These smoked hot honey ribs are tender, juicy, and glazed with an insane hot honey butter that take them to the absolute next level.
We're using St. Louis cut ribs and smoking these bad boys for about six hours in total. These are some of the best ribs I've ever made.
WHAT YOU'LL NEED TO MAKE THIS RECIPE
- St. Louis-Cut Ribs — I like to use St. Lous ribs because they have more meat and flavor than Baby Back's
- Mayo — I prefer using mayo as my binder, but definitely use mustard if you prefer—we jus want our rub to adhere nicely to the ribs
- BBQ Rub — I made a homemade rub for these ribs, but use whatever sweet rub you like the best
- Butter and Hot Honey — we're going to wrap the ribs in a butter + hot honey bath for ultimate flavor and tenderness
- BBQ Sauce — use your favorite sauce to touch them up at the end of the cook
HOW TO MAKE SMOKED HOT HONEY RIBS
1. Prepare the Ribs
Start by removing the membrane from the back of your ribs, if it has one. The ones I get from Whole Foods already have it removed. Then, trim away any excess fat, especially on the back of the ribs—this will help with texture.
2. Season the Ribs & Preheat the Smoker
Apply your mayo (or mustard) binder all over the ribs. Then, season generously with your favorite BBQ rub and let the rub adhere to the ribs while you preheat your smoker at 275F. I used cherry pellets for this cook.
3. Smoke the Ribs Unwrapped
Smoke the ribs unwrapped until they hit an internal temperature of 165F. This will take around three hours depending on the size of the ribs.
4. Wrap the Ribs
Then it's time to wrap the ribs. Lay down two layers of aluminum foil, about 1.5x the length of the ribs. Add 4 pats of butter down, and then drizzle some hot honey all over the butter and foil. Next, place the ribs meat-side down on top of the honey and butter, and wrap them tightly in the foil. Place the wrapped ribs back on the smoker and continue cooking at 275F until they hit an internal temperature of 200F-205F, which should take another 2 hours or so.
5. Glaze the Ribs
When the ribs hit 200F-205F, take your BBQ sauce and brush both the back and front of the ribs. Return the ribs to the smoker—unwrapped—and cook for an additional 15–20 minutes to set the glaze.
6. Rest & Serve
Remove the ribs from the smoker and let them rest for a few minutes.
Add a dusting of extra BBQ rub, and then slice between the bones and serve with extra BBQ sauce on the side.
PAIRING SUGGESTIONS
Serve these hot honey ribs with smoked Brussels sprouts, smoked mac & cheese, or smoked garlic mashed potatoes.
PRO TIPS FOR MAKING THIS RECIPE
- Give Yourself Time. Some smoked ribs recipes claim they'll be done at 275F after only 3 1/2 hours. That has not been my experience. I would give yourself a full *six hours* to finish cooking these.
- Final Temperature. You'll hear a lot of differing opinions on the final temp to pull ribs, from 195F all the way up to 2`10F. It's up to how you like your ribs. I like them in the 200F-205F range. You'll know they're done when the meat starts to pull back from the bone, and they bend slightly when you pick them up from the center of the bones.
- Pellet Flavor. I recommend smoking these ribs with either apple or cherry flavored pellets if you have them. They pair nicely with the sweetness of the ribs.
Smoked Hot Honey Ribs
Ingredients
- 1 rack St. Louis-cut ribs
- 2 tbsp mayonnaise
- 1/3 cup BBQ rub
- 3 tbsp butter
- 4 tbsp hot honey
- 8 oz BBQ sauce
Instructions
- Prepare the ribs by trimming excess fat and removing the membrane.
- Coat with mayo and BBQ rub, letting it rest to absorb flavor.
- Smoke unwrapped at 275F until they hit an internal temperature of 165F, about 3 hours
- Wrap with butter and hot honey, cooking until they hit an internal temperature of 200F-205F, about another 2 hours.
- Glaze with BBQ sauce and return to the grill to set for 15-20 minutes.
- Rest, slice, and serve.
Notes
- Give Yourself Time. Some smoked ribs recipes claim they'll be done at 275F after only 3 1/2 hours. That has not been my experience. I would give yourself a full *six hours* to finish cooking these.
- Final Temperature. You'll hear a lot of differing opinions on the final temp to pull ribs, from 195F all the way up to 2`10F. It's up to how you like your ribs. I like them in the 200F-205F range. You'll know they're done when the meat starts to pull back from the bone, and they bend slightly when you pick them up from the center of the bones.
- Pellet Flavor. I recommend smoking these ribs with either apple or cherry flavored pellets if you have them. They pair nicely with the sweetness of the ribs.
