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Glazed smoked pork ribs being held up showing caramelized bark and exposed bones

Pellet Smoked Ribs with Honey Jalapeño BBQ Sauce

St. Louis style ribs smoked at 275°F on a pellet smoker with an optional butter-honey wrap phase and a sticky homemade honey jalapeño BBQ sauce glaze.
Servings 6 servings
Calories 520 kcal
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 4 hours
Total Time 4 hours 20 minutes

Equipment

  • Pellet Smoker
  • Instant-Read Thermometer
  • Aluminum Foil or Butcher Paper
  • Tongs
  • Basting Brush
  • Small Saucepan

Ingredients
  

Ribs

  • 2 racks St. Louis style ribs
  • 2 tbsp yellow mustard binder
  • 2 tbsp BBQ rub balanced salt/sweet

Wrap (Optional)

  • 2 tbsp butter per rack
  • 2 tbsp brown sugar
  • 2 tbsp honey
  • 2-3 tbsp apple juice

Honey Jalapeño BBQ Sauce

  • 1 cup BBQ sauce sweet or neutral base
  • 1/4 cup honey
  • 2 fresh jalapeños finely diced
  • 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tsp onion powder
  • 1/2 tsp cayenne optional, for extra heat

Instructions
 

  • Remove membrane from back of ribs. Trim excess fat. Coat with yellow mustard and season with BBQ rub. Rest 15-20 minutes while smoker preheats to 275°F.
  • Place ribs meat-side up on pellet smoker at 275°F. Smoke 1.5-2 hours until deep red color, bark forming, and slight bone pullback.
  • Optional wrap: lay ribs meat-side down on foil. Add butter, brown sugar, honey, and apple juice. Wrap tight. Return to smoker 1-1.5 hours until tender.
  • Make sauce: combine BBQ sauce, honey, diced jalapeños, ACV, garlic powder, onion powder, and optional cayenne. Simmer 10-15 minutes.
  • Unwrap ribs. Place meat-side up on smoker. Brush with honey jalapeño sauce. Cook uncovered 20-30 minutes until sauce tacks up.
  • Pull at 200-205°F between bones when rack passes bend test. Rest 10-15 minutes before slicing.

Notes

Grill Master Tip: Run ribs at 275°F, not 225°F. Better fat render, better bark, cleaner bite without mushy texture.
Wrap Liquid: Don't overdo it. 2-3 tablespoons of apple juice is enough. Too much liquid steams the ribs instead of braising them.
Glaze Setting: Let the sauce tack up 15-20 minutes before pulling. Wet sauce slides off when you slice.
Bend Test: Pick up the rack with tongs at center. If it bends and slightly cracks, it's ready. More reliable than time alone.