How to cook ribs in the oven that are perfectly fall-off-the-bone tender, juicy and smothered in your favorite BBQ sauce for a decadent dinner everyone will love.
How do you cook ribs in the oven? It’s simple! First, you have to remove the ribs’ membrane, apply your favorite BBQ seasonings, bake at 275°F for 2 hours, and add a little bit of BBQ sauce after.
Everyone knows and loves BBQ ribs made on a grill or even in a smoker, but have you tried baking ribs in the oven? Making slow-cooked ribs in the oven is a great option for beginner home cooks, or if you simply don’t have an outdoor grill or smoker. It gives you all of the meaty, juicy flavor and texture without the babysitting or smoke!
This easy step-by-step recipe will help you make oven-baked ribs that are so delicious, you may never go back to the grill again!
Is it better to grill or bake ribs in the oven?
When it comes down to deciding whether to grill your ribs or bake them in the oven, one method is not necessarily better than the other. Ultimately, it’s all about your preferences, technical skill, and time constraints. Grilling your ribs–the BBQ method–will take a little bit more time and experience than using the oven. Not to mention, you’ll need an outdoor grill.
If you’re a beginner and want a foolproof way to cook ribs that are just as delicious as grilled ribs, rely on your oven to get the job done. When you bake ribs in the oven, you have more control over how the meat cooks, both in time and temperature, and it will be nearly impossible to overcook the meat or end up with dry ribs if you follow the recipe outlined below. Is your mouth watering yet? Let’s get to the recipe!
What Kind of Ribs is Best for Baking?
You can use this recipe for oven-baked ribs for any variety of pork ribs. However, we recommend using baby back ribs. They’re the most naturally tender and flavorful.
How to Bake Ribs in the Oven
Here is everything you need to know to make the best ribs in the oven.
Ingredients
You want to infuse your meat with tons of flavor as it cooks, which means you’ll need some seasonings in addition to the ribs themselves. Here are the ingredients to gather for the recipe:
For the ribs:
- 3 pounds baby back ribs
- 2 sliced onions
- 4 sliced garlic cloves
For the seasoning:
- 1 tablespoon of brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon of paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon lemon pepper
- 1 teaspoon of onion powder
- 1 teaspoon of garlic powder
- black pepper
- Salt to taste
Prepping the Ribs
Step 1: Start with the seasoning
Before we do anything with the ribs, we need to make the perfect seasoning blend. This will give your ribs that extra something that will send your ribs from good to amazing.
Grab a small bowl and combine the brown sugar, paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, lemon pepper, black pepper, and a generous pinch of salt into a uniform blend. Set this aside for now.
Step 2: Trim the meat
Now, let’s move on to the meat. First, you want to remove any membrane that may be on the outside of your rack of ribs. Removing this will help loosen up the meat for a more tender texture after baking. However, if you’d rather not deal with it, you can skip this step and bake the ribs as-is.
The best way to remove the membrane from your rack of ribs is to loosen the silver skin from the sides with a sharp knife and pull it off using your hands. Don’t worry if you don’t get it on your first attempt, practice makes perfect!
Step 3: Season the meat
Remember the bowl of beautiful flavor you set to the side? It’s time to use it! Set the meat on a cutting board or a baking sheet and sprinkle the entire seasoning blend over the rack of ribs. then use your hands to massage the seasoning into the meat on all sides. If you like, you can use gloves for this step. Either way, be sure to wash your hands very thoroughly after touching raw meat of any kind.
Step 4: Wrap the ribs
If you haven’t yet, place the seasoned ribs on a baking sheet along with the sliced garlic and onions. Wrap the meat, onions and garlic tightly with aluminum foil.
Baking ribs in the oven
Step 1: Preheat the oven
The temperature of your oven for ribs will depend on your preferences for the texture and tenderness of your meat. If you have the time, opt for the longest, slowest cooking time possible. Lower and slower will give you more tender and juicy meat. Use this chart to find the best oven temperature for your schedule:
| Oven Temp | Cook Time |
| 350F (175C) | 60-90 Minutes |
| 300F (150C) | 90-120 Minutes |
| 275F (135C) | 120-150 Minutes (best results) |
Step 2: Bake and brush
When your cook time is up, remove the ribs from the oven. Open the foil and brush the meat with your favorite BBQ sauce. Finally, let the ribs rest for a few minutes before slicing and serving them up hot!
We have tested several barbecue sauces and have found that Bone Suckin’ Sauce has one of the best flavors and the fewest ingredients. It’s also gluten free and doesn’t have any high fructose corn syrup in it.
Why do ribs take so long to cook in the oven?
It’s not that ribs take a long time to cook, but rather that the meat tastes better when given enough time to really soften up. If you cook ribs quickly over high heat, you’re likely to end up with tougher bites. If you’re looking for juicy, tender and fall-off-the-bone soft, then a long, low and slow oven baking is the best way to go.
Can you Overcook Ribs in The Oven?
There’s a big chance you will overcook your ribs if you’re not paying attention. Yes, the more time you cook the ribs, the tenderer they will be – but here’s the catch: leave them on for too long, and you’ll end up with dry food. Nothing that paying attention won’t avoid!
What to Serve with Ribs?
Ribs call for classic BBQ side dishes like grilled corn on the cob, mashed potatoes, and coleslaw. However, since your baking your ribs in the oven, it might not be cookout weather. Luckily, these juicy ribs pair well with a wide range of side dishes. Serve them with other oven-roasted dishes like acorn squash or cauliflower.
If you’re on a pork-roll, try out another pork recipe, like pulled pork carnitas, to use up your leftovers.
Should I Cut Ribs Before or After Baking in the Oven?
Slice your ribs after they’ve finished baking. First of all, this is easier. The meat will slice up nicely after it’s fully cooked but can be difficult to cut through when its raw. In addition, keeping the full rack of ribs intact helps keep more of the flavor and juices inside the cut of meat, rather than leaking out during cooking.
How to Tell if The Ribs Are Done
To check whether or not your oven-baked ribs are done cooking, unwrap the tin foil and prod the meat with a long skewer. If the skewer slides into the meat all the way up to the bone without resistance, the meat is tender enough.
Another way to check is with an instant-read thermometer. Insert the probe into the thickest part of one of the ribs. Once it reaches 145°F, the meat is considered fully cooked and safe to eat. However, you can easily continue to cook the meat well past this temperature. In fact, it’s highly recommended!
Why Wrap the Meat in Tin Foil?
The reason to warp your rack of ribs in tin foil before placing them in the oven to bake is that the foil traps all of the delicious juices and steam from the meat inside. This circulates and helps the ribs cook up nice and tender, rather than dried-out or tough.
Make sure your tin foil packet is well secured. If you notice a lot of steam or juices escaping from the foil during baking, you can add a second layer to ensure the flavor stays inside.
Oven-Baked Ribs
Equipment
- Baking sheet
- Aluminum foil
Ingredients
For the ribs:
- 3 pounds baby back ribs
- 2 sliced onions
- 4 sliced garlic cloves
For the seasoning:
- 1 tablespoon of brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon of paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon lemon pepper
- 1 teaspoon of onion powder
- 1 teaspoon of garlic powder
- black pepper
- Salt to taste
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to your desired temperature, using the chart above.
- Combine all of the seasoning ingredients in a small bowl and coat the ribs in the seasoning, massaging the spices into the meat on all sides.
- Plae the ribs, onions and garlic on a large piece of alumium foil and wrap and seal closed. Place on a baking sheet and roast according to the chart above.
- Unwrap the meat, let it rest for 5-10 minutes, slice the ribs and serve.
