Smoked Beef Short Ribs

Smoked short ribs are a delicious BBQ treat. I like to call them mini individual briskets due to the fact that when they are smoked their meat will taste similar to a brisket, but they can be customized to whomever you are cooking for. Slowly smoked over charcoal and wood, these little BBQ guys will impress anyone.
What can I season them with?
Any types of flavors that you like! My favorite way to have them is to buy a bunch and season half with our Open Fire BBQ Rub and the other half with our Open Fire BPS Rub. This is what I mean when I say they are customizable. Since they are small and individual, you can season each one a different way. Just rub the short ribs with a binder like mustard (as discussed in previous posts) and then generously season all over. Boom – your short ribs are ready to be smoked!

Preparing the smoker.
It’s time to prepare the smoker. First thing is to set your smoker or grill up for indirect cooking. Then light some charcoal and let your smoker stabilize at around 250ºF – 275ºF. Once stabilized, add some smoking wood of your choice. I’ve been using cherry wood a lot lately, but any other type will work just fine (ex: pecan, hickory, apple, oak, etc). And just like that, it’s time to add the short ribs!
Time to cook the short ribs!
Now that the smoker temperature has stabilized, put the short ribs on bone side down. I like to check on them every hour, spritzing with some apple cider vinegar when I do. For more information on spritzing, check out my BBQ Smoked Ribs post. I’ll also start checking the internal temperature after the second hour. That’s really all that you need to do until they hit an internal temperature of 203ºF and they feel like butter when probed with a thermometer.

Wait! The short ribs finished cooking earlier than expected.
This can certainly happen with a lot of BBQ meats. Since these individual short ribs are smaller than say a brisket, they tend to not take as long to cook (around 4-5 hours). The timing can still be tough to predict though. If they happen to finish a little too early, here is what I do:
- Remove the cooked short ribs from the smoker
- Wrap them in foil
- Take the foil wrapped short ribs and wrap in a large towel
- Place that towel with the short ribs in it in an empty cooler
- Close the cooler until you’re ready to eat
This towel/cooler trick also works really well on brisket, pulled pork, and other large BBQ meats. I utilize this trick all the time. It will keep your meats nice and warm while simultaneously allowing them to rest.

Enjoy these easy BBQ bites!
Smoked short ribs are incredibly easy to pull off but are extremely flavorful and delicious. With only a few steps to do: season, smoke, and spritz, these are perfect for a day that you’re craving BBQ but you aren’t necessarily in the mood for some “involved” cooking. Try this one out and get creative! If you have six short ribs, then season all six differently. Have fun and see which one you like best. Whatever you end up doing, I am certain you’ll enjoy your “mini individual briskets”.

Smoked Beef Short Ribs
Ingredients
Short Ribs
- 4 Beef Short Ribs 2 per person
- Mustard or Oil to use as a binder
- Open Fire BBQ Rub
- Open Fire BPS Rub
Spritz
- Apple Cider Vinegar optional
Instructions
- Prep the short ribs by applying a thin layer of mustard or oil all over. Season half of the short ribs generously with Open Fire BBQ Rub and the other half with Open Fire BPS Rub.
- Set up your smoker/grill to indirect cooking. Light some charcoal and stabilize the temperature around 250ºF-275ºF. Once stabilized, add some smoking wood of your choice. Add the short ribs to the smoker bone side down.
- Smoke the short ribs over indirect heat. Check on them every hour and spritz them with apple cider vinegar when you do so. Start checking the short ribs internal temperature at the second hour mark.
- Continue to smoke until an internal temperature of 203ºF is reached and the short ribs feel like butter when you probe them with a thermometer.
- Remove from the smoker and cover loosely with foil. Let rest for at least 30 minutes before serving. Enjoy!