How To Bbq Ribs On Gas Grill [COMPLETE GUIDE]

Many of us often find it baffling to cook authentic BBQ ribs on gas grills. However, when you use the right marinades and equipment & follow the low and slow cooking method, preparing bbq ribs on a gas grill is pretty simple and quick.

To prepare BBQ ribs on a gas grill, you must always do ‘low and slow’ grilling and use indirect heat. Once the ribs are cleaned, rubbed, and seasoned, set them on a seasoned pan and place it on a preheated gas grill (300 ℉). Cook the meat at 225 to 250 ℉ (or 80 to 90 minutes for a medium-sized rack of ribs) until the internal temperature reaches 180 to 190 ℉. Finish by tossing in a barbeque sauce at a high temperature of 375 ℉.

Bbq baby back ribs are prepared in somewhat the same way as full-sized racks, except for some slight difference in the temperature settings. Here is a complete guide on how to prepare Bbq ribs on a gas grill:

How To Bbq Ribs On Gas Grill

A standard-sized Bbq rib is usually prepared in about 80 to 90 minutes. If you are cooking ribs for a huge crowd and using a gas grill, it is advisable to prepare a few batches of Bbq ribs in advance. An average person will consume about ½ a rack of ribs or 6 ribs per person if you are serving baby back ribs. The more side dishes, the less will be the count of ribs per person. Here is how to Bbq ribs on a gas grill:

Grill Set-up

Setting up the grill is the fundamental requirement for cooking tender and juicy Bbq ribs. Some important factors to consider are:

The gas grill should at least have 2 burners. Some of the best gas grills to use are – Char Broil Classic 3-burner Grill, Cuisinart Petit Gourmet Portable Gas Grill, Royal Gourmet PD1300 Portable Gas Grill with Griddle, Nexgrill Propane 4 burner Gas Grill, and others.
The gas burner should be able to maintain a temperature of 225 to 250 degrees Fahrenheit.
For smoking, you can use cherry wood, pecan wood, mesquite, or applewood.
Always use the ‘indirect’ and ‘low and slow’ methods for grilling Bbq ribs.

Things Required for Bbq Ribs On Gas Grill

The essentials for preparing Bbq ribs on a gas grill are:

Fuel
Rack of Pork Spareribs
Rib rub
Wood chips or chunks for smoking
Aluminum foil
Sharp-knife
Barbeque sauce
Digital thermometer
Apple juice and apple cider vinegar

Classic Recipe For Preparing Bbq Ribs On Gas Grill

Step 1: After the ribs have been cleaned and pat-dried, put them in an aluminum pan that is seasoned with cooking oil.

Step 2: Use a rib rub and seasoning of choice and coat it evenly on both sides of the rib. Don’t leave any side uncovered. The rub will naturally stick to the meat and you may also press it gently. The rub is usually made using smoked paprika, brown sugar, onion powder, garlic powder, kosher salt, ground black pepper, and cayenne pepper. Homemade rubs can be prepared a day before.

Step 3: Pour some apple juice and cover the pan with aluminum foil. Do not soak the entire rib in apple juice/ apple cider vinegar. Refrigerate the meat for a few hours.

Step 4: Preheat the gas grill to 300 degrees Fahrenheit. Use a digital cooking thermometer to ensure that the temperature remains uniform throughout the whole process.

Step 5: Place the ribs on the grill and provide indirect heat. For indirect heating, use a drip pan with ½ to 1 inch of water under the grill. The curves of the ribs should be facing down. The temperature should be maintained at around 225 to 250 degrees Fahrenheit for about 80 to 90 minutes. Thick slabs of ribs may even take up to 4 hours.

Step 6: The cooking shall be completed once the internal temperature reaches 180 to 190 degrees Fahrenheit and is safe to eat.

Step 7: Coat the ribs with some barbeque sauce and leave the ribs to cook for an additional 5-7 minutes at a high flame of 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Continue basting and turning the ribs for about 10 to 20 minutes or until the ribs are charred in spots.

Step 8: Remove the ribs from the gas grill and let them cool for 5-10 minutes before cutting and consuming.

How To Bbq Baby Back Ribs On Gas Grill

Baby back ribs are located under the loin area and are cut from the top or back part of the rib. They are shorter in length and are about 3 to 6 inches. Each rack has about 10 to 13 curved ribs that weigh 1 ½ to 2 pounds and can feed up to 2 people. Baby back ribs usually take about 60 to 80 minutes to cook. The cooking completes when the internal temperature reaches 165 to 170 degrees Fahrenheit.

Watch this video to learn how to cook BBQ baby back ribs on a gas grill.

How To Bbq Ribs In Foil On Gas Grill

The reflective properties of a heavy-duty aluminum foil are used to evenly cook ribs and prevent food from sticking to the grill. If you are unable to achieve high grilling temperatures, you can wrap the marinated ribs in aluminum foil and cover the griller with a lid. Once grilling is completed, take out the ribs from the foil before you coat them in the barbeque sauce and remove them from the grill.

Do take a note that aluminum foil does not recirculate the smoke from the juices and can render the meat drier.

Keep reading:

Some Tips For Barbequing Ribs On Gas Grill

Before we finish, every pitmaster must use these tips for grilling bbq ribs:

Season the grill grates before cooking bbq ribs.
Using higher temperatures than 250 degrees Fahrenheit will cook the ribs faster, but will tend to dry out the meat.
Make sure the ribs are trimmed in equal shapes and dried before rubbing and seasoning. You can remove the rubbery and chewy silver skin from the backside of the ribs before grilling. Removing the skin also helps the rub and the marinade to penetrate easily.
Make sure the fuel/propane tank is full enough to cook a batch of meat for ~ 1 ½ hours. Maintain the optimum cooking temperature throughout the process to preserve the juiciness of the meat. While preparing ribs on gas grills, do not go by time only. If you like a little crispier ribs, you can even wait till the internal temperature reaches 200 to 203 degrees Fahrenheit.
Since the meat is prepared faster on gas grills compared to smokers and there is little use of fat, you can choose to trim overly fatty ribs.
You can also make ‘smoke bombs’ and place them under the gas grill to introduce smoky flavor to the ribs. To prepare smoke bombs, soak cotton-wrapped wood chips in water for about 5 minutes and place them directly under hot coal. Cover the meat in aluminum foil during this smoking process.
Use high-quality wood pellets to introduce a unique smoky flavor to the ribs.
If your gas grill has three burners, you can use the two ends to ensure low, slow, indirect, and even heating.
The rib racks should be placed towards the center of the grill.
You can use a baking sheet to ensure the meat does not stick to the grill.
While tossing the ribs in bbq sauce, make sure they do not get fully burned and produce a bitter taste.

With the right recipe and technique, you are sure to get the perfectly tender and juicy ribs on grills every time.