Life is full of celebrations, and every fiesta is made better with a plate of good BBQ ribs. Take any party to the next level with my Easy Party Ribs. This recipe features juicy baby back ribs, separated into single bones, giving them a finger food aesthetic. I cooked my Party-Style Ribs on the Weber Kettle Grill, giving every bite a gorgeous kiss of smoke. Each rib bone is perfectly seasoned with a delicious blend of sweet and savory notes, then sauced with a tacky ketchup-based glaze.
These ribs are an awesome party hack because they come together in under 3 hours, a record for delicious ribs! Be sure to watch the video to learn how to regulate your Weber Kettle Grill and see my easy method for trimming ribs. Add my Easy Party Ribs to the menu next time you host a backyard BBQ, game night, or if you’re just chilling in front of the big game. Whatever the occasion, they’re bound to be a hit.
Easy Party Ribs | Heath Riles BBQ
The best part about this recipe is that you can customize it to fit your personal preference. If you prefer a dry rib, leave off the sauce. If you like ribs with no char, skip the last step and eat the meat once it’s sauced. You can also experiment with different sauces, such as Buffalo, Thai chili, white BBQ sauce, and honey chipotle. If desired, you can wrap the Easy Party Ribs using my Butter Bath & Wrap. The sky’s the limit, and this base recipe allows you to be as creative as you please.
The Ingredients
Here’s what you need to make a delicious plate of Easy Party Ribs.
- Baby back ribs. Loinback ribs are ideal for parties as they’re easy to trim and come out of the pit fork-tender. Keep in mind that the quantities listed in this recipe cover TWO racks of ribs, so if you’re smoking more or less, you’ll need to adjust your ingredients.
- Heath Riles BBQ Sweet BBQ Rub. This tasty rub is the first one I ever perfected, and it’s won me a lot of money over the years. This seasoning blend is more than just sugar, though; it also contains a kick of heat on the back end. I love adding a dash to Bloody Marys, popcorn, ribs, roasts, and wings.
- Heath Riles BBQ Sweet BBQ Sauce. This sweet BBQ sauce took over 10 years to perfect, and I’m so glad I took my “sweet” time. If you like ketchup-based sauces, you’ll adore this one. It’s great on its own or when paired with a vinegar-based sauce.
- Heath Riles BBQ Competition BBQ Sauce. I created this BBQ sauce with my good buddies. It was a major component of my big win in the Rib category at the 2022 & 2024 Memphis in May World Championship BBQ Cooking Contest. I’m confident it will continue to propel me to the gold. Try a bottle. It’ll make you feel like a champion, too.
- Heath Riles BBQ Cherry Apple Habanero BBQ Glaze. This glaze is one of my latest creations, and it adds a beautiful pop of flavor to roasts and ribs. You can use it straight from the bottle or pair it with one of my BBQ sauces for a glossy finish.
The Smoker Setup
Here’s the main equipment I used for this recipe. More of my grilling favorites can be found in the Equipment and Tools section.
- Kettle Grill. I smoked these Easy Party Ribs on the Weber Kettle Grill. This simple pit fits on any patio and is easy to use. If you prefer, you can jazz it up by purchasing fun accessories, like the Vortex Chimney, a must-have for two-zone fires.
- Charcoal. I stoked the pit with Royal Oak Charcoal Super-Sized Briquettes and Royal Oak Tumbleweeds, a great combination for competing or home cooking. Royal Oak Charcoal is excellent because the price is right, and the charcoal doesn’t contain fillers. Plus, the coals burn hot and fast, giving you a perfect BBQ meal in no time.
The Process for Making Easy Party Ribs
You can find a visual demonstration of this recipe within the video and recipe card. For now, here’s a quick rundown of how I pulled these Easy Party Ribs together.
- Fire up the pit. I stoked the Weber Kettle Grill with Royal Oak Charcoal Super-Sized Briquettes and Royal Oak Tumbleweeds and stabilized it to 400℉.
- Trim the ribs. I took the ribs out of the package and removed the membrane. Then, I removed any excess fat, gristle, or bone fragments. To make these ribs “party-style,” I cut them into single bones. Watch the video to get a great visual of what that looks like. Note that you may have to remove the end bone to make your ribs even.
- Season the ribs. I placed the ribs in a large aluminum pan and seasoned them on all sides with Heath Riles BBQ Sweet BBQ Rub.
- Start smoking. I laid the Easy Party Ribs directly on the Weber Kettle Grill grates, positioning the meat around the edge of the pit. This keeps the ribs away from the fire, giving the grill a convection oven effect. I shut the lid and let the ribs smoke for 1 hour and 20 minutes, turning them at the halfway mark.
- Make the sauce. To make the BBQ sauce, I combined Heath Riles BBQ Sweet BBQ Sauce, Heath Riles BBQ Competition BBQ Sauce, and Heath Riles BBQ Cherry Apple Habanero BBQ Glaze in a small aluminum pan. I set the pan on the Weber Kettle Grill to warm while the ribs finished.
- Sauce and char the ribs. After 1 hour and 20 minutes, I took the ribs off the pit and placed them in a large aluminum pan to rest for 15 minutes. Then, I drizzled them with the warmed BBQ sauce and set them back on the cool zone of the Weber Kettle Grill to char for 20 minutes. This gave my Easy Party Ribs a cook time of a little over 2 hours. I let the ribs rest for 15 minutes to keep the juices where they belong. The only thing left was to dig in!
The Results
My Easy Party Ribs came off the pit sticky-sweet and ready for eating! These ribs had a great combination of savory, sweet, and fruity notes, thanks to the blend of rubs, sauces, and glazes I used. The ribs had the ideal amount of char, which gave each bite a deliciously smoky texture.
Serving Suggestions for Easy Party Ribs
You can serve these ribs on their own or add a side of crusty bread, coleslaw, or sauted green beans.
Storing Leftovers
You can store leftover Easy Party Ribs in the fridge for up to five days or freeze them for up to five months. If reheating from frozen, you may want to make another batch of glaze to keep the ribs feeling fresh.
Equipment and Tools
Aluminum foil, ThermoWorks Thermapen ONE, Heath Riles BBQ Heat Resistant Gloves, Weber Kettle Grill, Royal Oak Charcoal Super-Sized Briquettes, Royal Oak Tumbleweeds.
