June 25, 2020
Grilling

Smoked Hot and Fast Baby Back Ribs

Name: Smoked Hot and Fast Baby Back Ribs
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 180 min
Total time: 210 min
Ingredients: 2 Racks of Baby Back Ribs (or ribs of choice; Yellow Mustard (for binding); Sugar Free Dry Rub or Rub of Choice; Sugar Free KC Style BBQ Sauce or Sauce of Choice; 1 stick Softened Butter; Foil

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These hot and fast baby back ribs are smoked quickly over high heat, delivering juicy, tender meat with a perfect smoky char in record time. Finished with a flavorful glaze, they’re ideal for a weeknight BBQ or quick tailgating treat without compromising on taste.

Why This Recipe Works

Make Ribs in No Time: I am a huge fan of all things BBQ (like this BBQ Pork Butt, pellet smoker brisket, smoked pork loin), but I could make and eat ribs at least once a week on my grill. I do personally enjoy a good slow smoked 3-2-1 method for cooking ribs, but sometimes I don’t have 5 or 6 hours on my hands, so that is when these smoked hot and fast baby back ribs are perfect to make!

Easy to Replicate: Though I will be breaking down how I make my hot and fast ribs on the Big Green Egg today, it is possible to recreate this recipe on any grill/ smoker, and yes, even in your oven if that’s what works for you! For the best results, simply follow my step by step instructions and tips and you will have the best smoked hot and fast baby back ribs on your table!

Sliced up rib racks on a cutting board with a knife and pickles

What is the “Hot and Fast” method for cooking ribs?

If you are new to smoking BBQ or haven’t tried this method there are important things to note before getting started.

Hot and fast does not actually mean your grill should be blazing hot (we’re not cooking a steak here), but the temperature goal is much higher than what you would typically use to smoke meat.

Standard rib recipes typically sit between 225 F – 250 F depending on the type of cook, the grill, and the personal preference of the griller. A hot and fast method is really all about keeping your smoker sitting at 300 F for the entire cook. Believe it or not, that 50-75 F degree difference is a major game-changer in the amount of time the ribs spend on the grill.

Rib cook times may vary slightly with this method, but typically my baby backs cook in 2.5 – 3.5 hours give or take.

Below I will share more tips on how to know when your ribs are ready to be pulled from the grill.

Supplies Needed

Boning/Trimming Knife & Cutting Board
Paper Towels
Baking Sheet
Drip Pan
Tongs
Foil

Ingredients

Baby Back Ribs: Baby back ribs are pork ribs that will cook up perfectly using this hot and fast method!
Yellow Mustard: Yellow mustard acts as a binder to help the dry rub stick to the ribs, making sure they are super flavorful.
Dry Rub: You can use your favorite BBQ dry rub here. Some of my favorites include my all purpose BBQ dry rub or my Cajun BBQ dry rub! Alternatively, you can use your favorite store-bought rub.
BBQ Sauce: I highly recommend my smoky BBQ sauce recipe, Memphis-style BBQ sauce, or Carolina gold BBQ sauce! Or, try your favorite store-bought sauce instead.
Butter: Butter is mixed with the BBQ sauce while the ribs are smoking for added moisture and flavor.

hot and fast ribs on the big green egg on indirect heat

How to Set Up Your Smoker

Every grill and smoker is different, so there are some variables here. If you have a kamado-style ceramic grill like the Big Green Egg then the method I use can easily translate. Regardless of what you cook on, you do not want a direct flame hitting your food.

I place my charcoal in the base of the grill and light it and let it heat for about 10 minutes with all the vents open and the lid as well.

Depending on what model Egg you have, you need to insert the stone components (conveggtor) to help disperse the heat and create an indirect cooking environment.

Depending on the size of your grill, it could take 15- 30 minutes for the temperature gauge on the top of your grill to read out correctly.

I highly encourage you to get a thermometer that can be inserted at the grill grate level for a more accurate reading as well. Regardless, get your grill prepped and holding steady at 300 F, and make sure to keep the lid closed!

How to Make Smoked Hot & Fast Baby Back Ribs

Prep:

Prep the Ribs: After you preheat the grill, prep your ribs by patting them dry, trimming silver skin and extra bone fragments, and removing the back membrane. Cover entirely in a very very thin coating of mustard. Use your favorite dry rub and apply a nice even layer to the bottom, sides, and lastly to the top of your ribs. Let this sit for 30 minutes.

Smoke the ribs:

Place on Smoker: Place your ribs on the grill, bone side down, over indirect heat, and let them cook for about 1.5 hours. Spray or mist the bark if desired every 20-30 minutes or so if desired from the start of the cook. You can spray your ribs with diluted apple cider vinegar or this sugar-free Texas Mop Sauce recipe to help keep the bark moist before wrapping.
Add Sauce & Butter: Wrap the ribs around the hour and half mark (when the bones are visible on the sides and the bark is set). Layer two pieces of foil so they slightly overlap, add warmed up BBQ sauce (a few tablespoons) to the bottom of the foil and a few tablespoons of softened butter. Spread it out slightly onto the foil and place the ribs meat side down over this.
Tightly Wrap with Foil: Repeat the same thing directly over the back of the ribs and then very tightly wrap the foil around the ribs as much as possible. The fewer air pockets the better! Place them back on the grill and cook another 45 min or so.

Unwrapped hot and fast ribs on the big green egg.

Place on Grill: Carefully unwrap the ribs from the foil and place them back on the grill to set. Sauce the last 15 minutes or so before removing from the grill. The ribs are tender starting at a temperature of 190 F. Use a thermometer and feel out the ribs to know when they look ready!
Rest & Enjoy: Rest them slightly (this helps with cutting) and then slice into serviceable pieces and enjoy.

How do I know when my pork ribs are done?

There are a few indicators here but ultimately it’s up to you to decide. I prefer my ribs very tender where they “bite off the bone” but don’t actually “fall off the bone”.

Some say, “fall of the bone” actually is an over-cooked rib, but really I believe this comes down to personal preference.

Here are some general rules to follow for checking to see if the ribs are ready:

You can start by using a thermometer and checking the temperature. This can be used as a good guideline, but every rib rack and rib cook is slightly different.
A good tip to note is that the ribs are “safe to eat” after 145 F but the collagen in the meat and tissue doesn’t break down until around 190-203 F. You’ll often see these numbers used throughout most BBQ recipes using beef and pork for instance.
Test your ribs as well by seeing how they bend and look for the bones on the ends to be showing too. Ribs that start to bend and don’t break (but want to) are tender!
Finally, use the probe end of a thermometer to “feel the meat” for tenderness. If the probe easily slides in, the meat is going to be tender and delicious.

Serving Suggestions

Serve your smoked hot and fast baby back ribs with some of your favorite BBQ sauces for dipping! I love this classic KC-style sauce recipe and my keto Carolina mustard sauce too.

My favorite sides to pair with these ribs are:

A person holding a rack of ribs over a plate.

More Recipes to Try

Want to master the basics of BBQ and become a better backyard pitmaster? Check out the Bon Appeteach BBQ Basics; a free guide you can download to learn about all the funda