Apricot Maple Glazed Applewood Smoked Ribs

Smoked ribs cooked low and slow! Tangy rub and fruity glaze combine beautifully with the delicate flavor of applewood smoke.

Here they are–these are the ribs I was cooking when I was preparing the how-to on smoking in a gas grill. Just because you don’t have one of those fancy schmantzy smokers, doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy smoked food! You can read my how-to right here.

For pork, I always liked paring it with apple wood. Maple or cherry would be a good choice too. But whatever you have would be good. Only ones I wouldn’t suggest would be citrus woods or alder, but that’s a matter of opinion as I don’t think they pair well with pork.

Cooked low & slow with plenty of smoke

It really isn’t necessary to use pure maple syrup in the glaze. I prefer it, but I have used a good pancake syrup in this when I’ve been out of the real thing. Just make sure it has some percentage of maple syrup in the ingredients–Vermont Maid and Log Cabin do, but check store or generic brands as they may not.

Often I’ll double the recipe for the glaze and reserve half for a dipping sauce. It goes nicely on chicken too.

Apricot Maple Glazed Applewood Smoked Ribs

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Prep time

20 mins

Cook time

4 hours

Total time

4 hours 20 mins

Author: Judith Hannemann

Serves: 4-6

Ingredients

2 racks (about 4-5 lbs total) baby back ribs
8 cups apple wood chips*
Rub:
1 cup brown sugar
1 tsp thyme
2 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp salt
½ tsp cayenne pepper
½ tsp black pepper
1 tsp onion powder
Glaze:
½ cup apricot preserves
¼ cup maple syrup -OR- high-quality pancake syrup
1 tbs thick, sweet BBQ sauce (like Sweet Baby Ray’s)

Instructions

*Amount I used with my method for smoking in a gas grill. If you use a commercial smoker, follow the directions for the amount of wood.
Rinse ribs; remove silver skin on the bone side (this prevents ribs from curling). Pat dry with paper towels & set aside.
Mix all rub ingredients in a small bowl. Rub into both sides of the ribs, rubbing in well. Place ribs in a large zipper storage bag and place in refrigerator for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight.
Prepare grill or smoker for smoking. Depending on temperature, it will take between 3-4 hours for ribs to be done. For how I do it, follow the steps on How To Smoke In A Gas Grill. Mine took 3½ hours.
Mix the glaze ingredients. Brush liberally over ribs during last hour of cooking.