Easy Smoked Fall-Apart Country Style Pork Ribs

These country-style pork ribs are everything you crave: meaty, smoky, and fall-apart tender. Slow-smoked and braised in a bold, tangy BBQ sauce made with just five simple ingredients, this no-fuss, budget-friendly recipe brings rich, mouthwatering flavor to every bite.

Country Style Ribs For All Levels

This was a monthly staple in our house. Mom always baked them in the winter, and Dad made them on the grill in the summer. This recipe is a dream for both beginners and seasoned pitmasters. If you’re new to smoking meat, country-style ribs are a forgiving and flavorful option, yielding impressive results with minimal effort.

There’s no need for fancy techniques or hard-to-find ingredients; all you need are five ingredients, a smoker, and patience. Don’t have a smoker? See below for alternative cooking methods.

Watch How To Make Country Ribs

Perfect for cookouts, casual dinners, or Sunday gatherings, these ribs are as versatile as they are delicious. Budget-friendly and crowd-pleasing, they’re a recipe you’ll make time and again. Don’t be surprised if it becomes one you pass down in the family! This is that kind of dish: simple, soulful, and unforgettable.

Cherry Habanero County Ribs Ingredients

This recipe is not only budget-friendly but super easy. Additionally, you can easily customize it to your liking by using your favorite BBQ rub and sauce.

• Boneless Country Style Pork Ribs
• BBQ Sauce
• Onion
• Juice: apple, white peach grape, etc
• BBQ Seasoning: I used this Cherry Habanero as Mr. Fantabulous loves it!
• Olive Oil *: This is optional. I use it to ensure the seasoning adheres evenly.

Chef Lori Explains: Where do Country Ribs Come From?

Country-style ribs aren’t even ribs at all. It’s a cut of pork that comes from where the blade end of the pork loin meets the shoulder. OR they can be the blade end of the pork loin.

1. Blade End: These can be bone-in or boneless, with a decent amount of marbling and flavor.
2. Shoulder: These are simply strips cut down (like the ones shown in this post). They have a higher fat content but offer a deeper flavor. This is pretty much the same meat you would use if you were making pulled pork

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How to Prepare Country-Style Ribs

1. Pat the country ribs dry, then drizzle a bit of olive oil over all of them, coating evenly.
2. Sprinkle your favorite pork BBQ seasoning liberally, coating all sides.

3. Lightly press the seasoning into the meat and set the tray aside for 30 minutes for the seasoning to ‘melt’ into the meat.
4. While the meat is resting, preheat your smoker.

Preheat Your Yoder Smokers YS640

There are not enough adjectives to describe how much I LOVE this smoker! Seriously, folks, this Yoder Smokers YS640 is the best grill I’ve ever had. From super low heat to well over 700°F, it’s a workhorse that I use year-round.

1. Fill the hopper, set the damper to the halfway position, and place a drip tray or foil on the lower rack.
2. Set the temperature to 275°F.

What Type of Wood Pellets To Use With Pork?

• Fruit: This offers a mild, sweeter smokiness to the pork
• Hickory: This is more traditional as it provides a strong BBQ flavor.
• Mix: Hickory and Fruit gives you a blend of both sweet and smoky BBQ flavors.
• PERSONAL FAVORITE: I prefer apple pellets as they pair perfectly with pork without overpowering it.

How to Smoke Country Ribs

1. Place the prepared ribs on the top rack of the smoker, insert a MEATER thermometer, and smoke until the internal temperature reads 165°F.

2. To the bottom of a disposable pan, add the sliced onions, the remaining BBQ seasoning, and the smoked country ribs (removing the MEATER probe).

3. Add the BBQ sauce and Fruit juice on top, then cover with foil. Pop the tray back into the smoker (insert the MEATER through the foil into one of the ribs). Smoke until the internal temperature reads 190°F.

4. Remove the foil, close the lid, and bump the temperature to 350°F. Continue smoking until the internal temp reads 205°F and the meat is probe-tender.

Country Style Ribs FAQs

• How long does it take to smoke? From start to finish, you’re looking at about ~6 hours.
• How do I avoid tough pork ribs? MEATER thermometers are the best. Not only do you want your ribs to be at ~205F, but they need to be probe tender. This means if you stick a probe into the meat, it should glide in like buttah (easy peasy).
• How to get a crispier bark? When they reach 200°F, remove them from the smoker, crank the temp to 400°F, and place them directly on the grill grates, flipping them every few minutes to get a bit more bark.

What to Pair With Smoked Country Ribs

The most important things…napkins! I love a “rib” that’s sauced, but it’s tacky and caramelized to the meat. By making them this way, you get that pork bark we all love, plus that sticky sauce that you have to lick off your fingers.

Recipe Pairings

1. Homemade Green Bean Casserole From Scratch
2. Stone Fruit Summer Salad with Burrata & Prosciutto
3. Grilled Italian Parmesan Asparagus
4. The Best Classic Diner-Style Coleslaw
5. The Very Best Mashed Potatoes

How to Store Country Pork Ribs

Once cooled, place the leftovers in a covered container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Alternatively, they can be stored in the freezer for up to 3 months.

How to Reheat Country-Style Ribs

If they are frozen, allow them to thaw in the fridge overnight.

Oven:

1. Bring the meat to room temperature, as you want to remove the chill and prevent it from drying out. Even if it’s just 20-30 minutes, it’ll help. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
2. Place the ribs into a baking dish, add your ribs, cover tightly with foil, and reheat until the internal temperature reaches 150°F. *If desired, remove the foil at 140°F, baste with BBQ sauce, and continue reheating until warmed through.

Other Ways to Make Country Ribs

Slow Cooker:

Grab a 6-quart or larger Slow Cooker.

1. To the bottom of your slow cooker, add the onions and some of the BBQ seasonings. Coat the ribs per the recipe below, and place them on top of the onions.
2. Pour in the juice and BBQ sauce over the top. Place the lid and cook on low for ~8-9 hours, or until the internal temperature reaches 205°F and the meat is probe-tender.
3. If desired, carefully remove the ribs from the slow cooker and place them on a foil-lined half-sheet pan. Give them a light coating of BBQ sauce and pop them into a pre-heated 400°F oven for ~5-10 minutes to caramelize the BBQ sauce.

Oven-Baked :

Oven directions require placing the cooling rack on a rimmed half sheet pan. This will catch liquids that may drip off. The beauty of this recipe is that you prepare it in the same way as you would in a smoker (see recipe card), but in the oven.

1. Preheat the oven to 275°F. Coat the ribs and place them on a cooling rack that sits on a rimmed half-sheet pan.
2. Stick in your MEATER thermometer and cook until it reaches 165°F. Remove the pan from the oven and grab a large baking pan or a disposable pan. Place some onions, BBQ seasonings, and the ribs in the pan. Add the juice and BBQ sauce, then seal the dish tightly with foil.
3. Bake until the internal temp reads 190°F. Remove the foil and bump the temperature to 350°F. Bake until the internal temperature reaches 205°F or until they are probe-tender.

Easy Fall Apart Country Style Pork Ribs Recipe

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These country-style pork ribs are everything you crave: meaty, smoky, and fall-apart tender. Slow-smoked and braised in a bold, tangy BBQ sauce made with just five simple ingredients, this no-fuss, budget-friendly recipe brings rich, mouthwatering flavor to every bite.

• Author: Lori
• Prep Time: 10 minutes
• Cook Time: ~5-6 hours
• Total Time: 6 hours
• Yield: ~4-6 servings
• Category: bbq, budget friendly, cookout, freezer meals, game day foods. smoked meats, pork ribs, ribs, smoked pork
• Method: oven, slow cooker, smoker
• Cuisine: bbq, budget friendly, cookout, freezer meals, game day foods. smoked meats, pork ribs, ribs, smoked pork

Ingredients

• 4 pounds of boneless country-style pork ribs
• 1–2 Tablespoons olive oil
• 1/4 cup plus 2 Tablespoons BBQ Seasoning
• 1 cup BBQ sauce
• 1 cup fruit juice
• 1 large yellow onion, sliced

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Instructions

1. Pat the country ribs dry, then drizzle a bit of olive oil over all of them, coating evenly.
2. Sprinkle on 1/4 cup of your favorite pork BBQ seasoning liberally, coating all sides.
3. Lightly press the seasoning into the meat and set the tray aside for 30 minutes for the seasoning to ‘melt’ into the meat. While the meat is resting, preheat your smoker.
4. Fill the hopper, set the damper to the halfway position, and place a drip tray or foil on the lower rack. Set the temperature to 275°F.
5. Place the prepared ribs on the top rack of the smoker, insert a MEATER thermometer, and smoke until the internal temperature reads 165°F.
6. To the bottom of a disposable pan, add the sliced onions, the remaining BBQ seasoning, and the smoked country ribs (removing the MEATER probe).
7. Add the BBQ sauce and Fruit juice on top, then cover with foil. Pop the tray back into the smoker (insert the MEATER through the foil into one of the ribs). Smoke until the internal temperature reads 190°F.
8. Remove the foil, close the lid, and bump the temperature to 350°F. Continue smoking until the internal temp reads 205°F and the meat is probe-tender.
9. Remove from the smoker, plate, and enjoy!

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