January 31, 2024
Review RecipeRibs
These tender ribs are slow-cooked in the oven after being seasoned with a flavorful spice rub followed by a sweet and smoky barbecue sauce to finish them off.
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These amazing baby back ribs are mouthwatering and cooked to fall-off-the-bone perfection. Smothered in a sweet and tangy sauce, the oven-baked ribs are simple to prepare and absolutely delicious.
Ribs Ingredients
You’ll need:
For the Ribs and Dry Spice Rub
- 2½ to 3 pounds of baby back ribs
- ⅓ cup light brown sugar, packed
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons onion powder
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
- 2½ teaspoons fresh cracked black pepper
- 2 teaspoons ground mustard
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
For the Sauce
- ½ cup barbecue sauce (your favorite brand)
- 3 tablespoons light brown sugar
SUBSTITUTIONS AND ADDITIONS
BROWN SUGAR: You can substitute honey for the brown sugar in the final sauce for broiling.
How to Make This Ribs Recipe
STEP ONE: Preheat the oven to 300°F.
STEP TWO: Add the sugars, onion powder, kosher salt, paprika, black pepper, ground mustard, cumin, cayenne pepper, and nutmeg to a small bowl and whisk to combine.
STEP THREE: You will need to carefully remove the opaque thin membrane that covers the underside of the pork ribs with a small knife. Lift the corner edge of the membrane and carefully slide the knife’s edge underneath. Continue lifting the membrane up while cutting. Once you have this process started, you should be able to use your fingers to pull the membrane away.
OUR RECIPE DEVELOPER SAYS
It is very important to remove the membrane from the ribs before baking. The membrane acts as a barrier to the rub and will also lessen the flavor of the ribs.
STEP FOUR: Tear a long piece of heavy-duty aluminum foil, long enough to cover the rack of ribs. Lay it over a baking sheet.
PRO TIP:
You can use a double layer of foil instead of 1 layer of foil and a baking sheet to cook the ribs in the oven.
STEP FIVE: Place the rack of ribs, meaty side down and bone side up, in the middle of the foil.
STEP SIX: Generously spread ⅓ of the dry rub over the bones and rub into the bones. Flip the ribs over and spread the remaining dry rub over the top of the ribs and rub.
STEP SEVEN: Crimp the seams of the foil together. Roll up the ends of the foil to seal.
STEP EIGHT: Bake for 2 hours 30 minutes.
PRO TIP:
Oven temperatures vary and may need to be recalibrated periodically to ensure they are accurate. Make sure to keep a close eye on your ribs as the suggested baking time approaches.
STEP NINE: Remove the ribs from the oven. Increase the oven temperature to broil.
STEP TEN: Add ½ cup of barbecue sauce and the 3 tablespoons of brown sugar to a small mixing bowl. Whisk to combine.
STEP ELEVEN: Carefully open the foil. Spoon and spread the sauce over the top of the ribs.
STEP TWELVE: Return the ribs to the oven to broil the sauced ribs for 2 to 3 minutes, just to caramelize the sauce. Remove the ribs from the oven and allow them to rest for 10 minutes before separating the individual ribs.
How To Serve
Serve these tender ribs anytime you are craving a nice hearty and meaty main course. This saucy dish would go well with our creamy mashed potatoes, roasted vegetables, and dinner rolls on the side.
Our pork tenderloin and smothered pork chops are two more delicious pork recipes that you will enjoy as well.
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Storage
IN THE FRIDGE: Store any leftovers of these BBQ oven-baked ribs covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
IN THE FREEZER: You can freeze the baked ribs for up to three months. Double wrap the ribs in aluminum foil before freezing. Allow the ribs to thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
Slow cooking this recipe at a low temperature will produce fall of the bone tender meat that is irresistible. This great ribs recipe will be a winner and sure crowd-pleaser as the star of your next hearty meal.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
What is the best barbecue sauce to use for these ribs?
You can use your favorite BBQ sauce brand in this recipe.
Can I freeze oven barbecue ribs?
Baked ribs can be frozen for up to three months if they are well-wrapped in aluminum foil.
Are baby back ribs the same as spare ribs?
Baby back ribs are shorter than spare ribs and are from the ribs attached to the backbone, while spare ribs are from the lower portion of the pig’s ribs.
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Ribs
These tender ribs are slow-cooked in the oven after being seasoned with a flavorful spice rub followed by a sweet and smoky barbecue sauce to finish them off.
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 2 hours 40 minutes
Total Time 3 hours 5 minutes
Servings 14
Ingredients
Ribs and Dry Rub
- 2½ to 3 pounds of baby back ribs
- ⅓ cup light brown sugar, packed
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons onion powder
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
- 2½ teaspoons fresh cracked black pepper
- 2 teaspoons ground mustard
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
Sauce
- ½ cup barbecue sauce, your favorite brand
- 3 tablespoons light brown sugar
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 300°F.
- Add the sugars, onion powder, kosher salt, paprika, black pepper, ground mustard, cumin, cayenne pepper, and nutmeg to a small mixing bowl and whisk to combine.
- You will need to carefully remove the opaque membrane that covers the underside of the ribs with a small knife. Lift the corner edge of the membrane and carefully slide the knife’s edge underneath. Continue lifting the membrane up while cutting. Once you have this process started, you should be able to use your fingers to pull the membrane away.
- Tear a long piece of heavy-duty aluminum foil, long enough to cover the rack of ribs. Lay it over a baking sheet.
- Place the rack of ribs, meaty side down and bone side up, in the middle of the foil.
- Generously spread ⅓ of the dry rub over the bones and rub into the bones. Flip the ribs over and spread the remaining dry rub over the top of the ribs and rub.
- Crimp the seams of the foil together. Roll up the ends of the foil to seal.
- Bake for 2 hours 30 minutes.
- Remove the ribs from the oven. Increase the oven temperature to broil.
- Add ½ cup barbecue sauce and the 3 tablespoons of brown sugar to a small mixing bowl. Whisk to combine.
- Carefully open the foil. Spoon and spread the sauce over the top of the ribs.
- Return the ribs to the oven to broil the sauced ribs for 2 to 3 minutes, just to caramelize the sauce. Remove the ribs from the oven and allow them to rest for 10 minutes before separating the individual ribs.
Video
Notes
- It is very important to remove the membrane from the ribs before baking. The membrane acts as a barrier to the rub and will also lessen the flavor of the ribs.
- You can use a double layer of foil instead of 1 layer of foil and a baking sheet to cook the ribs in the oven.
- Oven temperatures vary and may need to be recalibrated periodically to ensure they are accurate. Make sure to keep a close eye on your ribs as the suggested baking time approaches.
Nutrition
Calories: 325kcal | Carbohydrates: 16g | Protein: 13g | Fat: 23g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 11g | Trans Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 61mg | Sodium: 650mg | Potassium: 243mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 13g | Vitamin A: 318IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 27mg | Iron: 2mg
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Comments
Raye Lynn says
Awesome flavor.
Julie says
These ribs were delicious! They literally fell off the bone and melted in your mouth. I didn’t have any nutmeg on hand, so I substituted with pumpkin pie spice. I also didn’t use all the rub, even though I felt like I used a ton on the ribs. I doubled the recipe and did one rack of ribs in a sweet carolina vinegar type sauce and the other with Sweet Baby Rays. I cut back a little on the brown sugar in the sauces, and it worked just great. This recipe is a keeper for sure! My husband and teenage boys were in heaven. Thank you for such a delicious recipe!
Cheryll says
Easy rub. All ingredients most of us have at hand. Tender, juicy, nice mix of sweet with a Smokey tang to it
Sydney says
O.M.G. These were so good! I cooked them exactly like the recipe states. I used sweet baby rays bbq sauce cause itโs my favourite. Cooked it for 2 and a half hours at 300. The meat was so tender I could pull it off with just my fork, both my daughters kept going mmmmmm yummy! And my boyfriend said it was really good! Thank you so much for the recipe! 10/10 would recommend!
Jennifer says
I made these for the second time last night. They are wonderful and so easy to make. The hardest part is removing the membrane at the beginning. They get two thumbs up from my hubby. Like others, I use Sweet Baby Rays BBQ Sauce.
Ruth says
So GOOD! This has become my go to recipe for ribs! So easy and so good!
Wendy says
These are the best tasting most tender ribs I have ever had. It is the only way I make my ribs now that I found this recipe.
Pam says
This has to be the best ribs I have ever made and made a lot of ribs. Tender juicy fall off the bone. Even the the Mexican in the house loved them and that says a lot…