Smoked Baby Back Ribs on the Ninja FlexFlame

Create delicious smoked baby back ribs on the Ninja FlexFlame in just 3 hours. All you need is ribs, barbecue seasoning and sauce.

What are baby back ribs?

Baby back ribs are pork ribs that come from the back of the ribcage; up near the hog’s spine. 

You can easily tell them apart from St. Louis Style Ribs in the butcher’s case, by looking at the bones.

The baby back ribs are more arched. They create more of a C shape – while the spares and St. Louis style ribs are flat.

As for taste, St. Louis style ribs are meatier and fattier, because they’re near the belly (where bacon comes from). Baby backs are leaner and more tender. They rest near the pork loin.

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Cook ribs on a gas grill

The cool thing about the Ninja FlexFlame is that it’s both a propane grill and a smoker. So the grill is really easy to use, and you can add as much or as little smoke flavor you like.

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Ingredients

• Baby Back Ribs: Look for these near the meat counter. They’re the pork ribs that have more of an arch to them.
• Girls Can Grill Pork Rub: This rub was designed for pork. It includes brown sugar, coconut sugar, kosher salt, black pepper, paprika and other chiles and spices.
• BBQ Sauce: Use your favorite sauce. I like sweeter sauces with ribs.

See the full recipe card above for servings and a full list of ingredients.

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How to smoke baby back ribs on the Ninja FlexFlame

1. STEP ONE: Place the ribs on the counter bone side up. Using a paper towel, grip the silver skin that’s on top of the bones. Remove it.

2. STEP TWO: Sprinkle Pork Rub on the back side and let rest for 15 minutes. Flip the ribs over and sprinkle the tops. Let them rest 15 more minutes while you light the grill.

3. STEP THREE: Add pellets to the FlexFlame hopper. Ignite the burners. Turn the dial to Low and Slow and the temperature to 250F/120C degrees. Press the Woodfire Flavor button to ignite the pellets.

4. STEP FOUR: Place the ribs on the center of the grill, bone side down. Close the lid and smoke for 2 hours.

PRO TIP: For more smoke flavor, add pellets to the hopper every 30-45 minutes.

5. STEP FIVE: Brush BBQ sauce on the top side of the ribs. Use a basting brush to spread it evenly.

6. STEP SIX: Continue cooking for another hour or until the internal temperature of the meat is around 200F/93C degrees.

PRO TIP: I use a Thermapen ONE digital meat thermometer to measure the temperature. Insert it from the side between the bones to get a good reading. 

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How to serve baby back ribs

Remove the ribs from the grill. To slice, place them meat side down. Use a long serrated knife to cut between the bones. Brush the sides of each rib with more sauce and serve excess sauce on the side.

Storage

Leftover ribs can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. You can also freeze them for up to 6 months.

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