3 2 1 Ribs

3 2 1 Ribs are fall off of the bone tender where they are smoked for 3 hours, wrapped and cooked for 2 more hours and then finished with sauce for another hour. The results are the most tender ribs you’ve ever tasted.

Our go-to rib recipes are Coca-Cola Ribs and Baby Back Ribs with Brown Sugar Dry Rub. These are more along the lines of competition ribs where the meat is tender and juicy but not fall off the bone ribs. Both are delicious methods and after trying them both ways you will have upped your rib game.

Grilled Baby Back Ribs are one of our favorites to cook over the weekend to feed a crowd. The whole family gathers around and it’s a simple recipe that we all enjoy. It’s really just as easy to cook several racks of ribs as it is one, so why not invite the whole family?

Ingredients Needed for the Best Rib Recipe

• Baby Back Ribs or spare ribs
• Prepared Yellow Mustard, like French’s
• Pork Rub – our delicious homemade rub for pork or try our Out Grilling Sweet BBQ Rub
• Sweet and Tangy BBQ Sauce

Step By Step Directions for 3-2-1 Method

1. Remove ribs from packaging and pat dry with paper towels.
2. Rub yellow mustard over the meat side.
3. Remove the thin membrane from the back of the ribs if desired. We usually leave it on, it’s totally optional but easy to remove.
4. Sprinkle with dry rub.
5. Prepare the smoker to 225° using pecan, oak or hickory wood chunks for smoke flavor.
6. Cook ribs, meat side up for 3 hours.
7. Remove from the smoker to a clean sheet pan.
8. Wrap the ribs in peach butcher paper (available from Amazon). You can also use aluminum foil or a foil pan if you prefer. Some folks like to brush with a mixture of apple juice and barbecue sauce to keep the ribs from drying out. We didn’t add any additional juice and we still ended up with juicy ribs.
9. Return the ribs to the smoker or grill for 2 hours maintaining a 225° temperature. We smoked a brisket along with these ribs for a big cookout.
10. Next, you will unwrap the ribs and brush with bbq sauce. Use your favorite, we used our Sweet and Tangy BBQ Sauce, our Dr Pepper Jalapeño BBQ Sauce is another great option if you like a spicy kick. Continue cooking for one hour.
11. Remove to a sheet pan and cool about 10 minutes before slicing with a sharp knife between the rib bones.

These 3 2 1 smoked ribs are no kidding, fall off of the bone tender, making them a favorite for family cookouts. The total cooking time is 6 hours, so plan ahead and get these going early in the day.

Recipe Notes

• Grill Info for Amazing Ribs: We are using our offset smoker for this recipe. The same cooking process will work for pellet grills, gas grills and charcoal grills.
• Storage: Store leftover ribs in a zip top bag or wrapped in aluminum foil in the refrigerator up to 3 days.
• Reheat: Cook in a 350° oven on a lined baking sheet for 10-15 minutes, brushing with additional sauce if desired.

Best Side Dishes for Ribs

Grilled side dishes are simple to cook while you are making your main dish. A few of our favorites are Grilled Corn on the Cob, Foil Packet Potatoes and Grilled Garlic Bread.  We also like to serve a few cold salads like Coleslaw and Potato Salad if we are feeding a crowd.

If you are new to smoking ribs and want a surefire cooking method for fall off of the bone ribs, give this 3-2-1 rib method a try. They have delicious smoky flavor, tender and full of delicious bbq flavors.

If you love this recipe as much as we do, please leave a comment and a five star review. Be sure to help us share Pinterest, Facebook and Instagram.

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4.80 from 5 votes

3 2 1 Ribs

3 2 1 Ribs are fall off of the bone tender where they are smoked for 3 hours, wrapped and cooked for 2 more hours and then finished with with sauce for another hour. The results are the most tender ribs you've ever tasted.

Prep Time10 minutes mins

Cook Time6 hours hrs

Additional Time10 minutes mins

Total Time6 hours hrs 20 minutes mins

Course: Ribs

Cuisine: American

Keyword: 3-2-1 Smoked ribs, fall apart tender ribs, tender baby back ribs, tender pork ribs

Servings: 8 Servings

Calories: 349kcal

Author: Milisa

Ingredients

• 2 racks baby back ribs
• ¼ cup prepared yellow mustard like French's
• ½ cup pork rub
• 1 cup sweet and tangy bbq sauce

Instructions

• Prepare smoker to 225° using hickory or pecan for smoke flavor.
• Remove ribs from packaging and pat dry with paper towels.
• Rub yellow mustard over the meat side. 
• Remove the membrane if desired.
• Sprinkle with dry rub. 
• Cook ribs, meat side up for 3 hours. 
• Remove from the smoker to a clean sheet pan.
• Wrap the ribs in peach butcher paper or aluminum foil. Some folks like to brush with a mixture of apple juicy and bbq sauce to keep the ribs from drying out. We didn't add any additional juice and our ribs were still plenty juicy.
• Return the ribs to the smoker or grill for 2 hours maintaining a 225° temperature.
• Next, you will unwrap the ribs and brush with bbq sauce. Use your favorite, we used our Sweet and Tangy BBQ Sauce, our Jalapeño Dr Pepper BBQ Sauce is another great option if you like a spicy kick. Continue cooking for one hour. 
• Remove to a sheet pan and cool about 10 minutes before slicing.

Notes

Store leftover ribs in a zip top bag or wrapped in aluminum foil in the refrigerator up to 3 days.

Reheat in a 350° oven on a lined baking sheet for 10-15 minutes, brushing with additional sauce if desired.

Nutrition

Serving: 1g | Calories: 349kcal | Carbohydrates: 20g | Protein: 22g | Fat: 19g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 11g | Cholesterol: 78mg | Sodium: 656mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 16g

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