Oven Pork Ribs
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These Oven Pork Ribs are melt-in-your-mouth and fall-off-the-bone delicious! You won't stop at just one!
Ribs are a MUST in our house all year long; they do not get relegated to just the summer months because our entire family loves them. I mean, who doesn't love a stack of finger-licking good ribs?
When my husband and I were first married, we used to go to Famous Daves. It was his favorite BBQ spot to go with the other soldiers (before we got married). So, of course, when I moved down to Kansas after getting married, he took me there a lot. I am not even joking when I say my husband would order the big racks of ribs combo plates and eat TWO of them on his own. Like you wouldn't think that was true looking at him unless you saw it with your own eyes. One of the guys tried telling me about my husband's eating there once (before he took me), and even I thought he was kidding, and I know my husband can eat, lol. He LOVES ribs!
Sure Famous Daves have good BBQ, but this southern girl knew I could make it better. I started making him my smoked ribs, and once I did, he was a happy man. He got even more excited when the Army moved us, and there wasn't a right BBQ place around because he knew he could still get all the BBQ he wanted at home.
What's the best way to cook ribs?
I will always say the best flavor comes from smoking ribs, but I know not everyone has a smoker, and sometimes you just want completely delicious ribs when the weather isn't right for cooking them outside. While I'll NEVER say to cook ribs in a crock-pot, the oven does some pretty magical stuff to ribs. You can finish them off on the grill or let the oven do all the work. I'll show you how to do it, and people will be calling you to make the ribs for all your future BBQs.
What kind of ribs do you use?
When I make BBQ ribs, I will always use pork ribs. There are a few varieties of pork ribs, including baby back ribs, also known as loin ribs or back ribs. There are also pork spare ribs, which are larger and tend to be fattier. Then there are St. Louis ribs, which are much fattier and tend to have less meat. They have flavor, but if you are looking for more meat, I suggest sticking with baby back ribs.
Ingredients in Pork Ribs
- Ribs
- Brown Sugar
- Dry Rub
- BBQ Sauce (Optional)
The BEST BBQ Dry Rub Seasoning
This dry rub is a recipe I use on a lot of BBQ; it's genuinely my go-to combination for good southern BBQ flavor.
-
- ½ C Brown Sugar
- 2 TBS Paprika
- 1-2 TSP Cayenne Pepper (depending on if you like a little kick or not)
- 2 TSP Chili Powder
- 2 TBS Salt
- 1 ½ TBS Garlic Powder
- 2 TSP Onion Powder
- ½ TSP White Pepper
- 1 TSP Ground Mustard
- 1 TSP Thyme
- 1 TSP Sage
- ½ TSP Cinnamon
- ¼ TSP Ground Ginger
Mix everything together and store it in an airtight container.
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How to Make Oven Ribs
- Season the ribs with the dry rub.
- Let them go low and slow in the oven.
- Caramelize the ribs with BBQ, optional but totally delicious!
My Go-to BBQ Sauce
There are a few good grain-free BBQ sauces in the market right now, but I still prefer to make my own. This recipe is the classic BBQ sauce that I use and keep in the house often.
Ingredients:
- 1 14 oz Can of Tomato Sauce
- ½ C Brown Sugar
- ¼ C Molasses
- ½ C Honey
- 2 TBS Dijon Mustard
- ¼ C Coconut Aminos
- ⅓ C Apple Cider Vinegar
- 1-3 TSP Liquid Smoke (Depending on how smokey you like it)
- ¼ C BBQ Dry Rub Seasoning
- 1 tsp Salt
- 1 tsp Garlic
- ¼ C Sriracha Sauce (when I want it a little less sweet and a little hidden heat)
Combine everything into a small pot on the stove over medium heat, and let it come to a simmer. Let it cook about 10 minutes for the flavors to come together. Let it cool before putting it into a container in the fridge or use immediately.
I usually put it in a mason jar, and it will keep in the fridge for a month, unless my kids eat it all sooner.
If you want more BBQ fun you can check out my Paleo Wings Recipe which has my Blueberry BBQ Sauce or my Smokey Bacon Wrapped Pork Tenderloin recipe that has my Cherry BBQ Sauce
More BBQ Recipes
Not Your Grandmother's Soggy Coleslaw
Oven Pork Ribs
Ingredients
- 1 Rack Pork Ribs of Choice
- ½ C Dark Brown Sugar
- ½ C BBQ Seasoning see notes
- ½ C BBQ Sauce see notes
Instructions
- Place your ribs onto a baking sheet and pat them dry from any juices that may be on them.
- Mix the brown sugar and spices together into a small bowl.
- Rub the mixture over the ribs, coating them generously. Depending on the size of your ribs, you may need to make more. You will start to notice the dry mix get wet as the meat begins to absorb it.
- Cover the pan tightly with a few layers of foil, making sure to crimp the edges to seal it well.
- Allow the ribs to rest with the spices for at least 30 minutes or overnight in the fridge. I find overnight gets a deeper flavor, but they are still delicious if you cook them sooner.
- Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.
- If you've let them rest overnight in the fridge, let them at room temp for about 30 minutes to take the chill off the meat.
- Bake the ribs for 3-4 hours, depending on the size. You will know they are done when you can cut the meat with a fork. Do NOT open the oven at all until at least 2 ½ hours have passed.
- When the ribs are done, remove them from the oven and the foil.
- Brush the ribs with a small amount of your chosen BBQ sauce.
- You can do one of two things here. Either take the ribs out to the grill and let them cook about 10 min for the sauce to caramelize or switch the oven to broil and put them back in there for 5-10 minutes until the sauce starts to caramelize. Either way, they are delicious!
- Serve them alongside your favorite BBQ sides and enjoy!
Notes
My BBQ Dry Rub Seasoning
-
- ½ C Brown Sugar
- 2 TBS Paprika
- 1-2 TSP Cayenne Pepper (depending on if you like a little kick or not)
- 2 TSP Chili Powder
- 2 TBS Salt
- 1 ½ TBS Garlic Powder
- 2 TSP Onion Powder
- ½ TSP White Pepper
- 1 TSP Ground Mustard
- 1 TSP Thyme
- 1 TSP Sage
- ½ TSP Cinnamon
- ¼ TSP Ground Ginger
My Go-to BBQ Sauce
Ingredients:- 1 14 oz Can of Tomato Sauce
- ½ C Brown Sugar
- ¼ C Molasses
- ½ C Honey
- 2 TBS Dijon Mustard
- ¼ C Coconut Aminos
- ⅓ C Apple Cider Vinegar
- 1 - 3 TSP Liquid Smoke (depending how smokey you like it)
- ¼ C BBQ Dry Rub Seasoning
- 1 tsp Salt
- 1 tsp Garlic
- ¼ C Sriracha Sauce (when I want it a little less sweet and a little hidden heat)
Let me know what you think or if you have any questions.