Rib Tips
intro
Tender, fall-off-the-bone rib tips coated in sticky, smoky BBQ sauce, perfect for casual summer gatherings, packing bold savory-sweet flavor in every messy, delicious bite.
Ingredients
Steps
Prep the rib tips
Pat 900g pork rib tips completely dry with paper towels, trim away any thick silver skin or excess hard fat with a sharp boning knife, then cut the connected slab into uniform 5cm (2-inch) pieces, arranging them in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet.
Coat with dry rub
In a small glass bowl, mix 2 tablespoons smoked paprika, 3 tablespoons packed light brown sugar, 1 tablespoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon onion powder, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, 1 teaspoon ground black pepper, and 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper until fully combined. Sprinkle the rub evenly over all sides of the rib tip pieces, pressing gently to help the seasoning adhere, then let the ribs rest at room temperature for 20 minutes while you prep the grill.
Prep grill for smoking
Prepare a charcoal or gas grill for indirect cooking, adjusting vents and burners to hold a steady temperature of 135°C (275°F). Drain the 2 cups of pre-soaked hickory wood chips, add them to a metal smoker box (or directly to hot charcoal for charcoal grills), then close the grill lid and preheat for 10 minutes until thin, pale wispy smoke begins to curl from the lid vents.
Slow smoke the rib tips
Arrange the seasoned rib tips on the indirect, unlit side of the grill, leaving 1cm of space between pieces to allow even smoke and air flow. Close the lid, maintain a steady 135°C (275°F) temperature, and smoke the ribs for 1 hour 15 minutes, spritzing all pieces with the 60ml apple cider vinegar every 30 minutes to lock in moisture and prevent drying.
Sauce and finish cooking
After 1 hour 15 minutes of smoking, brush all sides of the rib tips generously with 180ml tangy BBQ sauce, then move the pieces to the direct, high-heat side of the grill. Cook for 8-10 minutes total, flipping pieces every 2 minutes with tongs, until the sauce caramelizes into a sticky, deep reddish-brown coating and the rib tips reach an internal temperature of 93°C (200°F) when checked with an instant-read meat thermometer.
Rest and serve
Transfer the finished, caramelized rib tips to a clean ceramic serving platter, tent loosely with a sheet of aluminum foil, and let them rest for 5 minutes to allow juices to redistribute through the meat before serving, with extra BBQ sauce on the side for dipping if desired.
Tips
2.Soak hickory wood chips in cold water for a full 30 minutes before using; dry chips will ignite and burn quickly, producing harsh, bitter smoke that ruins the flavor of the ribs.
3.Wait to apply sugary BBQ sauce until the final 10 minutes of cooking; sugar burns rapidly at high heat, leading to a blackened, bitter coating if added too early in the smoke process.
OMG these smoky BBQ rib tips were an absolute hit at my neighborhood potluck this weekend! I was low-key nervous because I’ve never nailed rib tips before — they always come out too chewy when I try making them — but following the 2 hour cook time exactly left them fall-off-the-bone tender. The smoky flavor is so spot on, I didn’t even need to douse them in extra sauce. My 7 year old even asked for thirds! Only tiny gripe: I wish I’d made a double batch, they were gone in 10 minutes flat. 10/10 will be making these for every summer cookout from now on.
Total game changer. I’ve been messing around with rib tip recipes for literal years and this one beats every single BBQ joint version within 20 minutes of my house. The rub ratio is perfect — not too salty, not too sweet, and the smoke level is just right instead of being overpowering like some recipes. I tossed in a little extra smoked paprika for my personal taste but otherwise followed the recipe to a T. Made these for Sunday family dinner and my dad, who is the pickiest BBQ snob on the entire planet, asked for the recipe before he even finished his first plate. Worth every minute of the 2 hour cook time, trust me.
These were SO good! Full transparency, the medium difficulty rating is no joke — I burned the first batch of rub when I had my grill cranked way too high at the start, oops. Second time around I kept the heat low and slow like the recipe instructed and they turned out absolute perfection. I meal prepped a big batch on Sunday and ate them for lunches all week, they reheat amazingly in the air fryer (370 degrees for 5 minutes, trust me). Will absolutely be making these again, just paying way better attention to the grill temp next time lol.
Made these last night for my roommate’s birthday cookout and everyone was raving nonstop. The smoky flavor pairs so well with creamy coleslaw and honey butter cornbread, it was the perfect summer spread. I used a grocery store brand BBQ sauce to toss them at the end instead of making sauce from scratch and it still slapped. Super straightforward even for a medium difficulty recipe, the 2 hour cook time flew by while we were hanging out in the yard playing cornhole. 100% adding this to my regular grilling rotation.