There may be more than one way to cook ribs, but do you know how to cook ribs on gas grill in foil?
If you wish to expand your grilling skills, this guide has more than enough tips and tricks to help you do that.
Cooking with foil and cooking without it are two different ways of cooking a nice rack of delicious ribs. But what’s the difference between the two?
Wouldn’t it be better to cook it wrapped in foil? Is cooking it on a gas grill any better than charcoal? These are just a few of the questions we’ll answer in detail shortly.
Then, we’ll get down to the nitty-gritty and show you how to cook mouth-watering ribs you cannot wait to dig into once off the grill.
Ready to master the grill one barbeque classic at a time? Well, then keep reading.
Why Cook on a Gas Grill?
The reason why grilling ribs on gas grill might be the best option is simple.
For one, you get to control the temperature easily, unlike in charcoal grills. Not to mention, starting it up will be easier.
You won’t have to wait any longer for the grill to heat up before you get cooking.
Before you know it, you’ll have the ribs wrapped up in foil and ready to go. The sooner you can cook them, the better. Plus, the flavor will stand out much better.
Sure, you get a nice smoky flavor with charcoal. However, some may not prefer having a little extra smokey flavor in their meat.
Advantages of Using Foil
Of course, the obvious reason why foil is such a great option for grilling is that it is less of a mess to clean up.
If you use foil when grilling, regular cleaning and maintenance of your grill will require less time and effort.
Keep in mind that this should not be confused with the practice of wrapping foil on the grill grates and letting it sit there before you start cooking.
Wrapping the cooking grates with foil can cause the heat flow to become restricted, making it almost impossible to achieve the level of heat needed to cook the ribs.
Instead, this method requires you to use foil to wrap up the ribs so that it acts as a smoke packet.
This will allow you to retain as much flavor as possible and add a little bit of smoked flavor (though a lot milder compared to cooking with charcoal).
How Long Does It Take To Grill Ribs Wrapped in Foil?
If you don’t know how to cook spare ribs on gas grill in foil, you’re not alone.
To master this technique, there are a lot of questions you should be asking yourself.
For example, you’ll want to know how long does it take to grill ribs wrapped in foil.
On average, the grilling time for ribs wrapped in foil will be just slightly longer than an hour.
These must be cooked over direct medium heat with the lid closed.
From time to time, you will need to flip over the foil-wrapped packets so that both sides get cooked.
While flipping them over occasionally, you’ll want to make sure you don’t pierce the foil.
We’ll show you, step by step, how to cook ribs on a gas grill a bit later on.
In the meantime, please note that cooking ribs will be lengthy in time because they need to be thoroughly cooked like most meats.
If you want to know how to cook spare ribs on gas grill in foil on the go, it starts with finding the right kind of portable grill.
How Long Does It Take To Cook Ribs on a Gas Grill?
Now that you know how long it will take to grill ribs, what if you decided not to use foil? How long will that take when using a gas grill?
To give you the best possible answer, know that it would take slightly longer.
You’re looking at the possibility of cooking these ribs on a gas grill sans the foil for at least 90 minutes to nearly two hours.
If you are cooking a thick slab, the cooking time will almost double (roughly three to four hours).
The last thing you want to do is overcook the ribs. If they are overcooked, they will be dry and won’t be the fall-off-the-bone result you want.
The length of time will depend on the size of the ribs.
As a rule of thumb, though, an additional rack would warrant at least an additional 30 to 60 minutes of cooking time.
Do Ribs Need To Be Wrapped in Foil?
This is a question that gets asked a lot.
When grilling ribs on gas grill, they don’t always need to be wrapped in foil. However, it is the preferred method for most barbeque cooking experts.
Doing this technique results in the meat being a lot more tender and juicier once it comes off the grill.
Even some barbecued ribs may have to be wrapped after at least two or so hours of cooking (for example, you’re cooking spare ribs for about four hours).
This trick helps maintain the rib’s excellent color and retain plenty of flavors.
Plus, you won’t have to run the risk of overcooking them so that they don’t come out dry.
The ball is in your court as to whether or not you want to wrap ribs in foil or don’t.
However, if the recipe calls for it, you might as well follow it.
How To Cook Ribs on Gas Grill in Foil
Now, we’ll start the preparations so that you can master how to grill ribs on a gas grill in foil.
Before we go any further, you’re going to need the following:
- Enough gas on the grill (replace the tank if you are running low)
- One rack of ribs (pork)
- Sharp knives
- Your favorite rub
- Your favorite barbeque sauce
- Aluminum foil
- ½ cup of apple juice (optional)
Now that you’ve got everything, let’s begin.
Step 1: Prep the rack.
One thing you need to know about ribs is that when you buy them at the store, they probably are not properly prepared.
Sure, you’ll come across some, but those instances are few and far between.
When looking for a rack of ribs, you want to make sure they are square in shape and evenly thick.
Then, check for any loose pieces of bone, fat, or meat.
Using a sharp knife, cut off any excess fat and scraps. Keep a minimal amount of fat, though; the key here is taking out the excess.
Once trimmed, rinse the entire rack in cold water and pat it dry using a paper towel.
Step 2: Add the rub.
When you get the hang of knowing how to grill ribs on a gas grill, adding the rub is one of the exciting parts. It gives those ribs that delicious flavor.
There are plenty of rub options out there. If you know a good rub or two that will be perfect for ribs, get them.
Apply the rub evenly on the front, back, and sides of the meat.
Don’t worry about adding too much since the excess will eventually fall off.
You can add the rub at least an hour before cooking the ribs on the grill.
The goal here is to make sure the ribs are on the grill at least 10 to 20 minutes after the rub is added in.
Step 3: Place the ribs on the grill.
Next, you’ll need to place the ribs on the grill. The key here is finding the right spot to put them.
Some parts of the grill will be a lot warmer than others. In this case, you’ll want to use indirect heat since you want to reduce the risk of overcooking them.
If your grill has both left and right burners, you can place your ribs on either end.
If the ribs are short in size, position them parallel to the burners and sit them near the hot burner (but not on it).
If the ribs are placed horizontally, you may need to flip them over on occasions.
Lay the rack bone-side down, close the lid, and ensure the grill maintains a temperature of 300 degrees.
Let it cook for 30 minutes.
Step 4: Wrap the ribs.
After cooking for 30 minutes, the next thing you want to do is wrap the ribs.
If they appear raw anywhere, cook them for an additional 10 to 15 minutes before wrapping them.
Wrap the ribs and add apple juice (optional) if you want some additional moisture inside the foil wrap.
Tightly wrap the ribs in foil and place them back on the grill.
Increase the temperature to 375 degrees and cook the foil-wrapped ribs for 30 more minutes.
Afterward, turn down the heat and unwrap the ribs. They should be cooked well enough and will be quite flexible.
If they are not browned completely, grill them for an additional 10 to 15 minutes.
Step 5: Add BBQ sauce.
For the coup de grâce, this is when you add your favorite BBQ sauce.
Before adding the BBQ sauce, be sure to have the grill’s temperature set to 250 degrees.
Any higher, and it will boil off any sugar in the sauce, causing a loss of flavor.
Coat all sides of the ribs as many times as you like, especially if you want them to be nice and sticky.
One way of doing this is to coat one side, set it on the grill for five minutes, and repeat the process with any uncoated sides.
This method should take you no less than 25 to 30 minutes. After that, it’s time to dig in.
Cooking Ribs on a Gas Grill
There’s nothing quite like cooking a nice rack of ribs on a gas grill with foil.
When wrapped in foil, you’ll be getting the best results. Imagine biting into the meat that is juicy, tender, and filled to the brim with flavor.
Now that you know how to cook ribs on gas grill in foil, you might just have a good idea of what’s for dinner tonight.