These are some of the BEST ribs and they are so easy to make! Cooking baby back ribs in the oven is surprisingly simple and makes tender, fall of the bone baby back ribs each time. This recipe is a keeper!
No need to fire up the grill, it’s easy to make tender and juicy baby back ribs in the oven.
Why this recipe works
- Cooking pork ribs at a low temperature, 275 degrees, and for 2-3 hours, makes for fall of the bone ribs.
- Oven baked ribs don’t need babysitting. Once they are in the oven you can sit back and relax until it’s time to add the BBQ sauce.
- An easy recipe that the whole family will love! Try serving with a side of fries for a delicious dinner.
Ingredients needed
Baby back ribs – Pork baby back ribs can typically found where you buy pork. They are more tender and leaner than spare ribs.
BBQ sauce – Use your favorite BBQ sauce for this recipe. We used Sweet Baby Rays original sauce. You can also use a homemade BBQ sauce.
Dry rub – The spices needed for this homemade dry rub are brown sugar, paprika, garlic powder, ground dry mustard, salt, and ground black pepper. You could also use your own favorite spice rub.
How to remove the silverskin rib membrane
Something to remember when you are cooking ribs is that there is often a thin, “silver” skin membrane on the back of the ribs. This membrane needs to be removed in order to get the best, tender ribs possible. Here are some great pictures to show the process.
To remove the silverskin:
- Turn the ribs upside down and look for a thin membrane around the edges. Try to grab an edge of the skin or use a sharp paring knife to pull back the skin.
- Pull back the membrane to fully remove it from the ribs. Usually the entire thing will come off in one piece.
*** Sometimes the butcher might have already removed the membrane so if you can’t find it the silverskin, it has probably already been removed.
How to make baby back ribs in the oven
Step one: Preheat the oven to 275 degrees F. Make sure to start by removing the membrane on the back of the ribs. Sometimes the butcher will have removed it already.
Step two: Make the seasoning by mixing together brown sugar, paprika, ground mustard, garlic powder, salt, and ground black pepper in a small bowl.
Step three: Rub seasoning mixture over all of the ribs, top, bottom and sides of the ribs.
Step four: Wrap the ribs in aluminum foil and place on a baking sheet or large roasting pan.
Step five: Bake the ribs for 2 1/2 – 3 1/2 hours. Carefully unwrap the ribs and coat in BBQ sauce. Serve as is or broil in a hot oven for several minutes or place on a hot grill to char the outside.
What to serve with easy baked ribs
There are so many great things to serve with ribs we made a list of 32 rib side dishes. Here are some favorite side dishes to serve with ribs:
Veggies: Serve with an easy green salad, corn on the cob, or roasted vegetables like broccoli or squash.
Potatoes: Potatoes are the perfect pairing. Try serving with sweet potato fries, potato wedges, German potato salad, or even a baked potato.
Pasta: An easy side like buttered noodles or a pasta salad also works well.
Oven Baked Baby Back Ribs FAQ’s
We recommend cooking ribs low and slow in the oven. A low temperature of 275 degrees F will cook a medium size rack of ribs in about 3 hours. Larger ribs could take up to 4 hours to cook. This method helps to get tender meat.
Yes, you should cover ribs in the oven with foil to keep them from drying out. Wrap the rack in foil to help them steam and become tender.
Cook ribs with meaty side facing up in the oven. This helps to keep the meat moist.
Yes, ribs do become more tender the longer they cook BUT you want to make sure they don’t overcook and become dry. Once they are close to being done, carefully tug at the meat to see if it starts to fall off the bone. Once it starts to easily come off, you know it’s done.
This recipe calls for baby back but other types or ribs like St. Louis style, country style, and spare ribs will work. The cooking time should be similar just be sure to check on them as they cook.
How to store leftovers
Store: Have leftovers? Let the ribs cool to room temperature and place in an airtight container or bag. Keep them in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days.
Freeze: You can freeze ribs by wrapping them in foil and then storing in a freezer safe bag or container for up to 3 months.
Check out this post to learn how to reheat ribs without drying them out in the air fryer, oven, grill, slow cooker, or microwave.
More easy pork recipes
- Leftover Pulled Pork Recipes
- Air Fryer Pork Loin
- Air Fryer Honey Mustard Pork Chops
- Slow Cooker Pineapple Pork
Did you make this recipe? Let me know in the comments below and don’t forget to give it a star rating.
Baby Back Ribs In Oven
Ingredients
- 1-2 racks baby back ribs
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons paprika
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- 1/2 tablespoon ground mustard
- 2 tablespoons salt
- 1 tablespoon ground black pepper
- 1 cup BBQ sauce
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 275 degrees F.
- Pat ribs dry with a paper towel. Remove silverskin membrane if needed.
- Place brown sugar, paprika, ground mustard, garlic powder, salt, and pepper in a bowl. Mix together to make spice rub.
- Sprinkle rub on the ribs. Coat the entire ribs with spice rub.
- Wrap the ribs in foil and place on a baking sheet. Bake for 2 1/2 – 3 1/2 hours. Check the ribs at 2 1/2 hours. If meat is pulling away from the bone they are done.
- Carefully open the foil packs and spread BBQ sauce on ribs.
- Optional broil in the oven for 4-5 minutes or place on a hot grill for 4-5 minutes.
Butterfly
Very easy and tasty. It came out like a professional made it lol You’re a lifesaver. Thank you so much ♥️❤️❤️❤️❤️
DeDe
You don’t need a complicated recipe to bake great ribs…
this is a simple & easy way to have great ribs. I place my ribs with the meat side down on the foil, just a better texture to the meat in my opinion.
Briana from Texas
This was so easy and so delicious! I do not have any experience with baby back ribs. I chose this recipe because it seemed easy. Best decision! The ribs came out so juicy and flavorful. The meat just came off the bones! From now on this will be my “go to” recipe for ribs.