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    You Are Here Home » Traeger Smoked Recipes

    Published: Feb 23, 2022 Updated: Feb 24, 2022 by Hilda Sterner | This post may contain affiliate links 10 Comments

    Traeger Smoked Beef Ribs

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    smoked beef ribs on the grill

    Meaty and tender Smoked Beef Ribs, using the 3-2-1 method of smoking. That means 3 hours on the grill, 2 more hours while wrapped, and 1 hour brushed with BBQ Sauce. This simple smoking method gives you incredibly flavorful and juicy Traeger Beef Ribs. Serve with smoked corn on the cob or smoked jalapeño poppers!

    smoked beef ribs on a grill
    Jump to:
    • 🧐 Why This Recipe Works
    • 🛒 What You Need For This Recipe
    • 🔖 Recipe Ingredients and Substitutions
    • 🥩 How to Make Traeger Smoked Beef Back Ribs
    • 🥗 Serving Suggestions
    • 🤷🏻‍♀️ Recipe FAQs
    • 👩🏼‍🍳 Pro Tips
    • 🍗 Related Recipes
    • 📖 Recipe
    • 💬 Comments

    🧐 Why This Recipe Works

    Traeger Smoked Beef Ribs are quick to prepare compared to other smoked beef back ribs recipes which can take more than 12 to smoke. All you need is a Traeger or a pellet grill and your favorite pellet flavor (sponsored links).

    One advantage of using the 3-2-1 method to smoke beef ribs is that you don't need to mess with a probe unless you want to. The grill's temperature can stay at 225° F the entire time. This means a lot less work for you. Just kick back and enjoy a cold one, while your smoker does all the work!

    🛒 What You Need For This Recipe

    traeger smoked beef ribs ingredients, labeled

    🔖 Recipe Ingredients and Substitutions

    • Ribs: You need one rack of meaty beef ribs weighing around 6 to 8 pounds.
    • Rub: The McCormick Grill Mates Mesquite Seasoning can be replaced with your favorite rub or my Santa Maria Seasoning. Another option is to use my Pork Dry Rub which contains kosher salt, garlic powder, onion powder, chili powder, smoked paprika, black pepper, and cayenne pepper.
    • Juice: While I normally use apple juice or vinegar to spray the ribs, this time, I decided to try pomegranate juice. It added a wonderful flavor.
    • BBQ Sauce: Lately I've been making a homemade chokecherry-huckleberry barbecue sauce which I used to baste ribs. At some point, I will post that recipe. For now, use your favorite barbecue sauce.
    920x60-2

    🥩 How to Make Traeger Smoked Beef Back Ribs

    Fill smoker with Traeger Signature Blend or favorite flavor of pellets and preheat the grill to 225° F. 

    Step 1: Brush room temperature beef ribs with avocado oil (or olive oil) and generously season with mesquite seasoning. To add a little spice, sprinkle with cayenne pepper.

    Step 2: Spray ribs with pomegranate juice and place them bone side-down directly onto the grill. Smoke for 3 hours. Set a timer to spray the ribs once an hour.

    Step 3: Remove ribs and place meaty-side down onto two layers of heavy-duty aluminum foil. If the rack is sliced in half, prepare them in two packages. Divide leftover juice between both packages and crimp foil to seal. Smoke ribs for two hours at 225° F.

    beef ribs on a traeger grill
    ribs on foil
    foil wrapped ribs on the grill

    Step 4: Brush ribs liberally with bbq sauce and place on the grill, bone-side down. Smoke using super smoke, at 225° F for an additional hour.

    smoked beef ribs on foil
    brushing bbq sauce on beef ribs
    traeger smoked beef ribs brushed with bbq sauce
    smoked beef ribs on a grill

    Step 5: Rest ribs for 10 minutes or enjoy right away. Serve with Chipotle Smoked Mac and Cheese or Traeger Smoked Potatoes.

    🥗 Serving Suggestions

    Serve these rich smoked beef ribs with this corn ribs or this delicious copycat Paula Deen Green Bean Casserole or if you prefer a lighter side, choose any of these veggie side dishes:

    • Pear & Arugula Goat Cheese Salad
    • Parmesan Roasted Rainbow Carrots
    • Roasted Beetroot Salad with Walnuts and Feta
    • Roasted Sugar Snap Peas

    🤷🏻‍♀️ Recipe FAQs

    Does the 3-2-1 method work for beef ribs?

    The 3-2-1 method of smoking not only works on pork ribs or baby back ribs, but it's also a great way to smoke beef ribs. All you have to do is smoke the beef ribs directly on the grill at 225° F for 3 hours, then wrap the ribs in either foil or pink butcher paper with some liquid and smoke for 2 more hours. Finally, unwrap the ribs and smoke for an additional hour.

    How long does it take to smoke beef ribs?

    At 225° F, it takes beef ribs roughly 6 hours until the ribs are tender and delicious.
    Smoking beef ribs at 250° F takes approximately 4 hours.

    Do you wrap beef ribs when smoking them?

    Wrapping beef ribs while smoking, at least some of the time, ensures the ribs come out tender, juicy, and prevent the ribs from drying out.

    Best woods for smoking beef ribs

    There are so many great wood flavors that you can use for smoking beef ribs. Pecan, maple, apple, mesquite, oak, and hickory are just some of the possibilities.

    👩🏼‍🍳 Pro Tips

    • I prefer to leave the membrane attached to the ribs. It helps the ribs to keep their shape and adds additional flavor and texture. If you want to remove it, just run a butter knife or your finger under the membrane to detach it from the bone. Get a good grip on the membrane and tear it off.
    • If you prefer to use a thermometer or a probe to check the internal temperature of the ribs, you'll want them to be somewhere between 203° F and 205° F.
    • If you will not be eating the ribs right away or if they are ready sooner than you expected, wrap the ribs in foil, then a towel, and store them in a cooler (without ice). The ribs will stay warm and juicy until you're ready to serve them.
    Traeger smoked beef ribs
    Traeger smoked beef ribs

    🍗 Related Recipes

    For more smoker recipes, check out these great recipes!

    • Smoked Traeger Carne Asada
    • Smoked Lamb Shanks
    • Traeger Smoked Turkey Breast
    • Traeger Smoked Chicken Thighs
    • Traeger Smoked Turkey Without Brine
    • sliced smoked Traeger prime rib
      Perfectly Smoked Traeger Prime Rib
    • traeger pulled pork in a pan
      Easy Smoked Pork Butt
    • mini pellet grill smoked pizzas
      15-Minute Smoked Pizza
    • smoked pastrami piled high
      Smoked Pastrami - A Beginner's Guide

    Love this recipe? Please leave a 5-star 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟rating in the recipe card below & a review in the comments section further down the page.

    Stay in touch with me through social media @ Instagram, Pinterest, TikTok, and Facebook. Don't forget to tag me when you try one of my recipes!

    📖 Recipe

    smoked beef ribs on the grill

    Traeger Smoked Beef Ribs

    Tender, meaty, beef smoked ribs using the 3-2-1 method of smoking.
    4.92 from 106 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: dinner, entree
    Cuisine: American
    Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 6 hours hours
    Total Time: 6 hours hours 15 minutes minutes
    Servings: 4 people
    Calories: 600kcal
    Author: Hilda Sterner

    Equipment

    • Traeger or other pellet smoker

    Ingredients

    • 1 rack beef ribs
    • 1 tablespoon avocado oil (or olive oil)
    • ⅓ cup Mesquite seasoning
    • 1 cup pomegranate juice
    • 1 cup barbecue sauce

    Instructions

    • Fill smoker with Traeger Signature Blend or favorite flavor of pellets and preheat the grill to 225° F. 
    • Brush room temperature beef ribs with avocado oil (or olive oil) and generously season with mesquite seasoning. To add a little spice, sprinkle with cayenne pepper. 
    • Spray ribs with pomegranate juice and place them bone side-down directly onto the grill. Smoke for 3 hours. Set a timer to spray the ribs once an hour.
    • Remove ribs and place meaty-side down onto two layers of heavy-duty aluminum foil. If the rack is sliced in half, prepare them in two packages. Divide leftover juice between both packages and crimp foil to seal. Smoke ribs for two hours at 225° F.
    • Brush ribs liberally with bbq sauce and place on the grill, bone-side down. Smoke using super smoke, at 225° F for an additional hour.
    • Rest ribs for 10 minutes or enjoy right away. Serve with Chipotle Smoked Mac and Cheese or Traeger Smoked Potatoes.

    Notes

    • I prefer to leave the membrane attached to the ribs. It helps the ribs to keep their shape and adds additional flavor and texture. If you want to remove it, just run a butter knife or your finger under the membrane to detach it from the bone. Get a good grip on the membrane and tear it off.
    • If you prefer to use a thermometer or a probe to check the internal temperature of the ribs, you'll want them to be somewhere between 203° F and 205° F.
    • If you will not be eating the ribs right away or if they are ready sooner than you expected, wrap the ribs in foil, then a towel, and store them in a cooler (without ice). The ribs will stay warm and juicy until you're ready to serve them.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 2ribs | Calories: 600kcal | Carbohydrates: 40g | Protein: 20g | Fat: 48g
    Tried this Recipe? Please leave A Star Rating!Mention @HildasKitchenBlog or tag #HildasKitchenBlog!

    More Traeger Smoked Recipes

    • smoked cheeseburger and fries
      Juicy Smoked Burgers
    • smoked jalapeno poppers with one being picked up with blue tongs.
      Carnitas Stuffed Smoked Jalapeno Poppers
    • smoked cream cheese topped with cranberry relish and pita chips
      Smoked Cream Cheese (2 Ways)
    • Traeger smoked turkey
      Traeger Smoked Turkey Without Brine

    Sharing is caring!

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Pat L says

      May 10, 2023 at 10:37 pm

      5 stars
      Thanks for this recipe Hilda! I set my smoker to 225 degrees and left it the entire time. The mesquite rubs was awesome and I had never thought to use pomegranate juice. These were the best beef ribs I’ve done.

      Reply
      • Hilda Sterner says

        May 11, 2023 at 8:32 am

        Hey Pat! I'm so glad you enjoyed the ribs. Also, thanks for coming back to review the recipe! Now, come see us!

        Reply
        • Pat L says

          May 12, 2023 at 3:08 pm

          5 stars
          You know we’ll be coming to see what’s cooking in Hilda’s Kitchen!

          Reply
          • Hilda Sterner says

            May 12, 2023 at 8:05 pm

            You guys are welcome, just make sure we don't have a previous booking. 😉 Mushroom season is in full swing! I can't wait to get back to MT to forge morels! In SD for 2 more days then homeward bound!

            Reply
    2. Tiffany says

      March 13, 2023 at 2:40 pm

      Can I use ACV instead of pomegranate juice?

      Reply
      • Hilda Sterner says

        March 13, 2023 at 2:44 pm

        Hi Tiffany,
        That might be a bit too acidic. If you don't have pomegranate juice, try apple juice, cranberry juice, or a mixture of apple juice 3/4 c, with 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar. You can also use beef broth. Good luck!

        Reply
    3. Vic Cook says

      June 05, 2022 at 7:19 pm

      5 stars
      My 1st attempt at smoking with a Traeger 34 Grill I just bought. I never smoked any meat in my life so I needed some help. Thought I'd try beef ribs. Googled how to smoke beef ribs and needed a recipe w/o mustard bc my girlfriend is allergic to it. So came across this recipe bc it used olive oil instead of mustard. Got all the prep done and ribs on the smoker and went back to check this recipe online (I googled it is how I got it), and when I got back to my computer I saw "Hildas Kitchen Blog" then right next to it was Hilda's picture and I said HEY!!!! That's the lady that lived across the street she was my neighbor for years and years! It is a very small world. These ribs turned out so tender and juicy they were the best beef ribs I ever had in my life. Thanks Hilda 5 stars!!! Now what to smoke next?

      Reply
      • Hilda Sterner says

        June 05, 2022 at 7:24 pm

        I love it! I'm so glad it worked out for you and that the ribs were enjoyed. Also, I really appreciate the review!!! You should definitely do a brisket and burnt ends next!

        Reply
    4. Kelly Methey says

      February 23, 2022 at 3:17 pm

      5 stars
      I can tell you that anything Hilda smokes is out of this world! I know this 3-2-1 method works! Yum!!!

      Reply
      • Hilda Sterner says

        February 23, 2022 at 3:32 pm

        Thanks, Kelly!!!

        Reply

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