Want juicy, tender baby back ribs with real smoke flavor—on a gas grill, no smoker needed? This foolproof method shows you how to cook baby back ribs low and slow at 250°F with a simple rub and easy smoke setup. Just season, add wood chips, and grill like a pro.
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- 🧡 Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- 🐖Ingredients
- 👨🍳Quick Overview: How to Grill Baby Back Ribs on a Gas Grill
- ⏰ How Long to Grill Baby Back Ribs on a Gas Grill
- 🔥 How to Tell When Baby Back Ribs Are Done
- 🔧 Using Indirect Heat and Smoke on a Gas Grill
- 🥣 Dry Rub Options for Ribs
- 🐖 More Rib Recipes to Try
- 🍽️ What to Serve with BBQ Baby Back Ribs
- ❄️ Storage and Reheating Tips
- ❓Frequently Asked Questions
- 📖The Recipe Card with Step-by-Step Instructions
Featured Comment from Matt :
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
"Delicious. Wife also loved them. These are the best ribs I've cooked so far - this basic recipe is a keeper, and I'm going to stick with it."
🧡 Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Real BBQ flavor—low and slow on a gas grill – No smoker needed. Just wood chips, 250°F, and juicy, smoky ribs.
- Beginner-friendly – Simple rub, step-by-step help, and no wrapping required.
- Flexible cuts – Works with baby back, St. Louis, or spare ribs—just adjust the time.
- Know exactly when they’re done – Learn the three foolproof signs of perfectly cooked ribs—no guesswork.
- Impress without stress – Backyard BBQ that feels pro, even on your first try.
🐖Ingredients
- Baby back ribs – One slab. St. Louis or pork spare ribs also work but need a longer cook time.
- BBQ dry rub – Use your favorite or a simple blend of brown sugar, kosher salt, chili powder, black pepper, onion powder, and garlic powder.
Optional: Add cayenne for heat. - Wood chips (optional) – Hickory, cherry, apple, or your favorite for smoke flavor on a gas grill.
- BBQ sauce (optional) – For serving. Use what you like—I recommend my Memphis Barbecue Sauce.
🔧 Equipment
- Gas grill – Must support indirect heat and maintain a steady 250°F. Charcoal grills can work too but are harder to control for long cooks.
- Thermometer – A grill surface thermometer helps monitor grill temp, and an instant-read thermometer checks when the ribs are done.
- Smoker box or foil pouch – For adding wood chips on a gas grill.
- Drip pan with water – Placed under the ribs to regulate heat and moisture. NEVER PLACE ANYTHING IN THE BURNERS.
✅Pro Tip: Make sure you have a full backup propane tank. Low and slow cooks can run long, and running out of gas halfway through is a fast track to tough ribs and takeout.
👨🍳Quick Overview: How to Grill Baby Back Ribs on a Gas Grill
1. Set up the grill for indirect cooking
Set your gas grill to 250°F on the indirect side with a drip pan underneath. Clean and oil the grates.
✅Pro Tip: Do not put the drip pan (or anything else) on the grill burners. But the pan can go on the lava rocks.
Optional: Add smoke using a smoker box, cast iron pan, or foil pouch with holes—start right at the beginning for 30–60 minutes.
✅Pro Tip: Add water to the drip pan to help stabilize the temperature and keep things moist.
2. Preparing the ribs
Remove the inner membrane and check for bone chips. Apply your dry rub to all sides.
✅Pro Tip: Use a butter knife and a paper towel to get under the membrane and peel it off—it’s slippery but worth the effort.
3. Grill low and slow at 250°F
Cook over indirect heat for 2 to 3 hours. St. Louis or spare ribs may take longer.
Optional: Add smoke in the first hour.
✅Pro Tip: Don’t keep opening the lid—every peek drops the temp and adds time to the cook.
4. Know when they're done
Ribs are ready at an internal temp of 190°F+, with 200°–205°F preferred. Other signs: bones start to show, and they crack slightly when lifted with tongs.
👇For full step-by-step instructions, scroll to the printable recipe card or keep reading for tips, rub options, and serving ideas.
⏰ How Long to Grill Baby Back Ribs on a Gas Grill
There’s no exact time—but here’s what to expect:
- Medium baby back ribs: About 3 hours at 250°F
- Smaller racks: Start checking at 2 hours
- Thick slabs: May take up to 4 hours
- Two slabs in a rib rack: Add 30–60 minutes
- St. Louis or spare ribs: Take longer than baby backs
Don’t cook by time—cook to doneness. Use the signs below to know when they’re really ready.
🔥 How to Tell When Baby Back Ribs Are Done
If ribs are cooked too long, they dry out. Not long enough, and they stay tough. Since time isn’t reliable, use these three signs to know when they’re ready:
- 🌡️ Temperature – While some consider ribs done at 190°F, most people—including me—prefer 200°–205°F for the best texture. That’s when the collagen fully breaks down and the ribs become tender.
Use an instant-read thermometer, but the bones can make it tricky to get an exact reading. - 🦴 Exposed rib bones – As the meat cooks and tightens, the ends of the bones will start to show.
- 🔪 The crack test – Lift the ribs with tongs about a third of the way from one end. If they crack slightly under their own weight, they’re done.
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🔧 Using Indirect Heat and Smoke on a Gas Grill
For ribs, you’ll be cooking with indirect heat—meaning the meat isn’t directly over the flames. Every grill setup is a little different, so use a grill surface thermometer to make sure the indirect zone stays near 250°F. A drip pan with water under the ribs helps stabilize temperature and prevent flare-ups. Just don’t place it directly on the burners.
✅Pro Tip: The best temperature to cook ribs on the grill is 250°F, just like the competition grillers and smokers do.
If you want to add smoke, use a smoker box or a foil pouch with wood chips. Hickory is my go-to, but apple, cherry, or pecan work well too.
See How to Set Up Your Gas Grill for Smoking and Low and Slow Cooking for more detail.
🥣 Dry Rub Options for Ribs
The recipe uses a simple 6-ingredient dry rub with common pantry spices—sweet, salty, and balanced. You can also use:
- Memphis Dry Rub – For a classic, peppery finish
- Cajun or Chipotle BBQ rubs – For heat and bold flavor
- Your favorite store-bought blend – No shame in saving time
🐖 More Rib Recipes to Try
🍽️ What to Serve with BBQ Baby Back Ribs
This is a dry rub recipe, so the sauce is served at the table. I like my Memphis Barbecue Sauce, but use whatever you enjoy.
Great sides for ribs include:
❄️ Storage and Reheating Tips
- Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 4 days
- Freeze for up to 4 months—wrap tightly to prevent freezer burn
To reheat:
- Preferred: In the oven—place ribs on a rimmed tray, cover with foil, and warm at 300°F until heated through
- Faster option: Microwave in short bursts, covered with a damp paper towel or vented wrap
✅Pro Tip: Always thaw frozen cooked ribs overnight in the refrigerator for the best texture when reheating.
❓Frequently Asked Questions
Pork ribs have a thin membrane on the back that some leave on—but I always remove it for better flavor and texture.
Use a butter knife to loosen a corner near the end of the rack, then grip it with a paper towel and peel. It may not come off perfectly the first time, but it gets easier with practice.
No. Wrapping interferes with smoke absorption and prevents bark from forming. I leave mine unwrapped the whole time.
Yes—as long as you use indirect heat and keep the temperature steady. Just know it’s harder to maintain 250°F for several hours on charcoal compared to gas.
The key is low and slow at 250°F. If the temp creeps up to 300°, they’ll dry out.
Optional tricks: brining beforehand, spritzing with apple juice during the cook (but this extends time), or brushing with sauce in the last 30 minutes.
Some wrap ribs for the second half of cooking—but I skip that to keep the bark crisp.
Baby back ribs come from near the spine—they’re shorter, curved, and cook faster.
Spare ribs are larger, meatier, and come from the belly side of the rib cage.
St. Louis ribs are spare ribs that have been trimmed to remove the rib tips, cartilage, and sternum—making them flatter and more uniform in shape.
This recipe uses baby backs, but the same method works for all three. Just increase the cooking time for larger cuts.
The diagram below shows where each rib type comes from::
📖The Recipe Card with Step-by-Step Instructions
Grilled Baby Back Ribs on a Gas Grill (Tender & Smoky)
Video Slideshow
Ingredients
- 1 rack baby back ribs
- ¼–½ cup rub of your choice
- 8 tablespoons brown sugar - ½ cup
- 3 tablespoons kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
Step-by-Step Instructions
Set up the grill for indirect cooking
- Set up the grill for indirect cooking at a surface temperature of 250°F. Place a drip pan with ½ inch of water under the indirect zone—but not directly on the burners.
- Add smoke using a smoker box, cast iron pan, or foil pouch with holes—start right at the beginning for 30–60 minutes.
Preparing the ribs
- Remove the inner lining and check for bone chips.
- Rub with about ½ cup of a dry rub of your choice or my suggested rub. The rub will work fine if applied just before grilling or the day before. If applying early, then wrap with plastic wrap and refrigerate.
Grill low and slow at 250°F
- Place over the drip pan and start your smoke—30-60 minutes of smoke is enough. Then keep your hands off for about 2-3 hours total from the start of cooking. Add some time to that if cooking more than one slab. It may be 4 hours or more. If you are unsure of your grill setup or doing smaller ribs, start checking at 1½ hours.
Know when they're done
- The ribs are done when: First, an internal temperature of 190°+ (200°-205° preferred.) Second, some ends of rib bones are sticking out. Lastly, when you pick up the ribs with tongs holding them about ⅓ of the way up, they should crack.
- Allow to rest for 10 minutes before serving.
Recipe Notes
Pro Tips:
- The three most important points to success are grill setup, keeping the right grill surface temperature, and knowing the endpoint of cooking.
- If you are unsure of your grill setup or doing smaller ribs, start checking at 1½ hours. Also, review How To Set Up Your Gas Grill for Smoking and Low and Slow Cooking.
- Doneness guide (any of the following means they’re ready):
• Internal temperature of 190°F+ (200°–205°F preferred)
• Rib bone ends start sticking out
• The rack cracks slightly when lifted with tongs one-third of the way from the end - This post is for one slab of baby backs. If you have enough space, you could do two side by side, or use a rib rack. If you have a large slab of ribs or do a rib rack to cook more slabs, you must add some time. And if you use a larger rib like a St. Louis or spare ribs, they will also take longer.
Your Own Private Notes
To adjust the recipe size:
You can adjust the number of servings above; however, only the amount in the ingredient list is adjusted, not the instructions.
Nutrition Estimate (may vary)
Originally published May 11, 2014. Updated with expanded options, refreshed photos, and a table of contents to help navigation.
JimN says
Lots of good advice here. While I will usually stoke ribs (either baby back or st St Louis style on my charcoal smokers, its just to hard to requite the temp in the winter. I like the fact you talk about the importance of temperature at the grill surface and temp oof the food. I find an electronic thermometer with an ambient temp probe (for the grill surface) and probes for the meat to be invaluable.
The only quibble I have its "falling off the bone". To each his own but it is generally regarded that there should be some resistance when you chew on the rib. It should come off cleanly with a little tug but not fall off.
Don says
This is the dry rub that I use on chicken, beef and pork. I keep a large shaker bottle in my spice cabinet and some in a zip-lock bag so I'm always ready. It will clump some after a while but the back of a spoon takes care of that.
1 cup brown sugar 1/4 cup chili powder
1/2 cup white sugar 1 Tbsp onion powder
1/2 cup kosher salt 1 tsp black pepper
1 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper 2 tsp dry mustard
Thomas says
total failure and I followed this to the core.
Andy says
Dr Dan
What are your thoughts on wrapping the ribs in foil for the middle stage of the cook? I’ve read about 2-2-1 namely cook open for 2 hours to form bark, wrap in foil for 2 hours to counter stall and preserve moisture then finish open again.
Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan says
Hi Andy,
Welcome to the blog.
What you are asking is about "the stall" which occurs when fluid comes out of the meat at about 150 degrees. It will go to the surface and evaporate. That will slow cooking and the meat will not be quite as moist. I have a long discussion on my grilled brisket recipe. https://www.101cookingfortwo.com/cook-brisket-gas-grill/#the-stall
It is fine to do but be sure to remember you are cooking to an endpoint and not just by time. I have never done this for ribs but find miminal effect on my briskte. If you do it, be sure to wrap tightly since you need as little air as possible in the wrap. If you use foil, be sure not to have holes in it from the bones.
But I don't bother with it.
Hope that helps.
Dan