Sweet, smoky, fruity, and just spicy enough, these Apple Cherry Chipotle Ribs bring a unique flavor combination to a classic rack of smoked baby backs. We’re layering Heath Riles BBQ Cherry Rub and Apple Rub, wrapping with an apple juice Butter Bath, then finishing everything with a homemade cherry chipotle BBQ sauce.

The best part is that you can easily adjust the heat to your liking. Keep the chipotle light for a sweet and savory rib, or add a little extra if you want that heat to come through.

Apple Cherry Chipotle Ribs | Heath Riles BBQ

For this cook, I started with thick Prairie Fresh baby back ribs. Before seasoning, I trimmed away some excess meat and hard fat from the back to clean up the racks and give them a better shape.

Then, it was time to start building those fruit flavors.

I used mustard as a binder before laying down a light coating of Heath Riles BBQ Cherry Rub. Cherry Rub has a unique, fruit-forward profile, so I followed it with Heath Riles BBQ Apple Rub to add another layer of fruity, savory flavor and help create that beautiful golden color.

From there, the ribs went onto the pellet grill at 275°F before being wrapped with an apple juice Butter Bath. The final layer is a homemade sauce featuring Competition BBQ Sauce, Cherry Apple Habanero Glaze, and chipotle salsa.

You end up with layer after layer of apple, cherry, BBQ, and chipotle flavor without making the recipe overly complicated.

Why This Recipe Works

These ribs are all about building flavor throughout the cook instead of relying entirely on the finishing sauce.

Cherry Rub establishes the first fruit-forward layer, while Apple Rub adds another complementary flavor and helps build color. The apple theme continues during the wrap with apple juice and Heath Riles BBQ Butter Bath & Wrap.

The apple juice brings sweetness and fruitiness to the wrap while providing the moisture needed to help tenderize the ribs.

Then we bring everything together with the finishing sauce. Heath Riles BBQ Competition BBQ Sauce provides the BBQ base, Cherry Apple Habanero Glaze reinforces those fruit flavors, and chipotle salsa introduces another level of savory heat.

The Ingredients

• Baby Back Ribs are perfect for this recipe. The racks used in the video are particularly thick and meaty, so remember that thinner racks may cook faster.
• Mustard acts as a simple binder to help the seasoning stick. If you don't like using mustard, you can skip the binder entirely.
• Heath Riles BBQ Cherry Rub gives the ribs their dominant cherry flavor.
• Heath Riles BBQ Apple Rub adds another fruity and savory layer while helping develop a gorgeous golden color.
• Heath Riles BBQ Butter Bath & Wrap combines with apple juice to create the liquid used during the wrapped portion of the cook.
• Apple Juice adds sweetness, moisture, and another layer of apple flavor.
• Heath Riles BBQ Competition BBQ Sauce creates the base of the finishing sauce.
• Heath Riles BBQ Cherry Apple Habanero Glaze boosts the fruity character of the sauce while bringing another layer of flavor.
• Chipotle Salsa gives the finishing sauce its smoky heat. You can increase the amount if you prefer spicier ribs.

Pellet Grill Setup

Preheat your Yoder YS640 Pellet Grill to 275°F.

Once the grill is holding temperature, place the seasoned ribs on the cooking grate and close the lid. Let them cook completely undisturbed for the first 2 hours. There's no need to constantly open the grill and check them.

The Process

Trim and Season the Ribs

Remove the ribs from their packaging and inspect the back of each rack. Trim away any large pieces of hard fat or excess meat that need to be cleaned up.

Coat the ribs with a thin layer of mustard, then season with a light, even coating of Cherry Rub followed by Apple Rub. Make sure you've got coverage across both sides of the racks.

Smoke for 2 Hours

Place the ribs on the Yoder and smoke at 275°F for 2 hours.

At this stage, you're looking for the rub to adhere to the meat and develop good color. When they're ready to wrap, the seasoning should be set well enough that you can't easily wipe it away.

Make the Apple Butter Bath

While the ribs finish their first stage of cooking, prepare the wrap mixture in a Mixing Shaker Bottle.

For each rack of ribs, combine:

• ¼ cup Heath Riles BBQ Butter Bath & Wrap
• ¾ cup apple juice

Shake until thoroughly combined. The mixture will thicken as it sits, so don't worry if the consistency changes while you're preparing the ribs.

Wrap the Ribs

Lay out two layers of Heavy-Duty Aluminum Foil for each rack.

Add the Butter Bath mixture to the front and back of the ribs, then wrap each rack tightly in the double layer of foil.

Return them to the Yoder at 275°F. These were especially thick ribs, so they ultimately needed around 1½ hours wrapped to reach the desired tenderness.

Make the Cherry Chipotle Sauce

While the ribs are wrapped, mix approximately ⅔–¾ cup Competition BBQ Sauce with 3 large teaspoons of chipotle salsa and about 3 tablespoons Cherry Apple Habanero Glaze.

Taste the mixture and adjust as needed. If you want more heat, add additional chipotle salsa.

Check for Tenderness

After about an hour in the wrap, check the ribs for tenderness. The racks in this cook were especially thick, so they weren't quite ready at that point.

Instead of relying solely on an internal temperature, use the push-pull test. Hold one rib bone down and gently push or pull the neighboring bone. If the meat and membrane still resist and won't begin to tear, the ribs need more time.

After about 1½ hours total in the wrap, the meat should have pulled back from the bones and the membrane should begin tearing easily when you perform the test. That's the sign you're looking for.

Rest the Ribs

Once the ribs are tender, open the foil and let them rest for 20–30 minutes.

This step is important. Allowing the ribs to steam and rest in the foil helps set up that perfect bite before you add the finishing glaze. While the ribs rest, place your cherry chipotle sauce on the grill to warm.

Sauce and Finish

After the ribs have rested, use a Heath Riles BBQ Silicone Basting Brush to coat both sides with the cherry chipotle sauce.

If any spots lost their color while cooking in the wrap, don't worry. Lightly dust the ribs again with Cherry Rub and Apple Rub to bring that color and flavor back.

Return the ribs to the Yoder for a few minutes to let the seasoning and sauce tack up. Brush another light layer of sauce over the top and give it another minute on the grill before removing the ribs.

The Results

These Apple Cherry Chipotle Ribs have layer after layer of flavor.

The Cherry Rub and Apple Rub create a sweet, fruity foundation, while the apple juice in the wrap carries that apple flavor even further into the meat. The Competition BBQ Sauce and Cherry Apple Habanero Glaze create a sticky, glossy finish, and the chipotle salsa adds a smoky background note.

Interestingly, much of the heat from the chipotle mellows during the cook. The finished ribs are more savory and fruity than aggressively spicy. If you want a bigger kick, simply increase the amount of chipotle salsa in the finishing sauce.

Tenderness is right where you want it, too. The ribs bend and begin to crack when picked up, while the bones separate cleanly with a gentle pull. They're tender without losing all of their structure.

Perfect Pairings

• Loaded Jalapeño Popper Potato Salad – Creamy potato salad loaded with jalapeño popper flavors makes a great contrast to the sweet and fruity glaze on these ribs.
• Pit-Style BBQ Baked Beans – You can't go wrong with ribs and baked beans. This hearty BBQ classic rounds out the plate with plenty of smoky, sweet, and savory flavor.
• Easy Classic Coleslaw – Cool, crunchy coleslaw helps balance the richness of the ribs and gives the plate a fresh contrast to the sticky cherry chipotle sauce.
• Honey Hot Jalapeño Cornbread – Sweet cornbread with a touch of jalapeño heat fits right in with the apple, cherry, and chipotle flavors in the ribs.

Storing Leftovers

Store leftover ribs in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to four days. Keep them in larger sections when possible rather than slicing every individual rib before storing. This helps retain moisture.

For reheating, wrap the ribs loosely in foil and warm them in a 275°F oven or smoker until heated through. Add a small amount of leftover cherry chipotle sauce before reheating if you want to freshen up the glaze.

Final Thoughts

These Apple Cherry Chipotle Ribs are a great example of how layering complementary flavors throughout a cook can completely change a classic rack of baby backs.

We start with Cherry Rub and Apple Rub, reinforce the apple flavor with an apple juice Butter Bath, then bring everything together with a finishing sauce made from Competition BBQ Sauce, Cherry Apple Habanero Glaze, and chipotle salsa.

The full cook takes about 3½ hours, including two hours unwrapped and roughly an hour and a half wrapped for these thick racks. The result is a tender rib with beautiful color and a sweet, savory, fruity flavor profile with a subtle chipotle finish.

And if you like your ribs on the hotter side, there's an easy fix: add more chipotle salsa to that finishing sauce and turn up the heat.

Equipment & Tools

Yoder YS640 Pellet Grill, Heavy-Duty Aluminum Foil, Mixing Shaker Bottle, Silicone Basting Brush, Heat Gloves, Tongs, Heath Riles BBQ Knife, Thermapen ONE