Slow-Smoked Pork Ribs with Sweet and Tangy Glaze
Tender pork ribs slow-smoked over wood chips and finished with a sticky, sweet, and tangy BBQ glaze that caramelizes perfectly. This American-inspired barbecue recipe, ready in about 255 minutes, pairs pork ribs, kosher salt, black pepper for a weeknight-friendly dinner that comes together with one pan and minimal cleanup. Each serving lands at about 500 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 "Plan a meal with the AI" 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.
Ingredients
- 3 lbs pork ribs
- 2 tbsp kosher salt
- 1 tbsp black pepper
- 3 tbsp brown sugar
- 2 tbsp paprika
- 1 tbsp garlic powder
- 1 tbsp onion powder
- 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
- 1.5 cups hickory wood chips
- 1 cup BBQ sauce
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Instructions
- Step 1: Preheat your smoker to 225°F and soak 1.5 cups of hickory wood chips in water for 30 minutes.
- Step 2: In a bowl, mix 2 tbsp kosher salt, 1 tbsp black pepper, 3 tbsp brown sugar, 2 tbsp paprika, 1 tbsp garlic powder, and 1 tbsp onion powder to make the dry rub.
- Step 3: Remove the silver skin membrane from the back of the 3 lb pork ribs and evenly coat both sides with the dry rub.
- Step 4: Place the ribs bone side down on the smoker rack and add soaked hickory wood chips to the firebox for smoke.
- Step 5: Smoke the ribs at 225°F for 3 hours, spritzing with 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar every 45 minutes to keep them moist.
- Step 6: After 3 hours, brush 1 cup BBQ sauce over both sides of the ribs and continue smoking for an additional 1 hour until the sauce is sticky and caramelized.
- Step 7: Remove ribs from the smoker, tent with foil, and rest for 15 minutes before slicing between the bones.





