My Traeger Smoked Pork Ribs are currently #1 on my favorite grill recipes list. These aren’t quick, but they ARE easy.

Pork ribs are seasoned with a dry rub, slow-smoked for 5 hours, coated with dark brown sugar and cooked with a bottle (or two) of hard apple cider to braise for 4 hours, and then get cooked uncovered right on the grill grates for another hour coated with your favorite barbecue sauce. You’ll never have a better pork rib.

Traeger Smoked Pork Ribs

Competition rib purists, you can probably stop here. These ribs are not going to be for you. They are so moist, tender, and fall-off-the-bone delicious, you couldn’t handle it. Me, on the other hand, I’ll have your share too.

If you like to eat your ribs with a fork, these ribs are for you.

If you like rib meat so tender, its closest cousin is a great pot roast, this recipe is for you.

This recipe is also for those of you who want to throw down some delicious smoked barbecue for your friends and family, but don’t want to be stuck cooking during the whole party. You can do the first two portions of this recipe the day BEFORE your party, and then just do the final hour right before serving.

75+ of my FAVORITE Traeger Recipes

What are the best pork ribs for grilling?

• SPARE RIBS are cut from the top portion of the rib cage. They have longer bones, and very flavorful meat and generally have a longer cooking time. These are very versatile ribs and are made using several different methods including grilling, smoking, and roasting. You will find these ribs with about 11-13 bones per package.
• BABY BACK RIBS are cut from the bottom portion of the rib cage and are meatier than spare ribs. They don’t take as long to cook, and you will find these types of ribs happily being grilled in the northern part of the United States. These ribs have about 10-13 bones per package.
• ST. LOUIS STYLE RIBS are a cut that you will find in the southern part of the United States more often. This term became an official USDA cut in the 1980’s. These are actually spare ribs with the rib tips cut off, as they are a little gristly and have little meat on them.  These are famous down south, and are really amazing!
• COUNTRY STYLE PORK RIBS sometimes are considered chops and are cut from the shoulder blade. They have a lot of meat on them and people like these when they don’t want to use their hands to eat ribs. A knife and fork will do the trick for these “ribs”.

More Easy Traeger Recipes here!

The best dry rub for smoked ribs

Before you start with any large piece of meat on the grill, you need to rub it and rub it good.

I like to use my homemade BBQ Rub. It hits all the right notes for an all-purpose barbecue rub, helps pull on all of that great smoky flavor, and just the right amount of heat.

You’ll find a bunch of pre-made rubs that you might like for your ribs. Experiment a little and see what works best for you!

How long does it take to smoke 5-4-1 ribs?

These particular are smoked on the wood-pellet grill for 5 hours. I know it seems like a lot, but it is a thing you are going to want to try.

I know if you do any googling, you’re going to come across one of the most popular smoked rib recipes out there, the 3-2-1 ribs method. That calls for a 3-hour smoke, a 2-hour braise wrapped tightly in foil, and then 1 hour on the grill with barbecue sauce (or variations of that).

I’ve seen great things done with the 3-2-1 ribs recipe, but personally, I MUCH prefer my 5-4-1 method in both taste and tenderness.

Try for yourself and let me know what you prefer!

You can also cheat and use a pressure cooker for FASTER Smoked Ribs.

Don’t have a smoker? You can make awesome Pork Spare Ribs in the oven too!

Tips for 5-4-1 Traeger Smoked Pork Ribs

1. Don’t rush it! Great barbecue takes a long time. Deal with it and just buckle up for a long drive. You can’t escape it, and once you taste these, you won’t want to either.
2. Peel off the membrane! Most ribs have a membrane that runs all along the bottom of the bones. You’ll want to get rid of that or it can make things less-than-ideal. Some grocers pre-peel their baby back ribs, and some don’t. When in doubt, give it a shot.
3. Make at least 1/2 rack per person. A full rack from grown men and women wouldn’t be too crazy. These are amazing, and you’re going to want extras.
4. You can totally make these ahead of time. Just save the final grill with the barbecue sauce for right before you search them for the best results.

Try our No Wrap Ribs too!

What should I make with smoked baby back ribs?

Traditionally people like to make creamy coleslaw with their ribs, and I agree!

My Vinegar Coleslaw Recipe also is perfect with this almost-fall-off-the-bone rib recipe.

Since we are going really all out for this meal, you need to also make my jalapeno cheddar cornbread muffins. Because you need a little health food in this dinner, steam up some broccoli or serve it with my grilled vegetable pasta salad.

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Real Reviews from Readers!

“My family loved the ribs. My youngest son, who really loves ribs, sad they were the best ribs he has ever eaten. I used Traeger Pork and Poultry rub and Famous Dave’s Texas Pit sauce on one slab of ribs and Curt’s Medium sauce on the other slab. The meat just fell off the bones. I will definitely use your recipe the next time I make ribs. Thanks!”

~Dan