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Smoked rib sandwich topped with BBQ sauce and sliced onions and pickles on a wooden cutting board.
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5 from 2 votes

Smoked Rib Sandwich (McRib Copycat)

This Smoked Rib Sandwich is just like the kind at the drive thru - only better! If you're wanting to make your own McRib at home, this recipe makes the perfect sandwich for lunch, dinner, and everything in between.
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time5 hours 30 minutes
Resting Time15 minutes
Total Time6 hours
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: American, Barbecue
Keyword: McRib Copycat, Rib Sandwich
Servings: 8 people
Author: Susie Bulloch (heygrillhey.com)

Ingredients

Rib Braise

  • 1 cup apple juice
  • ½ cup salted butter cut into pads
  • ½ cup brown sugar

Instructions

  • Preheat and season. Preheat the smoker to 225 degrees F with your favorite hardwood. Remove the membrane from the bone side of the ribs. Season the ribs on all sides with the Hey Grill Hey Rib Rub (or Sweet Rub).
  • Smoke the ribs. Place the ribs on the smoker, bone side down, close the lid, and smoke for 3 hours.
  • Braise the ribs. Tear off two large sheets of aluminum foil. Place one rack of ribs in the center of each of the sheets of foil, meat side down. Sprinkle each rack of ribs with 1/4 cup of brown sugar and top with 1/4 cup of the butter. Fold up the edges of the foil and slowly pour in 1/2 cup of apple juice. Seal up each foil pack tightly and carefully return to the smoker.
  • Finish smoking. Smoke the ribs in the foil, meat side down, for 2.5 hours. Carefully open the foil to check for doneness. The meat should have pulled back from the bones about 1/2 inch and when pulled on, the bones should start to loosen from the meat. Carefully remove the ribs (still in the foil pouch) from the smoker onto a large cutting board. Allow the ribs to rest in the foil for 10-15 minutes while you assemble your sandwich buns and toppings.
  • Cut the ribs. Open the top of the foil packets and begin removing the rib bones from the meat. They should easily pull out with tongs or your fingers. Make sure to remove any additional small bone fragments. Carefully transfer the ribs from the foil pouch to a cutting board, meat side up. Cut the ribs into quarters, one long cut lengthwise and one widthwise, to make the portions the correct size for your buns.
  • Assemble the smoked rib sandwich. Place a smoked rib portion onto the bottom sandwich bun. Top with sliced onions, dill pickle slices, and as much BBQ sauce as you'd like (the messier, the better). Finish with the top sandwich bun, then eat and enjoy!

Video

Notes

Rib Rub
Sweet Rub
Everything BBQ Sauce

Nutrition

Calories: 487kcal | Carbohydrates: 31g | Protein: 33g | Fat: 26g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Cholesterol: 98mg | Sodium: 590mg | Potassium: 428mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 64IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 106mg | Iron: 3mg