Smoked St. Louis-Style Ribs with Spicy Kentucky BBQ Glaze

By AislePrompt Editorial · Published 2026-06-17 · Updated 2026-06-17

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 smoked St. Louis-style pork ribs with a sweet and spicy Kentucky-inspired BBQ glaze featuring bold paprika and cayenne. This American-inspired barbecue recipe, ready in about 400 minutes, pairs St. Louis-style 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 460 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: 40 min Cook: 360 min Serves 6 American cuisine 460 cal/serving

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Ingredients

2 racks (about 4 lbs total) St. Louis-style pork ribs
1 tbsp kosher salt
1 tbsp black pepper
2 tbsp paprika
2 tbsp brown sugar
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1 cup apple juice
3/4 cup ketchup
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
2 tbsp honey
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp hot sauce

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Instructions

Step 1: In a small bowl, combine 1 tbsp kosher salt, 1 tbsp black pepper, 2 tbsp paprika, 2 tbsp brown sugar, 1 tsp garlic powder, 1 tsp onion powder, and 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper. Rub this spice mix evenly over both sides of the 2 racks of St. Louis-style pork ribs. Let rest for 30 minutes at room temperature.
Step 2: Preheat smoker to 225°F. Place ribs bone side down on the smoker grates and smoke for 4 hours, spritzing every hour with 1 cup apple juice to keep them moist.
Step 3: Meanwhile, make the spicy Kentucky BBQ glaze by whisking together 3/4 cup ketchup, 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar, 2 tbsp honey, 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce, and 1 tsp hot sauce in a saucepan. Simmer over medium-low heat for 10 minutes until slightly thickened.
Step 4: After 4 hours, brush the glaze generously over both sides of the ribs. Wrap ribs tightly in foil and return to the smoker for 1 hour to set the glaze and tenderize further.
Step 5: Remove ribs from smoker, unwrap carefully, and slice between bones. Serve ribs warm with extra glaze on the side.