There’s an unspoken agreement between everyone at the table when oven-baked pork ribs are being served it’s okay to get messy! You don’t need a smoker or even a barbecue to make melt-in-your-mouth baked ribs at home! Coated in a simple dry rub, slow-baked to perfection, and finished with easy, tangy Homemade BBQ Sauce (or a store-bought sauce) our favorite rib recipe is here to win you some friends for life. If you’re having fun with these ribs and want to try yet another cooking method, don’t miss our Instant Pot Ribs, too!
What Our Readers Love About This Recipe
- Omg!! I have tried several ribs recipes and this one is the best!! My kids loved it. Thank you. - Lorenzo
- These were the best ribs I have ever had. Loved. Loved. Loved them, the sauce was so good and unique it complemented them rather than overpowered. Excellent! - Kim
- Best ribs I have ever made! Fall off the bone tender, and the rub was just awesome. I did use a commercial brand of BBQ sauce instead of making it. Had a hard time to stop eating them! - Jacqueline
The Best Dry Rub Ingredients
If the barbecue sauce is the crowning glory of these baked ribs, it's the dry rub that lays the ground work. Our favorite pork rib rub is made of simple spices we bet you already have on-hand:
- Kosher salt
- Garlic powder
- Black pepper
- Chili powder
- Paprika
- Cayenne
All About Baby Back Ribs
- What are baby back ribs? Baby back ribs are pork ribs that are often a little smaller and more expensive than spare ribs, and the meat is generally more tender. They’re our favorite, and worth the splurge!
- How much meat to buy per person? Ribs have a lot of bone so you’d be surprised how many ribs a really hungry person can eat. A rack of baby back ribs is usually about two pounds but there’s a lot of bone in that weight so a truly ravenous guest could maybe eat most of a rack. However, we wrote this recipe to serve 6 assuming that most people will serve these ribs alongside a lot of other filling, classic BBQ sides. If you’re worried there won’t be enough, it doesn’t hurt to scale up.
- What to look for at the butcher counter: Make sure that there is plenty of meat covering the bones of the baby back ribs, otherwise the bones may fall out while the ribs bake. Baby back ribs tend to be leaner than other ribs, but it’s not a bad idea to do a visual check before you buy to make sure the ones you buy don’t have too much fat on the surface.
- Check to see if you need to remove the layer of membrane. Ahh yes, no word is quite so appetizing as “membrane.” Sorry. But this is good info for rib lovers to know! Sometimes, a rack of ribs will come with a thin membrane covering it. You’ll be able to tell it’s there by the rubbery texture of the membrane and its white coloring. We want to get rid of that, since it will make our ribs tough and chewy. Not to worry! Simply remove the membrane by taking a paring or butter knife and sticking it under the membrane. Once you peel enough away to get ahold of the membrane, peel it right off! You may need to use a paper towel to get a better grip.
- Fresh or frozen? Fresh baby back ribs from the butcher counter is always better than frozen, but frozen ribs will do in a pinch. Just be sure to check that the edges of the ribs aren’t dried out, since this could indicate freezer burn.
- Still confused? Don’t be afraid to ask for help! Most big grocery stores have butcher counters staffed by people who can help you get a great rack (or two or three) of ribs. Hot tip: If you want to really get in good with your local meat folks, bring them some of the leftovers! It’s a time-tested way to get the best cut of meat next time.
How To Make Ribs In The Oven
Our slow-baked pork ribs take about 3 hours to bake at 300 degrees, and that low-and-slow heat is the KEY to making them totally irresistible and just as good as their smoked counterparts!
- Cover the ribs in the dry rub, then put them on a baking sheet.
- Wrap the baking sheet with foil. Make it good and snug, trapping as much fat and juices as possible so that the meat gets nice and tender.
- Bake! For at least 2 ½ hours, but up to 3 hours.
- How to tell when the ribs are done: So this is where the artistry comes into play. You don’t need to worry about hitting the done temp, like you often do when cooking meat because ribs cook so long that they’ll be over that temperature easily. You’ll need to use your senses to check for doneness instead. Look for meat that is ready to easily separate from the bones, and test it by gently pressing a toothpick into the meat. It should be obviously tender when you poke it.
- Coat the ribs in BBQ sauce (a pastry brush makes this job easy).
- Broil the ribs until the BBQ sauce caramelizes, but don’t burn them!
- Take those beautiful pork ribs out of the oven, and let them rest for about 10 minutes before you dig in!
What to Serve With Pork Ribs
We know you’ll agree that these oven baked pork ribs and BBQ sauce are perfect already, but here are some great sides that will complement them and make a more balanced meal.
- Macaroni Salad
- Dressed Up Baked Beans
- Homemade Cornbread
- Potato Salad
- Still stumped? We’ve rounded up our 56 Best BBQ Side Dish Recipes for you, and they’d all go really well with baked ribs!
More Great BBQ Mains
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