Smoked No-Wrap Baby Back Ribs

By Todd Martin October 16, 2023 4 mins read 220 Views

Great barbecue doesn’t have to be complicated. Sometimes, simple, no-wrap baby back ribs are just the way to go. And this is one of the easiest barbecue recipes you’ll see me put out there.

While wrapping ribs can increase tenderness and add extra flavor to the meat with butter, sugar, and sauces – no-wrap ribs are a great way to let the flavor of the meat and smoke shine through.

Simple No-Wrap Baby Back Ribs

This is a simple, no-fuss recipe for BBQ ribs cooked entirely on the smoker without wrapping.

If you hate ribs that are so tender the meat falls off the bone (looking at you 3-2-1), these are for you.

Because there’s no wrapping, this method takes a little longer, and you will need to use your skills to know when these ribs are done.

Ingredients you’ll need

Baby Back Ribs – Baby back (or loin ribs) are ideal for no-wrap ribs because they’re meaty and forgiving. You can alternatively use spare ribs if you prefer. Keep in mind that they will cook a bit slower.
Pork Barbecue Rub – I love using our Pitmaster’s Pick rub on ribs. It’s full of flavor with salt, sweetness, and a touch of heat from the Aleppo pepper.
Spritz – optional. Apple cider vinegar and apple juice.
Barbecue Sauce – optional, to serve.

Equipment you’ll need

Pellet Grill or Smoker
Wood pellets – I recommend using a pecan or oak blend for pork, but it’s a pretty forgiving meat, so any blend of wood you prefer should work great.
Spray bottle

How to make No-Wrap Baby Back Ribs

1. Prep

To prep your ribs, you want to start by removing the membrane from the backside of the rack. While this is optional, leaving the membrane intact can lead to a tougher bite on your ribs.

a person shows how to remove the membrane from pork ribs

Once your membrane is removed, season your ribs on all sides with BBQ rub. If you want to make your own, try our Ultimate Dry Rub for Ribs recipe.

Let the ribs rest at room temperature for 10-15 minutes to let that seasoning penetrate down into the meat.

2. Fire up the smoker

You want to preheat your smoker to 225°F.

I used my Grilla Grills Alpha Connect (also known as the Grilla OG) for this cook. This is one of my favorite smokers for cooking ribs. It has a small footprint, making it a great addition to any backyard, and it puts off a lot of smoke, which is exactly what you want when making no-wrap ribs.

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Grilla Grills Alpha Connect Wood Pellet Smoker

4.5

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I like smoking my ribs low and slow. The whole point of the recipe is to let as much smoke as possible penetrate the meat during the cooking process, so low and slow is the way to go.

3. Smoke

Once your grill is up to temp, you can place your ribs directly on the grates and just let them smoke.

Depending on the size of your rack, your ribs should take about 4 hours to cook. A good way to help build bark and keep the outside moist is to spritz your meat during the cooking process.

I like to give my ribs a spritz every hour or so with apple cider vinegar and apple juice.

no wrap baby back ribs in smoker being spritzed

You’ll know your ribs are done when they hit 200°F internal temperature. An instant read thermometer is a great way to keep an eye on the temperature.

thermoworks thermapen — I like to use the ThermoWorks ThermaPen. It’s quick and accurate.

When your ribs are done, pull them off the smoker and let them rest for 5-10 minutes.

To serve, slice between the bones and plate them alongside pickles and your favorite barbecue sauce.

no wrap ribs plated on a wooden board with pickles, sauce and a basting brush — I like to serve the BBQ sauce on the side and let my guests choose to add sauce based on their preference.

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