Slow-Smoked St. Louis-Style Ribs with 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 developed and reviewed.

Tender St. Louis-style pork ribs slow-smoked over hardwood with a classic dry rub for a smoky crust and juicy meat. This American-inspired barbecue recipe, ready in about 315 minutes, pairs St. Louis-style pork ribs, brown sugar, paprika for a weeknight-friendly dinner that comes together with one pan and minimal cleanup. Each serving lands at about 400 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.

Prep: 15 min Cook: 300 min Serves 6 American cuisine 400 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: Remove the membrane from the back of 2 racks of St. Louis-style pork ribs and pat dry.
  2. Step 2: In a bowl, combine 2 tbsp brown sugar, 2 tbsp paprika, 1 tbsp kosher salt, 1 tbsp black pepper, 1 tbsp garlic powder, 1 tbsp onion powder, and 1 tsp cayenne pepper to make a dry rub.
  3. Step 3: Lightly coat each rack of ribs with 2 tbsp yellow mustard to help the rub stick, then apply the dry rub evenly on both sides.
  4. Step 4: Preheat your smoker to 225°F and add 2 cups of hickory wood chips for a robust smoky flavor.
  5. Step 5: Place the ribs bone side down on the smoker grate and smoke for 3 hours.
  6. Step 6: After 3 hours, spritz the ribs with 1 cup apple juice to keep them moist and continue smoking for another 2 hours until the meat pulls back from the bones and is tender.
  7. Step 7: Remove ribs from the smoker and let rest for 15 minutes before slicing between the bones and serving.

Related recipes