ventured into the beef rib territory you are missing out. Beef ribs are good for more than just stock and gravy. My Smoked Beef Ribs take a little time, but the end result is one of the best bites of barbecue you can have.

Barbecue ribs set the bar in the grilling world. Making great ribs cooked low and slow requires an investment, not only in time but in cost as well.

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How to make Smoked Beef Ribs

This is just the overview so you can see what you’re actually getting into here. When you are cooking, you’ll want to use the full recipe at the bottom of the page.

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Do you cook beef ribs bone up or bone down?

It isn’t a rib without a bone right? The bone in the rib helps impart flavors as well. Park the ribs next to each other with the bone on the bottom. Not only does it help the rib from falling on its side while cooking, but it also breathes flavor into the meat as it cooks on top.

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What’s the best way to baste beef ribs?

Lightly! Don’t worry about adding a bunch of sauce at once. This first slathering is to allow the sauce to melt into the meat. Most of your saucing will go on during the final 30-60 minutes as you paint on additional layers onto the meat.

We use a vinegar-based barbecue sauce for this, and if I’m feeling adventurous I put on a thicker tomato-based sauce on during the end. Either works well here, however, so choose your own adventure!

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Try our Smoked Dino Ribs Recipe too!

When are smoked beef ribs done?

For the last part of the cooking, the temp runs much higher at 325°. The ribs will cook an additional 1-2 hours at this temp depending on the size. Add some separation to the ribs on the grill so that you have plenty of room to baste them and slather on more sauce to glaze on the meat. You might need longer than 2 hours even. It really depends on the piece of meat. It is done when it is fork-tender.

Keep basting the ribs with more barbecue sauce every 10-15 minutes for another few hours until the meat is super tender. 

How can you tell when Beef Ribs are done?

Stick a fork in them periodically to check for tenderness. Ideally, spend the last 30 minutes of cooking time brushing on the remaining sauce. Again, you want a good glaze on the meat, not a burned sauce on a perfectly cooked rib.

Let them sit briefly, covered, once they are removed from the grill. About ten to fifteen minutes is usually fine. This lets the meat redistribute the juices evenly.

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What should I serve with bbq beef ribs?

There are a lot of good options for side dishes with these hearty beef ribs. Some of my favorites are:

• Creamy Macaroni Salad
• Vinegar-based Coleslaw
• Grilled Vegetable Pasta Salad
• Traeger Corn on the Cob
• Creamy pasta with asparagus

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