This recipe for oven-baked baby back ribs makes it easy to put barbecue on the menu any time of the year. A smoky spice rub and easy oven method create these tender and delicious ribs.
Just like my Country Style BBQ Ribs and Oven Baked BBQ Chicken, you don’t have to fire up the grill to taste summer!
Barbecue can’t just be a summer thing in our house. It doesn’t matter what season it is, we can’t deny ourselves deliciously tender ribs covered in barbecue sauce.
As soon as the sun starts to shine, I am busy with my collection of grilling recipes. But, when it’s cold and rainy outside, this method for oven-baked baby back ribs is a game changer.
Highlights in the recipe
- A recipe for every season – This recipe works any time of the year. A little rain or snow won’t stop us from our ribs!
- Feed a crowd – Get some racks of ribs to cook in the oven while your grill is loaded with classic beef burgers or pineapple chicken cubes.
- Put your hands down – After just a few minutes of preparation, these easy baby back ribs are completely cut down to a final basting of barbecue sauce.
- Amazing result – This method creates ribs with a crispy, caramelized exterior and extremely soft meat.
Ingredient notes
- edges – A few racks of baby pork ribs.
- barbecue sauce – Your favorite brand of barbecue sauce. We love the Kinder’s Mild.
- Pork Spice Rub – The smoky, flavor-packed dry soup consists of smoked paprika, granulated garlic (or garlic powder), onion powder, brown sugar, cumin, salt, black pepper and a little cayenne pepper.
Professional tip
This recipe makes enough spice rub for up to 3 pounds of ribs. If your ribs weigh more, I recommend doubling the spice paste to be sure there is enough.
How do you check if there is a membrane on the ribs?
A crust is silvery or whitish skin on the bony side of your ribs. If you see it on your ribs, you will have to remove the membrane Because it is hard and chewy after cooking. You can do this yourself as described below, or ask the butcher at the shop to do it for you.
Some brands of baby back ribs, like the ones I buy at Costco, come with the membrane removed. Great time saver!
How to make back ribs baked in the oven
- Mix the ingredients for the dry rub in a small bowl.
- Take the ribs out of their packaging and rinse in cool water. Dry well with absorbent paper. If there is a whole crust on the ribs, insert a knife under it to lift it, hold it with a paper towel and peel it.
Season and bake
- Place the ribs on separate sheets of heavy duty aluminum foil that are large enough to enclose them. Spread the spice paste on both sides, using your hands to rub it all over.
- Close the ribs with foil.
- Place the foil packages on a baking sheet lined with baking paper. Transfer the ribs to an oven preheated to 300 degrees F. Bake for 2 hours, or until very tender when pierced with a fork.
Baste and Broil
- Remove the ribs from the oven and remove the foil packet containing the ribs from the baking dish. Open the foil and, using tongs, transfer the ribs to the empty foil-lined baking sheet, with the meaty side down.
- Brush the bony side with barbecue sauce, then turn over and baste the meaty side generously with the remaining sauce.
- Return the baking paper to the oven and roast for 4 to 6 minutes, or until the sauce begins to caramelize. Remove from the oven and let the ribs rest for about 5 minutes. Then, transfer to a cutting board and use a serrated knife to slice between the bones and individual ribs.
Valerie’s FAQs and tips
It is best to bake ribs at a low temperature for a long time to give the tough connective tissues time to break down. I have found 300 degrees Fahrenheit to be the optimum temperature.
Baby back ribs will become perfectly tender in about two hours in a 300 degree F oven. Low and slow is the name of the game. However, they can be too soft to fall off the bone if overcooked. You want the meat to be tender but still clinging to the bone for the best result. Start checking them towards the end of the baking time and take them out of the oven when they are very soft when pierced with a fork.
undercover! Closing the ribs with the aluminum foil creates a moist environment where the juices will not escape and cook. It is ideal for infusing flavor and tenderizing the meat. Don’t worry about how they look after the initial baking time. Basting the ribs in barbecue sauce and grilling quickly before serving will make the surface crispy and caramelized.
Yes. you can use SParrib, country style or St. Louis style ribs. As long as the total weight is similar, the cooking time should be about the same.
There are usually about 12 ribs in a rack of baby back ribs. You should count on half a rack, or 6 ribs per person, when ribs are the only dish. If you are serving ribs as part of a large meal with other main course options, you can reduce this to 2 or 3 ribs per person.
What to serve with ribs
The list is endless but here are some of my all time favorite BBQ side dishes.
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Back ribs baked in the oven
This recipe for oven-baked baby back ribs makes it easy to put barbecue on the menu any time of the year. A smoky spice rub and easy oven method create these tender and delicious ribs.
Component
Pork Spice Rub
- 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
- 1 ½ teaspoons Granulated garlic or garlic powder
- 1 ½ teaspoons onion powder
- 1 teaspoon Brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ to ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper, or according to taste
for the ribs
- 2 hangers Baby pork back ribs, Total weight of 2.5 to 3 pounds
- ½ Goblet barbecue sauce, Or as needed, I like the Kinder’s Mild
Instructions
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Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. with an oven rack in the center of the oven. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with foil. Mix the ingredients for the dry rub in a small bowl.
-
Take the ribs out of their packaging and rinse in cool water. Dry well with absorbent paper. If there is a whole crust on the ribs, insert a knife under it to lift it, hold it with a paper towel and peel it.
-
Place the ribs, meaty side down, on a heavy sheet of foil large enough to seal. Sprinkle about a third of the seasoning mixture on the bony side of the ribs and use your hands to rub it all over. Turn the ribs over and sprinkle the rest of the seasoning on the meaty side, spread it on the ribs with your hands. Close the ribs with foil and place the foil package on the baking sheet lined with foil. If using two racks, divide the seasoning between the two racks and wrap them in separate pieces of foil. Transfer the ribs to the oven.
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Bake for two hours, or until very tender when pierced with a fork.
-
Remove the ribs from the oven and set the oven to BROIL with the oven rack still in the center of the oven. Lift the foil packet containing the ribs from the baking pan. Open the foil and use tongs to transfer the ribs to the foil-lined baking sheet, with the meaty side down. Baste the bony side with barbecue sauce, then turn over and generously baste the meaty side. Return the baking paper to the oven and roast for 4 to 6 minutes, or until the sauce begins to caramelize.
-
Remove from the oven and let the ribs rest for about 5 minutes. Then, transfer to a cutting board and use a serrated knife to slice into individual ribs.
Remarks
Dishes
Two racks of ribs should yield about 24 ribs (12 ribs per rack). Two racks should comfortably feed 4 or more people if they are part of a large meal with other main course options.
diet
dose: 6 edges · Calories: 559 KKL · Carbohydrates: 18 G · protein: 42 G · Fat: 36 G · Saturated fat: 12 G · Polyunsaturated fat: 6 G · Unsaturated fat: 15 G · trans fat: 0.3 G · Cholesterol: 148 mg · sodium: 1140 mg · potassium: 689 mg · fiber: 1 G · Sugar: 13 G · vitamin: 1049 IU · Vitamin C: 1 mg · calcium: 93 mg · iron: 3 mg
Nutritional information is automatically calculated using generic ingredients, and is an estimate not a guarantee. For more accurate results, please refer to your ingredient labels at home.
