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 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."
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.
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🌡️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 with Step-by-Step Instructions
Grilled Baby Back Ribs for Beginners
Video Slideshow
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
Step-by-Step 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 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.
Matt says
Delcious. 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.
I cooked them for the first time tonight on my Genesis II. It was tricky figuring out the right temperature and they reached 195-ish after 2.5 hours, so I'm going to have to play with the setup. Someone on this page writes about switching one off and on again at certain intervals. I might try that, but I'd rather just be able to let them sit.
The ribs were still fantastic despite not having gone at least three hours in the grill. Super juicy, tender, and almost fall-off-the-bone. They're going to be even better once I can figure out the surface temperature problem.
Janel says
I do not know how you got the wood to smoke...on a gas grill at such a low temperature
Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan says
Hi Janel,
Welcome to the blog.
It will smoke. If you use an aluminum pouch or castiron box, put it over the direct heat side. If you have a built-in box, use it. More details at https://www.101cookingfortwo.com/set-gas-grill-smoking-low-slow-cooking/
Hope that helps.
Dan
Valerie Pickett says
Outstanding ribs! Thank you for a great recipe!
It was my first time cooking ribs on the grill! The man and I went to a local meat shop and purchased the ribs so I didn't want to fail. Looking at a lot of recipes yours was the most complete and easy to follow.
The only question I have for next time is how to ensure the top of the ribs are a little less chewy?
Will be checking out the rest of your site. Thank you again❣
Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan says
Hi Valerie,
Welcome the blog.
By the top, I assume you mean the outside of the meat where the rub is. The chewie is some dryness of the meat from dry cooking, you can add some humidity to the environment with water in the drip pan. Some people "mop" with various solutions.
Hope that helps some.
Thanks for the note and rating.
Dan
Jubran says
Just tried these out on our new Weber Genesis II 310 for Memorial Day - came out delicious!
Our grill is a three burner, so we started off with the two sides on and one off in the middle. The heat was rising a bit too rapidly at first with two burners, so after an hour I turned one of the burners off, then on again after another hour. After 3 hours, both racks were right at 190F, so I finished them with a quick sear on medium heat over direct flame to finish it off, and it came out great. It looks like experimentation really is needed with each unique grill.
One concern I had was with the wood chips. After three hours, I had no smoke coming out of the hickory wood chips I bought, despite being hot to the touch. I think next time I'll do without soaking first and see how it turns out.
Thanks for the great recipe, Dr. Dan.
Matt says
Jubran, did you have the burners on low the entire time? I may try your method of switching one off then on again.
Greg says
I've been using your method for 2-3 years now. Family, friends, and visitors always ask how it's done after they've eaten (can't really beat that as a compliment when it comes to ribs).
Brad says
WOW! DrDan, thanks so much! Thanks for your attendant article "How To Set Up Your Gas Grill for Smoking and Low and Slow Cooking." That got me to experimenting with my grill as you suggested, with your guidelines in mind. I have a nice 4-burner CharBroil with Grill Grates installed. Previously, I've had OK results to burned results. Tonight, my birthday, we had fantastic ribs. I figured out to use my outside burners on low with the outside Grill Grates taken off. That gave me the indirect heat at 250º. I used the shallow aluminum drip pan with water. I also did an America's Test Kitchen suggestion and brined my ribs before cooking. I also cooked them with the meat side down. Your rub recipe is totally awesome! I got totally fall off the bone tender and moist meat. Couldn't decide whether to use BBQ sauce or not because the rub was incredible.
Thanks again, you are the (grillin') Man!
em says
Hi DrDan,
I am just want to confirm that you are using Fahrenheit temperatures? Our grill was purchased in Finland and uses metric, but we can do the conversions ourself, of course!
Emily
DrDan says
Yep, Fahrenheit. As a doctor I used metric for everything. Here everything is American.
Alec says
I have a surface thermometer but a question about location. For the gas grill ribs, do I want the thermometer to reach 250 on the heat side or the indirect side? Or should it be places somewhere in the middle of the BBQ?
DrDan says
I do near the back of the indirect side, That is the surface temp you want the ribs to cook at. If you don;t have room there then right next to the ribs away from the direct side.
Let me know if other questions.
Dan
Stephen Reedy says
I'm low and slow cooking mine on a small grill. With the burners going front to back. I lined the back portion of the rack with foil to help keep it in indirect heat, and placed drip pans directly on top of the foil. My grill also has the upper rack which is where I placed the ribs so the drip pan is underneath. I lack a temperature gauge so I actually have no idea what temperature the ribs are getting. I suppose this is going to be trial and error until I get a thermometer. I did have to rotate the ribs about 2 hrs into the process because the side facing the directcheat blackened, while the back did not. I hope these turn out ok my girlfriend and her mom are coming over to help eat these! I'll try to post a picture of the finished product if I can
DrDan says
I'm afraid this is not going to go well for you. You are totally driving blind. I'm a huge believer in thermometers. I'm more of a "science guy". I'm not sure the way you have it set up is very "indirect".
https://www.101cookingfortwo.com/grill-temperature/
https://www.101cookingfortwo.com/set-gas-grill-smoking-low-slow-cooking/
Jeff says
Hey DrDan
That's awesome information, I really appreciate it!!! I will definitely get one of these on grill thermometers and try it out, and this time have better success! One last question (sorry to keep bothering you!) in your opinion, where I found the ribs to be to salty, do you think if I had cooked at the right temp the salt wouldn't have been as powerful or it didn't matter and it's just my taste buds?
Again thanks for all your help and advice, it's greatly appreciated!
DrDan says
Again a taste thing. Cut back the salt in the rub or use less rub.
Have a good day and let me know if you have other questions.
Dan
Jeff says
Hi DrDan
It's a 4 burner grill I bought new in may. I used the far left burner for the smoke and indirect heat source. The thermometer is located in centre of lid. I'm not sure if this link will work but it is almost identical to this one (broken link removed—DrDan)
As for the smoke, I guess my smoker box worked as it should have then? As I said I. New at this and had the understanding that you were supposed to smoke the whole duration of the cook (as in like a smoker unit would do)
Thanks for the fast reply, anything you can think of to ask or tell me to help hone my skills I would greatly appreciate!
Cheers
Jeff
DrDan says
Hi again.
The thermometers in grill hoods are unfortunately horrible. They are cheap and measure the air temp at the top of the grill, not the surface temp. So your issues are temperature related. Probably the same issue Gadge, the commenter before you, had but didn't realize.
I used grill surface thermometers for years. They only cost about $10 and will last most of grill season until you can't read it anymore. Amazon, Home Depot or Lowes will have them. I now use a fancy Theromoworks remote monitor.
The amount of smoke is more a personal taste thing. I find 20-30 minutes to be my taste. Type of smoke is also a taste thing. I like hickory usually. The soaking of the chips is frequently recommended but most pros don't care.
Jeff says
I tried this recipe and didn't have the desired outcome. It was also my first time doing ribs on a BBQ so I more than likely did something wrong. First I found the ribs to be very salty. Second, I kept the heat constant at 270-280 range and cooked them for 4 hours, checked the internal temp and it was reading 140. Thirdly, when the ribs were finished cooking they were, not tough but also not fall off of the bone, somewhere in between but leaning more to the tough side. I did the water tray below the indirect side under the ribs, so I don't know why I had this outcome. Any advice would be great.
On the same topic but different note, if I could get some help about smoking would be good. I have 2 smoker boxes, soaked the apple wood chips, filled the box and it was literally 45 mins before it stared to smoke. Worst off, it only lasted for 20 mins at best! Once the smoked stopped I removed that box and put In the new box with fresh chips, and same thing, 45/50 mins before smoke started and only lasted for 20 mins. So I made a smoker packet out of tinfoil and tried it with dry chips, had to wait over an hour and got 30 mins of smoke. Each time the smoker pack/box was over the only lit burner. I have no idea if it is normal or not. Again any feed back would be great. One last thing, should I smoke the whole ti,e they are cooking, or only for a short period at the first or at the end? Like I said this was my first attempt, I have been trying to up my barbecuing skills this year and I would like to get a good hold of this technique.
Sorry for the long post, thanks for any help and the recipe!! Cheers
DrDan says
Hi Jeff,
My first question is the thermometer? New? Old? Location? Number burners on the grill. I just sounds like the temperature was off.
Next the smoking. I usually I only do smoke for 20-30 minutes. But it starts the smoke usually within 5-10 minutes and last the 20 plus minutes. Again I question the temperature.
What do you think?
Dan
Gadge says
I put the ribs on the gas grill. It didn't even make it the 3 hours you suggested. After 2 hours on the grill, I checked it and it was burned all to hell. Completely ruined.
Grilly mcbuzzedrealgood says
Check his instructions for INDIRECT heat
Woody says
OMG......used Jack Daniels wood chips.. usually have left overs but these chips gave it the WOW factor
Michael Lawton says
Can you please clarify what stArt your smoke for 30 minutes means. Do you mean put ribs in for 30 minutes, then remove foil pack?
DrDan says
The duration of smoking is somewhat to taste. To me, 30 minutes of smoke gets very nice results. Would I remove a foil pack after 30 minutes if it was still smoking? No I would let it get done. With my grill a full wood chip bin gets about 30 minutes of nice smoke. A nicely made foil pack will also do about 30 minutes and if you have one of the cast iron smoking boxes, filled with chips will last 30-40 minutes.
Shirley Kressel says
What is the purpose of the pan of water? Is it to catch grease to prevent flare-ups? Or to keep the meat from drying out?
DrDan says
Hi Shirley,
The pan is mainly to catch the grease. Usually, everybody puts water in it for moisture but I doubt that matters much. Since the ribs are on the indirect side, there are no flare-ups issues, just the mess.
Dan