Unlock the ultimate grilling recipe with Chef Tom's Dr. Pepper Baby Back Ribs. Tender and juicy, these ribs are smoked for hours, braised for tenderness and coated with a sweet and tangy glaze that will have your taste buds dancing!
WHAT YOU'LL LOVE
- Honey mustard binder: A coat of jalapeño honey mustard gives both rubs something to cling to and adds sweet heat that lasts through the smoke.
- Two rubs, two sides: A honey chipotle blend on the bone side and a savory BBQ rub on the meat side layers two flavors across each rack.
- Dr. Pepper foil braise: Sealing the ribs in foil with Dr. Pepper and honey mustard steams them tender in about an hour at 325°F.
- Boiled-down soda glaze: Reducing two cups of Dr. Pepper to a syrup before stirring in barbecue sauce makes a sticky, caramelized finish.
Dr. Pepper Baby Back Ribs
Tom Jackson
Rated 5.0 stars by 5 users
Category
Entree
Cuisine
American
Servings
12
Prep Time
1 hour
Cook Time
6 hours
Calories
700
Chef Tom fires up the Yoder Smokers YS640s Pellet Grill and packs it full of these epic Dr. Pepper Baby Back Ribs. Smoked, braised and glazed to perfection!
Ingredients
- 3 racks baby back ribs
-
Big Rick’s Jalapeño Honey Mustard
-
R Butts R Smokin’ Honey Chipotle BBQ Seasoning
-
Killer Hogs Barbecue The BBQ Rub
- 1 cup Dr. Pepper
-
1/4 cup Big Rick’s Jalapeño Honey Mustard
- 2 cups Dr. Pepper
-
1 cup Smoke on Wheels Kansas City Bootleg BBQ Sauce
For the braising liquid:
For the Dr. Pepper Glaze:
Directions
- Preheat your Yoder Smokers YS640s Pellet Grill to 275ºF, set up for smoking/indirect grilling.
- Remove the membrane from the bone side of the baby back ribs. Trim the ribs to remove any sharp bones from the ends.
- Rub all surfaces of the ribs with the Big Rick’s Jalapeño Honey Mustard. Season the bone side of the ribs with R Butts R Smokin’ Honey Chipotle BBQ Seasoning. Season the meat side of the ribs with Killer Hogs Barbecue The BBQ Rub. Let the ribs sit until the seasoning darkens and looks wet on the surface.
- Smoke the ribs until a dark red/mahogany bark is formed on the surface, about 4-5 hours.
- Remove the ribs form the grill. Place each rack of ribs, meat side down, on top of two sheets of heavy-duty foil. Season the bone side of the ribs with more of the R Butts R Smokin’ Honey Chipotle BBQ Seasoning.
- Combine the Dr. Pepper and Big Rick’s Jalapeño Honey Mustard for the braising liquid and whisk. Divide the liquid equally. Pour the liquid into the foil with the ribs. Wrap tightly with the two sheets of foil. Return the ribs to the grill.
- Increase the grill temperature to 325ºF. Cook the ribs meat side down until tender, about 1 hour. The meat should move freely from the bones when twisted.
While the ribs are cooking, add two cups of Dr. Pepper to a Lodge 8” Cast Iron Skillet. Bring to a simmer. Reduce heat, but maintain the simmer. Reduce to a syrupy texture. The two cups of liquid should reduce down to about two tablespoons. When the liquid gets syrupy, add the Smoke on Wheels Kansas City Bootleg BBQ Sauce. Bring back to a simmer, then turn the heat off.
- When the ribs are tender, remove from the foil, flip over to sit bone side down and brush with the Dr. Pepper Glaze. Close the lid and let cook for about 15 minutes more, to allow the glaze to set up.
- Remove the Dr. Pepper Baby Back Ribs from the grill. Rest 10 minutes. Slice to serve.
Recipe Note
Recipe FAQ
Why remove the membrane from the bone side?
The thin membrane doesn't soften as the ribs cook and keeps seasoning from reaching the meat. Removing it lets the rub penetrate and makes the finished ribs easier to bite through.
Why coat the ribs in honey mustard before seasoning?
The jalapeño honey mustard works as a binder, so the rubs stick to the surface and build bark through hours of smoke, and it adds a little sweet heat as it cooks.
Why use one rub on the bone side and a different one on the meat side?
Putting the sweeter, chile-forward Honey Chipotle seasoning on the bone side and the savory BBQ rub on the meaty side layers two flavors across each rack.
Why let the seasoning sit until it looks wet?
Once the rub darkens and turns wet on the surface, it has started to dissolve into the mustard and cling to the meat, so it holds through the smoke instead of falling off.
Why wrap the ribs in foil with Dr. Pepper and honey mustard?
The sealed foil traps steam and the sweet, tangy liquid around the ribs, braising them until the meat softens and pulls from the bone. Placing them meat side down keeps the surface in the liquid.
Why raise the grill to 325°F for the wrapped stage?
After the long, low smoke builds bark, the higher heat speeds up the braise, so the ribs finish tender in about an hour.
How do I know the ribs are done?
The meat should move freely from the bones when twisted. That is the cue for tenderness, and it comes well after the ribs have passed any food safety minimum.
Why reduce the Dr. Pepper to a syrup, and can I use diet soda?
Boiling two cups of Dr. Pepper down to about two tablespoons concentrates its sugars into a thick syrup that sets as a glaze. Use regular Dr. Pepper, since diet soda has no sugar to thicken and won't reduce to a syrup.
Why flip the ribs bone side down for the glaze?
Resting the ribs bone side down while the glaze sets for about 15 minutes lets the sticky sauce caramelize on top without burning against the grates.
How indoor-friendly is this recipe?
1 out of 5. This is a multi-hour cook built around wood smoke and a bark-building stage. A low oven can make the ribs tender, but you'd lose the bark and smoke flavor that the recipe depends on.
Recipe Highlights
Honey mustard binder: Helps both rubs cling through the smoke.
Two-sided seasoning: Layers a sweet blend and a savory rub.
Dr. Pepper foil braise: Softens the ribs in about an hour.
Reduced soda glaze: Sets into a sticky, caramelized finish.
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Nutrition
Nutrition
- Nutrition Serving Size
- 4 oz
- per serving
- Calories
- 700
- Carbs
- 4 grams
- Protein
- 36 grams
- Fat
- 54 grams
- Sodium
- 187 milligrams
