The MOST Satisfying Smoked Ribs with Santa Maria Seasoning

I might be a pizzaiolo, but I make a Mean Rack of Ribs too!

You might know this site for dough fermentation tips and the occasional love letter to Neapolitan pizza—but let’s be honest, we cook a lot more than just pies around here. Case in point: these smoked ribs with Santa Maria seasoning. They’re tender, flavorful, and loaded with layers of smoke, sweet, and spice. This isn’t just a side hustle from pizza night—this is a full-blown, 24-hour marinade-and-smoke commitment to rib perfection. And if you’ve never tried pairing Real Sugar Pepsi with soy sauce as a marinade base… well, it’s time.

For a pizza blog, we end up doing a suspicious amount of non-pizza cooking around here.

Let’s face it – no matter how good the pizza is, we eat more than just pie! Maybe it’s a holdover from my BBQ roots (the first thing I learned to cook after nachos), or maybe it’s just that Santa Maria style meat and fire are (another) one of life’s perfect pairings. Either way, when I’m not testing hydration levels in dough, you might find me building a 24-hour marinade in a stainless bowl that smells like Pepsi, soy sauce, and Santa Maria spice.

Yes—Real Sugar Pepsi. Stick with me.

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Why Pepsi and Soy Sauce?

Before you raise an eyebrow too high, I’ll tell you—this combo works.

I like to use “Real Sugar Pepsi” (the kind in the retro blue can), and I add a cup of Kikkoman soy sauce to the mix. After peeling the membrane from the ribs (don’t skip that part), I nestle them meat-side-up in the marinade, sprinkle on a generous layer of Santa Maria seasoning, and then seal the whole thing up with a dose of smoke.

✅ Why Pepsi Works in a Marinade

1. Acidity Helps Break Down Proteins
Pepsi contains phosphoric acid and citric acid, both of which help denature proteins on the meat’s surface. This doesn’t deeply penetrate like enzymes or long-term brines, but it can soften the outer layers of muscle, improving surface tenderness and flavor absorption.

2. Sugar Enhances Browning
The sugar content (especially real cane sugar) in Pepsi contributes to Maillard browning when the meat is cooked, helping develop that deep, sticky bark we love on ribs. It also balances out salt and spice in the marinade.

3. Carbonation Isn’t a Tenderizer
Contrary to popular belief, the fizz doesn’t do much. Once Pepsi is poured into a marinade and left to sit, the carbon dioxide dissipates quickly, so the bubbles aren’t actively tenderizing.

4. Soy Sauce Adds Umami and Salt-Based Breakdown
In your marinade, the Kikkoman soy sauce works in tandem with the Pepsi. The salt in soy helps with osmosis, drawing flavors into the meat (in the same way brining works), while its glutamates bring that umami depth.

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⚠️ Caveats: Not a Miracle Cure

Pepsi won’t “melt” meat or dissolve connective tissue the way slow cooking does. It’s not as enzymatically active as pineapple (bromelain) or papaya (papain), so it’s not a tenderizer in that same enzymatic sense. But with a long marinade (like our 16–24 hours), it can enhance texture and flavor significantly, especially when paired with heat and time in the smoker to do the heavy lifting on collagen.

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Yes, I Cold Smoke Them Before They Even Hit the Smoker

Here’s where things get a little weird—but weird in a way I fully stand behind. Before the ribs go into the fridge, I use a cocktail smoker to infuse the bowl with smoke. It might feel a little over-the-top, but trust me: it kicks off the flavor-building way before the ribs hit the fire.

Once the smoke’s in, I seal the container and let it sit in the fridge for 8–12 hours. After that, I flip the ribs, hit the new top side with more seasoning, and return them to the fridge for another 8–12 hours.

✅ Total marination time: no more than 24 hours
⏰ If you’re short on time, even 12–16 hours will do the trick.

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Let’s Talk Santa Maria Seasoning

If you can find it, I really like Suzie Q’s Santa Maria Style Seasoning (especially the Original version in blue) but if you can’t (or just like making things yourself), here’s a solid homemade version that hits the same savory-salty-garlicky notes:

Homemade Santa Maria Seasoning

• 2 tablespoons kosher salt
• 1 tablespoon granulated garlic (or garlic powder)
• 1 tablespoon onion powder
• 1 tablespoon black pepper
• 1 teaspoon cayenne (optional for a little kick)
• 1 teaspoon dried parsley
• 1 teaspoon paprika (optional for color)

Just mix it all up and keep it in a sealed jar. It works beautifully on ribs, tri-tip, grilled veggies—you name it.

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From Marinade to Smoker: How to Get Fall-Off-the-Bone Ribs

Once the ribs have had their time to marinate, I drain them off and coat them in a dry rub before they go into the smoker. Depending on my mood, I either stick with more of the Santa Maria rub—or I go with Trader Joe’s BBQ Rub and Seasoning with Coffee & Garlic, which you can buy on Amazon here.

The Right Wood for our Smoked Ribs with Santa Maria Seasoning

My personal favorite is oak, and in particular, Jack Daniels Oak Pellets, which are made from charred Jack Daniels barrels. I use them on everything we make in our Pit Boss grill.

Cooking Instructions for Smoked Ribs with Santa Maria Seasoning:

• Set your smoker to 275°F.
• Place ribs bone-side down over indirect heat.
• Smoke for 3 hours, flipping halfway. (If your smoker has hot spots, flip and rotate the ribs for even cooking.)
• If you like BBQ sauce, this is your moment—add a modest coating to the top (meat) side now.
• Cook for 1 more hour, then flip and rotate again. Apply BBQ sauce to the bone side, now facing up.
• Cook 1 final hour (5 hours total at this point).

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Optional But Awesome: A Final Sear

In the last 20 minutes, I like to take things up a notch. I fire up the propane side of my dual-fuel PitBoss grill and give the ribs a proper sear. That caramelizes the sauce and adds just a touch of char that sends these ribs over the top.

To do this, we use our lovely Pit Boss dual-fuel (pellet and propane).

If you don’t have a propane burner option, no problem. Pull the ribs off the smoker, crank the temp to 400°F, and then toss them back on for about 6 minutes per side. You’ll get that same sticky, sizzled bark that just begs to be eaten with your hands.

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Target Internal Temp: 205°F

Use a probe thermometer and aim for 205°F internal temperature. That’s the magic number where the collagen melts into gelatin, and the meat starts pulling away from the bone like it knows the party’s over.

I didn’t realize this at first—ribs are safe to eat at 145°F so when I used to pull ribs at a much lower temperature, they tasted amazing but never quite had that fall-off-the-bone texture. Some folks try to shortcut that by boiling their ribs ahead of time (my mom did that), but I feel that removes a lot of the meat flavor – so I’d rather let low-and-slow fire and smoke do the work.

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Conclusion: These Smoked Ribs with Santa Maria Seasoning Are Worth Breaking Rules for

These ribs are bold, balanced, and outrageously flavorful. The Pepsi and soy marinade tenderizes and seasons the meat from the inside out. The Santa Maria rub—whether store-bought or homemade—adds classic California BBQ flavor. And the finishing sear? That’s just the bonus round.

This might be a pizza blog, but great food is great food. If you’ve got a smoker, a bowl, and a few cans of Real Sugar Pepsi, you’ve got everything you need for the best-ever smoked ribs.

June 21, 2025