Ribs are like the epitome of awesome summer food. It’s direct hand to mouth eating, complete with bbq sauce being slathered all up in your face. There’s nothing better than getting together with friends and polishing off a few racks for ribs. Ah, summer. Good times. So listen, turning your gas grill into a smoker is pretty darn easy and makes you one culinary bad-donkey. And chicks dig culinary bad-donkeys.
We are going to set up the grill for indirect grilling, which simply means that only one side of the grill will be ignited. And we’ll let the ribs hang out on the unlit side so they cook low-and-slow. That’s the key to super tender juicy ribs. Low-and-slow. Say it with me now. Low-and-slow. Let’s set up that makeshift smoker, shall we?
On the left side of your grill, place a shallow disposable aluminum pan right underneath the grate and fill with water. This will create moist, even heat. That’s a good thing. Now we need that handy dandy wood chip foil packet. Hit up your favorite home improvement warehouse (or use the almighty Amazon) to grab some wood chips. Experiment with whatever type of wood your little heart desires, although I typically use a mix of apple and hickory. All you need to do then is take a handful of chips, wrap ‘em up in foil, and poke a few holes on the top with a knife. You’ll want to make around 4 packets. 
Place one of those packets in front of your water pan. On the right side of your grill, place an oven thermometer on top of the grate. Don’t go trusting your built in thermometer on the top of your grill. It’s probably not accurate. Not even close.
Start by only turning on the left-most burner on around half power. Close the lid and let it come up to temperature. For smoking, you want to try to stabilize the heat between 225-250°F. If it is close but just a little under, try bumping up that burner a little bit. If it’s not close to 225°F, try turning on the adjacent burner on its lowest setting. Remember, the magic range you’re looking for is 225-250°F. You may have to tweak the burners throughout the process, as outside temperature, rain, wind, etc. can all affect the inside of the grill.
Once you have the heat stabalized, throw those ribs on cool side of the grill (right side), close the lid, and walk away. Check on your ribs periodically, about every 45 minutes or so, to check the grill temperature, refill the water pans, and replace the wood chip packets (you’ll know they are done when it’s not smoking anymore).
If you’re using St. Louis Style ribs, it’ll take aroudn 5 to 6 hours. Apparently baby back ribs take around 3 to 4 hours, although I haven’t tried it… yet. Boom, smoked ribs on a gas grill.
And although some people like their ribs commando (i.e. no sauce), I’m all about the dry rub + bbq sauce combo when it comes to ribs. And this sweet, sticky, and slightly spicy Pomegranate Chipotle BBQ Sauce is just about good enough to bathe in.
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Smoked Pomegranate Chipotle Barbecue Ribs
- Total Time: 375 minutes
- Yield: Serves 6
- Diet: Omnivore
Description
Sweet, spicy, and smoky ribs, slow-cooked to perfection on your gas grill. A show-stopping BBQ dish.
Ingredients
- 1 full rack (1 full rack) St. Louis style or baby back ribs
- Wood chips (Wood chips) Wood chips
- 1 tablespoon (15 ml) light brown sugar
- 0.5 tablespoon (7 ml) paprika
- 0.5 teaspoon (2 ml) ground dry mustard
- 0.5 teaspoon (2 ml) ground black pepper
- 0.5 teaspoon (2 ml) garlic powder
- 0.5 teaspoon (2 ml) onion powder
- 0.5 teaspoon (2 ml) salt
- 0.5 teaspoon (2 ml) chile powder
- 1 cup (240 ml) pomegranate juice
- 1 lemon (2 tablespoons) lemon, juiced
- 2 tablespoons (30 ml) sugar
- 0.25 cup (60 ml) apple cider vinegar
- 0.25 cup (60 ml) ketchup
- 1 (1) chipotle pepper, finely chopped
- 3 tablespoons (45 ml) light brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons (30 ml) pomegranate molasses
- 2 tablespoons (30 ml) tomato paste
- 0.5 teaspoon (2 ml) Worcestershire sauce
- 0.5 teaspoon (2 ml) salt
- 0.5 teaspoon (2 ml) onion powder
- 0.5 teaspoon (2 ml) garlic powder
- 0.25 teaspoon (1 ml) dry mustard powder
Instructions
- Combine all dry rub ingredients in a small bowl, breaking up any lumps with your fingers.
- Remove the membrane from the underside of the ribs.
- Pat ribs dry with a paper towel and apply dry rub to both sides, patting down to adhere.
- On the left side of your grill, place a shallow disposable aluminum pan under the grate and fill with water.
- Create 4 foil packets filled with a large handful of wood chips. Poke holes in each packet.
- Place one packet in front of the water pan.
- Place an oven thermometer on the grate on the right side of the grill.
- Turn on the left-most burner to half power. Close the lid and let the grill reach 225-250°F (107-121°C). Adjust burners as needed to maintain this temperature.
- Once the temperature is stable, place ribs on the cool side of the grill (right side). Close the lid.
- Check ribs every 45 minutes, check the grill temperature, refill the water pan, and replace wood chip packets as needed.
- Allow 5-6 hours for St. Louis style ribs, or 3-4 hours for baby back ribs. The surface should crack when bounced gently with tongs.
- Remove ribs from grill and slather both sides with pomegranate chipotle BBQ sauce.
- Remove the water pan, turn heat to high, and place ribs directly over high heat. Keep the lid open and watch to prevent burning.
- Allow sauce to bubble and caramelize. Flip and repeat.
- Remove ribs from grill, slice into pieces, and serve with extra sauce if desired.
- Pomegranate Chipotle BBQ Sauce
- Combine pomegranate juice, lemon juice, and sugar in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce to low.
- Simmer, stirring occasionally, for 15-20 minutes, until the mixture reduces to a syrup consistency.
- Add remaining ingredients and simmer until thickened to sauce consistency, about 10 minutes.
- Remove from heat to cool completely.
Notes
- For a deeper smoky flavor, soak wood chips in water for at least 30 minutes before grilling.
- Substitute apple juice for pomegranate juice if needed; the flavor profile will be slightly different but still delicious.
- Store leftover ribs in the refrigerator for up to 3 days; the BBQ sauce may thicken upon refrigeration.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 360 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Smoking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 rack / 6 servings
- Calories: 600
- Sugar: 30
- Sodium: 1000
- Fat: 30
- Saturated Fat: 15
- Unsaturated Fat: 10
- Carbohydrates: 60
- Fiber: 5
- Protein: 40
- Cholesterol: 100
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I get the pomegranate and chipotle flavors to penetrate the ribs?
Apply the barbecue sauce during the last 30 to 45 minutes of cooking rather than at the start, which prevents burning and lets the sauce caramelize onto the surface. For deeper flavor, marinate the ribs in part of the sauce overnight before smoking.
What wood is best for smoking these ribs with a pomegranate chipotle glaze?
Fruit woods like apple or cherry complement the pomegranate without overwhelming the chipotle. Hickory works too but adds a stronger smokiness that can compete with the fruity notes in the sauce.
How do I know when the ribs are done?
The meat should have pulled back from the bone tips by about a quarter inch and a toothpick should slide in and out with little resistance. An internal temperature of 195 to 203 degrees Fahrenheit gives that tender, pull-apart texture.
