Traeger Smoked Whiskey Peach Baby Back Ribs

TRAEGER SMOKED WHISKEY PEACH BABY BACK RIBS

7/22/2023

Get ready for a sizzling summer sensation with Traeger Smoked Whiskey Peach Baby Back Ribs! This flavor-packed recipe combines the smokiness of tender ribs with the tantalizing sweetness of peaches, glazed with the perfect sweet and tangy peach barbecue sauce with the boldness of whiskey and a touch of cinnamon - a true finger-lickin' masterpiece! The result? Tender, fall-off-the-bone, sweet and tangy baby back ribs that will fire up your taste buds and leave you craving more!

Time to fire up your smoker, grab a glass of your favorite beverage, and let the unique flavors of this barbecue favorite take center stage at your next gathering. These Smoked Whiskey Peach Baby Back Ribs are about to make you the star of every backyard gathering. Trust me, once you've tried them, you'll be hooked and coming back for more!

Traeger Smoked Whiskey Peach Baby Back Ribs

SO MANY DIFFERENT KINDS OF RIBS - WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE?

Baby back ribs typically have less meat than St. Louis spare ribs and cook more quickly, and are arguably the most popular ribs sold in grocery stores and restaurants.
Spare ribs and St. Louis style ribs are from the same portion of ribs, just trimmed 2 different ways, with the St. Louis style ribs having smaller pieces of cartilage. Both are well-marbled with a high fat content and quite meaty, but do take a little longer to cook than baby back ribs.
You may ask what the difference is between baby back ribs and spare ribs. Flavor-wise there isn't much difference, but baby back ribs are usually less meaty and more tender; the spare rib comes from the belly side and are meatier, but less tender than baby back ribs.
Kansas City is known for its barbecue and barbecue sauces! Thick, rich and thick tomato based with lots of molasses. Kansas City Ribs are typically dry rubbed, smoked , sauced and so succulent! Not quite fall of the bone, but typically tender and juicy. Baby back or spare ribs work great with this style of ribs. These are our family favorite!
St. Louis style ribs are similar to Kansas City ribs, except the sauce is usually a little bit thinner, heavier on the vinegar, and not too thick and sweet. Dry-rubbed seasoned ribs are slow cooked over a low smoky grill, and then mopped frequently to caramelize the sauce onto juicy, fall-off-the-bone ribs. Spare ribs are typically used for the best results for this style of ribs.
Memphis Ribs are dry-rubbed with simple and basic spices, and then grilled to perfection. Rather than falling off the bone, they are known for melting in your mouth. Memphis barbecue sauce is typically mustard-based with a bit more kick that other barbecue sauces. Back ribs are typically used.
Carolina Ribs are another simple version. No spicy rubs, but simply cooked with salt and pepper and then cooked low and slow over hickory smoke. Carolina barbecue sauce is typically a spicy, vinegar based sauce that is mopped on at the very end of cooking. Spare ribs are usually used for this fall-off-the-bone version.
Country-style ribs technically aren't ribs - they are cut from the uppermost blade end of the loin, and are more of a cross between a rib and a pork chop.

RECIPE VARIATIONS:

Changing the flavor profile for smoked ribs is as easy as changing up the Barbecue Sweet Rub and Barbecue Sauce with any of the following spice and seasoning rubs, and match the barbecue sauce you use to blend with the flavor profile of the seasoning rub:

Woodfire Garlic
Smokehouse Maple
Brown Sugar Bourbon
Fiesta Seasoning Rub
Teriyaki Seasoning Rub
Chipotle Lime
Chipotle & Roasted Garlic
Mesquite

Traeger Smoked Whiskey Peach Baby Back Ribs

LET'S GET HOT & SAUCY!

Replace Whiskey Peach Barbecue Sauce with any of the following barbecue sauces and glazes, matching the barbecue sauce to the flavor profile of the spice and seasoning rub that you use:

Fireball Peach Barbecue Sauce
Sweet & Smoky Barbecue Sauce
Honey Sriracha Barbecue Sauce
Apple Butter Barbecue Sauce
Awesome Sauce (Apricot Barbecue Sauce)
Sweet Honey Barbecue Sauce
Hawaiian Barbecue Sauce
Cherry Chipotle Barbecue Sauce
Maple Bourbon Barbecue Sauce
Byerly’s Original Barbecue Sauce
Teriyaki Barbecue Sauce
Raspberry Chipotle Barbecue Sauce
Asian Sweet Chili Sauce
Sweet Chili Teriyaki Sauce

Traeger Smoked Whiskey Peach Baby Back Ribs

BEST SIDES TO SERVE WITH WHISKEY PEACH GLAZED BABY BACK RIBS:

Cheddar Mac & Cheese is made in the slow cooker and is such a traditional side!
Baked Beans with Bacon & Brisket are perfectly seasoned with brown sugar and molasses.
Parmesan Herb & Garlic Roasted Potatoes are a barbecue favorite at our house!
Barbecue Roasted Potatoes are perfectly seasoned and roasted - another great potato side for backyard barbecues.
Buttery Sweet Corn on the Cob - YES please!
S'More Cookie Bars
Strawberries & Cream Angel Food Baby Bundt Cakes are the perfect fresh dessert.

Traeger Smoked Whiskey Peach Baby Back Ribs

TRAEGER SMOKED WHISKEY PEACH BABY BACK RIBS

Traeger Smoked Whiskey Peach Baby Back Ribs

INGREDIENTS:
SWEET RUB SEASONING:
1/3 cup brown sugar (dark or light)
1 Tablespoon coarse sea salt or kosher salt
2 teaspoons cracked black pepper
2 teaspoons smoked paprika
2 teaspoons garlic powder
2 teaspoons onion powder
1 teaspoon ground mustard
½ teaspoon cayenne pepper

WHISKEY PEACH BARBECUE SAUCE:
1 cup ketchup or sweet barbecue sauce (Sweet Baby Rays Honey BBQ Sauce)
1 cup peach preserves
1/2 cup (110g) brown sugar
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup whiskey
2 Tablespoons molasses
2 Tablespoons Sweet Rub Seasoning
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

BARBECUE RIBS:
2 racks baby back ribs
Yellow mustard
Sweet Rub Seasoning
2 cups Whiskey Peach Barbecue Sauce
2 large peaches (pitted, peeled and sliced) or 1 can sliced cling peaches (in natural juice)

SMOKING LIQUID:
½ cup whiskey
½ cup brown sugar (light or dark)
½ cup peach nectar
8 Tablespoons butter

HOW I MAKE THIS:

PREPARE SWEET RUB SEASONING: In a small bowl, combine all ingredients. Stir until well blended; store in airtight container until ready to use.
PREPARE WHISKEY PEACH BARBECUE SAUCE: Combine all sauce ingredients in a medium heavy saucepan. Bring sauce to a boil over medium high heat, stirring frequently. Once the sauce reaches a boil, reduce heat to low and simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. The sauce will thicken up during this time. Remove barbecue sauce from the heat and allow to cool completely – it will thicken slightly as it cools. Store sauce in an airtight container if using same day, or keep in the refrigerator until ready to use if preparing ahead of time.
PREPARE RIBS: Begin by removing the membrane from the back of the ribs, and remove any excess fat.
Rub both sides of ribs liberally with yellow mustard.
Sprinkle Sweet Rub Seasoning on both sides of the ribs, starting with the bone side. Cover and let rest for at least 2 hours in the refrigerator – or preferably overnight.
PREPARE SMOKER: Set your smoker up for indirect smoking (for a Traeger, set Smoke for 5 minutes and then set temperature of 225 degrees). This should give you a thin blue smoke coming out of the stack.
If you’re making more than 2 racks of rib, set metal rib rack on top of smoker grate.
Place the seasoned ribs on the smoker and close the lid. DO NOT OPEN THE LID FOR 3 HOURS! Check your smoker pellets every hour to make sure you have consistent smoking. Be prepared - during this time the neighbors will start to go crazy and beg you to tell them what you are cooking!
After 3 hours, prepare for the next step. On a large working surface, tear off pieces of heavy duty aluminum foil and double up so that each rack of ribs will fit with a generous amount of extra foil around the outside.
Transfer the ribs from the smoker to the foil, bone side up so that the bones won’t tear through the foil, and gently pull up the foil sides up to create a “bowl”.
Top each rack with 4 pats (tablespoon each) of cold salted butter, and then sprinkle with brown sugar. Pour whiskey and peach nectar gently over the top.
Top with another double layer of heavy duty aluminum foil, and tightly crimp the foil bottom and top together to create an airtight seal. Use your hands to tightly form the aluminum foil to the ribs – you want to eliminate as much air space as possible so that your ribs braise (rather than steam) for the next step.
Return the wrapped ribs to the smoker and let the ribs braise for 2 hours, or until they reach a temp of 200 degrees (I recommend using a digital thermometer for best results). DO NOT OPEN THE LID FOR 2 HOURS! Check your smoker pellets every hour to make sure you have consistent smoking. Be prepared - during this time people will start begging you to tell them when these will be ready to eat!
Carefully remove the ribs from the smoker and place on a large working surface. Carefully open the foil package and allow steam to escape before removing the ribs with tongs. Discard braising liquid and foil.
Place the braised ribs back on the smoker, bone side down.
Brush the ribs with Whiskey Peach Barbecue Sauce and top each rib rack with peach slices. Close the lid, and cook at 225 degrees for an additional hour, basting every 15-20 minutes. Keep the lid closed as much as possible and continue to smoke until the barbecue sauce is sticky and set and the ribs are tender (or done to your desired tenderness).
Remove ribs from smoker and allow them to rest for 15-30 minutes before serving. This will allow the juices to redistribute and ensure maximum tenderness - resist the temptation to dive right in!
Slice ribs between the bones and serve them with a generous drizzle of remaining Whiskey Peach Barbecue Sauce.

YIELD: Makes 4 servings

RECIPE NOTES:

You can prepare these Smoked Baby Back Ribs ahead of time up through step 12. Wrap the foil-wrapped braised ribs in heavy towels in an insulated cooler and hold for up to 3 hours. An hour before you plan to serve, continue on beginning with step 15. If you don’t open the cooler, the wrapped ribs will remain HOT for 3 hours – I promise you!
If you don’t have a smoker, you can also prepare these on your grill – simply set your grill up for indirect cooking at the designated temperatures.
WHISKEY PEACH BARBECUE SAUCE: This is a finger-licking good tangy and sweet sauce that you will LOVE on everything barbecued or grilled! Slather this sauce liberally on smoked barbecued ribs, smoked chicken, smoked pulled pork or smoked pulled ham, and even salmon! If you LOVE your ribs extra saucy, you may want to double this recipe!
WHAT KIND OF PEACHES WORK BEST? Sweet fresh peaches are best, but if you don’t have fresh or don’t want to deal with peeling or pitting, you can use canned or jarred peaches (in natural juices). For an extra treat, try sliced grilled peaches to top these delectable baby back ribs!
WHAT IS THE BEST TEMP FOR SMOKED BABY BACK RIBS? For best results, I recommend using a digital thermometer. Taking accurate temperatures with ribs can be difficult – try your best to test the meatiest spot between rib bones to take your temperature readings. You want the ribs to pull back from the bones, with ends of the bones poking out about ½ inch.
FIREBALL CINNAMON PEACH BABY BACK RIBS: For a unique sweet and spicy alternative, use Fireball Cinnamon Whiskey to create Fireball Whiskey Peach Barbecue Sauce. The cinnamon and peach create a smoky and savory sauce that is absolutely perfect for baby back ribs!

Original recipe posted June 2018; revised and reposted July 2023.

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