How to Smoke Beef Back Ribs

So you picked up a beef rib rack and you’re thinking about firing up the smoker. Good choice. Beef back ribs don’t always get the spotlight, but when cooked right, they deliver deep beef flavor, great bark, and a satisfying bite that feels earned.

If this is your first time cooking BBQ beef back ribs, relax. We’re going to treat these ribs like pork ribs. We will dust them with a Texas style rub, smoke, wrap, rest and let the smoker do the work. This method produces meaty beef ribs that are tender, juicy, and packed with classic barbecue flavor.

Before you dive in, I also put together a full YouTube video that walks through this cook step-by-step on my Weber Smokey Mountain. If you like seeing the process in real time—fire setup, bark development, and tenderness checks—be sure to watch the video alongside this guide.

What Are Beef Back Ribs?

Beef back ribs come from the dorsal section of the rib cage, located just beneath the prime rib. When ribeye roasts or prime ribs are cut, the bones are left behind with a generous amount of meat still attached.

Despite what some folks think, these are not a substandard cut. When smoked low and slow, barbecued beef back ribs become rich, beefy, and incredibly satisfying. They don’t eat like short ribs, they’re leaner, but when cooked properly, they are tender and full of flavor.

Rib Prep Process

Prepping a beef rib rack is simple and doesn’t require much trimming. For this cook, I left the fat intact and only rounded the corners for even cooking. I also left the membrane on the bone side.

Pro tip: Unlike pork ribs, it’s recommended to leave the membrane on beef back ribs. Removing it can cause the ribs to fall apart as they cook.

Season Those Beef Back Ribs

You can season smoked beef back ribs with just about any beef-forward rub. I often reach for Butcher BBQ Steak and Brisket Rub, which blends salt, pepper, garlic, and a hint of lemon oil.

For this cook, I went with a simple Texas-style approach, only salt and pepper to let the beef shine.

I don’t normally use a binder, but for this beef rib rack, I wanted to make sure the pepper adhered properly.

1. Lightly sprinkle Worcestershire sauce over the ribs and spread it evenly.
2. Apply freshly ground black pepper first.
   • Pepper tends to bounce off if other seasonings are applied first.
   • More pepper means better bark on BBQ beef back ribs.
3. Finish with a generous layer of fine sea salt.

Once seasoned, place the ribs in the refrigerator while you fire up the smoker. A rest of 45–60 minutes is ideal. This acts as a dry brine and helps build flavor.

Prepare the Smoker

For this cook, I’m using a 22-inch Weber Smokey Mountain, but this technique works just as well on a pellet smoker, ceramic cooker, offset, or drum.

I set up my WSM using the Minion Method and an Arbor Fabricating charcoal basket. The smaller holes allow the charcoal to burn longer and more evenly.

For smoke, I used three chunks of hickory. Hickory pairs perfectly with beef and gives smoked beef back ribs that classic barbecue aroma.

I lit 12–15 briquettes in a charcoal chimney using two paraffin cubes. After about 15 minutes, they were ready to add to the smoker. Allow another 15–20 minutes for the pit to come up to temperature.

Shoot for a grate temperature of 240–250°F.

Let’s Get to Cooking

Once the smoker is steady, place the beef rib rack on the grate, bone side down. At this stage, we’re building bark and letting the smoke do its job.

Cook the ribs until the internal temperature reaches 165–175°F. This is typically where the bark has set and the ribs are ready to wrap.

Time to Wrap the Ribs

When the ribs hit around 175°F, wrap them tightly in two layers of butcher paper. Wrapping helps push through the stall while keeping the ribs moist.

Return the wrapped ribs to the smoker and continue cooking until the internal temperature reaches 195–200°F.

The Beef Back Ribs Are Ready to Rest

After about 9 hours of low-and-slow cooking, these smoked beef back ribs were sitting at 198°F. Temperature matters, but the tenderness of the meat matters more.

Using an instant read thermometer, probe between the bones. When the probe slides in with little resistance, the ribs are done.

Remove the ribs from the smoker and let them rest, still wrapped, for at least 30 minutes. This allows the juices to redistribute and finish tenderizing the meat.

In Conclusion

If you’ve never cooked barbecued beef back ribs before, this is a great place to start. They’re forgiving, full of beef flavor, and incredibly rewarding when done right.

If you want to see exactly how these ribs cooked on the Weber Smokey Mountain, check out the full YouTube video (Beef Back Ribs on the 22 Inch Weber Smokey Mountain | Cold Weather Cooking) that goes with this post. Watching the process can give you extra confidence on your first cook.

It's your turn, fire up the pit, trust the process, and enjoy some seriously meaty beef ribs.