These hot honey smoked ribs are super-tender, juicy, and loaded with bold flavor. A spicy dry rub gives the ribs their base flavor, then smoking them for hours and slathering them with a sweet, tangy, and spicy hot honey sauce finishes them off with smoky, sweet, and spicy flavor. They’re the perfect summer dish.
Ribs are a classic summer meal, and we love serving them at any event when we want to impress our guests or everyone at the potluck. Our signature crockpot pork ribs and boneless beef ribs with maple brown sugar are both always huge hits. Now, we’ve added another instant classic to our rib rotation that everyone already loves. Our hot honey smoked ribs are tender and juicy, with classic smoked flavor and an infusion of hot honey in the sweet, tangy BBQ sauce. They’re easy to make and hard to stop eating. You’ll see what we mean when you make them!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Simple Ingredients: This recipe uses simple ingredients found in any grocery store to create its rich, complex flavor notes.
- Simple Recipe: Just coat the ribs, smoke them, slather on the sauce, and smoke a little more. That’s it!
- Customizable: You can adjust the flavors to suit you and your family’s individual tastes.
- Versatile: These are the perfect summer lunch, dinner, or potluck dish.
- Great for Meal Prep: These ribs are freezer-friendly, so you can save a batch for future meals.
Ingredients
Dry Rub
- Cajun Seasoning: Cajun seasoning adds deep, earthy, slightly sweet, and hot flavor.
- Aromatics: A blend of granulated garlic and onion adds that classic aromatic flavor, combining sweetness with a little bite.
- Smoked Paprika: Smoked paprika adds sweet, smoky, earthy flavor.
- Cayenne Pepper: Cayenne pepper adds a kick of heat.
- Sugar: A mix of brown and granulated sugar adds sweetness to complement the savory, spicy flavors in the rub.
- Yellow Mustard: Yellow mustard adds tangy falvor and ensures the seasonings stick to the ribs.
Ribs
- Pork Ribs: Pork ribs are always a great choice for tender, meaty smoked ribs.
- Apple Juice, Agave, and Brown Sugar: A blend of apple juice, agave, and brown sugar creates a sweet, tangy solution that gives the ribs more flavor and keeps them tender.
- Jalapeno: Sliced jalapenos add a vegetal flavor with a kick of heat.
Hot Honey Glaze
- BBQ Sauce and Hot Honey: These combine to create a sweet, tangy sauce that packs a punch of heat.
Flavor Variations
- Ribs: You can use your favorite pork or beef ribs for this recipe. Just adjust your times accordingly.
- BBQ Sauce: Use your favorite BBQ sauce for this recipe. They all add their own unique flavor twist.
- Mild: Cut the Cajun seasoning by half and omit the cayenne, jalapeno, and hot honey for a mild version.
Instructions
Ribs
- Remove the membrane from the back of the ribs. Then, brush the yellow mustard on both sides of them.
- Mix the seasonings in a small bowl and rub ⅓ of the mixture onto the back of the ribs. Rub the rest into the meaty side of the ribs.
- Smoke at 265 for a couple of hours.
- Transfer the ribs to foil sheets large enough to accommodate the ribs, their juices, and the remaining ingredients.
- Add the remaining ingredients except the hot honey glaze, seal in the foil, and smoke for another 2 hours.
- Remove the ribs from the smoker. Then, combine the glaze ingredients with ¼ cup of the reserved juices.
- Baste the ribs with the sauce and smoke for another hour.
- Rest the ribs for 20 minutes and enjoy!
Tips
- If you’d prefer to not remove the membrane yourself, your butcher will often do it for you if requested.
- Really rub the mustard and seasoning into the ribs so it penetrates a bit before smoking.
- For more flavor, let the ribs marinate with the dry rub for 30 minutes to an hour before smoking.
- Never open your smoker while smoking the meat. It allows the heat and all that great smoke to escape!
Storage
Refrigerate leftovers for up to 3 days in an airtight container. For longer storage, wrap the ribs in plastic wrap and freeze them for up to 3 months in an airtight, freezer-safe container or heavy-duty freezer bag. The sauce can also be frozen for up to 3 months.
To reheat the ribs, defrost them overnight in the refrigerator if frozen. Then, microwave individual portions at 1-minute intervals until heated through.
Pairing Suggestions
Pair these hot honey smoked ribs with sides like garlic cheese toast, air fryer diced potatoes, crispy jalapeno fries, coleslaw, mac and cheese, or any of your other summer favorites.
Frequently Asked Questions
While there is no one best rib, there are some choices that are classic favorites. St. Louis ribs, baby back ribs, spare ribs, and country ribs are all popular choices for their meatiness, tenderness, and flavor. Choose the ones you enjoy most.
To easily remove the membrane from the ribs, slide the tip of a sharp knife under the membrane between it and the bone. Slide it along the short side until you have a flap long enough to grasp. Using a paper towel to maintain your grip, gently pull the membrane up and away until it is removed from the ribs.
Yes. All butchers and most people working at the butcher counter at your grocery store will remove the membrane upon request.
Try These Hot Honey Smoked Ribs
These hot honey smoked ribs are an easy rib recipe that is so much more than the sum of its parts. With a bold, spicy dry rub, a sweet, tangy sauce, and a glaze featuring the sweet tang of BBQ sauce and the spicy kick of hot honey, these ribs deliver tons of flavor in every bite. The best part is that they’re so easy to make, too. Serve them for dinner at parties or potlucks, but just serve them. We guarantee everyone will love them.
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Hot Honey Smoked Ribs
Ingredients
Rib Seasoning
- ⅓ cup brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons Slap Ya Mama seasoning
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1 tablespoon granulated garlic
- 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
- 1 tablespoon black pepper
- 1 ½ teaspoons granulated onion
- ½ teaspoon ground mustard
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
Ribs
- ⅓ cup yellow mustard
- ½ sliced jalapeno
- 1 cup apple juice
- ¼ cup butter, cut into tablespoons
- ¼ cup agave
- ½ cup brown sugar
Hot Honey Glaze
- ½ cup hot honey
- ¼ cup reserve juices
Instructions
- Preheat smoker to 265°F
Rib Seasoning
- Add all the rib seasoning ingredients to a small bowl. Stir to combine. Set aside.
Ribs
- Remove silver skin from the back of the ribs by inserting a butter knife under the skin. Grab a paper towel and grab the membrane and pull off the skin from the back of the rib.
- Brush yellow mustard over both sides.
- Take ⅓ of the dry rub and pat onto the underside. Flip over, add the remaining rub to the meaty side of the ribs.
- Place ribs on the smoker for 2 hours. (Do not open the smoker for at least 2 hours).
- Remove from the smoker and place on foil sheets large enough to seal juice in around the ribs.
- Add the remaining ingredients, except the hot honey.
- Seal the foil around the ribs and place back on the smoker for another 2 hours.
Hot Honey Glaze
- Remove ribs from the smoker, reserve ¼ cup of the juices and add to the hot honey. Stir to combine.
- Baste the ribs with sauce and smoke for an additional 1 hour.
- Remove from smoker, open up foil, and let set 20 minutes before serving
Notes
- If you’d prefer to not remove the membrane yourself, your butcher will often do it for you if requested.
- Really rub the mustard and seasoning into the ribs so it penetrates a bit before smoking.
- For more flavor, let the ribs marinate with the dry rub for 30 minutes to an hour before smoking.
- Never open your smoker while smoking the meat. It allows the heat and all that great smoke to escape!
