It’s very simple to make smoked beef riblets at home if you follow these 7 simple steps. You can be sure that this recipe for smoking beef riblets will impress even the pickiest of guests.
Although smoking beef riblets is not difficult, it does take some time and careful planning, as with all good things.
Compared to a full rack of ribs, they are also less expensive to purchase and easier to prepare using a smoker recipe.
What are riblets?
As the name suggests, riblets are small pieces that are cut from the full rack of ribs. Lamb, beef, or pork loin riblets are available for purchase.
What is the difference between beef ribs and beef riblets?
Small portions of the rack of beef ribs are known as “beef riblets.” Rib tips, which are meaty, boneless chunks of spare ribs with some cartilage, are also available.
Are riblets the same as baby back ribs?
No, riblets are only half the length of baby back ribs. To make pork riblets, a rack of baby back ribs is cut down the center widthwise (through the bone).
Are riblets the same as short ribs?
Short ribs, as opposed to riblets, have more meat and fat on them. The short ribs I bought are the same cut as the beef chuck riblets I bought, but they had more meat removed.
⭐ Ingredients Needed for Riblets
Here’s your shopping list for my recipe for riblets:
- One pound of riblets (454 grams)
- BBQ sauce
- BBQ seasoning
- Cooking oil spray
I used BBCues Beef Chuck Riblets for this recipe. They are available with the fresh meat at Super Walmart. Another popular option are Hormel riblets made of fresh pork.
For this recipe, you can use any barbecue sauce you like, even ones without sugar or gluten. I used ½ cup of BBQ sauce for this recipe. You might only need a quarter cup of some of the thin barbecue sauces without brown sugar for adequate coverage.
The Noble Made Classic Barbeque Seasoning is my favorite. I used it in this recipe and it’s a staple in my summertime BBQ recipes.
You need foil, a glass baking dish big enough to fit the riblets, and an instant read thermometer for kitchen supplies. I apply the sauce to the riblets with a silicone pastry brush, but you could also use the back of a spoon.
Baked Riblets Rub
In this recipe, I’m using a premade barbecue seasoning mix. However, if you’d prefer, feel free to use a homemade BBQ seasoning mixture. Here are some other ideas for seasoning riblets:
- Cajun seasoning (for blackened riblets)
- Italian seasoning
- Garlic powder
- Onion powder
- Paprika
- Chili powder
After cooking, you could add black bean sauce or soy sauce to riblets if you don’t use BBQ sauce. This would give your riblets an Asian-inspired flair.
How to Cook Riblets
We’ll discuss how to prepare seasoned riblets for baking. With this technique, there is no broiling involved as we steam the riblets in foil packets. This is the simplest and most effective method I’ve found for cooking riblets.
⏲️ How long to cook riblets in the oven at 350?
Bake riblets in the oven for 105–120 minutes at 350 degrees Fahrenheit (177 degrees Celsius). (That’s 1 hour 45 minutes to 2 hours. ).
To begin, preheat the oven to 350F (177C). Season the riblets on both sides with the BBQ seasoning. It’s crucial to start with a 1 lb piece of riblet meat because cooking times may change if you use smaller or larger pieces.
Spray a large piece of foil with cooking spray. Place the seasoned riblet on the foil, meatier side up.
Brush barbecue sauce all over the top of the riblet. Given that some sauce drips onto the bottom of the packet as it cooks, you don’t need to sauce both sides.
Fold the top, bottom, and then sides of the foil to form a packet around the meat. Place the closed foil packet into a glass baking dish. Use a light-colored baking sheet instead; when I did, the foil got burned with the BBQ sauce.
On a rack in the center of the oven, place the baking dish containing the riblets. Bake for 1 hour 45 minutes up to 2 hours.
The internal temperature of the riblets must be at least 180°F (82°C). The meat should release easily from the bone when done. Your riblets will take around 2 hours if you use an oven bag rather than foil. 5 hours.
After baking, you can add more BBQ sauce to your riblets. Or skip it, it’s up to you!.
How long to cook riblets in oven at 400?
Riblets benefit from a long, low cooking time because they are not steaks. I recommend baking them at a temp of 300-350F. If they cook too quickly at 400 degrees Fahrenheit, the tough connective tissue won’t have time to break down.
Try baking the riblets in foil for 80–90 minutes at 400 (200C) if you really want to cook them. (Alternatively, 1 hour 20 to 1 hour 30 minutes) If they’re still tough, bake them for a little longer, but watch out for the sauce burning.
No matter what temperature you cook the riblets at, boiling them first will make them more tender. The riblets should be boiled for 20 minutes before being seasoned, sautéed, and baked. Although it is advised on the package of riblets I bought, I always omit doing it.
❓ How to cut riblets?
I enjoy cutting cooked riblets into smaller pieces by making a long cut between each bone. This makes them easier to pick up and eat!.
How to cook pork riblets fast?
Riblets are a slow food. I advise against trying to expedite the process in order to get the best results. To shorten the cooking time, you can cook in a foil packet rather than an oven bag.
Another method for cooking riblets more quickly is to bake them at a hotter temperature. However, doing so can be dangerous, so for the best results, stick to an oven temperature of 350°F (177°C) or lower.
Can you undercook ribs?
Yes, you can undercook riblets. You’ll know if this happened, because they’ll be quite tough. Long-term, low-temperature cooking of riblets causes the fibrous connective tissue to dissolve.
️ How to Reheat Riblets
This recipe only yields 1-2 servings because there isn’t a lot of meat in riblets. If you do, remove the meat from the bones and store in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days (you probably won’t have any leftovers). In the microwave, reheat leftover riblets for 1-2 minutes on high.
What to have with riblets?
What goes with riblets? My favorite side dishes for riblets are grilled corn on the cob and this southern potato salad recipe. You could also serve them with baked beans, coleslaw, or Amish Macaroni Salad.
Here are some other side dishes for riblets:
Riblets Nutrition Facts
The following is the nutritional information (113 grams) for one 4-ounce serving of beef chuck riblets:
- Calories: 430
- Total fat: 41g
- Saturated fat: 18g
- Cholesterol: 85mg
- Sodium: 55mg
- Total carbohydrate: 0g
- Fiber: 0g
- Protein: 16g
- Calcium: 0% DV
- Iron: 10% DV
This is for plain riblets without seasoning or BBQ sauce. The recipe card for these BBQ riblets contains nutritional information.
Expert Tips from a Dietitian
This recipe is level 3 (weight maintenance and physical activity). I adore tasty riblets because they’re a great source of high-quality protein, a variety of B vitamins, and both. They’re not a good option, though, if you’re trying to lose weight.
The meat from riblets is very fatty and contains more fat than protein. Riblets have 369 calories from fat and only 64 calories from protein per 4-ounce serving.
Keep in mind that maintaining a calorie deficit is necessary for weight loss. Lean ground beef has only 140–170 calories per 4-ounce serving. A 4-ounce serving of beef riblets contains 430 calories, more than 300 calories.
Fat is the most energy dense macronutrient. This means that it contains many calories in a small amount of space. Swapping fatty meats for lean protein is one way to lose weight without eating less food.
Riblets have a lot of total fat, but they also have a lot of saturated fat. If you want to lower your cholesterol levels, you should limit this type of fat.
Additionally, riblets are frequently covered in sweet BBQ sauce and salty seasonings. These modifications add to the list of reasons why riblets aren’t the best option for a heart-healthy diet.
Despite this, you can occasionally find me eating riblets, especially around summer holidays like Memorial Day and the Fourth of July. IMVHO, as long as treats like riblets don’t interfere with a medically prescribed diet, it’s acceptable to occasionally enjoy them. However, they shouldn’t be consumed frequently in most diets.
Here’s a recipe for grilled and smoked riblets that looks absolutely amazing. The recipe has you smoke riblets with cherry wood and then grill them up. I might have to go grocery shopping so I can make these grilled pork riblets very soon. Yum!
I do not recommend cooking riblets in an air fryer because the quick cooking time and dry heat causes them to be tough. The air fryer can be used to quickly reheat previously cooked riblets.
Using the slow cooker setting and the following instructions, you can make Instant Pot riblets. Pressure cooker riblets need sufficient liquid to prevent burning. Making the riblets into a soup rather than BBQing them is preferable if you want to go that route.
Riblets take 6-7 hours on low in the slow cooker. Add the BBQ sauce toward the end of cooking to prevent burning. To prevent the seasoned riblets from sticking, spray cooking spray in the crock pot.
Where can I get riblets? Some restaurants, like Applebee’s, sell riblets if I don’t feel like cooking. I purchase riblets from Super Walmart, where they cost a reasonable $2 per riblet. 94 per pound. (This may vary by location and is subject to change. ).
Other BBQ Recipes
Need more barbecue recipes? You may enjoy these:
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Depending on your medical requirements and personal preferences, all of the recipes on this website may or may not be suitable for you. If you require assistance in selecting the dietary strategy that may be most beneficial for you, speak with a registered dietitian or your doctor.
The nutrition information is an estimate provided as a courtesy. Depending on the specific brands and ingredients you use, it will vary. Please don’t stress the numbers too much because the calorie information on food labels may be wildly inaccurate.
Refer to my overnight oats no sugar post for more details on how the three recipe levels might assist with a weight management goal. Lets get cooking!.
Baked Riblets Recipe (BBQ Beef Riblet in Oven)
- ▢ 1 lb riblets 454 grams
- 1/2 cup barbecue sauce (less may be needed if sauce is thin)
- ▢ BBQ seasoning
- ▢ cooking oil spray
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C). Season the riblets on both sides with the BBQ seasoning.
- Tip! It’s important to start with a 1 lb. Using smaller or larger pieces of the riblet can affect the cooking time.
- Spray a large piece of foil with cooking spray. Place the seasoned riblet on the foil, meatier side up.
- Brush barbecue sauce all over the top of the riblet.
- Fold the top, bottom, and then sides of the foil to form a packet around the meat. Place the closed foil packet into a glass baking dish. Use a light-colored baking sheet instead; when I did, the foil got burned with the BBQ sauce.
- On a rack in the center of the oven, place the baking dish containing the riblets. Bake for 1 hour 45 minutes up to 2 hours.
- When the riblets are finished, the internal temperature should be at least 180°F (82°C) and the meat should easily come away from the bone. Your riblets will take about 2 12 hours if you use an oven bag rather than foil.
- Serve the riblets with additional BBQ sauce, if desired, and cut them in half between the bones.
These Walmart Beef Back Ribs and Beef Riblets are Perfect for Beginners and or Experiments
FAQ
What is the difference between beef ribs and riblets?
Louis-style ribs still have a boneless strip of meaty rib tips. Riblets are made when butchers square off a slab of rib bones to make it more aesthetically pleasing and simpler to prepare. However, it is unnecessary to distinguish between riblets and tips because you can use both terms interchangeably.
Are short ribs and beef riblets the same?
Lean English Short Rib Cut: The butcher trims more of the fat layer from the lean English short rib cut than from the trimmed style. Riblets: Riblets are an English cut in which the butcher makes short, 1-2-inch sticks with a thick round of meat on top after slicing the bones into separate pieces.
What are beef riblets used for?
Beef ribs from your neighborhood’s best barbecue restaurant are one of the best options for meals when trying to maintain a healthy diet. Cut beef ribs are a great source of protein and iron, which helps maintain your energy levels and enables you to be productive throughout the day.