These St. Louis Style Ribs are finger-licking good! Loaded with seasoning, spices, and a deliciously moreish BBQ sauce, they are some of the best ribs I have ever eaten! We love smoking meats and we love ribs, so it only makes sense to share one of my favorite smoked rib recipes with you representing Missouri, home of Kansas City-style barbecue. This is part of my American Eats series where I’m exploring some of the most famous foods from each state, one state at a time.
What are St. Louis Ribs?
St Louis Style Ribs refer to a fatty cut of meat that is made in a rectangular shape that is perfect for smoking. The slow-smoking method allows smoky flavors to permeate the seasonings, meat, and BBQ sauce, making it so flavorful and tender. By the end of cooking you will have a melt-in-your-mouth main dish that you can serve for a dinner party, a special occasion, or as part of a summer BBQ spread! Try my Texas Smoked Brisket, this Smoked Pulled Pork, or these delicious Smoked Pork Belly Burnt Ends for more barbecue inspiration!
Why We Love This Recipe
Customize this recipe with your favorite BBQ sauce, or easily change the seasoning and spices to suit your preference.Made with simple ingredients you may already have in your pantry.These ribs look so impressive to serve, but they’re easier to make than you’d think!
What You’ll Need
Scroll down to the recipe card below this post for ingredient quantities and full instructions.
Ribs – We’ll use racks of St. Louis ribs or spare ribs for this BBQ dish, without the silver skin.BBQ Sauce – My Kansas City-Style BBQ Sauce is so delicious with the dry rub on these BBQ ribs.Sugar – Dark brown sugar gives this dry rub a rich sweetness to it. You can use honey, maple syrup, or molasses if you prefer.Seasoning – We’ll use a combination of paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, chili powder, freshly ground black pepper, cayenne pepper, celery seed, and kosher salt for this rub for a rich and aromatic blend of seasonings and spices.
Equipment
Smoker – We have a little Traeger and it works great, but any smoker will work.Wood or Pellets – We typically use the Traeger Texas blend or oak pellets, and then hickory would be our next choice.Digital Meat Thermometer (affiliate link) – This is a link to our favorite thermometer but we do have a few.Heavy-duty aluminum foil – To wrap the ribs in before smoking to let them marinate.Cutting board – For preparing the rib meat.
How to Make This Recipe
Tips for Success
Use a Digital Meat Thermometer (affiliate link) to check the internal temperature of the meat.Make sure to marinate the meat for at least 30 minutes. For best results, leave it for 2 hours or overnight before cooking it. This allows the salt in the rub to tenderize the meat for a better, more flavorful result overall.
Substitutions and Variations
Use honey or molasses instead of dark brown sugar if you prefer. I’ve used my Kansas City-Style BBQ Sauce in this recipe because it’s sweet and tangy and so flavorful, but you can use a different sauce or store bought barbecue sauce if you prefer. Try my Alabama White BBQ Sauce, this South Carolina Gold BBQ Sauce, or my Rhubarb BBQ Sauce for some alternative flavors.Add a little bit of hot sauce to the BBQ sauce, or serve with hot sauce on the side. Alternatively, you can add some heat by adding some hot pepper flakes to the top of the ribs.
More BBQ Recipes
Alabama White BBQ SauceSmoked Pork Belly Burnt EndsPerfect Grilled Pork Chops with Sweet BBQ Pork RubUncle Richard’s Brown Sugar & Honey Smoked Baby Back Ribs
More States I Have Visited in my American Eats Series
Alabama • Alaska • Arizona • Arkansas • California • Colorado • Connecticut • Delaware • Florida • Georgia • Hawaii • Idaho • Illinois • Indiana • Iowa • Kansas • Kentucky • Louisiana • Maine • Maryland • Massachusetts • Michigan • Minnesota • Mississippi • Missouri • Montana • Nebraska • New Jersey • New York • Oregon • Puerto Rico • South Carolina • South Dakota • Texas • Utah • Wisconsin
Smoked Pulled Pork Recipe
Carolina Mustard Based BBQ Sauce
Authentic Texas Barbecue Smoked Brisket
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