Halloween SKELETON SMOKER Ribs

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smoker lungs ribs halloween

Get ready to hack up a lung for Halloween! Smoked to perfection, these ribs are deadly delicious.

One of my favorite Halloween recipes – these ribs are as ‘set it and forget it’ as it gets. Just bust out your charcoal or electric smoker, heat it up and get ready for slowly smoked ribs, sausages and bubbling good BBQ.

smoker ribs halloween

Electric Smoker vs Charcoal Smoker

I just so happen to have both types of smokers at my disposal. For this recipe specifically, I used my charcoal smoker.

The biggest difference between an electric and charcoal smoker – that I can personally tell from having used both back-to-back – is how ‘hands on’ you want to be at the end of the day.

Charcoal Smoker

A charcoal smoker (affiliate link) will need a lot more babysitting than an electric smoker. And I would actually recommend beginners starting out with an electric smoker until you fully understand how the smoking process works. Charcoal smokers will also loose heat much more quickly meaning you have to keep a constant eye on the temperature decreasing – or getting too hot at the same time, if you have overloaded on charcoal. Adding water and wood pellets complicates this even further, especially if you were already struggling with the heat. And even then, if you manage to keep the grill at a constant 250°F, your meat may stall out in the cook time if the temperature fluctuates even a little bit. Finally, you do have to smoke outdoors or else you might burn down your house.

However, I will give the charcoal smoker the benefit of being a hell of a lot more fun to use because ~fire~ and you really do feel like you are getting back to your basic human instincts by getting personal with the meats.

Electric Smoker

On the flip side, electric smokers (affiliate link) have a lot more control over the smoking process and make the entire thing a breeze because you don’t have to worry about temperature and seal as much. You can focus entirely on relaxing once you’ve added your meat and wood pellets.

The wood pellets are only needed for a few minutes at the beginning – and also I like to add a few at the end – because beyond the flavoring, the wood will burn up much more quickly than the charcoal. My electric smoker has a specific bin for wood chips so I can reload as many times as I want without having to worry about the temperature dropping.

skeleton ribs halloween recipe

SMOKER LUNGS & ENTRAILS

You don’t need much to create a spooky dish. A few props go a long way to sell the effect!

  • rack of ribs – thick, juicy ribs make our ‘lungs’
  • apple cider – for marinating the ribs in advance
  • cajun sausage or your favorite long sausage links – for the entrails
  • favorite BBQ sauce – make your own or buy your favorite bottled brand
  • woodchips – for additional smoky flavor
  • prop skulls and bones – to sell the ‘lungs and entrails’ effect!
halloween ribs recipe

Happy Halloween!

smoker lungs ribs halloween

Halloween SKELETON SMOKER Ribs

The Starving Chef
Get ready to hack up a lung for Halloween! Smoked to perfection, these ribs are deadly delicious.
Prep Time 8 hours
Cook Time 3 hours
Total Time 11 hours
Course Halloween, Smoker
Cuisine Halloween, Smoked
Servings 2

Ingredients
  

  • 1 rack ribs cut in half (about 6 ribs per half)
  • 1 link cajun sausage 2-3ft long, for entrails
  • 1 cup favorite BBQ sauce
  • 4 cups apple cider
  • 2 cups woodchips
  • 6 cups water for boiling

Instructions
 

  • Remove the skin backing from the ribs and cut into two evenly sized halves. Place into a shallow dish and cover with apple cider. Marinate overnight or for at least 8 hours. Bring to room temperature prior to cooking.Remove the skin backing from the ribs and cut into two evenly sized halves. Place into a shallow dish and cover with apple cider. Marinate overnight or for at least 8 hours. Bring to room temperature prior to cooking.
  • Preheat the smoker to 225°F. Boil 4-6 cups of water and place into the smoker's water containment. Place the woodchips into the smoker in a foil pouch or directly into the woodchip holder.
  • Place the ribs into the smoker and do not open for at least 2 hours. This is when the meat will absorb the most smoke.
  • After 2 hours, add the sausage to the grill. Brush the ribs with your favorite BBQ sauce and then continue to cook the ribs until the internal temperature reaches 160°F for both the ribs and the sausage. Brush every 30 minutes with BBQ sauce. When heated through, tent both in foil for 15 minutes prior to serving. Happy Halloween!
Keyword BBQ, Halloween, ribs, smoked
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