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Home › Ninja Grill Recipes › Main Dishes › Baby Back Ribs on a Ninja Woodfire Grill
rack of smoked baby back ribs sliced on black cutting board.

What are baby back ribs

Baby back ribs are pork ribs that are near the back or loin area of a pig. The bones are arched and are smaller than St. Louis style ribs, which are cut from near the belly of the pig.

Learn more about baby back ribs and St. Louis style ribs by reading some of my other recipes.

Ingredients

baby back ribs, yellow mustard, barbecue rub and knife.
  • Baby Back Ribs: Baby back ribs are smaller pork ribs with arched bones.
  • Yellow Mustard: This acts as a binder to help the rub stick.
  • Barbecue Rub: Use your favorite barbecue rub. I recommend trying my award-winning Pork Rub or try my recipe for All-Purpose BBQ Rub.
  • Barbecue Sauce: You can serve your ribs dry or wet. If you like them wet, add your favorite barbecue sauce toward the end.
Substitutions: If you don't like mustard, you can use vegetable oil or hot sauce for the binder.
bottles of BBQ rubs on black background

How to Grill Baby Back Ribs on the Woodfire Grill

  1. STEP ONE: Start by removing the ribs from the package. Pat them dry with a paper towel. If the ribs have a membrane layer on top of the bones, pull that off.
  1. STEP TWO: Apply yellow mustard to both sides of the ribs and sprinkle liberally with your favorite barbecue rub.
baby back ribs seasoned with mustard and rub.

The full rack of ribs will be too large for the Ninja Woodfire Grill, so cut it in half.

rack of seasoned baby back ribs cut in half.

Let the ribs rest while you setup the grill. For added flavor, you can even do this step the night before and allow the rub to really penetrate the meat.

  1. STEP THREE: Add a cup of wood pellets to the smoke box of the Ninja Woodfire Grill. Set the grill to smoke. Then, set the temperature to 300F degrees and the time to 2 hours.
  1. STEP FOUR: Add the ribs to the grill, placing them side by side and close the lid. Smoke for 90 minutes.
baby back ribs cut in half placed side by side on Ninja Woodfire Grill.
  1. STEP FIVE: After 90 minutes, brush the ribs with sauce and smoke for 15 more minutes. The internal temperature of the ribs should reach about 205F degrees.
basting baby back ribs with sauce on Ninja Woodfire Grill.

NINJA PRO TIP: You can customize your half rack of ribs by using different sauces on each half, or leave one half dry and only applying sauce to the other half.

  1. STEP SIX: Remove the ribs from the grill. Place them on a cutting board with the bones facing up. Slice the ribs between the bones. Add more sauce to the bottoms and sides and sprinkle with a little more rub.

How to serve baby back ribs

Wait to slice your ribs until just before you serve them. That will keep them from drying out.

rack of half sliced smoked baby back ribs sliced on black cutting board.

Baby back ribs go great with Classic Potato Salad and Baked Beans.

Storage

You can store smoked baby back ribs in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week. You can also freeze them for up to six months.

When reheating baby back ribs, wrap them in a damp paper towel and heat them in the microwave. The paper towel will help keep them from drying out.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long does it take to cook baby back ribs on a Ninja Woodfire Grill?

It takes almost 2 hours to cook baby back ribs on a Ninja Woodfire Grill at 300F degrees on the smoke function.

What’s the advantage of cooking baby back ribs on a Ninja Woodfire Grill?

When you cook baby back ribs on a Ninja Woodfire Grill, they cook faster than on other grills and they form a tremendous bark because of the convection technology. close up of bark on rack of baby back ribs on Ninja Woodfire Grill.

Are baby back ribs pork or beef?

Baby back ribs are pork. They come from the back or loin area of the pig.

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4.81 from 21 votes

Baby Back Ribs on a Ninja Woodfire Grill

Smoke fall-off-the-bone baby back ribs on the Ninja Woodfire Grill in less than two hours. You won't believe the bark.
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour 45 minutes
Total Time: 2 hours
Servings: 4

Ingredients 

  • 1 rack baby back ribs
  • 1 tbsp yellow mustard
  • 1 tbsp barbecue rub
  • 1/4 cup barbecue sauce

Instructions 

  • Season: Remove the membrane from the back of the ribs. Rub all over with yellow mustard. Add barbecue rub on all sides. Slice the rack in half. Let rest while you setup the grill.
  • Heat Grill: Add a cup of pellets to the Ninja Woodfire Grill smoke box. Set the function to smoker, the temperature to 300F degrees and the time to 2 hours. Press start.
  • Smoke: Add the two halves of ribs to the grill and close the lid. Smoke for 90 minutes.
  • Sauce: If you like saucy ribs, brush sauce on top and continue smoking for 15 more minutes.
  • Slice: Remove from the grill. Place on a cutting board so the bones are facing up and slice between each bone. Serve with more sauce.

Notes

My favorite rub for pork ribs is my Pork Rub from Spiceology. It’s sweet and savory. 

Nutrition

Calories: 354kcalCarbohydrates: 8gProtein: 27gFat: 23gSaturated Fat: 8gPolyunsaturated Fat: 4gMonounsaturated Fat: 10gTrans Fat: 0.2gCholesterol: 98mgSodium: 349mgPotassium: 404mgFiber: 0.4gSugar: 6gVitamin A: 100IUVitamin C: 0.2mgCalcium: 62mgIron: 2mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Additional Info

Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Did you try this recipe?Be sure to rate it, leave a comment and save it so you can make it again. Show off your awesome results on social by tagging @girlscangrill

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christie vanover standing against wood wall.

Hey BBQ Family

Hi. I’m Christie, the head cook and award-winning competitive pitmaster for Team Girls Can Grill. I have won multiple grand championships and have dozens of top ten category finishes. People know me as the girl who is forever hovering over a grill, smoker or campfire with tongs in one hand and a glass of wine in the other.

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8 Comments

  1. Super good! Seriously impressive smoky flavor. Way better than any I’ve made on a gas grill. Mine came out a bit darker but I also realized I had the heat up a little. Tasted delicious anyway and will definitely be making again. Thank you!

    1. Hi Roy, I’m sorry you didn’t like this recipe. I like cooking my ribs hot and fast. I’ve followed this recipe several times with no problem. What issues did you have?

    1. It depends on how smoky you like them. For mild smoke, just add one scoop. For more smoke, add another scoop after about 1 hour.

  2. Thanks for the recipe! In the instructions you mention to let the ribs rest while you heat the grill and then add them once it is ready. Even though the smoker function doesn’t have a built in preheat stage, do you let it heat up before adding the ribs?