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. Don’t forget the homemade cornbread! I’ll show you how.
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. Peel off/remove silver skin from the ribs if present then trim any large pieces of fat off if desired.
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 OVEN BAKED baby back ribs!
Slice ’em up, and serve ’em hot!
Serve these recipes with your ribs!
- Marinated Vegetable Salad
- Gluten Free Cornbread
- The BEST Pasta Salad
- Mojito Fruit Salad
- The Best Baked Beans EVER
- Cucumber-Tomato Salad
- Watermelon Jalapeño Margaritas
- Classic Potato Salad
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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
- Trim/peel off silver skin from ribs if present. 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.
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We made your ribs recipe for the 4th of July. They were so tender and yummy! Thanks for the recipe!
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!
Thanks for this easy recipe! I will try this very soon. I can’t wait for the outcome!
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!
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.
These look amazing!! I never would have guessed they were so easy to make. Have a happy 4th weekend, rain or shine!!
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 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! :)
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.
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!
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!
These ribs look amazing! Love how easy they are to make!
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 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!!! : )
I adore baked ribs they get so tender!
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.
These look absolutely delicious! I didn’t know that ribs could be so simple!
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 great, Kristin. So glad you featured these as a way back wednesday post! Have a good 4th!
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