Name: Hickory-Smoked Baby Back Ribs
Yield: Makes 4 to 6 servings
Ingredients: 5 Tbsp (75 mL) packed brown sugar; 3 Tbsp (45 mL) kosher salt; 2 Tbsp (30 mL) sweet smoked paprika 4 tsp (20 mL) ancho chili powder; 1 Tbsp (15 mL) paprika; 1 Tbsp (15 mL) onion powder; 1 Tbsp (15 mL) freshly cracked black pepper 2 tsp (10 mL) dried thyme leaves; 6 racks baby back ribs, about 6 lb (2.7 kg); 4 medium chunks hickory wood, soaked in water for at least 2 hours (if using a charcoal grill) or 4 cups (1 L) hickory wood chips, soaked in water for at least 2 hours (if using a gas grill); 3⁄4 cup (185 mL) apple cider; 1⁄2 cup (125 mL) ketchup; 3 Tbsp (45 mL) red wine vinegar; 1 Tbsp (15 mL) Dijon mustard; 2 tsp (10 mL) light soy sauce; 1 tsp (5 mL) Worcestershire sauce; 1 tsp (5 mL) molasses; 1⁄2 tsp (2 mL) ancho chili powder; 1⁄2 tsp (2 mL) ground cumin; 1⁄2 tsp (2 mL) minced garlic; 1⁄4 tsp (1 mL) freshly ground black pepper

Photo of baby back ribs on a wooden cutting board with a knife.

Photo by Mike McColl

If you like your ribs extra saucy, remove them from the grill when they’re ready, baste them one last time with the barbecue sauce, then throw them back on the grill to make them nice and sticky.

Recipe notes

See Related Recipes and Cooking Tips

73 Grilling Recipes to Set Your Summer Aflame
Easy grilled dinners to please everyone on your summer invite list.
My Juneteenth Menu Is a Celebration of Black Culture
Fill your table with pork belly burnt ends, mini grits and greens soufflés, and refreshing sorrel.
55 Great Recipes for Juneteenth
Barbecue, hibiscus-tinged punch, and more.
99 Summer Recipes for Everything We’re Craving Right Now
Make your summer better with recipes for breezy side dishes, desserts, cocktails, grilled mains, and simple weeknight dinners.
Our Best Memorial Day Grilling Recipes
A curated list of the best grilling recipes for your Memorial Day cookout.
Our 51 Best Grilled Pork Recipes
Whether you're starting with pork chops or tenderloin or ribs, pork is at its best when cooked over an open flame.

Spice-Grilled Pork Chops

A pinch of sugar in the spice rub ensures picture-perfect grill marks with layers of flavor.

Slow-Smoked Chicken

An espresso-and-cumin-spiked rub (or brine) gives this smoked chicken impressive flavor.

Moo Ping (Thai Grilled Pork Skewers)

This version of pork skewers is made in the oven, which tastes just as good, but you could always throw these on the grill for a version closer to the original.

Chipotle-Citrus Ribs

Tender, well-glazed, and just spicy enough, these ribs are the ultimate grill-out food. Cook fully in the oven ahead of time and finish them on the grill.

Sofrito Bolognese

An ex-boyfriend’s mom—who emigrated from Colombia—made the best meat sauce—she would fry sofrito for the base and simply add cooked ground beef, sazón, and jarred tomato sauce. My version is a bit more bougie—it calls for caramelized tomato paste and white wine—but the result is just as good.

Not-So-Secret Burger Sauce

Every sauce needs a few secrets. Ours is smoky, sweet, and savory—use it for burgers, fries, tenders, and more.

XO Sauce

Developed in the 1980s by a chef in Hong Kong, this sauce is all about umami.

Crispy Baked Wings With Berbere Honey Glaze and Fried Garlic

Berbere is a spicy chile blend that has floral and sweet notes from coriander and cardamom, and when it’s paired with a honey glaze, it sets these wings apart from anything else you’ve ever had.

Recipe notes

73 Grilling Recipes to Set Your Summer Aflame

My Juneteenth Menu Is a Celebration of Black Culture

55 Great Recipes for Juneteenth

99 Summer Recipes for Everything We’re Craving Right Now

Our Best Memorial Day Grilling Recipes

Our 51 Best Grilled Pork Recipes