Memphis Style Dry Rub Ribs
Memphis style ribs are a BBQ staple every backyard cook should have in their back pocket. They’re smoky, tender, simple, and loaded with flavor from a generous coating of Rub Yer Meat BBQ Rub.
No sauce. No wrap. No complicated rib math.
Just good ribs, clean smoke, a steady spritz, and enough seasoning to make the bark worth bragging about.
What Are Memphis Style Ribs?
Memphis ribs are known for being smoky, tender, and heavily seasoned. In a lot of Memphis BBQ spots, you’ll hear the question: “Wet or dry?”
Wet ribs are finished with sauce. Dry ribs are seasoned with a dry rub and often dusted with a little more rub right before serving.
For this recipe, we’re going dry. That means the seasoning needs to pull its weight, and Rub Yer Meat BBQ Rub is doing the heavy lifting here. It gives the ribs plenty of bold BBQ flavor while still letting the smoke and pork shine through.
Baby Back Ribs or St. Louis Style Ribs?
There’s some debate around which ribs are most traditional for Memphis style ribs. Some folks point to baby backs, while others lean toward St. Louis style spare ribs.
Baby backs are smaller, curved, and usually cook a little faster. St. Louis style spare ribs are cut from the spare rib, with a flatter shape, longer bones, and a little more fat and meat.
For this recipe, I used St. Louis style spare ribs. They take a little longer than baby backs, but they’re a great fit for this style because they handle the smoke well, build a beautiful bark, and give you that rich, meaty rib bite.
If you want to use baby back ribs instead, you can. Just know they’ll likely cook faster, so start checking for tenderness earlier.
Why This Recipe Works
These ribs are simple, and that’s the point.
You don’t need to wrap them in foil, braise them, or cover them in sauce. The flavor comes from three things:
Good ribs
Clean smoke
A solid coating of Rub Yer Meat BBQ Rub
The spritz adds a little sweetness and acidity while helping the bark build as the ribs smoke. The result is a rack of ribs with deep color, tender meat, and a dry-rub finish that keeps every bite flavorful without getting sticky.
What You’ll Need
- 2 racks St. Louis style spare ribs
- 4 tablespoons Rub Yer Meat BBQ Rub
- 1 cup apple juice
- 1 cup apple cider vinegar
Step-by-Step: Memphis Style Dry Rub Ribs
1. Preheat the smoker
Preheat your smoker to 275°F. Hickory wood works great here and gives the ribs that classic BBQ smoke flavor.
This recipe runs a little hotter than some low-and-slow rib methods, which helps develop a nice bark while still giving the ribs plenty of time to get tender.
2. Prepare the ribs
Remove the membrane from the back of the ribs. Slide a butter knife under the membrane on the bone side, lift a corner, grab it with a paper towel, and pull it off.
Trim away any loose pieces of meat or thick chunks of fat.
Season both sides of the ribs generously with Rub Yer Meat BBQ Rub. Press the seasoning into the meat with your hands. Don’t actually rub it back and forth. You want the seasoning to stick without scraping it off.
3. Smoke the ribs
Place the ribs on the smoker bone side down. Close the lid and let them smoke for the first hour without opening the smoker.
That first hour gives the ribs time to take on smoke and lets the seasoning start building into the bark.
4. Make the spritz
In a spray bottle, combine:
- 1 cup apple juice
- 1 cup apple cider vinegar
After the first hour, spritz the ribs every 30 minutes.
The apple juice adds a touch of sweetness, while the apple cider vinegar brings a little acidity to balance the richness of the pork.
5. Smoke until tender
Keep the smoker running at 275°F and continue spritzing every 30 minutes until the ribs are tender.
Since these are St. Louis style spare ribs, the total cook time is usually around 5 to 6 hours, but ribs are done when they’re done. Look for these signs:
- The meat has pulled back from the bones about ¼ inch
- The ribs have a deep mahogany color
- The rack bends easily when lifted with tongs
- The top of the ribs starts to crack slightly when bent
- Internal temperature is around 200°F, though ribs can be tricky to temp because of the bones
Don’t chase a number too hard. Tenderness matters more than the thermometer here.
6. Rest and season again
Once the ribs are tender, remove them from the smoker and place them on a cutting board.
Let them rest for about 15 minutes.
Right before slicing, dust them with the remaining Rub Yer Meat BBQ Rub for that classic dry rib finish.
Slice between the bones and serve.
Tips for Better Memphis Style Ribs
Don’t skip the membrane
Removing the membrane helps the seasoning reach the meat and gives the ribs a better texture when you bite into them.
Press the rub in
Season the ribs generously, then press the Rub Yer Meat BBQ Rub into the surface. This helps it stick without clumping or falling off.
Leave the lid closed for the first hour
That first hour is when the ribs are taking on smoke and the bark is starting to form. Let the smoker do its job.
Spritz lightly
You don’t need to soak the ribs. A light spritz every 30 minutes helps with color, moisture, and bark development.
Cook to tenderness
St. Louis style ribs can vary by size and thickness. Use the bend test, pullback, and texture as your main guides.
Memphis Style Dry Rub Ribs Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 racks St. Louis style spare ribs
- 4 tablespoons Rub Yer Meat BBQ Rub, divided
- 1 cup apple juice
- 1 cup apple cider vinegar
Instructions
- Preheat your smoker to 275°F using hickory wood.
- Remove the membrane from the back of the ribs and trim any loose meat or thick pieces of fat.
- Season both sides of the ribs with about 3 tablespoons of Rub Yer Meat BBQ Rub. Press the seasoning into the meat with your hands.
- Place the ribs on the smoker bone side down. Close the lid and smoke for 1 hour without opening the smoker.
- Combine the apple juice and apple cider vinegar in a spray bottle.
- After the first hour, spritz the ribs every 30 minutes.
- Continue smoking at 275°F for 5 to 6 hours, or until the ribs are tender, deeply colored, and bend easily when lifted with tongs.
- Remove the ribs from the smoker and rest for 15 minutes.
- Dust the ribs with the remaining Rub Yer Meat BBQ Rub before slicing and serving.
Final Thoughts
These Memphis Style Dry Rub Ribs are proof that ribs don’t need to be complicated to be great.
No sauce. No wrap. No drama.
Just smoke, pork, a steady spritz, and Rub Yer Meat doing what it does best: making your meat the main event.
