How Chili's Full Rack Of Ribs Achieves That Fall-Off-The-Bone Perfection

Chili's baby back ribs are more than just a catchy jingle; they're consistently one of the best items on the menu. The ribs were near the top of Chowhound's ranking of popular Chili's menu items in large part because of how incredibly tender they were. In fact, they're so good that they're among the best ribs you'll find in any chain restaurant, according to reviews. As with anything this delicious, there's always been a little bit of mystique surrounding how these meaty marvels are made.

In a 2005 episode of the Food Network's "Unwrapped," Chili's let viewers in on the secret behind its famous ribs. It turns out that the ribs are smoked before grilling, giving them ample time to tenderize. It should be noted, however, that it's been 20 years since that episode aired, so some of the details have probably changed by now. Given how widespread the franchise is, it's also possible that there are subtle differences between locations. According to an alleged insider on Reddit, for example, many Chili's branches no longer use the exact same custom in-house smokers seen in the episode.

Regardless of these changes, the general process has likely stayed the same throughout the years: Season them, smoke them until they're supremely tender, keep them wrapped, and then toss them on the grill, basting generously with BBQ sauce. Of these steps, it's the smoking that really sets Chili's ribs apart from other chains', and it's probably the reason why you keep coming back for more.

Smoking is such an essential step in Chili's ribs achieving that perfect fall-off-the-bone texture because of the cut's high collagen content. When collagen is cooked for a long enough time, it starts to break down and dissolve into gelatin. This helps the meat retain more moisture, which in turn makes the ribs much more tender. This process takes time, though. The ribs need to cook at a temperature high enough to break the collagen down, but low enough to prevent the meat's muscle fibers from firming up. Smoking creates those ideal low and slow conditions.

This is why many experts say the best cooking method for fall-off-the-bone ribs takes around six hours. Instead of going low and slow, however, it appears that Chili's uses a hotter and faster method that yields similar results. According to the "Unwrapped" episode, the ribs are smoked at 325 degrees Fahrenheit. This is sometimes considered to be the upper limit of low heat, allowing you to cook the meat faster while still giving the collagen time to properly gelatinize. In the case of Chili's, the restaurant only needs 90 minutes to make its ribs perfectly tender.

The smoke also gives Chili's ribs a ton of flavor, although long-time fans of the restaurant may have noticed that its taste has changed over time. When the "Unwrapped" episode was shot, Chili's was still using mesquite wood chips for the smoke. Since then, the casual dining chain has changed things up a bit. Besides using a new seasoning, its switched from a sweeter pecan wood in the mid-2010s to oak, a more robust wood. In an attempt to further improve the meat's quality, Chili's also now smokes its ribs for three hours.