No smoker? No problem! Easy Baked Ribs are succulent, juicy, fall-off-the-bone-tender, and baked vs smoked. Follow my tips for selecting the best type and rack of ribs for baking, plus FAQs for baking super tender ribs.
“Cooked them exactly per the recipe. So easy and they were perfection! This is my new go-to rib recipe. Excellent!”
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: Which to Use
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, and which are best for baking.
- 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.
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Pin ItHow 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 Make Baked Ribs
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.
What are the best types of ribs to bake?
I like baking Baby Back Ribs ribs best, followed by St. Louis Ribs.
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 baking sheet 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.
Do I need to adjust baking time for 2 or more racks of ribs?
Give each rack of ribs their own baking sheet (if they’re small you could fit 2 on one), then bake for the directed amount of time. You might need to tack on an extra 30 minutes – 1 hour, depending on how well your oven can keep up with a large amount of food inside.
What if my rack of ribs is smaller than 2-1/2 – 3lbs?
Simply bake for less time – until a wiggle of one of the rib bones feels loose.
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
- Gluten Free Biscuits
- The BEST Pasta Salad
- Marinated Vegetable Salad
- The Best Baked Beans EVER
- Cucumber-Tomato Salad
- Napa Sweet Corn Salad
- Classic Potato Salad
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 slab baby back ribs, 2-1/2 – 3lbs total
- 1/2 cup BBQ sauce, or more or less — 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 baking sheet 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 own baking sheet then rotate the ribs halfway through baking time.
- I love Stubb’s BBQ Sauce, but use whatever your favorite is.
Nutrition
Nutritional values are estimates only. Please read our full nutrition information disclaimer.
Photos by Ashley McLaughlin
Hello! I have 3 racks and only 2 cookie sheets. Is it ok to put 2 on one sheet? Otherwise I will have to make 2 separate batches. Thanks!
I’m sure it’ll be fine! :)
Can the ribs lay on parchment paper at the bottom of the pan and then cover over with foil? I had thought they get wrapped completely in foil but seems not.
Hey Brian! I line the pan with foil vs parchment paper, then cover the entire pan with more foil. If you’d like to use parchment paper as the base vs foil, you could do that!
I ran out of time to cook them and so let the ribs stay wrapped with rub for over 24 hrs. I used sugar-free BBQ sauce (sounds gross, but it’s really good). We love them! So tender and succulent! Thanks!
Thrilled they were a hit, Carolyn! Thank you so much for your feedback and recipe rating!
The ribs are DELCIOUS!!! I followed the recipe exactly and it turned out wonderfully. The only change I would make is to use more barbecue sauce. I used a prepared barbecue sauce and probably didn’t use the amount in your recipe. Use more.
Wohoo! I’m so glad to hear it, Nadia! Yes – you can use as much or as little BBQ sauce as you like!
OMG my 21 year old said these were delicious!! I concur!!!! She complains that I only cook with chicken breast and ground turkey so I stepped WAY OUT of my comfort zone when I saw baby back ribs but one get one at the grocery store. Once they were home I had no idea how to cook them. It took us a few days to use one pack (we froze the other) because of the time involved and because we had to think about prepping a day in advance. However, she mixed the spices and I rubbed. The next day mid afternoon before going out to work on the years I put the ribs in the oven at 250. Came in after 2.5 hours thinking we only had another 30 minutes. Oops! I misread how long to cook. So on they went for another hour which turned into at least 2 since neither of us heard the timer go off. However, we added the BBQ (Sweet Baby Ray’s – our family favorite) and cooked that last 30 minutes. You might think they were dry. No chance! They were fall off the bone delicious, moist, flavorful!!!!!! I have printed the recipe to add to my favorites recipe binder!!!!!!! Thank you for making it easy.
I’m thrilled this recipe worked out for you, Tanya! Sounds like teamwork made the dream work!!!
This was my first attempt ever at making baby back ribs (or any ribs for that matter) and they turned out amazing!! My husband said they were better than ordering from Smokey Bones Restaurant and all 4 of my young kids ate it and asked for seconds. We used our favorite BBQ sauce from a restaurant. They were tender and surprisingly easy to make. Thanks so much for sharing your recipe and helpful video! Will definitely make these again!
Oh my gosh this makes my day to hear, Valerie!! Thank you so much for your feedback, and letting me know — thrilled they were a hit with your family!
3 enhancements to your good recipe:
1. Wash raw ribs 1st w/ water and blot dry w/ paper towels.
2. Mix vinegar and molasses and wash again, then apply rub.
3. Fresh grind Cumin Seed in an old coffee bean grinder. Cumin enhances all pork. BTW, great bbq sauce choice also my favorite.
2. Wash again w/ a mix of vinegar and molasses.
3. Cumin is very important. Grind Cumin Seed fresh in old coffee bean grinder. Apply liberally to all pork always.
BTW, excellent bbq sauce choice!
Thanks for your feedback, Krusatyr!
Can you place on a grill after cooking in the oven?
Hi Michelle! It’s possible, though the ribs are so tender that they might fall apart while transferring them off or on the grill. You could try under-baking them then finishing on the grill.
I have been doing them way for years. cook the ribs in the oven ahead of time but with no sauce, just rub. Once done let them cool a little, wrap in saran wrap and stick in the fridge to firm up. Then can put on grill with sauce to carmeliza and warm up
Sounds great Nick!
I am wondering if I am supposed to wrap the ribs in foil or cover the pan over the ribs with foil?
Hi Susan! You’ll want to cover the pan with foil, versus wrapping the actual rib rack in foil.
Oops. I wrapped the ribs loosely in foil. They still turned out delicious.
I didn’t read the recipe completely and didn’t cover the ribs while cooking. I’ll let you know how they are. I added a lot of bbq sauce, covered and added more. Praying they are good! My first time!
You’ve got this, Charlene!
This recipe is AWESOME!!! My husband LOVES BBQ. We don’t have a smoker. I saw your recipe and sent it to him. We made it this week and it was DELICIOUS!!!! Thank you so much! PS…we’re having it again next week. :)
WOHOO! So glad this recipe was a hit for you both!! Thank you so much for your feedback!
How long should they cook if you have less than 3 lbs?
Hi Joan! A 2-1/2 – 3lb slab should be 3-1/2 hours. A 2lb slab could go in as little as 3 hours.
You never mention what temperature to cook them at????
Kathi, step 2 in the recipe card says “Preheat oven to 250 degrees…”.
I’ve never made ribs before and today’s the day. They’re in the oven getting ready to cook LOW-n-SLOW at 250° which is indicated in your recipe.
Wohoo! Hope they were a hit, TJ!
I have a 6 lb rack of pork ribs. I had to cut them in half to fit my pan. Do I go by the add 30 minutes per lb still?
I would still start checking at the 3-1/2 hour point to see how loose the bones are, or cook them on separate baking pans.