No-Wrap Baby Back Ribs on the Grill: Easy Low and Slow Recipe

Hey y’all, welcome to Cooking With CJ! If you're new around here, I’m all about showing you that cooking—especially grilling—can be fun, stress-free, and downright satisfying. Whether you're out on the patio or in the kitchen, there’s nothing better than throwing down a good home-cooked meal. 

Today, we’re taking it easy with a couple racks of baby back ribs. We’re keeping things super simple—no wrapping, no complicated techniques. Just smoke, low heat, and a whole lotta flavor. These ribs go straight on the grill and stay there until they're juicy, tender, and ready to devour.

The No-Wrap Rib Plan

Let’s break this cook down. We’re running the grill at a low 225°F and just letting it do its thing. No fancy steps, no foil wrap—just patience. We’re aiming to get those ribs up to about 205°F internal temp, then we’ll hit 'em with some BBQ sauce to finish things off.

That’s it. Seriously.

This method gives you that rich, smoky flavor and deep bark on the outside without the hassle of wrapping and unwrapping. It’s a one-and-done cook—just set it and keep an eye on the temps.

Prep Steps Made Simple

Before we got the ribs on the grill, I did a quick bit of trimming. First, I dried them off and cleaned them up. Lucky for me, the membrane on the back was already gone, but if yours has one, you can choose to leave it or remove it. Totally up to you.

Next, I trimmed the edges on the thinner end—those bits just dry out and don’t do much for the final bite. I also took off a little scraggly bone section on the fatty side. Just quick clean-up—nothing complicated. Then I seasoned them up with a barbecue rub that brings some sweet heat. Think smoky, a little spicy, and totally mouthwatering.

Let the Grill Do the Work

Once the grill was fired up and the smoke was rollin’, it was time to cook. I used one round of pellets (you can use your favorite blend), and I tracked the internal temperature with a wireless probe thermometer, just so I didn’t have to babysit them too much.

We let the ribs roll for a couple of hours before checking in. At about two hours, they were around 159°F. I gave them a spritz of water to keep the moisture in, and then just kept that going every 30 minutes or so. Nothing fancy, just helping them stay juicy while that beautiful dark bark developed.

Sauce ‘Em and Slice ‘Em

Around the four and a half hour mark, the ribs were nearing 200°F. That was my cue to sauce them up. I’m usually not a huge “saucy rib” guy, but for these, a nice layer of sauce goes a long way. Once that sauce was brushed on, I closed the lid and let it tighten up for another five minutes.

After that? Time to slice.

Let me tell you—these ribs looked amazing. Dark bark, juicy interior, perfect texture. I used a sharp knife to cut between the bones, and everything was slicing clean. Still hot, still moist, and still holding together just right.

Time to Eat

I had to take a bite on camera—and wow. Tender, juicy, just the right amount of smoke and sweet heat from the rub and sauce. These ribs had plenty of time to render out the fat and lock in all that flavor.

This method is perfect if you want an easy, no-wrap way to make ribs that taste like you spent all day babying them—when really, you just let the grill do the work.

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