Sometimes you crave perfectly seared ribs that fall off the bone for dinner, but you look at your watch and change your mind. With only 3 to 4 hours left to make dinner, you might have sacrificed the idea of smoking ribs so many times. Not anymore. If you have at least 3 to 4 hours to spare before dinner, you can make the most delectable, succulent ribs in your smoker with these simple recipes. Our guide on smoking ribs faster has 5 easy peasy recipes to help you pull off smoked ribs in half the time. Believe us. Your smoked ribs will still be as delicious as the origin 3-2-1 method. So, let’s dig in.

Use the Right Cuts

Food smoking is not magic. The simple idea is to flavor the food with smoke by searing it in smoke. To get ribs cooked faster, we will follow the same process but with a twist. To make sure the ribs are cooked well, pick cuts that need comparatively less time to reach doneness like baby back ribs, St. Louis, etc. Also, check for fresh raw meat that will absorb maximum flavor in a minimal time.

5 Methods to Smoke Ribs Faster

Now that you already know the prerequisites to get falling off the bone ribs smoked in half the time. So, let’s begin.

Method 1

Instead of smoking slowly at 220 °F to 240 °F (104 °C to 115 °C), crank up the temperature to 300 °F (149 °C). Now smoke the ribs for about one hour and 15 minutes. Don’t forget to spritz occasionally. This will change the color and texture of the outer part of the ribs while searing it lightly. Now, take the ribs and wrap them in foil with melted butter, brown sugar, and soda or juice. Put it back in the smoker and smoke for 45 minutes. By this time, the ribs will be tender. Unwrap them, smear with some barbeque sauce, and smoke again for another 15 minutes. Check the doneness with a meat thermometer and enjoy succulent, smoky ribs.

Method 2

Preheat the food smoker and season the ribs without removing the silver membrane. Let it smoke for 2 and a half hours, spritzing it occasionally. Take it out, smear some butter and barbeque sauce on both sides and wrap it in foil. Now smoke the ribs wrapped for about 45 minutes. Take it out and rest for another 10 minutes before slicing and serving hot smoked ribs.

Method 3

Preheat the food smoker to the highest temperature with the door closed. Pull off the membrane and trim the excess fat before seasoning the ribs. Place the ribs directly on the grate and smoke for 30 minutes at the highest temperature. Follow it up by smoking for another 2.5 hours until it reaches the desired doneness. Spray apple juice occasionally to prevent them from drying out.

Method 4

Start by removing the membrane and seasoning the meat with salt and pepper. Now smoke for 1 hour at high temperature, and you will see the color on the outer surface transforming. Take it out, wrap it in foil, and smoke for another 1.5 hours until it becomes tender. To form the bark on the outer surface while keeping the inside tender, unwrap the ribs and smoke for a further 30 minutes.

Method 5

Remove the excess fat and membrane from the ribs. Apply a dry rub, wrap it in foil and refrigerate for an hour. Take it out and let it rest while preheating the food smoker. Now unwrap the ribs and place them on the grate with the bone side facing down. Let them smoke for three hours. Take them out, smear some butter and honey over, wrap in foil, and smoke again for 45 minutes with the bony side facing up. Take out the ribs and smoke for another few minutes unwrapped to get a hardened outer layer.

With that, we’ve come to the end of this article on 5 methods to cook smoked ribs faster. While temperature plays a huge part, you have to be careful with the time mentioned in each method. We hope these Bradley tips & tricks have encouraged you to try smoking ribs faster than the usual 3-2-1 method.

Check out a few more articles about smoked ribs:
How to Make 3-2-1 Smoked Ribs, and Why You Should Do It
Can You Freeze Smoked Ribs?
Baby Back vs. Spare Ribs: What You Need To Know About Pork Ribs

For more great ideas on how to get the most out of your Bradley Smoker, check out the awesome articles on our Bradley Smoker Food Smoking Blog for more tips & tricks.