Smoking Boneless Beef Short Ribs in Electric Smoker
Last Updated June 4, 2022
When you start with beautifully marbled meat, there's not much else you need to do to develop a delicious meal.
Beef short ribs are such a sought after treat because when cooked properly, the meat just melts like butter.
There are a few different cuts of beef ribs out there. Read my tutorial to learn about beef rib varieties.
The rub in this smoked beef short ribs recipe is a simple mix of my award-winning Brisket Rub and a garlic forward rub from my friend Adam McKenzie from This Jew Can Que. The two combined create a nice balance of salt, sweetness and texture.
How many short ribs do I need per person
Beef short ribs usually come 3-4 per package, and the average person will enjoy eating 1-2 bones, depending on what other dishes you're serving along side them.
It's better to buy extra. Any leftover meat can be shredded and heated up later to make some killer tacos.
Smoking beef short ribs
These can be cooked on any type of smoker. Heat your cooker to 275F degrees and consider using hickory and cherry woods. They pair magically with beef.
Smoke the ribs for about 4 hours – until the internal temperature reaches 205F degrees.
That internal temp is really important. If you pull them from the smoker too early, they won't be quite as succulent.
Because beef short ribs are so rich and buttery, they go well with tart and spicy sides like grilled shishito peppers and pickled red cabbage.
Smoked Beef Short Ribs
Instructions
- Combine the rubs in a small bowl. Rub all over the meat. Let rest on the counter for 1-2 hours.
- Heat the smoker to 275F degrees. Smoke over indirect heat for 3 1/2 to 4 hours, until the meat is soft and reaches an internal temperature of about 205F degrees.
Notes
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp ground ginger
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 2 tsp Code 3 Spices Grunt Rub
Nutrition
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16 Comments
Source: https://girlscangrill.com/recipe/smoked-beef-short-ribs/
I don't have a smoker. How else can these ribs be cooked?
Hi Mona,
You could try cooking them in a 275-degree oven. I recommend putting a small pan of water in the oven with them to help keep them moist.
Christie
Do you smoke the short ribs whole or cut them before? Thanks!
I smoke them cut as individual bones. When I smoke plate ribs, I keep the 3-4 bones together.
My ribs varied widely in size, which made timing dinner difficult but we snacked on them as they hit 205 and they were very tasty.
This was the hit of the BBQ my wife and I held for our prayer group. I also grilled chicken, burgers, brats, and shrimp cabobs so there was alot to choose from and everyone seemed most interested in the ribs. Thanks for the great recipe
How about boneless short ribs? How do you adjust the timing?
The timing will be pretty similar. Mainly cook until you reach the desired temp.
I just tried these, still testing out my masterbuilt electric smoker. I used 3 small-ish boneless spare ribs, cooked fat on top , temp probe in larger one. Cooked right about 4 hrs to internal temp of 205*, and loaded wood chips twice.
While the flavor is there, they are a bit dry and tight overall ðŸ˜ðŸ˜ðŸ˜ðŸ˜ … any ideas where I may have gone wrong? Will try again soon…
You mentioned in your comment that you used spare ribs, which are pork ribs. This recipe is for beef short ribs. When I cook spare ribs, I usually wrap them about half way through the cooking.
Spritz them every 15 minutes during the last hour of cooking them with apple juice or Dr. Pepper and you will have juices running down your face.
I have a master built vertical smoker. Not sure if that's the one you're using. But my best results with this unit was to cook at 225, after first hour I then spritzed, and added more chips. After the first hour I then checked it every 30 minutes spritzing then to keep them moist, with of course the water pan having water or apple juice in them. That smoker is insulated very very well, so if you don't spritz every so often, and if the temp is high you will get very dry meat. Yes it took longer the way I did, but the end results was nothing short of juicy, moist, great pull, and tender like no other!!!!
What wood do you use in this recipe?
I like cherry and hickory for beef.
I have done Korean style ribs on a hot grill, mage slow cooker ribs the other night, had the left over today as a sandwich with barbecue sauce, it was good but I said to myself, "Joe this tastes a little like brisket, I wonder if anyone smokes them?" And I found your site, can't wait to try this.
Your smoked beef short ribs sure look excellent! I definitely agree with using hickory to smoke the beef short ribs, it is one of my favorite woods to smoke with. Hope to see more of your recipes out there.