Oven-Baked BBQ Ribs Recipe

I’ve always loved ribs slathered in BBQ sauce. There is nothing like tender juicy meat and sticky sauce. Yes, it gets all over your hands and face but it’s worth every bite. My oven-baked ribs are rubbed in a sweet and smokey dry rub and finished with your favorite BBQ sauce. Making delicious ribs at home without fancy equipment has never been easier.

The secret to cooking ribs in the oven is slowly cooking them at moderate heat wrapped in aluminum foil for about 2 hours. This provides indirect heat and keeps the moisture in, preventing the meat from drying out. The long cooking process renders meat that literally falls right off the bone. As a final step, I finish the ribs on the grill or broil for a nice charred exterior.

This recipe works equally well with both baby back ribs and spare ribs, most commonly referred to as St. Louis-style spare ribs. You can follow the recipe with the exact same prep and cook times with awesome results. Spare ribs are usually longer/wider than your typical baby back rib.

Ingredients

• 1 rack of baby back pork ribs: You can also use spare ribs. Look for a meaty rack that is about 3-4 pounds.
• BBQ sauce of your choice: I like Sweet Baby Ray’s original.
• 1/2 cup brown sugar: dark or light works, whichever you have on hand.

See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities below.

Removing the Silverskin

The most important part of rib prep is removing the thin white membrane called the silver skin. The silver skin is on the underside of the ribs where the bones are most defined. Some butchers will remove it before packaging however it’s not very common.

Silver skin keeps the seasonings from penetrating the meat and it cooks into an unpleasant leathery skin that won’t break down or soften while cooking. To remove the silver skin, use the back of a knife and slide it under a section of the skin on the back of the ribs. Use a paper towel to grip the skin and peel it away. It usually pulls away very easily in a single large piece. Here is a really helpful video.

How to Cook Ribs in the Oven

Step 1.

Preheat oven to 300°F.

Step 2.

For the dry rub, combine all spices in a small bowl and mix. Set aside.

Step 3.

Remove ribs from the packaging and pat dry with a paper towel. Remove the silver skin from the back of the rack if it’s still on.

Step 4.

Place the rib rack in the center of a large sheet of aluminum foil. Be sure foil sheets extend 8 inches longer than the rack length. If using a dry rub, rub the entire rack (top and bottom) until completely coated (you will likely not use all of the rub). Fold over the short sides first followed by the longer sides. Seal tightly and wrap with one more sheet of foil, covering the top seam. Place on a foil-lined baking sheet and bake for 2 hours.

Step 5.

To finish ribs on the grill (which is my preferred method), preheat the grill with the cover down for about 10 minutes. Bring to medium-high heat and clean the grates well. Remove ribs from the foil and cover them with a thin coating of BBQ sauce. Sear for 1-2 minutes per side, or until the exterior is grilled to your liking.

Step 6.

To finish the ribs with the oven’s broiler, uncover the ribs from the foil and either discard or flatten. Coat ribs fully (both sides) with additional BBQ sauce. Turn the broiler on high and ensure the ribs are 5-6 inches from the heat source. Broil for 1-3 minutes per side or until ribs reach desired seared exterior. Note, the broiler will cook very fast so be sure to monitor very closely.

Step 7.

Brush ribs with additional BBQ sauce before serving if desired. Serve cut into individual ribs or 3-4 rib sections.

Dry Rub for Ribs

The dry rub is what sets this recipe apart and adds tremendous flavor. sweet and smokey spice rub to your ribs for additional flavor and texture. This will help give your ribs more of a bark-like exterior. The dry rub should be applied to the naked ribs before baking in the oven. Furthermore, you can baste BBQ sauce over the dry rub if desired before sealing the ribs up with foil and baking. This is usually my preferred method.

What to Serve with Ribs

• Cream cheese mashed potatoes
• Roasted red potatoes
• Lemon butter pearl couscous
• Pesto pasta salad
• Buffalo chicken mac and cheese
• Roasted Brussels sprouts with bacon
• Maple bourbon cornbread

You’ll Also Love

• BBQ chicken nachos
• Slow cooker pork carnitas tacos
• BBQ Pulled pork sliders
• bacon-wrapped pork tenderloin

Love this recipe? Please leave a 5-star rating below and leave a comment to share what you served your BBQ ribs with!

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