Easy Baked Ribs are, you guessed it…easy! Succulent, juicy, and fall-off-the-bone-tender, too. Cook ribs in the oven if you don’t own a smoker or grill!
I’m just going to say it – the weather has been cray-cray lately.
Sunny one minute, raining sideways the next, flash flooding in the blink of an eye. Fortunately, it doesn’t matter what’s happening outside because Easy Baked Ribs are on the menu today!
As you know, one of Ben’s love languages is smoking meat and I can’t deny that ribs that have been smoked low and slow over hickory wood chips are a total treat. Since most people don’t own a smoker though, I’m sharing an oven-based recipe for ribs that is BEYOND delicious and easy. Yep, you can get lip-smackin’, finger-lickin’ good ribs that fall off the bone from your oven. Don’t believe me? Just you wait!
Baby back ribs are rubbed with everyday spices then marinated in the fridge for a few hours or up to overnight. After a few hours of baking in the oven at a low temperature (not heating up the kitchen, for the win!) they’re rendered succulent and fall apart-tender. Honestly, I cannot stress to you how tender the rib meat gets. Pull on the bone and it slides out completely clean.
I think making ribs at home is something a lot of people find intimidating but honestly it couldn’t be simpler. I’ll show you!
How to Make This Recipe:
Start with a 2-1/2lb slab of ribs. Look for ribs that have some fat on top as it will add flavor and juiciness to the meat.
Next, get your homemade rub together. Add 2 teaspoons salt, 1 teaspoon pepper, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1/2 teaspoon each onion powder, cumin, and smoked paprika, and 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper to a small bowl then mix to combine.
Sprinkle both sides of the ribs with the mixture then rub it in and wrap the rack in plastic wrap. Place in the fridge to marinate for 2 hours or up to overnight.
When it’s time to bake, place the ribs on a foil-lined, nonstick-sprayed baking sheet then cover completely with more foil and bake for 3-1/2 hours. If you’re using a larger rack of baby-back ribs, tack on an extra 1/2 hour per pound over 2-1/2lbs.
When time is up, unwrap the ribs then slather the top with your favorite BBQ sauce. Oh, they smell so good!
Pop the rack back in the oven for 30 minutes or until the top has caramelized.
Sweet, sweet BAKED baby back ribs!
Slice ’em up, and serve ’em hot!
I served my ribs with my Mom’s Classic Potato Salad, or you could try this low-carb version if you’re watching your waistline. Seriously, a match made in Heaven. Enjoy!
Easy Baked Ribs
Description
Easy Baked Ribs are, you guessed it…easy! Succulent, juicy, and fall-off-the-bone-tender, too. Cook ribs in the oven if you don’t own a smoker or grill!
Ingredients
- slab of baby back ribs (could use spare ribs), 2-2-1/2lbs total
- 1/4 - 1/3 cup BBQ sauce
- For the spice rub:
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Directions
- Mix spices together in a small bowl then rub into both sides of the ribs, wrap in saran wrap, and then refrigerate for at least 2 hours or up to overnight.
- Preheat oven to 250 degrees then line a baking sheet with foil and spray with nonstick spray. Place ribs on top then cover tightly with more foil and bake for 3-1/2 hours (add more time if your ribs are larger then 2-1/2lbs.) Remove foil, drain any excess liquid from the pan, then brush BBQ sauce on top and bake for 30 more minutes, or until top is slightly caramelized. Slice then serve.
Notes
- If using a larger rack of ribs, add 30 minutes baking time per pound past 2-1/2lbs.
This recipe is courtesy of Iowa Girl Eats, http://iowagirleats.com.
Video
Serve these recipes with your ribs!
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Holy Moley! These look great! I adore ribs but never give them the time in the oven they need. Going to give this a go on the weekend!
FoodNerd x
http://www.foodnerd4life.com
These look great, Kristin. So glad you featured these as a way back wednesday post! Have a good 4th!
HA! I had to laugh at your “what are you guys doing this weekend…” because for us the answer is usually that the hubs is, um, making beer. Yep. Perhaps I can convince him to make these ribs whilst making his beer to cover up the hops smell :)
Have a great 4th and Birthday!!
These look absolutely delicious! I didn’t know that ribs could be so simple!
Gorgeous photo of ribs and potato salad! The ribs sound delicious. Just wondering if you have ever tried making them in a crockpot to keep the house cool?
I have made ribs in the crock pot and they are very good, but can be hard to remove. They get so tender (like with baking) that they fall apart when trying to get out of the crock pot (that’s been my experience, anyway!) The low oven temp really doesn’t heat the house up too bad!
and you can use the love oven temps to make bread and help it rise.
I adore baked ribs they get so tender!
These are soooo easy and soooo delish! Tip: I use heavy-duty foil, and spray the inside of the foil–not the baking pan–then after the meal, all the bones can just get wrapped up in the baking foil and tossed away. Also, I bake mine at 320 for about 4 hours before saucing. Anyway you do it….fall-off-the-bone tender meat. Your recipe is perfect for family and holiday get-togethers as it frees you up to socialize once you make a side dish or two. PS–more pix of Lincoln, please!!! : )
That reminds me of my childhood and my dad’s cooking! When it comes to food, I always say: the simple, the better! Proof?
http://www.allnnothing.com
These ribs look amazing! Love how easy they are to make!
okay, this is probably the first recipe for ribs that hasn’t scared the crap out of me. i love it.
Yes, seriously, couldn’t be easier!
Hi Kirsten! I’ve loved reading your blog for a while now! This recipe looks amazing :)
One comment that I’ve been meaning to make for a while concerning blog layout–is there any way that you could adjust your settings so that photos don’t fade out when you scroll over them? If your cursor is over a photo, then the photo turns white-ish and loses color–I think it’s to alert people that Pinterest is available for your stuff, but it’s distracting!
Hi Janice! Thank you so much for the feedback. As you mentioned, this was an intentional design choice that a lot of sites are moving towards. I am sorry that it’s distracting for you and will definitely keep that in mind for future design changes!
The ribs look Amazing. I just wish hubby liked them as much as I do.
Thanks 4 sharing the recipe. Passing this recipe onto our son-in-law.
These ribs have been a summertime favorite in our house since I saw the original recipe a few years ago. My husband and I like these even better than most grilled/smoked ribs we’ve tried! Delish & so simple! :)
Now that looks like the perfect meal for 4th of July!
How do you and your cook them on the smoker do you follow the 3-2-1 rule?
He seasons the ribs with just salt and coarse ground black pepper, and then follows the 3-2-1 rule!
These look amazing!! I never would have guessed they were so easy to make. Have a happy 4th weekend, rain or shine!!
I’ve been following your blog for a few years and I love when you post “way back” recipes and link back to a time the recipe was first featured on your blog. It’s amazing to see how far you’ve come. Your blog is my go-to when I’m stuck for dinner ideas or need something quick to throw together for a party. I was so excited for you and Ben when you announced that you were expecting, but also sad because I was worried new posts would be few and far between. Kudos to you for still coming up with great new posts and awesome recipes for everyone to enjoy! My daughter turns “1” on July 19 and I know all too well how crazy the struggle of motherhood can be.
This recipe looks great! I will definitely try this!
I live in the same town and can testify to how nutty this weather has been! But we totally lucked out with a gorgeous day yesterday! Hope you spent lots of time outdoors enjoying it!
Thanks for this easy recipe! I will try this very soon. I can’t wait for the outcome!
I made baked BBQ ribs about a month ago and they were delicious. Love that fall off the bone tenderness. I only have ribs a couple times a year and they always hit the spot!
We made your ribs recipe for the 4th of July. They were so tender and yummy! Thanks for the recipe!
These look amazing and glad to know what I will be cooking this weekend!! How many more days? I do have one question….what is your favorite BBQ sauce?
Store bought we love KC Masterpiece, local we love Big Daddy’s!
I made these tonight, PURE RIB BLISS! I have never been a rib girl, always tried when others have made them but something just didn’t feel right. Until now! My husband even said “those were the best ribs I have EVER had”. Just another IGE win, as usual. Kristin you are my hero. Hands down :)
spelled my name wrong. Gehrke. Just had to leave this for my own peace of mind. Thanks again for best ribs ever!
YESS!! So glad you both enjoyed them!
Thanks for this recipe, I tried it over the weekend and they turned out fingerlicking wonderful!
Found out that in the Netherlands all ribs that are sold are baby back ribs anyhow. Seemingly the regurlar ribs from our industrial butchers get shipped to the US! Lucky me this time!
Another observation made was that my (European) oven timer doesn’t go any further than 90 minutes and without the timer it doesn’t work…
Thanks again and keep up the good work!
So glad to hear, Cyriel!
Made these for the 4th! They were amazing! Thanks for sharing this recipe!
Wow those ribs look delicious. We have had the same crazy weather lately, which is not letting us enjoy our new BBQ! But at least turning on the oven is ok even though its July. Can’t wait to try these!
I’m thinking of making these over the weekend but was wondering if I make them early in the day on Sunday what would be the best way to heat them back up again for dinner Sunday night? I was thinking of skipping the last step where you put them back in the oven uncovered and doing that when we’re ready to eat, but wanted your opinion.
Thanks! These look delicious!!
Hi Katie! I think your best bet for the most delicious ribs is to make them right before serving. They’re good cold, but I’ve never re-heated them (strange, I know.) If you baked them ahead of time then did the last step right before eating, I fear the ribs could overcook since they’re coming from a cold temperature to a hot temperature and it would take longer than 30 minutes to get the glaze to caramelize. That said, I haven’t tried it before, so it could work out just perfectly! Has anyone else tried this with success?
Hi Kristin, me again with a question for you this time! I am planning on making these for a crowd tomorrow. I will probably have two or maybe even three racks (all will be around the same size, 2 1/2 or 3 lbs), do I cook for the same amount of time as I would with one rack? Thanks in advance and I hope you are having fun in KC! My sister lives there and I just love that area! Esp the plaza :)
I would add maybe 30 minutes on before removing the foil!
Kristin, i am anxious to try this recipe! One question, I have 2 racks of baby back ribs in the fridge. They are 2.2 lbs ans 2.9 lbs. I would like to cook them at the same time in the same pan. How much extra time should I add to the oven cooking time? Thanks, I can almost taste them
I don’t think you’d have to add much if any – maybe 15 minutes??
[…] never made them! It was high time that changed, and it couldn’t have been easier! I followed this recipe (called Easy Baked Ribs) from Iowa Girl Eats pretty much to the letter and they were delicious! I […]
My absolute favorite! I have to try that rub recipe the next time I make some. I’m always trying something different and haven’t perfected the seasoning yet.
Love the pictures! Looking really tasty.
I just made these!! Delicious! A perfect Sunday recipe. I loved the rub…the smoked paprika really came through. Definitely going to be making these again in the future. Thanks for always sharing your fantastic recipes!! Can’t wait for my 7 month old son to be able to enjoy them. :)
I was just wondering is there a way I could make these in a crock pot?
Hi Jenna! I’ve made these crock pot ribs before and they were really good! http://mmmisformommy.com/2011/09/easy-barbecued-ribs.html
Sounds delicious, but just one question: the 250 degrees preheated oven, is it in celsius or fahrenheit?
Farenheit.
I made these last night and they were a hit! I usually make ribs in the crockpot but found this recipe on Pinterest and it is amazing! Followed the recipe to a T. This is definately going to be the recipe I follow from here on out when we have ribs. Thanks for sharing!
[…] For step by step pictures click here. […]
LOVE, LOVE, LOVE these! My husband is not a pig fan but he didn’t mind eating these. And my neighbors, who are huge ribs fans, absolutely went gaga over them and praised them! I was wondering, could I use this same recipe for beef ribs or do you have another recipe specific for beef? Thanks in advance!
Awesome – so glad to hear! I’ve actually never made beef ribs. If you give them a go let me know how they turn out!
Use this recipe for beef short ribs. For beef back ribs,add a braising liquid such as a 2:1 beef stock/red wine blend to the pan.
[…] Easy Baked Ribs (Iowa Girl Eats) – I LOVE ribs so much so when I saw this recipe on Iowa Girl Eats I knew I […]
[…] Recipe from Iowa Girl Eats […]
Longtime reader but first time to post. These are awesome! So easy and yummy….highlight of my Super Bowl night! Thank you!
Kristin, have you made these with boneless ribs? That is what I have on hand. Thanks
Hi Miranda! I have never tried this recipe with boneless ribs but I think it would probably not take as much time. Let me know how they turn out!
I tried it and they turned out awesome! I cooked it for an 2 1/2 hours then put the BBQ sauce on and cooked an additional 25 minutes. Yummy!
quick question – If I don’t have cumin in my spice pantry can I leave it out or substitute another spice?
Yep that should be fine to leave it out!
these ribs WERE EASY AND AMAZING!! and I was a novice.
Yesss, exactly what I like to hear, CJ! Thanks so much for the feedback!
Hi Kristin! This is my go to recipe whenever I’m making ribs! I just recently bought a smoker and wanted to try smoking the ribs instead of baking. Would I still be able to use the same technique or would I need to change it up a bit? Thanks!
Finally!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! These are the best oven ribs! I have tried a ton of recipes for “fall off the bone” oven ribs and this is it! Thank you so much!
So glad to hear you loved these, Annie!! :) Thanks for the feedback!
Hi– we usually eat our ribs w no sauce. We love the rub flavor alone. Will we still uncover and cook another 30min if not using sauce?
Very hopeful about the recipe. We’ve been struggling to find a good one!
Thx- Courtney
Hi Courtney! If you’re not using sauce, I’d keep the ribs covered until they have 10 minutes left to go. Otherwise I could see them drying out. I hope you love them!
This is my go to ribs recipe. The only changes that I make is I add a little liquid smoke sprinkled over the top after putting on the rub. Then, I sear them on each side on the grill before putting them into the oven. Just to give them a little extra flavor. Delicious!!!
Love the extra special touches to make it uniquely yours, Trista!
These Ribs are Fabulous! We are making this today. Thanks for sharing!
The ribs are so tender. I will definitely make this again. Thanks!!!
Oh my gosh! From one Iowa girl to another this looks amazing! If you’d ever like to team up count me in 😍😍 YUMM!