Easy No Fail BBQ Ribs
Updated. Originally 24th May 2020
Tender fall of the bone baked then grilled Barbecue Ribs are irresistible! Perfectly seasoned, baked low and slow, grilled and slathered with BBQ sauce. Whether they get finished off in the oven or on the grill, they are addictive and finger licking good. They can also be made ahead and then finished off on the grill making entertaining easy and stress free.
Oven-Baked Ribs Recipe Ingredients
- RIBS: We like to use baby back ribs in the recipe, but spare ribs, country-style, and St. Louis-style will work with this recipe. Cook time will be similar. We recommend you check on the ribs while they cook to see how they are progressing as some varieties like St. Loius style ribs can be thicker or meatier.
- OLIVE OIL: We like to brush the ribs with a little olive oil to help the spice rub stick.
- SPICE RUB: Use any spice rub you love. I have my own homemade spice rub mix recipe and it is made with cumin, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, chili powder, cayenne pepper, brown sugar, salt, and black pepper. We use approx 2 tablespoons per rack of ribs.
- BBQ SAUCE: Use your favorite bbq sauce whether it is store-bought or homemade. My homemade recipe is made with ketchup, cider vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, brown sugar molasses, mustard, paprika cayenne, and a few other aromatics. You will need approx 1-1½ cups of bbq sauce.
- OPTIONAL ADD INS: Some recipes call for slathering the ribs in a thin layer of mustard instead of olive oil for extra flavor. Feel free to do that if you wish followed by the spice rub.
How to make the most perfect ribs
Making perfectly tender fall off the bone ribs is a lot easier than most people think. After some very quick and easy prep work, a little rub, slow bake and then a quick run on the grill with sauce - you have your self the most perfect and delicious ribs. That easy! Let’s break it down. How to prepare your ribs?
The first step is to rinse your ribs with cold water, pat dry, then peel off the “silverskin.” The silver skin is the shiny, white/clearish piece of membrane that sits on top of the bones and makes things tough and chewy once cooked. It should peel off pretty easily, but if not, use your paring knife to find an edge and to help loosen it to make peeling it easier.
How to Season ribs?
Seasoning can be as easy or as complex as you would like. For classic BBQ ribs a simple rub is all you need. Be sure to coat with a good amount of either store bought or homemade dry rub to add extra sweetness and flavor to your ribs. My homemade all purpose dry rub is fantastic with the ribs and so simple to make. Feel free to use your choice of seasoning. I usually do approximately 2 tablespoons of dry rub per rack but you can add as little or as much as you like. How to cook ribs?
A very hands off approach to cooking ribs is one I prefer and it’s a method that suits ribs well because the key to baked ribs is low and slow. Low temperature for a couple of hours. I bake ours at 350°F for 2 hours depending on the size and thickness of ribs. The goal is to get them tender and just falling apart. Wrap them with foil and in the oven they go - they tenderize as they cook and then they fill the kitchen with the best smell that has you salivating the whole time they are cooking. Once done baking you have two options. Remove foil, turn oven to broil and baste them with BBQ sauce finishing them off in the oven. If you choose to grill then remove them from the oven and foil and then grill on high for 4-6 minutes basting and flipping them as needed. Either way gets you the tastiest most tender ribs.
How to get your ribs sticky sweet and caramelized?
This is achieved in two ways - first from the spice rub which usually has a sweet component (usually dark brown sugar) which helps develop a caramelized crust on the ribs. Next the sauce creates a fabulous sticky glazed layer over them as it caramelizes while it’s basted on the ribs over the hot grill. You can also do this under the broiler in the oven - see recipe notes below about those details.
What To Serve With Oven-Baked BBQ Ribs
Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 racks of baby back pork ribs (approx 2 lbs each - 4 lbs in total)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 4 tablespoons spice rub of choice (my homemade one is easy and delicious)
- 1-1½ cups of store-bought or homemade barbecue sauce, plus more for serving (my homemade BBQ sauce is easy and delicious)
Directions
- Preheat oven to 350°F
- Prep the Ribs: Pat the ribs dry with paper towel. Remove the membrane from the back of the ribs for better tenderness.
- Brush or drizzle ribs with olive oil. Sprinkle and rub ribs, both sides with approximately 2 tablespoons of your favorite dry rub per rack.
- Wrap each rack flesh side down for better moisture, separately in aluminum foil and tightly (we do a double layer folded over, sides tucked in and edges crimped to keep the steam in) and place them both on a baking sheet or pan to catch any possible juices escaping from foil packs.
- Roast for 2-2½ hours until meat is cooked through and just about fall-off the bone tender. I always check them at the 2 hour mark.
- Preheat an outdoor grill or grill pan to high heat. (see recipe notes below for oven directions)
- Remove the ribs from the oven, discard any liquids and let stand 10 minutes. Carefully remove the racks from the foil, and place on the grill. Grill the ribs for 3 to 4 minutes on each side. Brush sauce on the ribs while they’re grilling, just before you serve them (adding it too early will burn it).
- Transfer to a platter and serve with additional barbecue sauce.
Recipe Notes
- Broil Ribs In Oven: If you prefer to finish the ribs in the oven simply remove ribs from oven and from foil and discard foil keeping ribs on baking sheet. Brush ribs generously with BBQ sauce going heavier on the flesh side/ top of the ribs. Brush the bottom first then flip them over to brush the top flesh side with BBQ sauce. Place your oven rack near the top of the oven and set your oven to broil. Place Sheet pan with ribs on that top rack and broil 3-4 minutes or until the ribs and sauce are nice and caramelized. If you do this on both side start with the bottom, then flip and do the flesh side last. Make sure not to walk away while broiling - the sauce and ribs could burn easily if left unattended while broiling.
- MAKE AHEAD: Cook Ahead and Grill Just Before Serving: Ribs can be baked up to 2-3 days ahead just let them cool and then chill in the refrigerator wrapped tightly in foil (the flavor will be more developed, and the cold ribs will hold together better on the grill as they heat through). When ready to grill remove from foil and grill on medium high 7-10 minutes until heated through basting as you normally would with BBQ sauce. OR Season & Chill: If you want the flavours to have time to penetrate the ribs feel free to seasons them with the spice rub and place in a airtight container or large freezer bag and store in the fridge the day before you plan on cooking them. Cook them as stated in recipe once ready.
- STORAGE: Leftovers will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
- RE-HEATING: Reheat in the microwave for quick reheat but for best results wrap them tightly in foil with a splash of water, or broth. Bake at 250°F - 325°F until the center is hot. This low-and-slow steam method prevents the meat from drying out. They reheat great in the air fryer too.
