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I could not have been happier with how great these St. Louis-style ribs on the Char-Broil Big Easy came out. They were cooked high-and-fast on my Char-Broil Big Easy. The Big Easy is a great cooker for a whole lot of things. Although I’ve cooked baby back ribs on my Big Easy, my favorite rib is the spare rib because of the additional fat (flavor). When you cut them St. Louis-style you end up with a beautiful piece of pig meat, perfect for the Big Easy.
A little prep…
Making ribs on the Big Easy couldn’t get much easier. I rubbed down the ribs the night before with my no-burn rib rub. The next day I fired up my Big Easy. I decided to coil my ribs so they fit in the bottom of the cooker. If I’d had put in the Big Easy bunk bed basket I think I could’ve cooked two full racks at once. You could also cut the rack in half and hang it in the cooker using the Big Easy rib hooks.
Cooking right along…
It took about ninety minutes until the meat was starting to pull back from the bones. I slathered some of my Bourbon Street BBQ sauce onto the ribs and let them cook just a bit longer. This gave them a bit of a crunchy outer layer.
Let ’em rest
When the ribs were done I removed them from the cooker, uncoiled them, and let them rest for about 15 minutes. Then I sliced them and proceeded to enjoy some of the best ribs I’ve had. Not fall-off-the-bone ribs, those are overdone. You want a little tug, a little bite, to your ribs. These have that. And they’re juicy, oh so juicy, just like everything else I’ve cooked on the Big Easy. These are great ribs.
Also check out my Tony Roma’s baby back ribs made on the Big Easy.
You can also make delicious St Louis-style ribs on a smoker or gas grill!
Love your Big Easy as much I love mine? Check out my Big Easy Add-Ons page and my free Big Easy eCookbook!
St. Louis Ribs on the Char-Broil Big Easy
Ingredients
- 1 rack spare ribs cut St. Louis style
- No-Burn Rib Rub
- your favorite BBQ sauce if desired (Note that if you use a sauce that contains a lot of sugar you will really need to keep an eye on the ribs or the sauce may burn. I used my Bourbon Street sauce, which definitely has brown sugar in it!)
Instructions
- Place the ribs on a large piece of foil and sprinkle rub on both sides.
- Rub in slightly then seal.
- Refrigerate for up to 12 hours.
- Fire up your Big Easy.
- Cook the ribs for 90 minutes. You should see the meat pulling back from the bone about1/2″ – 1″. If not, let them cook a bit longer.
- Slather the ribs with sauce, if desired. Note that if you use a sauce that contains a lot of sugar you will really need to keep an eye on the ribs or the sauce may burn. Return ribs to cooker for 15-30 minutes or until they have a nice crust on them.
- Remove, let rest for 10-15 minutes, then slice and serve. If desired, have additional warmed BBQ sauce on the side for dipping.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional values are approximate.
Mike-
Looking forward to trying this! When you put the ribs in, do you use the top or leave it open?
Thanks!
-Ben
Hi Ben. Thanks for stopping by. I’m pretty sure I had the top open, I usually do, at least most of the time. You might check the ribs after a bit with the top open. If the bottoms are getting darker quicker than the tops, close the lid for a bit to even out the color (and temps).
Mike
With the Big Easy you are supposed to keep it shut. (When not grilling). Open it if the meat is starting to burn.
I agree for the SRG (Big Easy Smoker, Roaster, Grill) but not the Big Easy, which is what I use. The naming can get confusing. Even with the Big Easy (not SRG) the mesh top can be removed/added to control browning. It’s not as much the closed cooker as the SRG, though I don’t have an SRG so I can’t say for 100%.
Regards,
Mike
Mike,
I’m trying your recipe for ribs in my oil less fryer, and, was wondering if you need to hang them in a particular direction, bone side in or out?
I’ve had ribs done in this unit before at a friends house and I’m pretty sure he did them bone side in. But, I really don’t know if that matters at all. Many of the videos I’ve watched, the cook is hanging them bone side out.
Could you help me please?
Thanks so much, Paula
Hi Paula. I really can’t imagine that it’d make a difference as far as cooking goes. I think the ribs fit into the basket better with the bone side in, but as long as they fit I think they’ll cook just fine.
Mike
Mike,
Thanks so much for getting right back to me, as I wanted to do the spare ribs as a secondary meat for Christmas dinner. They were a hit! Everyone raved at how moist and tasty they were! I did them with the top on because it was pretty cold here, they browned beautifully. This was my maiden voyage with The Big Easy oil less turkey fryer and I couldn’t have been more pleased.
Thank you again,
Paula
ps. I had to cut off one of the ribs off of the end to fit the 11 inches and I just threw it in the bottom of the basket, it cooked great too!
That’s fantastic to hear, Paula. I love my Big Easy (well, Big Easies!) too. It’s a great cooker.
Mike
Were these cooked on High or Low for 90min?
Hi Ernie. My version of the Big Easy has only one temperature setting. From the others I have spoken to that is the equivalent of ‘high’ on the model where you have two choices. Either way you want to keep an eye on the ribs and don’t over cook them.
Good luck
Mike
Thanks, Just got my Big Easy 2 months ago & love this thing! Thanks for sharing.
I love it too! You can cook just about anything on it!
couple questions: Have you tried cooking a brisket yet? French Fries? and would wings just dumped in a mesh basket cook ok? or do you need them spread out?
I have not tried a brisket or even chuck roast yet. I’d be pessimistic about a brisket, but a chuck roast might work ok. I haven’t tried fries yet, but that’s an interesting idea. You couldn’t do a huge amount of them at once. As far as wings go, I think you’ll get best results with them spread out. Anywhere they touch won’t cook as well (if at all).
when you say you fired up your grill did cook the ribs on high or a lower setting
Hi Rod. My version of the Big Easy only has two settings: On and Off. I’m pretty sure my ‘On’ is equal to your ‘High’. Either way, keep an eye on your ribs as they cook. I’d start checking them after the 90 minutes. My guess is that ‘High’ is what you want, though.
Regards,
Mike
I have a quick question, you had written “Ninety minutes later the meat was starting to pull back from the bones, a sign that they are almost done” and that’s when you removed them and added the sauce, then cook for another 15-30 minutes. If I’m not planning on adding any sauce, are they done at the 90 minute point of cooking?
Thanks,
Bill
They sure are. The meat pulling back is a sign they ate cooked (i.e. safe). You can definitely chow down on them right then and there.
Twice I’ve tried to make ribs on my big easy oiless turkey fryer. First time a half slab on rib hooks with famous Dave’s rub, 90 minutes and it was charcoal. Second time I just used garlic and seasoning salt on rib hook and 90 minutes later my half slab was dry like shoe leather. Both time they were st Louis style spare ribs, no top on it. Any idea why mine is coming out soooo over cooked at 90 minutes? Yours look delicious
Hi Joe. Sorry you’re having problems getting ribs right. I’d definitely start checking them before 90 minutes. Maybe your cooker is running hot. Do you close the lid (my model has a wire mesh lid, but the other model has a different lid)? Maybe keeping it open would help. I would expect the fat in the St. Louis-style ribs to keep the meat moist, maybe yours were pre-trimmed by the butcher and lost a lot of fat? Perhaps shop around for a fattier rack or two?
Hope that helps,
Mike
I finally gave had 2 batches turn out AMAZING! 45 minutes seems to be my sweet spot, top off. Absolutely delicious. Thank you!
That’s fantastic! Once you get it figured out it’s like clockwork.
You sir are are my motivation. Thanks for all the great recipes you post and the pdf! Made chicken breasts the other night, and they were the most tender, juicy, flavorful chicken breasts I’ve had in my life. I am LOVING my Big Easy!
That’s awesome! I’ve never made bad chicken on my Big Easy.
I’ll be coming out with my 2016 recipe PDF in December. I’m hoping to come up with a different format in 2017, but I’d rather spend the time cooking on my Big Easy!
Regards
Mike
Will this recipe work if you do not have the rib hooks or kabob set? I was looking to make home style St Louis ribs, they are boneless and are barely attached together. I am assuming they could coil up but might fall apart?
I have had some epic fails in this fryer trying to make sweet potato fries so I am trying to avoid the failure, hunger and disappointment lol.
Thanks,
Greetings Emmett. I’m sure you can get by without hooks or kabobs. You could try coiling them in the bottom of the Big Easy basket, so that the outside (meat-side) of the ribs is up against the inside of the basket. St. Louis-style ribs (might be a little big to fit that way. You might have to cut a rib or two off the ends to get it in there.
You can roast potatoes in the Big Easy, but if you’re looking for a crunchy, fried potato feel you’re in for a challenge. I like to cook whole sweet potatoes like I would a baked potato, just a light coating of oil, a few pokes with a knife, and salt and pepper and cook until tender, about 40 minutes depending on size. Pop it open and eat it like a baked potato, loaded with your favorite toppings.
Regards,
Mike
Mike – Outstanding guidelines – thank you. I used hooks yesterday, 2 pork racks cut in half. Dry rub for 4 hours, mopped with Worcestershire after 60, sauced after 90 minutes, back in for another 30 and let rest for 30. The thinner sections were a bit dry, but 60% were very good. Lots of comments in here looking for 100% perfection and I just don’t think you’re realistic. The charm of ribs in the BE is speed and convenience for a good and possibly very good end product. Great is possible, but very unlikely because you’re cheating an 8 hour smoking process. Similar to BE turkey vs. peanut oil frying. The product is good to very good, but nothing beats the real thing except the time saved on prep & cleanup! The best thing is test runs with no pressure so try something, eat it, and keep testing until you dial it in before the pressure at a major event. Some of my best food was cooked in test runs.
Hi! I’ve been meaning to ask, in the above you basically spiraled the slab of ribs on the bottom of the basket. Do you prefer doing this when making ribs, or the rib hooks?
Hi Joe. Good question. I found hanging baby backs to be easier. Spare ribs can be bigger making them hard to hang on the Big Easy hooks so then I go for the spiral approach. I like hanging the. If nothing else it makes them easier to sauce on both sides and I think you can fit more ribs into the cooker.
Hope that helps
Mike
I DID MY FIRST TURKEY FOR CHRISTMAS 2022……SEASONED AND INJECTED GENOROUSLY WITH CAJUN SEASONING….AFTER TWO HOURS THE SMELL AND COLOR WAS AWESOME..! I TOOK MY BIRD OUT OF THE COOKER, LET IT REST A WHILE AND THEN CARVED IT… TO MY SURPRISE, PART ON THE BREAST ON ONE SIDE WAS UNDERCOOKED.. I ATTRIBUTE THIS TO STARTING TO COOK IT TO SOON AFTER TAKING IT OUT OF THE FRIDGE. NEXT TIME ILL LET MY TURKEY GET CLOSER TO ROOM TEMPERATURE….?
Ugh!
I do believe that letting your turkey come up to room temp for 1 hour can help in consistent cooking. But, I think no matter what you should always check the temperature in multiple places before calling it ‘done’. I’m pretty paranoid about it. I admit I poke my birds a lot!
Regards,
Mike