Smoked Ribs with Blueberry Jalapeno BBQ Sauce
These Smoked Baby Back Ribs with Spicy Blueberry BBQ Sauce deliver bold summer flavor with a balance of sweet, heat, and smoke. Lean and tender baby back ribs are dry-rubbed and slow-smoked to perfection, then glazed with a homemade blueberry jalapeño BBQ sauce that’s as vibrant as it is flavorful. Perfect for summer cookouts, 4th of July gatherings, or any backyard BBQ, this rib recipe blends tradition with a fruit-forward twist.
Equipment
- knife
- cutting board
- Paper Towels
- Aluminum Foil
- grill or smoker
- Measuring Cups
- prep bowls
Ingredients
- 2-3 lbs. rib rack
- 4 T unsalted butter
- BBQ seasoning
- BBQ Sauce
Instructions
For the Ribs:
- Preheat the grill or smoker to 275°F. Meanwhile, trim the ribs of any excess fat and remove the last two bones on both ends. Next, remove the membrane and season both sides liberally.
- Once the grill is preheated, add the ribs and smoke them untouched for ~2 hours. At this point, rub a finger over the ribs. If the rub has set and does not come off, remove the ribs from the grill. If not, let the ribs smoke for another 30 minutes and check again to ensure the rub has set.
- Place the ribs on a piece of heavy-duty aluminum foil, meat side down, and wrap tightly with the butter and a liberal amount of the prepared sauce. Return the ribs to the grill (still meat side down).
- After ~45 minutes, check back in on the ribs. Once the bones start to show, they should be tender enough to continue. You can also pick them up with tongs to check their tenderness. If they have a nice bend to them when you pick them up – they’re good to go. If they’re still stiff, wrap them up and continue cooking for another 20 minutes before checking back in. This is what's known as "the bend test". You want them to be nice and floppy.
- Once the ribs are tender, season both sides liberally with your BBQ rub and let them cook for another 15 minutes, meat side up, to reset the bark. Finally, brush your favorite BBQ sauce onto the ribs or use the spicy blueberry bbq sauce I made for this recipe and let the ribs continue to cook until the glaze has set. Once this occurs, remove the ribs from the grill.
To Finish:
- Slather your ribs one more time with the sauce (if desired), slice, and serve. Enjoy!
Notes
Serving Ideas: Serve with cornbread, grilled corn, or pickled onions. Sauce works great on chicken or pork belly burnt ends too.
Make Ahead: Sauce can be made up to 7 days in advance and stored in an airtight container in the fridge.
Make Ahead: Sauce can be made up to 7 days in advance and stored in an airtight container in the fridge.