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Smoked dill pickle hot honey party ribs piled high in a disposable aluminum foil pan outdoors

Smoked Party Ribs with Dill Pickle Hot Honey Glaze

Smoked party ribs: St. Louis ribs sliced into individual party ribs, smoked at 275°F, braised in butter and brown sugar, then glazed sticky with dill pickle hot honey.
Servings 8 people
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 3 hours 30 minutes
Total Time 4 hours

Equipment

  • Pellet Grill or Smoker
  • Sharp knife
  • Saucepan
  • Aluminum foil pan
  • Aluminum Foil
  • Basting Brush
  • Meat Thermometer

Ingredients
  

Ribs

  • 2 racks St. Louis style ribs membrane removed, sliced into individual party ribs
  • yellow mustard as a binder
  • 1/2 cup BBQ rub your favorite

Dill Pickle Hot Honey BBQ Glaze

  • 1 cup BBQ sauce your favorite
  • 1/4 cup hot honey
  • 3 tablespoons dill pickle juice
  • 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
  • 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon coarse black pepper
  • 1 tablespoon fresh dill finely chopped
  • 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes optional, for extra heat

Braising Mixture

  • 1 stick unsalted butter
  • 3/4 cup brown sugar
  • 1-1 1/4 cups Dill Pickle Hot Honey BBQ Glaze from above

Optional Crispy Pickle Ranch

  • 1/2 cup ranch dressing
  • 1 teaspoon dill pickle juice
  • 1 teaspoon fresh dill chopped
  • fried dill pickle chips crushed, added right before serving
  • fresh dill chopped, to garnish the ribs

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the pellet smoker to 275°F. Remove the membrane from each rack, trim excess fat, and slice between every bone to create individual party ribs.
  • Coat the ribs lightly with yellow mustard as a binder, then season all sides generously with BBQ rub. Let the seasoning sweat into the meat while the smoker preheats.
  • Smoke the ribs for about 2 hours, until the bark is fully set, the color is deep mahogany, and the internal temperature reaches around 165°F. Avoid spritzing once the bark is set.
  • While the ribs smoke, combine the BBQ sauce, hot honey, dill pickle juice, Dijon, Worcestershire, garlic powder, onion powder, black pepper, fresh dill, and optional red pepper flakes in a saucepan. Simmer over medium-low heat about 5 minutes until slightly thickened.
  • Transfer the ribs to a foil pan. Add the butter, brown sugar, and 1 to 1¼ cups of the glaze, then toss to coat evenly.
  • Cover the pan tightly with foil and return it to the smoker for 60 to 90 minutes, until the ribs are tender and the meat pulls back from the bone.
  • Remove the foil, transfer the ribs back onto the grates, and brush with another generous layer of glaze. Smoke uncovered 15 to 20 minutes until the glaze caramelizes into a sticky finish.
  • Sprinkle with freshly chopped dill right before serving. For the optional Crispy Pickle Ranch, mix the ranch, dill pickle juice, and chopped dill, then top with crushed fried pickle chips just before serving.

Notes

Grill Master Tip: The dill pickle juice does not make these taste like pickles. It brightens the profile and balances the richness of the pork, butter, brown sugar, and BBQ sauce. Wait until the bark is fully developed before braising, since once the ribs go in the pan you're building tenderness, not bark. Don't skip simmering the glaze, and finish with freshly chopped dill right before serving. Ribs can be smoked and braised ahead, refrigerated, then reheated and finished with a fresh layer of glaze.