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Tender, juicy, and packed full of flavor, these smoked 3-2-1 ribs are easy to make and turn out delicious every single time. When my family is in the mood for some ribs, this is my go to rib recipe. You are going to love these ribs!
Jump to:
- How to smoke 3-2-1 ribs - Video
- What are 3-2-1 ribs?
- What type of ribs to use?
- How much to buy
- Choosing a smoker / grill
- How to cook 321 Smoked Ribs
- Prepping the ribs
- Smoking the ribs (3-2-1 Method)
- Resting / Slicing / Serving
- Old pro tips
- Best wood chips / wood pellets
- FAQ
- Try Making These Recipes!
- 321 Smoked Ribs (JUICY)
How to smoke 3-2-1 ribs - Video
What are 3-2-1 ribs?
3-2-1 is a method of smoking ribs that has risen in popularity in the past couple of years. The method is smoking the ribs for 3 hours unwrapped, then wrapped for 2 hours, and a final 1 hour unwrapped with BBQ sauce.
- First 3 hours - The first 3 hours is unwrapped with seasoning on the ribs.
- Second 2 hours - Place ribs in aluminum foil and add liquid. Then wrap tight and smoke.
- Final 1 hour - Removing the ribs from the aluminum foil, covering in barbecue sauce, and smoke uncovered.
These tender fall off the bone ribs are extremely juicy. These will not have a bite like you expect from traditional smoked ribs or those you would enter into a BBQ competition.
Competitions like a little bite, but that doesn't mean these don't taste AMAZING. They have a rich flavor and many people prefer this tender rib meat.
What type of ribs to use?
This method of cooking can be used on any type of rib. However, the most common used are going to be from pork, not so much beef. The two favorites being:
- Baby back ribs (pork)
- St. Louis Style Spare ribs (pork)
I used pork baby back ribs for this recipe, but you can totally substitute St. Louis cut spare ribs. More questions about types of ribs? Dylan Clay is another online BBQ guy that has a great article on the different types of ribs.
I do not recommend using this method on expensive beef ribs, such as these Dino Ribs.
How much to buy
Each rack of baby back or spare ribs will have about 10-13 ribs which will be around 1 ½ - 2lbs.
Top Tip: Count on 1 rack of ribs to feed 2 people when accompanied with sides.
These pork ribs are very common and can be found at any super market or butcher shop. Large stores such as Sam's Club & Costco also have great prices and quality ribs.
Choosing a smoker / grill
The best way to cook these beef short ribs is low and slow on a grill or smoker. The best one to use is the one you ALREADY HAVE at home. If you don't have a smoker yet, check out the several I have listed below.
Smokers
I cooked these smoked pork ribs on my pellet smoker, just like the Camp Chef 36 smoker or Traeger 780. Pellet grills are an easy and great way to impart fantastic smoke flavor on the pork, and other meats for that matter, without having to babysit a firebox all day.
A traditional offset smoker, like this Oklahoma Joe's Smoker is also a great choice when making 3-2-1 ribs. They run on charcoal and wood chips and impart FANTASTIC flavor onto the meat.
Gas & charcoal grills
A gas grill or charcoal grill can definitely be used when making beef ribs. A gas grill will be the easiest of the two to keep the temperature consistent and low.
When using a charcoal grill, such as this weber kettle, is a great choice. You will have to use a snake technique when loading the grill with charcoal to maintain a low temperature for several hours.
Check out this great article on how to perform the snake method from the Perth BBQ School. It's a great instructional on how to cook something other than 'hot and fast' with your charcoal grill.
How to cook 321 Smoked Ribs
Now that you have what smoker and ribs to use; let's get to prepping, seasoning, and cooking these bad boys. Here I will show you exactly how to smoke 321 ribs with step by step instructions.
Prepping the ribs
Pork ribs will normally come in a thick plastic packaging, simply remove and wash the ribs with fresh water. Dry the outside of the ribs with paper towels to remove any excess water.
Removing the membrane
Taking off the membrane isn't a must, but it will produce better ribs. Removing it will allow more of the flavor from your spices to penetrate the meat and when eating the ribs you will avoid stringy membrane pieces.
No one likes having silver skin stuck in their teeth!
- Dull Knife - It's best to remove it, so simply get a dull knife like a butter knife and a couple paper towels. Simply turn the ribs so the meatier side is down on your cutting board and the ribs curve up towards you.
- Paper Towel - Starting at one end, slide the knife under the thin membrane the runs along the whole rack of ribs. Pull up enough of the membrane so that you can grab it with your fingers and tear the rest off. This will be slippery, so using a paper towel to grip the membrane is the best way to get a good hold of it.
- Discard - Pull the membrane in the direction opposite of the side you started on, it should peel off the ribs. Pull it entirely off and discard in the garbage, it can't be used for anything.
Smoking the ribs (3-2-1 Method)
Now that you have decided on what smoker or grill you are going to use when making these 3-2-1 ribs, let's get it fired up! Pre-heat the smoker to 225°-250°F.
- I like to smoke baby back ribs at 225°F and St.
- Louis style spare ribs at 250°F due to increased amount of meat and fat they have.
First 3 hours & Ingredients
The first 3 hours of the 321 rib method are smoked with a dry rub. These were seasoned with some simple ingredients you probably already have in your kitchen pantry.
- Dark Brown Sugar
- Sea Salt or Kosher Salt
- Black Pepper
- Paprika
- Chili Powder
Mix all the ingredients in a bowl and set aside. First we want to spread a binder all over the ribs so the seasoning sticks better. Yellow mustard is a great binder that won't change the final flavor of the ribs.
Once the mustard is coating the ribs, sprinkle on the seasoning liberally covering both sides of the rack of ribs.
*Note - Have a dry rub you love? Mix it up and try different rubs on different racks!
After covered with the dry rub, place the ribs directly on the grill racks meat side up / bone side down. Smoke for 3 hours at 225-250°F. No need to spritz with apple cider vinegar or apple juice like you would when smoking traditional style ribs.
The 3-2-1 rib method will give the meat plenty of liquid and steam after these first 3 hours.
Next 2 hours
After the ribs have smoked for 3 hours, pull them off the smoker and place each rack separately meat side down in a large piece of aluminum foil.
I like to use oversized heavy duty foil when doing this, it enabled me to use a piece 8" or so longer than the rack of ribs.
Create a little foil pouch and pour the apple juice and honey over the 321 smoked ribs in foil and wrap the ribs tight.. Since this aluminum foil is really wide, it will fold over from the sides.
Place the ribs which are wrapped in their own individual foil back on the smoker and continue to smoke for another 2 hours.
Final 1 hour
Once you have completed the 2 hours wrapped, pull the 321 smoked ribs wrapped in aluminum foil off the smoker and remove them from the foil. Place the ribs meat side up / bone side down directly on the grill grate.
Lather the ribs on both sides with your favorite BBQ sauce and smoke for another hour. This will allow the barbecue sauce to adhere to the ribs.
*NOTE - Even though these 3-2-1 smoked ribs recipe is technically cooked by time and not feel or look of the meat, these ribs can get overcooked. If the ribs appear finished and are extremely tender when you brush on the BBQ sauce after the first 5 hours. Simply cook 5-10 minutes instead of the final hour and pull off the smoker to eat.
Resting / Slicing / Serving
After the hour, pull the ribs off the smoker and allow to rest 10 minutes before slicing into individual ribs. Use a sharp knife to slice in between those bones cutting the rack of ribs into individual ones.
Congratulations! You have joined the ever growing group of rib fanatics that throw the rules out the window and have fell in love with the 3-2-1 rib method. These tender ribs are sure to impress!
Old pro tips
- Smoke baby back ribs at 225°F & spare ribs at 250°F due to their increased meat and fat content.
- Pull the membrane off the ribs, they're better without it
- Don't be afraid to pull the ribs off early. If they are finished and you like the feel and look, pull them off and eat em'.
- Try a different BBQ sauce on different racks. Experiment!
Best wood chips / wood pellets
My favorite type of wood to use when smoking pork is hickory wood chips or a fruit wood such as apple or cherry. These wood chunks impart a fantastic flavor onto the pork.
A competition or trophy blend of pellets can also be used. This is usually a mixture of several different types of hard wood which gives a nice smooth smoke flavor to the meat.
FAQ
When you buy spare ribs in the store, they are going to be pork.
The best temperature is between 225-250°F. I would use 250°F for spare ribs and 225°F for baby back ribs.
You can do anything you want! No, I sometimes leave the sauce off when people request it. It can always be served on the side.
Try Making These Recipes!
Ingredients
- 3 racks pork baby back or spare ribs
Binder
- ½ cup mustard (yellow)
Dry Rub Mixture
- ½ cup dark brown sugar
- 2 tablespoon kosher salt (coarse)
- 2 tablespoon black pepper (freshly cracked)
- 1 ½ tablespoon paprika
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
Liquid for 2hr wrap
- 2 ¼ cup apple juice
- ¾ cup honey
BBQ Sauce
- 1 cup bbq sauce (Your favorite)
Equipment
Instructions
- Wash and dry ribs with fresh water
- Remove the membrane by sliding a dull knife under membrane on the underside of ribs and pulling off while holding membrane with paper towel for easy grip.
- Smother ribs in mustard so the dry rub will stay on ribs better.
- Season both sides of the ribs liberally with dry rub and pre-heat smoker to 225-250°F. (225°F for baby back ribs & 250°F for spare ribs)
- Place ribs meat side up on smoker grates or rib rack and smoke for 3 hours.
- After 3 hours, remove ribs and place each rack meat side down in it's own individual aluminum foil. Add ¾ cup apple juice and ¼ cup honey to each rack of ribs and return to smoker for 2 hours.
- After 2 hours, remove ribs from aluminum foil and place on smoker rack meat side up. Brush liberally with your favorite BBQ sauce and smoke a final hour.
- Once finished, allow to rest for 10 minutes and cut in between each rib bone for individual rib pieces. Serve!
Pro Tips
- Smoke baby back ribs at 225°F & spare ribs at 250°F due to their increased meat and fat content.
- Pull the membrane off the ribs, they're better without it
- Don't be afraid to pull the ribs off early. If they are finished and you like the feel and look, pull them off and eat em'.
- Try a different BBQ sauce on different racks. Experiment!
John
I cooked a pork shoulder using the 321 method, and was told from more than 1 guest , this was the best pulled pork they had ever ate,
Amy
They were super yum! I finished he cook off earlier as you had suggested and was good!
Nancy
Wow how come the ribs requires such a long cooking time? Is there a secret tip ?
Will
The 321 method is a cooking ribs technique that tends to churn out fall off the bone ribs due to smoking at low temp and is also easy for people to follow. The time is a little long and can overcook the ribs however. It's normally better to cook to feel or temp, not time. That's why I mention that if the ribs are already fall off the bone after the 2 hours in the aluminum foil, don't smoke the last hour. Or smoke for 10 minutes instead of 1 hour to get the bbq sauce to set and pull them off.
Ne1sre
So I tried your recipe, that was too long to cook the ribs. Mine came out chewy. Cooked way past the falling off the bone tenderness point.
Will
Sorry they didn't turn out tender. I've had this same issue with a couple racks I have cooked this way. That's why I mentioned in the article that if the ribs seem tender and finished before the final hour, don't do the full final 1 hour. Smoke 10 minutes to get the bbq sauce to set and pull off the smoker or skip this step entirely. Smaller racks of ribs or ribs placed on a hotter part of the smoker tend to over cook. That's why it's always better to cook to internal temperature or look & feel (when it comes to ribs) than time.
ne1sre
I only smoke my baby backs for 2 hrs @ 225 then 2 hours in foil in the oven. They are falling apart tender so I'm wondering why you cook these so long? I'm going to try the recipe anyways.
Thanks for posting it.