Smoked Beef Short Ribs | Best Beef Recipes

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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!

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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!

Smoking Beef Short Ribs Ingredients

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 nice bark.

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.
4. I love serving it with my bbq sauce for ribs it is an amazing combination of flavor!

Heavier, larger ribs will take longer to smoke.

Smoke 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 to the rub instead of using it the night before.

What to Serve with Short Ribs

I love using leftovers to make tacos!

Short Ribs Temperature Chart

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

Doneness	Temperature	Appearance
Rare	120-125°F	Bright reddish-pink throughout
Medium-rare	130-135°F	Pink throughout
Medium	140-145°F	Slightly pink at the center
Medium-well	150-155°F	Mostly brown throughout, with some pink
Well-done	150-155°F	Brown 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 Beef Short Ribs FAQs

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.

Beef Short Ribs Recipes

Smoked Beef Recipes

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!

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