Maple bourbon smoked ribs are simply bursting with flavor. They’re slow-smoked, braised with a maple bourbon marinade, and then glazed with a sinful maple bourbon glaze.

Maple Bourbon Ribs

These maple bourbon ribs are completely and utterly irresistible. Don’t get me wrong, I like good, classic baby back ribs with a traditional BBQ sauce as much as the next person, but these ribs take everything to the next level. The secret to these ribs is the cooking process. Each step adds a new layer of flavor so by the time your ribs are ready to eat, you get to enjoy notes of smoke that are perfectly paired with sweetness and punch from the foiling liquid and glaze.

I love tightly wrapping these ribs with liquid, sugar, and fat to push those flavor profiles deep into the meat. Braising this way creates an amazingly tender rib with notes of bourbon and maple in each bite.

Ingredients for Maple Bourbon Ribs

Ready to make yourself some of these delectable ribs? Here’s what you’ll need to make these ribs.

• 2 racks of baby back ribs
• 4 Tablespoons Hey Grill Hey Sweet Rub or Hey Grill Hey Rib Rub
• 1 cup Maple Bourbon Grilling Glaze

The foiling liquid contains the following 4 ingredients:

• 1/2 cup bourbon
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup maple syrup
• 8 Tablespoons butter

Sweet Rub, Rib Rub, and Maple Bourbon Grilling Glaze can all be purchased from the Hey Grill Hey Store. If you don’t have any of these on hand, you can make them from scratch using the following recipes on my website:

• Best Sweet Rub
• Best Dry Rub for Ribs
• Maple Bourbon Glaze

How to Smoke Maple Bourbon Ribs

These maple ribs aren’t hard to make, they just take a little time and a little bit of love. Follow the steps below, and you’ll be enjoying these sweet, scrumptious ribs soon.

More Smoked Ribs Recipes

Are you a rib fanatic? Do you like your ribs to be unique and packed with flavor? If so, check out more of my delicious smoked ribs recipes below:

• Smoked Dr. Pepper Ribs
• Apple Jalapeno Smoked Ribs
• Crispy Sticky Smoked Spareribs

Maple Bourbon Smoked Ribs Recipe

This recipe was created to make your life easier, backyard griller! Here at Hey Grill Hey, we’re in the business of helping you make better BBQ, feed the people you love, and become a backyard BBQ hero. You can find more of my smoking and grilling recipes here on my website (browse the Homepage for inspiration) on Instagram, YouTube, or our Facebook Page.

This post was originally published in July 2019. We recently updated it with more information and helpful tips. The recipe remains the same.

Maple Bourbon Smoked Ribs

Susie Bulloch (heygrillhey.com)

Maple Bourbon Smoked Ribs are a delectable dinner that are simply bursting with flavor. They're slow smoked, wrapped in Reynolds Wrap Foil, braised with a maple bourbon marinade, and glazed with a sinful maple bourbon glaze.

5 from 8 votes

Prep Time : 10 mins

Cook Time : 6 hrs

Total Time : 6 hrs 10 mins

Servings : 4

Calories : 875kcal

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Ingredients

 

• ▢ 2 racks baby back ribs
• ▢ 4 Tablespoons Hey Grill Hey Sweet Rub (recipe link in notes)
• ▢ 1 cup Maple Bourbon Grilling Glaze (recipe link in notes)

Foiling Liquid

• ▢ ½ cup bourbon
• ▢ ½ cup brown sugar
• ▢ ½ cup maple syrup
• ▢ 8 Tablespoons butter

Instructions

• Preheat. Preheat the smoker to 225 degrees F.
• Prep and season. Remove the membrane from the ribs and season on both sides with Hey Grill Hey Sweet Rub (you can buy this from the Hey Grill Hey Store, or make your own using the recipe linked in the notes section below).
• Smoke. Place the seasoned ribs on the smoker and close the lid. Smoke the ribs for 3 hours.
• Prepare the braise. Lay out two sheets of heavy-duty aluminum foil side by side on a large work surface. Put 2 Tablespoons of butter on each sheet of foil. Sprinkle each with 1 Tablespoon of brown sugar.
• Make the braise. Remove the ribs from the smoker, and place them meat side down onto the butter and brown sugar. Fold up all 4 sides of the foil without crimping to create a bowl (this is going to hold in the foiling liquid). Pour the maple syrup, bourbon, and remaining butter onto the ribs.
• Seal and continue smoking. Bring together the long sides of the foil so the ends meet over the food. Fold the foil together and then roll until the foil is tight against the ribs. Double-fold the two short ends to completely seal the ribs in the foil. Place them back on the smoker and continue to smoke for 2 more hours.
• Glaze. Remove the ribs from the foil. Return them to the smoker and baste them with the Maple Bourbon Grilling Glaze. Close the lid and smoke for additional 30-60 minutes or until the sauce is set and the ribs are tender.
• Rest and serve. Remove the ribs from the smoker and rest for 5-10 minutes before serving.

Notes

Sweet Rub

• Purchase it from the store HERE: Sweet Rub
• Make it from scratch using this RECIPE: Best Sweet Rub Recipe

Rib Rub

• Purchase it from the store HERE: Rib Rub
• Make it from scratch using this RECIPE: Best Dry Rub for Ribs

Maple Bourbon Grilling Glaze

• Purchase it from the store HERE: Maple Bourbon Grilling Glaze
• Make it from scratch using this RECIPE: Maple Bourbon Glaze

Nutrition

Calories: 875kcal | Carbohydrates: 35g | Protein: 54g | Fat: 46g | Saturated Fat: 16g | Cholesterol: 196mg | Sodium: 325mg | Potassium: 760mg | Sugar: 34g | Vitamin A: 100IU | Vitamin C: 0.3mg | Calcium: 116mg | Iron: 2.4mg

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