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    Home » Recipes » Smoked Beef

    Smoked Beef Short Ribs

    Published: Nov 3, 2022 Modified: Mar 20, 2023 by Isabel Laessig

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    My Smoked Beef Short Ribs are richly flavorful and so juicy. They're easy to prep and cook to fall off-the-bone tender perfection! This will be your new favorite short rib recipe!

    Smoked beef short ribs sliced on parchment paper in a basket
    Jump to:
    • Smoked Short Ribs
    • Smoking Beef Short Ribs Ingredients
    • How to Smoke Beef Short Ribs
    • Smoking Beef Short Ribs Tips
    • Short Ribs Temperature Chart
    • What are short ribs?
    • Smoked Short Ribs Recipes FAQs
    • Types of Short Ribs
    • Short Ribs Cuts
    • Best Beef Short Ribs Recipes
    • Smoked Beef Recipes
    • 📌 Pin it for later!
    • 📋 Recipe
    • 💬 Reviews

    Smoked Short Ribs

    You could say beef short ribs are a specialty of mine. I've made them in the oven, in the Instant Pot, in the slow cooker, on the grill... and in the smoker!

    It isn't difficult to smoke beef short ribs, and it's worth every bit of effort. There is nothing like the taste and tenderness of beef ribs smoked. Trust me!

    A basket of smoked beef short ribs
    Three beef short ribs on a cutting board
    An example of beautifully marbled short ribs

    Smoking Beef Short Ribs Ingredients

    • Beef Short Ribs
    • Our short ribs rub recipe - paprika, coarse salt, black pepper, garlic powder
    • Apple Cider Vinegar

    For my smoked beef short ribs recipe, I use a simple mixture of paprika, salt and pepper, and garlic powder. This is a perfect beef short ribs seasoning! It's simple but gives the beef a beautiful crust.

    ingredients for smoked beef short ribs with labels

    How to Smoke Beef Short Ribs

    1. Season your ribs with salt only and allow them to rest in the fridge overnight. The beef will soak up the salt and become more tender.
    2. Preheat your smoker to 285 degrees Fahrenheit. Mix your remaining seasoning, then thoroughly season the beef on all sides. Pat it down to really get that seasoning in there.
    3. Smoke for 4 hours, spritzing every hour with apple cider vinegar, until the meat is so tender a meat thermometer pierces through easily. When the meat is ready, it will literally feel like you are putting the meat probe through soft butter.

    Heavier, larger ribs will take longer to smoke.

    Smoked beef short ribs sliced on parchment paper in a basket

    Smoking Beef Short Ribs Tips

    • Pellet smokers like this Wood Pellet Grill and Smoker are perfect for smoked beef recipes.
    • Heavier, larger ribs will take longer to smoke.
    • You want to cook your ribs to meat probe tender. Meat probe tender means the probe will go in and out of the meat without any resistance. It will happen around 190 degrees.
    • I use apple cider vinegar to spritz my ribs as they cook and keep them juicy. There’s no specific amount of apple cider vinegar to use. Just a spritz or two to make them glisten works perfectly.
    • You can skip the overnight brining step if desired. Simply add the salt into the rub instead of using it the night before.
    Seasoning beef short ribs from a jar

    Short Ribs Temperature Chart

    I recommend always using a meat thermometer and using our Beef Temperature Chart for best results.

    beef temperature chart showing different temperatures for beef
    DonenessTemperatureAppearance
    Rare120-125°FBright reddish-pink throughout
    Medium-rare130-135°FPink throughout
    Medium140-145°FSlightly pink at the center
    Medium-well150-155°FMostly brown throughout, with some pink
    Well-done150-155°FBrown throughout

    What are short ribs?

    Beef short ribs come from multiple areas of the cow, such as the plate, brisket, chuck, or rib areas. They are an excellent choice for all kinds of different cooking styles, like braising, grilling, and smoking.

    Short ribs generally vary in length from 3 to 6 inches. Typically, you will find 3-inch short ribs when purchasing from your local grocer.

    Look for beautifully marbled beef for the best results when smoking short ribs. Marbling refers to the white grains running through the meat and is an indicator of flavorful, great beef.

    Smoked Short Ribs Recipes FAQs

    How Long to Smoke Beef Short Ribs

    I smoke beef short ribs for 4 hours, spritzing them once every hour with apple cider vinegar.

    This ensures juicy, fall-off-the-bone tender ribs. Larger and heavier ribs will take longer to smoke. Smoke them until a meat probe slides into the beef like butter - that's how you know they're ready!

    What should my beef rib's internal temp be?

    The beef ribs temperature you're looking for is 190°F.Short ribs on the grill

    Types of Short Ribs

    Boneless Short Ribs

    So flavorful, easy-to-prepare boneless short ribs aren't actually cut from the rib section of the cow. They are actually cut from the chuck, or shoulder.

    Bone-in Short Ribs

    Bone-in short ribs come from the plate or front belly. These ribs are much fattier and very tasty. They are also called Chuck Short Ribs.

    Short Ribs Cuts

    English Cut

    English Cut is the most common short ribs. The English style cut for short ribs is cut between the ribs to separate them. This will result in a thick piece of meat on top of the bones. This is my favorite cut and what we used in this recipe.

    Flanken Cut

    Flanken-style short ribs are cut thin. They are usually about a half-inch thick and cut across the bones. This will produce a thinner strip of meat with four to five pieces.

    For smoking short ribs, I recommend bone-in, English Cut Short Ribs.

    Best Beef Short Ribs Recipes

    • Instant Pot Short Ribs
    • Short Ribs on the Grill
    • Korean Short Ribs
    • Slow Cooker Short Ribs

    Smoked Beef Recipes

    • Smoked Chuck Roast
    • Smoked Tomahawk Steak
    • Smoked Burgers
    • Smoked Prime Rib
    • Smoked Brisket

    Try more of the best beef cuts according to your needs and budget by following my guide on the Best Cuts of Beef and our Popular Beef Dishes!

    Short ribs in a parchment paper-lined basket

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    📋 Recipe

    Smoked beef short ribs on parchment paper
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    4.74 from 15 votes

    Tender Smoked Beef Short Ribs

    My Smoked Beef Short Ribs are richly flavorful and so juicy. They're easy to prep and cook to fall-off-the-bone tender perfection!
    Cook Time4 hrs
    Brining time (optional)12 hrs
    Total Time16 hrs
    Course: Main Course
    Cuisine: American
    Keyword: how to smoke beef short ribs, smoked beef short ribs, smoked short ribs, smoking beef short ribs
    Servings: 4
    Calories: 643kcal
    Author: Isabel Laessig

    Equipment

    • Smoker
    • Spray bottle
    • Meat thermometer

    Ingredients

    • 4 Beef Short Ribs
    • 2 Tablespoons Paprika
    • 1 Tablespoon Coarse Salt
    • 1 Tablespoon Black Pepper
    • 1 Tablespoon Garlic Powder
    • Apple Cider Vinegar

    See our Beef Temperature Chart for helpful tips on cooking any cut of beef!

    Instructions

    • Sprinkle short ribs with coarse salt and place, uncovered, in the fridge, overnight.
      ingredients for smoked beef short ribs with labels
    • Preheat your smoker to 285 degrees Fahrenheit. Place the remaining seasonings in a small bowl and mix well.
      short ribs seasoning mixed in a bowl
    • Sprinkle the seasoning mixture over the ribs and thoroughly cover them, from top to bottom.
      Seasoning beef short ribs from a jar
    • Place on the smoker and cook for 4 hours, or until the ribs are meat probe tender. Spritz the ribs once every hour with the apple cider vinegar. When the meat is ready, it will literally feel like you are putting the meat probe through soft butter.
      Short ribs on the grill
    • Remove from the smoker and let them rest for about 20 minutes before serving. Enjoy!
      Smoked beef short ribs sliced on parchment paper in a basket

    Notes

    • Meat probe tender means that the probe will go in and out of the meat without any resistance. It will happen around 190 degrees Fahrenheit.
    • There’s no specific amount of apple cider vinegar. Just a spritz or two.
    • You can skip the overnight brining step if you desire. Simply just add the salt into the rub instead of seasoning the night before.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 643kcal | Carbohydrates: 4g | Protein: 70g | Fat: 37g | Saturated Fat: 16g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 16g | Cholesterol: 212mg | Sodium: 1982mg | Potassium: 1409mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 1732IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 46mg | Iron: 9mg

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    About Isabel Laessig

    Isabel Laessig, better known as Family Foodie and the founder of the Sunday Supper Movement, is passionate about food and family! She is the author of the Boujee Steak Cookbook, and makes regular television appearances to spread her mission of bringing Sunday Supper back around the family table in every home.

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Jason Johnson says

      March 07, 2022 at 10:52 am

      Your pictures look like they are single ribs. My ribs are 3 ribs. Do you know if cook time is the same for sets of 3 versus individual ribs? I'm really looking forward to trying your recipe, but want to make sure i allow enough time.

      Reply
      • Em Beitel says

        March 23, 2022 at 1:20 pm

        Hi Jason! Internal temperature is all you will need to worry about. It will take a bit longer for a larger portion, but as long as you watch the internal temperature with a meat thermometer, that's all that matters. Thank you for your question and enjoy!

        Reply

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