Smoked Boneless Beef Short Ribs
On July 30, 2024
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These Smoked Boneless Beef Short Ribs are the most delicious, melt-in-your-mouth short ribs. They’re easy to make and bursting with rich, beefy flavor. Enjoy them as-is or in tacos, nachos, sandwiches, and a whole lot more.
What are Boneless Beef Short Ribs?
Beef short ribs come from the front portion of the cow (including the chuck, rib, brisket, or plate areas). The name “short” ribs comes from the fact the cut includes only a small portion of the rib. But lucky for you, they’ve got lots of tasty, beefy meat to enjoy.
Beef short ribs are available bone-in and boneless. Boneless beef short ribs are cut from the chuck or the plate areas of the cow, and, as the name describes, have been separated from the bone. They’re great to smoke and provide lots of meaty goodness that you can shred and enjoy just like you would any pulled pork or chicken recipe.
Boneless beef short ribs can be hard to come by, but lately I’ve had good luck finding them at Costco. You might even be able to chat it up with your local butcher and get some boneless beef short ribs from them.
Ingredients for This Recipe
If you’re looking for simplicity, then this is the recipe for you. That’s because these boneless beef ribs are made with just 4 easy ingredients. Here’s what you’ll need to make these meaty ribs:
- 2-3 pounds boneless beef short ribs
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil
- 2 Tablespoons Signature Beef Rub
- ½ cup beef broth
Once you’ve got these ingredients gathered, you just need your smoker, some aluminum foil, and a little patience.
How Long to Smoke Boneless Beef Short Ribs
It’s important to know every cut of meat is different in how long it takes for it to fully cook in a smoker. These ribs took me around 8 hours from start to finish, but yours could take longer or shorter depending on the meat and your smoker.
Cooking to temperature is as important as time, so always check the temperature of your meat with a reliable meat thermometer to determine doneness. When you get an internal temperature from 205-210 degrees F, then your ribs are ready to rest.
I also recommend you plan ahead and give yourself a little wiggle room with time just in case your meat finishes sooner or later than you expect. The bottom line: meat is done when it’s done. If you keep an eye on the temperature, then I promise the tender, juicy beefy is worth the wait.
How to Smoke Boneless Beef Short Ribs
These boneless beef short ribs have a fantastic flavor. They’re very tender and lend well to the added flavor of a nice, long smoke. They’re also pretty foolproof, so you don’t have to worry about messing them up. Finally, they are SUPER versatile, making them a great meal to smoke up on the weekend with plenty of leftovers to enjoy throughout the week.
- Fire up the smoker. First up, turn on your smoker, and allow it to preheat to 275 degrees F. I used oak wood for this recipe, and it tasted delicious.
- Season. Simple olive oil and some of my Signature Beef Rub is all these short ribs need. If you don’t have any Beef Rub in your pantry, then you can use equal parts salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Drizzle the olive oil over the ribs and season on all sides.
- Smoke. Place those gorgeous ribs on the grill and cook for 3-3.5 hours.
- Wrap and smoke. Wrap the ribs in an aluminum foil pouch. Add beef broth to the foil pouch with the ribs and seal tightly. Return to the smoker and continue to smoke these short ribs until the internal temperature reaches 205-210 degrees F.
- Rest, shred, and serve. Remove the wrapped ribs from the smoker. Keep them sealed and allow them to rest for 30 minutes. Then remove the ribs from the foil and enjoy. You can shred these or eat them as-is. My family likes these over nachos and in tacos and quesadillas.
These ribs are cooked similar to a brisket, except we take the temperature up to 205-210 degrees F. This meat is tougher than brisket, so cooking it until it reaches at least 205 degrees ensures that the meat will be tender and shred well.
Ways to Use Boneless Ribs
Don’t get me wrong, these boneless beef short ribs are incredible all on their own, but you can also get creative with them. Once you’ve given your ribs 30 minutes to rest and distribute all that juicy beef flavor, you can dig in, or use the meat in a variety of dishes. When shredded, these ribs are great on sandwiches, nachos, tacos, salads, and even in chilis. Don’t be afraid to get creative, and don’t forget to share some mouthwatering photos with me on Instagram and Facebook by tagging @heygrillhey.
More Recipes for Beef Ribs
When in doubt, smoke some beef ribs. They’re sure to be bursting with flavor and that smoky bark on the outside just can’t be beat. If you need some other recipes for smoked beef ribs, check out a few of my favorites below:
Smoked Boneless Beef Short Ribs Recipe
Beef up your BBQ menu with these Smoked Boneless Beef Short Ribs, and give the recipe a 5-star rating if you loved chowing down on them. If you want to learn even more ways to enjoy smoked and grilled beef, then head on over to The Grill Squad. I’ve got Pitmaster classes on brisket, steak, and all your other favorite meats. With step-by-step guides and instructional videos, you’ll be a true pitmaster in no time.
If you watch along while I make these ribs, then be sure to check out my YouTube channel. I’ve got simple how-to videos for various beef ribs, and all my most popular recipes to help you become a backyard BBQ hero and feed the people you love.
Smoked Boneless Beef Short Ribs
Video
Ingredients
- 2-3 pounds boneless beef short ribs
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil
- 2 Tablespoons Hey Grill Hey Beef Rub
- ½ cup beef broth
Instructions
- Preheat the smoker. Preheat your smoker to 275 degrees F. Oak wood works well with these beef ribs.
- Season the short ribs. Drizzle the olive oil over the short ribs and season on all sides with the Beef Rub. If you don't have any Beef Rub on hand from Patio Provisions, you can use equal parts salt, pepper, and garlic powder.2-3 pounds boneless beef short ribs, 2 Tablespoons olive oil, 2 Tablespoons Hey Grill Hey Beef Rub
- Smoke the beef short ribs. Place the seasoned ribs directly on the grates in the smoker. Close the lid and smoke for 3-3.5 hours. This smoke is similar to a brisket smoke.
- Wrap and finish smoking. Remove the ribs from the smoker and wrap in foil to make a pouch. Pour the beef broth over the ribs. Close the pouch tightly and smoke until the ribs reach an internal temperature of 205-210 degrees F (this smoke goes higher in temp than brisket because it is pretty tough).½ cup beef broth
- Rest and serve. Remove the ribs from the smoker, and let them rest in the sealed foil for 30 minutes. You can serve each short rib individually (you should have about 6 cuts of short ribs), or you can shred it and serve it on top of chili, stew, tacos, or nachos. Enjoy this meat any way you would enjoy pulled meat.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
**I originally published this post in July 2020, but recently updated it with more information and helpful tips. However, the recipe remains the same.
I tried this recipe about 2 weeks ago. The ribs really came out delicious and tender. Getting ready to start cooking more today. This is a keeper. Thanks
Great thanks
I did these on my new Weber Smokey Mountain. I was not able to get the cooker above 250, but at four hours I was a 165. So I wrapped them with the brother and after three hours they were at 207/210. Wrapped them in a towel and put them in the cooler at hang out till dinner a couple of hours later. My husband and my brother in law both gave them a hearty thumbs up. Next up is a check roast using the same process. I like the simple rub on this. Thanks for the recipe and the video.
Boneless turned out great. Can I use this same technique on bone-in beef short ribs? Also, what if I have a combination of boneless and bone-in short ribs…can I smoke them at the same time this same way?