Looking for a juicy and flavorful way to cook ribs year-round? Get ready to impress your family and friends with easy oven baked ribs right from your kitchen!
Recipe Science
- Cooking ribs at a low temperature for an extended period breaks down the collagen in the meat, resulting in tender, fall-off-the-bone ribs.
- Wrapping the ribs in foil during the initial cooking phase traps moisture and heat, effectively steaming the ribs and keeping them juicy.
- Applying a final high-heat or broiling step caramelizes the barbecue sauce or rub on the surface, creating a flavorful, crispy crust through the Maillard reaction.
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Featured Comment 7
“Perfect ribs everyone fully enjoyed them. The best I’ve made! I’ll definitely make them again. Perfectly juicy and tender”—Brenda
Why It Works
You don’t have to be a pit master to make delicious, fall-off-the-bone ribs. These oven-baked ribs are easy to prepare and even more straightforward to cook. I’ll share my step-by-step process to ensure tender and flavorful results!
The oven is an excellent method for those just learning to cook ribs or a little intimidated by the grill. I’ve been there! For maximum flavor, I coat the meat with my homemade rib rub and a thick layer of barbecue sauce. This recipe is so tasty that you will want to make it year-round!
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Ribs: Select a 2 to 3-pound rack of pork baby back, spare ribs, or St. Louis-style ribs. This recipe is for one rack but can easily be doubled if feeding a crowd. Beef ribs can also be used and may require more seasoning if larger than 4 pounds.
- Rib Rub: I use my go-to rib rub recipe for a sweet and savory Kansas-style seasoning blend. It blends brown sugar, smoked paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, dry mustard powder, cayenne, nutmeg, salt, and pepper. If you prefer a more savory seasoning, try these Memphis ribs.
- Barbecue Sauce: My homemade barbecue sauce is a must-try that you can prepare as the ribs bake. Alternatively, use your favorite store-bought sauce for convenience.
See the recipe card below for all ingredients and measurements (US and metric).
Ingredient Substitutions
There are different ways to switch up the flavor of oven-baked ribs. Try these tasty options:
- Sweetness: Try other types of sugar, like granulated sugar or coconut sugar. Use honey or maple syrup. This will give a paste-like consistency, so brush it on the ribs. The sugar can be reduced by half for a more savory taste or omitted.
- Spices: For an earthy taste, add cumin or coriander. Try cinnamon or cardamom instead of nutmeg, or skip the warm spices.
- Herbs: Add dried herbs like celery seeds, oregano, thyme, or parsley.
- Spicy: Add chipotle, hot paprika, chili powder, or crushed chili flakes.
- Sauces: Add a honey mustard glaze, combining equal parts of honey and mustard or teriyaki sauce.
How to Cook Ribs in the Oven
Step 1: Preheat the Oven
Set the oven rack to the center position and the temperature to 275ºF (135ºC).
Step 2: Make the Seasoning
Combine light brown sugar, paprika, salt, pepper, mustard powder, garlic powder, onion powder, cayenne pepper, and nutmeg in a medium bowl. If you prefer a more robust molasses flavor, use dark brown sugar.
This recipe makes a little over ½ cup of seasoning mix, which is plenty for a 3-pound rack of ribs. If making ahead of time, store the rib rub in an airtight container in a cool, dark place. It stores well, up to 6 months, if you want to make a big batch for future cooking.
Step 3: Prepare the Ribs
Remove the membrane, or silverskin, from the bottom side of the rib rack. Some cooks leave it on, but I prefer to take it off. The chewy protein elastin doesn’t break down with cooking, so taking it off makes biting effortless.
Run a paring knife between the stretchy membrane and the meat to loosen it. Once you’ve got it, pull the long and thin membrane off. Dry the ribs with a paper towel to remove the excess moisture. This helps the seasoning stick on.
Step 4: Season the Ribs
Place the prepared rack of ribs on a large rimmed baking sheet. I use a half-sheet size. Start with seasoning the underside of the rib. Apply enough so that it coats the surface, rubbing it in. Flip and generously season the other side.
Stop the process when it starts to fall off and no longer sticks to the meat. You can use leftovers to season chicken or wings or grilled pork chops.
Step 5: Cover and Bake
Tightly wrap the baking sheet with aluminum foil, and bake in a preheated oven at 275ºF (135ºC). Cook the ribs using a low and slow process, like barbecue, but the cover and pan trap the juices as the meat cooks.
Baking takes 2 to 3 ½ hours, depending on the size and type of ribs. Once finished, carefully uncover the pan. There will be a lot of juices at the bottom. Discard it, use it to baste the ribs, or learn how to make gravy with it.
The moist and steamy environment helps tough connective tissues like collagen dissolve and transform into soft gelatin. The result is very tender, fall off-the-bone ribs.
Step 6: Add the Sauce and Broil
Place the cooked ribs on a clean sheet pan, brushing both sides with bbq sauce.
Broil the ribs until the sauce concentrates and caramelizes on the surface, about 5 minutes.
Pro Tip: Instead of broiling, the ribs can placed on the grill over medium-high heat to sear it while infusing more of a charred, smokey taste. This is a great shortcut if you want to finish the ribs on the barbecue right before serving.
Step 7: Rest, then Serve
Rest the meat for 10 minutes on a cutting board before slicing and serving.
Frequently Asked Questions
Covering the ribs when baking provides several advantages. The foil traps the steam, creating a moist-heat cooking environment to soften the tough connective tissue in just a few hours. The cover also prevents the meat from drying out. The ribs can be cooked without covering for a more concentrated flavor and crust but may require a longer cooking time.
When baked at 275ºF (135ºC) and wrapped in foil, the ribs will take 2 to 3 ½ hours to cook, depending on the type and size of the rib rack.
Ribs are tough and packed with tough connective tissue and fat. Even though pork is safe to eat at 145ºF (63ºC), it will be chewy. Collagen breaks down into gelatin between 160 to 180ºF (71 to 92ºC). However, for full conversion, it must be held for at least an hour at this temperature or above. After cooking for several hours, it should reach around 200 (93ºC) to ensure a fall-off-the-bone texture.
Pork ribs come in two cuts, either back ribs (baby backs) or spare ribs. Baby back ribs from the upper loin portion are smaller, yielding shorter bones with leaner meat. They also cook faster than spare ribs. Spare ribs are cut from the lower portion, near the belly, which gives fattier and juicier pieces. St. Louis-style spare ribs have the cartilage and breastbone trimmed for a uniform shape. It has less meat than baby back but more fat for extra flavor.
Serve This With
If you tried these Oven Baked Ribs, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below!
Oven Baked Pork Ribs
Ingredients
- ¼ cup brown sugar, packed
- 1 tablespoon smoked paprika, or sweet
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt
- 2 teaspoons black pepper
- 1 teaspoon mustard powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon cayenne powder, or chili powder
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 3 pounds pork spareribs, or baby back ribs
- ½ cup barbecue sauce
Instructions
- Heat the Oven – Set the oven rack to the center position. Heat it to 275ºF (135ºC).
- Make the Seasoning – In a medium bowl, mix together the brown sugar, paprika, salt, pepper, mustard powder, garlic powder, onion powder, cayenne, and nutmeg.
- Prepare the Ribs – Remove the silverskin from the ribs if still attached. Dry the surface with a paper towel.
- Season the Surface – Evenly apply the dry rub to the underside and then to the top of the ribs. Add just enough so that it sticks to the surface, and stop once it begins to fall off. A single rack needs about ½ cup of rib rub.
- Cover and Bake – Transfer the ribs meat-side up to a rimmed baking sheet. If needed, cut the rack in half to fit the pan. Tightly cover the pan with foil. Bake until the meat falls off the bone and the thickest part of the ribs reaches at least 200 (93ºC) on a meat thermometer, about 2 to 3 ½ hours.When baking is complete, carefully remove the foil, opening it so that the steam exits away from you. There will be a lot of juice at the bottom of the pan.
- Add Sauce and Broil – Carefully transfer the ribs to a new sheet pan. Brush the barbecue sauce on the underside, then flip and brush the sauce on the top. Broil in the center of the oven until the sauce is caramelized, about 5 minutes.
- To Serve – Rest the meat on a cutting board for at least 10 minutes, then slice and serve.
Recipe Video
Notes
- Serving Size: About 3 ribs
- Pork Rib Selection: Pork Spare ribs are meatier, juicier, and have more fat. St. Loius-style Spare ribs are more uniform and fattier with less meat than baby back ribs. Baby Back Ribs have smaller bones, are leaner, have less meat than spare ribs, and cook faster.
- Rib Rub: Makes about ½ cup. Use it for a 2- to 3-pound rack of ribs. Store in an airtight container for up to 6 months.
- Storing: Cover and refrigerate for up to 5 days.
- Reheating: Cover and microwave on high setting in 15 to 30-second increments until hot, or cover and reheat in the oven at 350ºF (177ºC) until hot.
Nutrition Facts
Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000-calorie diet. All nutritional information is based on estimated third-party calculations. Each recipe and nutritional value will vary depending on the brands you use, measuring methods, and portion sizes per household.
Pam says
Came out so delicious and tender! 😋
Jessica Gavin says
Thank you Pam! I’m so happy to hear that you had success with the oven baked ribs recipe.
Linda C says
This recipe is a keeper. The ribs were so tender and flavorful! My family loved them! I always tell them I follow Jessica Gavin for the best recipes. Thank you!!
Dave M says
Easy to follow instructions. Can’t wait to these are done. Just placed two nice slabs in the oven. About twice the weight, thus twice the rub ingredients. I had just enough rub. Best recipe site ever!! thank you!!
Jessica Gavin says
Thank you, Dave! I hope you enjoyed the rib recipe!
Brenda says
Perfect ribs everyone fully enjoyed them. The best I’ve made! I’ll definitely make them again. Perfectly juicy and tender after two hours and 45 minutes baking time. I may try them the three hours next time for a more fall off the bone style. I cut back a little on the cayenne and black pepper only because I’m a complete wimp when it comes to spicy hot foods.
Jessica Gavin says
Thank you for your feedback!