How to Smoke Ribs in an Electric Smoker

Thinking of smoking ribs in the modern era with advanced technology devices doesn’t remain impossible. The same case is for smoking, and to use an Electric Smoker is one of the easiest ways to smoke anything, especially when looking for a BBQ ribs party.

Here we take a step-by-step guide for you on how to smoke ribs in an electric smoker. So get ready for a juicy, tender, and rick pork barbecue with an electric smoker.

If you don’t have an electric smoker, then take a look at my guide to the best electric smokers

Step1: Prepare the Ribs

The first step is to prepare ribs for your best electric smoker. In this, remove the ribs membrane to ensure that the BBQ pork ribs will provide tender smoked. It’s necessary to remove this rubbery layer because it makes the meat tough and inedible if cooked with it.

All you need is a blunt knife, plastic gloves, and paper towels. Start the removing process from the endpoint of the rib. Pull it away slowly until you get your fingers underneath. After that, use the hands to pull it away gently. Then remove the skin with a paper towel slowly.

Step2: Trim the Rib

After removing the ribs membrane, move on to the next step: the trimming of a rib. Here you have to compare the ribs length against the smoker; this ensures that the ribs get complete smoking coverage.

Step3: Rub the Rib

Now, it’s time to rub the BBQ ribs, which you did by rubbing yourself. Take one cup of brown sugar, two tablespoons of granulated garlic, one tablespoon kosher salt, black pepper, and paprika. Mix them thoroughly in a plastic container with the fork. Mix until all the clumps break down, put the lid on it, and shake it until ingredients are disrupted evenly.

Now, coat the rib’s top side generously, apply this mixture firmly by using hands and then flip for applying it to the other sides of the ribs. Once you complete the coating process, the ribs are cut in a bag and leave it overnight in your refrigerator. Allow it to sit so that the ribs can absorb more flavors.

Step4: Rib Smoking

Now it’s the final and primary step that we further divided as;

After rested overnight, start up the smoker and adjust the temperature. Usually, an electric smoker cooked or smoked the ribs perfectly at 225°F of temperature. Preheat the smoker and set the timer of 20 to 30 minutes for this purpose.

Next, you have to prepare the wood box for smoking with any of your chosen wood. Hickory or pecan wood are primarily used for and suitable for this purpose. Place the water pan in the smoker chamber; this will keep the moisture while smoking.

Move on, and place the ribs on the smoker racks; the preferable way is to cut rib pieces on a different rack for equality heat coverage. Or the second option is to put them on middle shelves; this will also ensure that the ribs are getting the proper temperature. Measure the temperature regulation with the meat probe thermometer.

Please close the door and let them cook; the smoking time depends on meat tenderness and temperature. However, a rough estimate of 3lb cut ribs will take four to six hours to smoke correctly. After two hours, check the ribs briefly and make sure that the ribs start tendering or not. You may check by putting the meat probe end and slightly nudge the ribs.

In case the ribs don’t turn juicy, then we recommended you wrap them in foil. Hence, the ribs remain moist and receive better heat without any risk of drying out. You can do this by wrapping them in an alumni foil, but you have to spray a little water or apple cider on them while putting them in the foil.

Again put them back in your electric smoker and remains them for ninety minutes. On complete tenders, ribs smoking, apply sauce on them by using a brush.

A Simple Recipe for BBQ Ribs smoking: 

Total time: Four hours and thirty minutes is the total time to smoke the ribs, in which preparing time will be thirty minutes, and cook times are four hours.

Equipment: The equipment you needed is an electric smoker and a water pan for keeping moisture in the smoker.

Ingredients: Ingredients included are one 3lb St Louis ribs cut and for rubbing mentioned earlier.

Don’t forget to check out our guide: How to Smoke a Brisket in an Electric Smoker

How to prepare a Rib?