Rich smoke, moderate heat, and a lively spice rub turn a rack of St. Louis Style Ribs into sticky, tender finger food worth every piece of time, effort, and wood you throw at it.
No Wrap Smoked St Louis Style Ribs
This method is so simple, literally anyone with a smoker can have fantastic ribs with this recipe. Steady 275° heat, a couple of flips, and a late glaze of barbecue sauce at the ends that sets into a shiny shell. No fussy temperature changes, wrapping, or whatever other tricks that the internet (myself included) has used to finesse ribs into a no-fail method. It turns out…simple is best. You can serve the rack at a relaxed backyard feast, a game day spread, or any warm weather gathering that calls for casual barbecue, all summer long.
St. Louis ribs sit between baby backs and full spare ribs in both size and cooking time. The uniform rectangular shape cooks evenly and slices neatly, and the higher fat content thrives in a smoker where moderate heat melts connective tissue without drying out the surface.
We love using out OWYD Spicy Pork Rub for ribs. It adds just a slight kick to the meat. Nothing crazy. More mild than “spicy,” really, but if you’re very sensitive to spice, you’ll probably notice it. If you love spice, you probably won’t notice, so make sure to add some extra cayenne to actually spice it up.
Why You’ll Love This Dish
- Shorter Cook Window – Only three to four hours from ignition to serving!
- Satisfying Bark – The dry rub creates a beautiful crust and bark.
- Balanced Texture – The meat pulls cleanly, yet retains its structure.
- Custom Heat Control – Adjust your spices and sauces to taste! Use your favorite or use MY favorite and really have fantastic ribs.
- Budget-Friendly Crowd-Cleaser – One rack feeds a small group at modest cost. This one is easy to scale too. You can make as many racks as will fit on your grill! Need to make more? Get a grilling rib rack!
St Louis Style Ribs Shopping List
Wondering if you have to hit the store? Here’s the list of items you’ll need to make this recipe. For specific amounts, please refer to the printable recipe card at the bottom of the post.
Ingredients
- St. Louis Cut Pork Ribs – Meaty, uniform ribs trimmed for even cooking and easy slicing
- OWYD Spicy Pork Rub – Our custom blend of all the best herbs and spices for your best ribs EVER! We also use this on pulled pork and in our chili!
- BBQ Sauce – Sweet tangy glaze that caramelizes in the final stretch and adds a glossy finish. Homemade is best. I’ll share some options below. If you go with store bought, my current favorite is the Blue’s Hog brand.
Try our Smoked Dry Rub St Louis Ribs, too!
How To Make Smoked St. Louis Style 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.
- Preheat smoker or pellet grill to 275 °F.
- Pat ribs dry, then coat both sides with rub, pressing to adhere.
- Smoke bone side down for 1 ½ hours.
- Flip and smoke another 1 ½ hours.
- Brush sauce on both sides, flip again, and smoke 30–45 minutes until the rack bends easily; rest 10 minutes, slice, and serve.
Try my Traeger Smoked and Pulled Beef!
FAQ
Cool ribs to room temperature, wrap tightly in foil or food-safe wrap, and refrigerate for up to four days.
Set oven or grill to 300 °F. Place rib portions in a pan with a splash of apple juice, cover with foil, and warm for about twenty minutes until hot.
Yes. Apply the rub, wrap loosely, and refrigerate up to twenty-four hours. The salt will draw in, deepening flavor and helping bark formation.
Swap the spicy rub for a brown-sugar garlic blend, then finish with a mustard-based Carolina sauce. For smoky-sweet notes, use maple sugar in the rub and brush on peach preserves thinned with cider vinegar.
Serve with Smoked Baked Beans!
Serve This With…
Smoked St Louis Style Ribs
Ingredients
- 1 rack St Louis Ribs
- 3 tablespoons OWYD Spicy Pork Rub
- 2 cups BBQ Sauce
Instructions
- Preheat your smoker or pellet grill to 275°F.
- Coat both sides of the ribs with liberal amounts of the Spicy Pork rub, or you can sub in your favorite spicy BBQ rub.
- Place onto the smoker and let smoke for 1.5 hours.
- Flip the rack over and continue smoking for another 1.5 hours.
- Paint some BBQ sauce on both sides of the ribs, flip again, and let smoke for another 30-45 minutes.
- Check for doneness by doing the “bend” test. When you pick up the rack in the middle with tongs, it should bend easily on both sides. If it isn’t bendy enough yet, continue cooking for another 30-45 minutes.
- Remove from the grill, slice, and serve.