Competition-Style Smoked Beef Ribs with Spiced Dry Rub

By AislePrompt Editorial · ·

How this recipe was made — this recipe was drafted by AislePrompt's AI-assisted pipeline from technique templates and USDA-sourced nutrition data, and published by AislePrompt Editorial — see how AislePrompt recipes are drafted and published.

Beef ribs seasoned with a bold, spiced dry rub and smoked slowly to tender perfection, ideal for serious BBQ lovers. This American barbecue recipe, ready in about 445 minutes, pairs beef ribs (flanken cut), kosher salt, and coarse black pepper for a weeknight-friendly dinner. Each serving lands at about 700 calories and feeds 6, so it slots cleanly into a weekly meal plan and pairs well with a quick salad or grain on the side. Tap "Build a week of meals around this recipe" below to drop this recipe into your week and send the ingredients straight to Instacart. Nutrition values are approximate, calculated from USDA FoodData Central (fdc.nal.usda.gov) — verify against ingredient labels for any health-driven dietary plan.

Prep: 25 min Cook: 420 min Serves 6 American cuisine 700 cal/serving
Build a week of meals around this recipe → Shop this recipe on Instacart → Shop equipment ↓

Ingredients

The grilling tools we’d reach for here → Best Grilling Tools and BBQ Gadgets for 2026: Top Picks + Buying Guide

Affiliate disclosure: AislePrompt may earn a commission on qualifying purchases made through Amazon links, at no additional cost to you. See our policy →

Equipment for this recipe

Tools this recipe's steps call for, with a link to each on Amazon.

More Kitchen tools → Shop all kitchen tools →

Instructions

  1. Step 1: Preheat your smoker to 225°F and soak 3 cups dry apple wood chips in water for 30 minutes.
  2. Step 2: In a bowl, combine 3 tbsp kosher salt, 2 tbsp coarse black pepper, 2 tbsp brown sugar, 2 tbsp smoked paprika, 1 tbsp chili powder, 1 tbsp garlic powder, 1 tbsp onion powder, and 1 tsp cumin to make the dry rub.
  3. Step 3: Lightly coat 5 lbs beef ribs with 2 tbsp yellow mustard to help the rub adhere, then generously apply the dry rub all over the ribs.
  4. Step 4: Place the ribs on the smoker grate, add the soaked apple wood chips to the smoker box, and smoke for 6-7 hours until the ribs are tender and have a deep mahogany bark.
  5. Step 5: Remove ribs from the smoker and let rest for 15 minutes before slicing between the bones.
  6. Step 6: Serve the smoked beef ribs hot with your favorite BBQ sides for a flavorful and hearty meal.

Related recipes