Learn how to cook perfect Grilled Baby Back Ribs on a gas grill that are tender, juicy, and packed with BBQ flavor without a smoker or years of experience. With a simple dry rub and a few tips, this foolproof recipe will have you cooking ribs like a pro.
🐖Ingredients
Baby back ribs: St. Louis or spare ribs will also work
BBQ dry rub: your own or brown sugar, salt, chili powder, onion powder, garlic powder, black pepper
Wood chips: if smoking, I use hickory.
BBQ sauce: for serving
Equipment: Grill surface and an instant-read thermometer
Jump To (scroll for more)
- 🐖Ingredients
- 👨🍳How to Grill Baby Back Ribs—Step-by-Step Photo Instructions
- ⏰How Long to Grill Baby Back Ribs (Time Guide)
- 🔥How to know when the ribs are done?
- 👍Rib recipes you should try
- 🤔Reference Posts
- 🌡️Why use a grill temperature of 250°?
- 🤔What is indirect heat?
- 🔥Smoking on a gas grill
- 🥣Dry rub suggestions
- 🍽️What to serve with BBQ baby back ribs
- ❄️Storage and reheating tips
- ❓FAQs
- 🐖About Baby Back and Other Pork Ribs
- 📖The Recipe Card
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."
With easy-to-follow instructions, this recipe covers everything beginners or experts need to know: grill setup, cooking times, temperature, and how to add wood smoke. I’ll also share tips on seasoning, prepping the ribs, and knowing exactly when they’re done.
The best BBQ ribs are easier than you think to cook low and slow on your gas grill with homemade dry rub and your favorite barbecue sauce. I consider BBQ ribs of the three classic BBQ grilling recipes you can do the gas grill, along with BBQ Beef Brisket and Smoked Pulled Pork Butt.
👨🍳How to Grill Baby Back Ribs—Step-by-Step Photo Instructions
1. Grill Setup
1a. Set up the grill for indirect cooking with a temperature of 250° on the indirect side. Clean and oil the grill grates.
1b. If smoking, use a built-in smoking box, a cast iron smoke box, or a foil pouch with holes. I use hickory wood chips.
2. Preparing the slab of ribs
2a. Prepare the ribs. Remove the inner membrane and check for bone chips. Tips for removing the membrane are in the FAQ section.
2b. Mix the homemade dry rub and apply it to all sides of the ribs.
3. Grilling the ribs
3a. Grill with indirect heat for 2 to 3 hours. Longer for St. Louis or spare ribs.
3b. Optional: smoke for 30-60 minutes.
4. Check for doneness
4. The ribs are done at an internal temperature of 190°+ (200°-205° preferred.) Other endpoints are discussed below.
For more details, keep reading. See the Recipe Card below for complete instructions and to print.
⏰How Long to Grill Baby Back Ribs (Time Guide)
Three hours is a reasonable estimate for cooking a medium-sized rack of baby back ribs on a gas grill. If your ribs are smaller or you are unsure about your grill setup, start checking at about 2 hours.
A thick slab may take 4 hours. If cooking more than one slab with a vertical rack, add 30-60 minutes. There are the variables of the grill and the meat, so there is never an exact time for something like this.
Cooking time will be longer if you use a larger rib, like a St. Louis or spare ribs. Never cook by time; cook to an endpoint.
🔥How to know when the ribs are done?
You need to know when the ribs are done. If they are grilled too long, they are dry and overcooked. But too short, and they are tough. Here are three things to check, but I generally depends on the temperature and the rib bone exposure.
- 🌡️Temperature at 190°+, but 200°-205° is better. It is hard to get an accurate temperature due to the thin meat and the bones interfering. Use an instant-read or meat thermometer.
- 🦴You want to see some of the rib bone ends—this means the ends are sticking out. This happens when the meat is cooked and shrinks.
- 🔪When you pick up the ribs with tongs, holding them about ⅓ of the way up, they crack some.
👍Rib recipes you should try
There are other good choices for your ribs. Check out Ribs in the Oven, which are baked in foil, Crock Pot Baby Back Ribs, or try some Grilled Boneless Pork Ribs.
🌡️Why use a grill temperature of 250°?
The best grill temperature is 250°. Most smokers and top grillers like to cook ribs in the 225°-250° temperature range. A lot of that “moisture” you love is melted collagen, which doesn't melt rapidly.
The collagen in ribs starts melting at about 160° and increases up to 185°. If you rush the cooking at a higher temperature, the collagen will not completely melt before drying or burning the meat.
🤔What is indirect heat?
Using indirect cooking means the meat will not be directly over the heat source. All grills are different, so you must learn this for your grill.
You will need a large grill surface area to cook ribs and a grill surface thermometer to measure the surface temperature. I suggest adding a drainage pan under the ribs. This is usually under the grill grids, but it CANNOT rest on the burners.
🔥Smoking on a gas grill
Many larger grills now have a built-in smoking box; if not, use a cast-iron smoking box or aluminum foil packets of wood chips.
I suggest hickory, but cherry, pecan, mesquite, and apple are commonly used. Some people like oak, but I'm not fond of oak for ribs.
Please see How to Set Up Your Gas Grill for Smoking and Low and Slow Cooking for more details and troubleshooting.
🥣Dry rub suggestions
I included a simple 5 spice dry rub for ribs in the recipe using common pantry ingredients. For Memphis style ribs, use my Memphis Dry Rub. Or use the rub of your choice, like a Cajun blackening rub or Chipotle BBQ Dry Rub.
This rub recipe makes enough for two slabs. Cut it in half to have less leftover if you want, but I save it for next time. You can add a pinch of cayenne pepper for some heat.
- 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
🍽️What to serve with BBQ baby back ribs
This is a dry rub rib recipe, meaning the sauce is served on the side at serving. My favorite is my Memphis Barbecue Sauce recipe, but use the sauce you like.
Other typical side dishes are baked beans, Macaroni Salad, Caprese Pasta Salad, Microwave Corn on the Cob, and Baked French Fries. Serve with Old Fashioned Cornbread or Cornbread Biscuits.
❄️Storage and reheating tips
Store leftovers sealed airtight and refrigerated for 4 days or frozen for 4 months.
If frozen, thaw overnight in the refrigerator. Reheat leftovers in the oven on a rimmed tray sealed with aluminum foil (preferred) or in the microwave.
❓FAQs
Pork ribs have a thin membrane on the back of each rack, which is the lining of the lung cavity. It does not have to be removed, but most experts want it removed (and I do, too). Removing it increases the rub flavor.
This is easier than you think. I like to use my fingers and a butter knife. Often, the best part of the knife is the handle. Work your way under it in the area of a rib near an end. Then, once you can get a good hold on it, start pulling at an angle, and it will come off. It is an acquired skill, so you won't be perfect the first time.
No, but some people do. It will interfere with smoking. But it will not interfere much with cooking time. I prefer to have the surface and rub exposed to the grill environment for good bark development.
Maintaining a constant temperature in an oven is much easier than on a grill. So, you can cook in the oven with foil (Oven-Baked Baby Back Ribs) and finish on the grill or a broiler.
Yes. It is all about grill setup and getting the temperature correct. Indirect grilling requires a large surface area. However, it will be harder to maintain a consistent surface temperature for several hours.
The most important thing is low and slow indirect grilling at 250°F. If I let the indirect side wander up to 300°, they always have some dryness. Brining ahead of time can help. A spritzing with apple juice every 30 minutes will also help, but it will prolong cooking time since the grill will take some time to recover from so much hood opening.
Some people apply BBQ sauce in the last 30 minutes or so of cooking, which helps keep the surface moist and pleasantly caramelized.
Some will wrap the ribs tightly in the last half of cooking, but I love the crispy bark, and the steam with wrapping will interfere with one of my favorite parts.
🐖About Baby Back and Other Pork Ribs
Back ribs are cut from the top/back part of the rib, where it meets the spine. They are called baby back since they are shorter than the other rib cuts. They will usually be 10-12 ribs that are 4-5 inches, give or take a little, and typically weigh 1 ½ to 2 pounds.
Other pork ribs are bone-in spare ribs and St. Louis ribs. St. Louis ribs are spare ribs with the sternum, some cartilage, and rib ends removed. Since baby back ribs are meatier and in higher demand, they will cost more but are well worth the price, in my opinion.
While this recipe centers on baby back ribs, the same method can be used for pork spare ribs and St. Louis ribs. They will just take a bit longer.
📖The Recipe Card
Grilled Baby Back Ribs for Beginners
Video Slideshow
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Ingredients
- 1 rack baby back ribs
- ½ cup rub of your choice
Excellent rub if you don't have one. Enough for 2 slabs. Cut in half to have less leftover if you want, but I save it for next time.
- 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
Instructions
Set up the grill for indirect cooking over a drip pan under the indirect area, but not on the burners, with ½ to 1 inch of water. Stabilize temperature at about 250°. Clean and oil the grill grates.
Prep 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- The endpoint:
a) Temperature,190°+ (200°-205° is better.) It is hard to get an accurate temperature due to the thin meat and the bones interfering. Use an instant-read thermometer.
b) The ends of the rib bones are sticking out a bit.
c) When you pick up the ribs with tongs, holding them about ⅓ of the way up, they crack a bit. - 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.
Helpful links
How to Set Up Your Gas Grill for Smoking and Low and Slow Cooking A Beginner Guide to Grill Temperature on a Gas GrillYour Own Private Notes
To adjust the recipe size:
You may adjust the number of servings in this recipe card under servings. This does the math for the ingredients for you. BUT it does NOT adjust the text of the instructions. So you need to do that yourself.
Nutrition Estimate
© 101 Cooking for Two, LLC. All content and photographs are copyright protected by us or our vendors.
Originally published May 11, 2014. Updated with expanded options, refreshed photos, and a table of contents to help navigation.
Ben Rencher says
No mention of sauce. Do you omit it, or use it later for dipping, or like some recipes add it and put back on the grill at the end for a glaze?
Thanks!
DrDan says
Yep, these are dry rubbed. A sauce is optional. A light brushing before the end is good and/or add sauce for serving. If you don't have a sauce, I absolutely love my Memphis sauce. https://www.101cookingfortwo.com/memphis-barbecue-sauce-wonderful-thing/
DrDan says
Since you have lots of space in there. Don't crowd them much and I think you are looking at 3 1/2 to 4 hours still. I have never don this, but just my guess which you asked for. They are not a thick chunk of meat like a pork butt (or a whole pig)
DrDan
gary nuttall,sr. says
First time cooking ribs on home built grill.Cooker made from 280 gal.oil drum.I have cooked a 250 lb. pig in 10 hours at 350 degrees. Any guess cooking time for 40 lbs. pork ribs at 250 degrees, there are 8 racks.
Nick says
Just put some on the grill. Hope all turns out well. First time cooking ribs. :/ Wish I would have started them a bit earlier. Now I must wait 31/2 hours to see my masterpiece.
DrDan says
Hi John, Sorry for any confusion. The ribs are over the water pan with indirect heat. You can add some smoke if you want. I have those instructions also at https://www.101cookingfortwo.com/set-gas-grill-smoking-low-slow-cooking/. So the smoke is on top of the indirect heat. I like hickory for my smoke, but it is an individual taste thing.
John says
Did you just do over a water pan with indirect heat or did you smoke them? There is no mention of wood used, just instruction #4. Not very clear what to do for smoke.
Brandon says
I did 2 slab st Louis style and they were competition good . I varied from the rub recipe a Lil bit with my own ingredient as I was lacking some ingredients. My boss is a award winning cooker and these tasted as good as his and fell off the bone as well . 4_5 hours total cooking time .
DrDan says
Hi Brandon, Thanks for the note. Now, "competition good" is a very high bar. I'm glad they worked so well for you.
Dan
Jack says
If I do it this way will the ribs fall off the bone. I have always cooked them in the oven and finished in the grill. They fall right off the bone when I'm done. I have been wanting to try on my grill and smoke them but am afraid to change how I make them.
DrDan says
Hi Jack, these instructions will leave a little "tug" on the bone which is what the BBQ judges are looking for. If you want fall off a clean bone ( like my wife) then cook a bit longer. I frequently do the oven to grill trick when I don't want to bother but this give a nice texture to the surface and is the better way...
Dan
gary says
What type of wood chips do you use.
DrDan says
I generally use Hickory. It is always available locally. Apple is nice for a change for chicken. I want to try cherry this season sometime.
Ka says
Just started these..... how long for the potatoes to cook and should I wrap them in foil?
DrDan says
Put them in the back of the indirect area now. About the same time as the ribs.
DrDan
Jim says
A very good recipe, but WHOA, WAY too much salt. 3T was decidedly overkill. I slow cooked mine for 5 hours (3+ lbs) and they were juicy and perfect, but I'll have to drink an entire Poland Spring delivery truck's worth of water to counteract the sodium. In all honesty, it made the effort not worth it. I'd do it again, but with at least 1/3 of the salt.
DrDan says
The rub recipe is a classic 8:3:1:1 rub so the salt (3 Tablespoons) is correct. Sorry it was too much for you. This does make about double want you need for one slab hence the 1/2 cup recommendation. So cut back to what is good for you.
DrDan
Cherie says
I have to say my ribs turned out fabulous! Thank you so much for sharing that recipe it is definitely a keeper and I will use it again. All of your tips end extra help links were very useful too!
Henry Clayton says
Since I got rid of my Weber charcoal grill and my New Bruansfel grill, I haven't been able to figure out how to do ribs the right way on my 4 burner Kenmore gas grill. This recipe looks like it should work.
DrDan says
Thanks Henry, Yep it should work. If your grill instruction has directions for indirect cooking follow that and if not then check "How Set Up Your Gas Grill for Smoking and Low and Slow Cooking" linked near the top of the post.
Happy grilling
DrDan
d n says
came out perfect! I did a large slab for 4.5 hours. Half just with the rub above, half I added BBQ sauce. Jury is out on which is better, but they both were awesome.
DrDan says
Thanks so much for the note and rating.
DrDan
Jesse says
Dan, I can' wait to give this a try. The pictures are mouthwatering!
Keep up the good work my friend
Garell York says
These look real good, I have just put them on my gas grill. Thanks for the recipe.
DrDan says
Ribs are always good. Hope it works well for you.
DrDan
Miss Lilli says
Tried 'your' ribs & they were excellent!! & for an extra touch sprinkle your oiled potatoes w lemon pepper seasoning!! Pleases our palate!