I promise I’m not turning this into a grilling blog, guys. But for real, grilling has been happening on the regular at our house these days. And I’ve been having loads of fun experimenting with new recipes like this one for Barbecue Ribs on the Gas Grill.
Why use a gas grill for this?
Because it’s insanely hot outside and there’s no way it’s worth turning the oven on. Also, I don’t own a smoker.
So, using context clues, you might realize that the gas grill is probably not the absolute perfect instrument for making ribs. But if you’re like me, and looking for a good dinner without investing an excessive amount in extra equipment and also want to cook ribs outdoors, carry on.
Because it can be done, and will be done, on repeat, for the above cited reasons at The Gourmet Gourmand household.
And it works realllllly well.
Method
My method here is to rub the ribs with my homemade spice mixture, and simply cook the ribs low and slow over indirect heat until they are done. I don’t smoke them with wood chips, because it seems like too much fuss. I just mix a little smoked paprika into the spice rub and don’t stress about my delicious little hack.
Indirect heat is the absolute key for rib-by goodness, however. Because of the fat content of the meat as well as the sugar in the spice blend, the ribs will burn if placed over direct heat. And no one really wants that.
There are multiple ways you can achieve indirect heat, but what I found worked for me was to place tin foil on the grates of the unlit side of the grill and place the rack directly onto the foil. You honestly probably can get away without using foil, but I really didn’t want burned ribs, and it made clean-up super simple.
Serving
- I served my ribs slathered with my Memphis Style Peach BBQ Sauce, which is a fruity and tangy tomato forward sauce.
- If you like a more traditional sauce, you might want to check out this great recipe for Kansas City Sauce from Hey Grill Hey.
- Or, if it’s your style, serve the ribs dry! And by dry, I mean super moist, tender, and well-seasoned, just without the sauce. 😉
Side Ideas
Serve your ribs with whatever your favorite sides. I particularly love these recipes:
- Pasta Salad with Lemon and Dill
- Mom’s Baked Beans
- Creamy Greek Pasta Salad
- Watermelon Blueberry and Feta Salad
- Arugula Salad with Grilled Red Plums
Happy rib-grilling!
Gas Grilled Barbecue Ribs
Ingredients
- 1 rack Baby Back Pork Ribs
For the Rub
- 1/4 cup brown sugar packed
- 1 tbsp smoked paprika
- 1 tbsp chili powder
- 1 tbsp garlic powder
- 1 tbsp onion powder
- 1 1/2 tbsp kosher salt
- 1 tsp cayenne
- 1 tsp ground black pepper
- 1 tsp ground white pepper
Instructions
- Prep your rack of ribs by removing thin membrane located on the bone side of the ribs – locate the membrane on one end of the rib rack and slide a butter knife between the meat and the membrane. Next, grip the membrane using your hands and a paper towel (helps you keep a grip on it). Tug the membrane away from the meat until it is fully removed.
- Rub your rib rack all over with your spice rub. You may have a little left over depending on the size of your rack of ribs.
- Line 1/2 of your cold grill with aluminum foil. This should cover the burner that you will not use for the recipe.
- Place the ribs directly onto the foil.
- Turn your grill on and only light one burner (this will be the burner that is uncovered by the foil. Close the lid and slow cook at around 300 degree Fahrenheit (for our grill, this is the lowest temperature setting) for about 2.5 – 3 hours, or until the meat registers around 200 degrees, is very tender, and the meat starts to pull away from the bones a bit. (Note the timing on this will vary depending on the size of your rack of ribs).
- Serve dry or with your favorite BBQ sauce.
My husband is a purist, so we only use charcoal. Sometimes I do wish I could turn on a gas grill and cook something that just takes minutes. Oh well. These look great. Oh, my husband also uses soaked hickory chips even when he grills hamburgers!!!!
haha! I’m definitely not a grilling purist by any means.
Ohhh that piece of rib looks so good! I am so drooling now
Thank you!!!
Ooooooh yum – these look sooo good. We have a gas grill so it’s perfect!
Yes! They’re super easy and hands off!