One of my husband’s love languages is smoking meat, and I can’t deny that a rack of ribs smoked low and slow over hickory wood chips is a total treat.
Since most people don’t own a smoker though, I’m sharing my recipe for oven-baked ribs that is BEYOND delicious and easy. Yes, you can get lip-smackin’, finger-lickin’-good ribs that fall off the bone from your oven.
Every time I make these I’m stunned over how delicious they are. They come out perfect every single time!
Watch How to Make Them
Ribs in the Oven
I place Easy Baked Ribs in the same category as slow cooker recipes because they’re completely prep-ahead then bake low and slow in the oven so I’m free to do just about anything else. They’re a hit for busy sports nights when the kids come home starving, or have activities at different times and need to stagger dinner, as the ribs are good hot or warm.
Seasoned with everyday spices, baked for hours, then slathered with BBQ sauce — these oven ribs are succulent, fall apart-tender, and truly the easiest rib recipe you’ll ever make.
4 Main Types of Ribs
To be clear, this method for baking ribs in the oven is for pork ribs, not beef ribs. When you go to the grocery store there are several types of pork ribs to choose from and it can feel confusing, for sure! That said, please take your seat for Pork Rib 101 where I’ll review the 4 main types of ribs you’ll find at the store.
- Baby Back Ribs (aka Back Ribs or Loin Ribs): are from the upper rib cage connected to the back bone. This cut contains 11-13 ribs and has a natural curve to it. The ribs shown in these photos are baby back ribs (and are not taken from baby pigs, as the name might imply.) You’ll typically find back ribs in 2 — 3lb portions which feeds 2-3 people.
- Spare Ribs (aka Side Ribs): are the portion of ribs further down the belly towards the breastbone. This cut of ribs contains larger bones and more meat between the bones, vs baby back ribs where the majority of the meat is on top of the bones. This cut of ribs can come with extra cartilage and bones (aka rib tips) which aren’t very appetizing to bite down on, imo. Spare ribs take longer to cook than back ribs, though they can be used in this recipe.
- St. Louis Ribs: are spare ribs with the aforementioned cartilage and extra bones sliced off.
- Country Style Ribs: aren’t actually ribs — they’re cut from pork shoulder and are very meaty.
How to Choose Good Baby Back Ribs
Whether you’re baking, grilling or smoking them — here are two main considerations to keep in mind when choosing a rack of back ribs at the store:
- Meat on top: look for baby back ribs with a good amount of meat on top of the ribs because back ribs don’t have a ton of meat between each rib bone.
- Fat: look for a rack of ribs with a good amount of fat. Pork fat = FLAVOR! You can trim any larger pieces off, but fat gives ribs their mouthwatering flavor and texture.
In general, a 2-1/2 — 3lb rack of baby back ribs will feed 2-3 people so I bake two racks of ribs to comfortably feed by family of 5.
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!
How to Bake Ribs in the Oven
Step 1: Trim the ribs.
Start with a 2-1/2 — 3lb rack of baby back ribs. Again, look for ribs with a lot of meat on top of the bones AND a good amount of fat. If there are large pieces of fat on top, feel free to trim them away.
Blot the ribs all over with paper towels to dry them completely.
Step 2: Peel away the silver skin.
On the back of the ribs is a connective tissue layer called silver skin. The tissue is hard to bite through and needs to be removed before cooking the ribs no matter the method. Sometimes it’s already been removed by the processor but sometimes it hasn’t.
Silver skin has a purply-white color (silver, I guess, lol) and is not hard to remove. If present, stick a pairing knife underneath the silver skin between two rib bones near one end of the rib rack then use a paper towel, if necessary, to get a good grip and peel it away from the length of the ribs.
All easy from here on out!
Step 3: Season the ribs.
Next, stir together a homemade seasoning mix of salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, cumin, smoked paprika, and a little cayenne pepper (optional) in a small bowl.
Sprinkle the mixture on both sides of the ribs then rub to coat with your fingers. Wrap the ribs in plastic wrap then refrigerate for 2 hours or up to 24 hours. You can place the ribs on the baking sheet we’ll use to bake them on, or on a tray — it doesn’t matter.
Step 4: Cover then bake.
When it’s time to bake, unwrap the ribs then place them on a foil-lined, nonstick-sprayed baking sheet. If baking more than one rack, give them each their own baking sheet.
Cover the ribs tightly with foil then bake for 3-1/2 hours at 250 degrees. If your rack of ribs is larger than 3lbs, add an additional 30 minutes baking time per additional 1/2 — 1lb ribs. For example, bake a 3 — 4lb rack of ribs for 4 hours.
Carefully remove the foil on top of the baking pan then drain off any excess liquid that might be present.
Step 5: Slather with BBQ sauce.
Slather the tops of the ribs with your favorite BBQ sauce then bake for an additional 30 minutes to get a caramelized, lacquered top. Personally I like to go with a sweeter BBQ sauce like Stubb’s Sticky Sweet BBQ Sauce.
The scent wafting from the oven is unlike anything else!
Step 6: Rest, Slice, then Serve
Let the ribs rest for 15 minutes or so before slicing and serving. I’m telling you — the meat completely falls off the bone. So tasty and tender!
Whether you’re serving ribs at a summer cookout, the middle of winter, or anytime in between, I hope you love every last drop of these tender and truly delicious oven baked ribs — enjoy!
Serve these recipes with your ribs!
- Gluten Free Cornbread
- The BEST Pasta Salad
- Marinated Vegetable Salad
- The Best Baked Beans EVER
- Cucumber-Tomato Salad
- Napa Sweet Corn Salad
- 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
- 1 slab baby back ribs, 2-1/2 — 3lbs total
- 1/2 cup BBQ sauce, or more or less (ie, you can eyeball it!)
- 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, optional
Directions
- Line a half sheet pan with foil then set aside.
- Peel the silver skin away from the back of the rib rack if present then trim off any large pieces of excess fat. Fat adds flavor so you want to leave a good portion on, though if there is very thick/excess fat, feel free to trim it off.
- For the spice rub: add the ingredients to a small bowl then stir to combine. Sprinkle half the mixture over the top of the ribs then rub to coat. Flip the ribs over then sprinkle on the remaining seasonings and rub to coat. Wrap the ribs in saran wrap then place onto the prepared baking sheet and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or up to 24 hours.
- Preheat the oven to 250 degrees then unwrap the ribs and place them directly onto the foil. Cover the ribs tightly with another piece of foil then bake for 3-1/2 hours (see notes if your rib rack is larger). Carefully remove the top piece of foil then drain away any excess liquid from the sheet pan if there is any.
- Brush the BBQ sauce over the top of the ribs then bake for an additional 30 minutes or until the top is caramelized.
- Let the ribs rest for 15 minutes then slice and serve.
Notes
- If your rack of ribs is larger than 3lbs, add an additional 30 minutes baking time per each additional 1/2 — 1lb ribs. For example, I bake a 3-1/2lb rack of ribs for 4 hours.
- If you are cooking more than one rack of ribs, separate each rack on it's on baking sheet then rotate the ribs halfway through baking time.
This recipe is courtesy of Iowa Girl Eats, http://iowagirleats.com.
Video
Photos by Ashley McLaughlin
Robert james 07.11.2018
Do you leave the Saran Rap on when baking the ribs?
Kristin 07.11.2018
No, remove before baking.
Marie Gensey 06.10.2018
Best ribs I have made in a long time. Will definitely make these again
Kristin 06.12.2018
Oh I’m so glad to hear it, Marie! Thank you so much for your feedback and recipe rating!
Shirley stevens 03.09.2018
Made this again taste good and easy way to make ribs
Cruz colon 02.04.2018
Just finished making this recipe..they are. Tender,fall off the bone amazingggg
Autumn 02.03.2018
I’m a vegetarian so I know next-to-nothing about ribs, but my dad, FIL, and husband were all very impressed with how tender and fall-off-the-bone these were, though they had all been skeptical of my baking them in the oven. Thanks for an easy, impressive recipe. :)
Mitch 12.31.2017
Hi! These looks delish! Just a question though, is it 250 C degrees or 250 F degrees, when cooking the ribs! Thanks! ?
A Small Win – Ribs Edition | Life is full of Sunny Days 11.26.2017
[…] had some success with this recipe from Iowa Girl Eats. I loved it, but Diva wasn’t feeling the seasoning and I wanted something […]
Anita Paton 11.06.2017
We make these ribs on my husband’s birthday and for Father’s Day. It is are go to recipe.
Kristin 11.06.2017
So glad to hear it, Anita! Love that they’ve become a tradition for your family!
Rick 09.04.2017
Made these ribs today and they were perfect. Awesome recipe. The one thing I did not do is marinate – i just put the rub on wrapped in foil and threw them in the oven at 260 deg for 3-1/2 hrs and then 1/2 hr open with sauce on them and they litterally fell off the bone as I was taking out of pan. I will definitely be making again.
Isbel 08.30.2017
I made these to eat in connection with the Game of Thrones season finale (it felt appropriate) and they were amazing! Incredibly easy to make and they were delicious!
Kristin 08.30.2017
HA! YES, so perfect!! So glad you enjoyed, Isbel, and thanks so much for leaving a recipe rating! :)
Abi 07.12.2017
Oh my gosh! From one Iowa girl to another this looks amazing! If you’d ever like to team up count me in ?? YUMM!
Pat 07.11.2017
The ribs are so tender. I will definitely make this again. Thanks!!!
Diaries of a Working Mommy 07.04.2017
These Ribs are Fabulous! We are making this today. Thanks for sharing!
Trista 09.05.2016
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!!!
Kristin 09.06.2016
Love the extra special touches to make it uniquely yours, Trista!
Courtney 08.15.2016
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
Kristin 08.15.2016
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!
Annie 07.03.2016
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!
Kristin 07.05.2016
So glad to hear you loved these, Annie!! :) Thanks for the feedback!
Ashley 07.01.2016
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!
CJ 06.19.2016
these ribs WERE EASY AND AMAZING!! and I was a novice.
Kristin 06.20.2016
Yesss, exactly what I like to hear, CJ! Thanks so much for the feedback!
Angie Jozefowicz 07.25.2015
quick question – If I don’t have cumin in my spice pantry can I leave it out or substitute another spice?
Kristin 07.28.2015
Yep that should be fine to leave it out!
Miranda 06.21.2015
Kristin, have you made these with boneless ribs? That is what I have on hand. Thanks
Kristin 06.22.2015
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!
Mianda 06.24.2015
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!