The BEST BBQ Ribs Recipe ever! Cooked low and slow in the oven and then finished on the grill or under the broiler right before serving. These perfectly tender ribs are seasoned with our signature dry rub and finished with your favorite barbecue sauce.
Why This Is The BEST BBQ Ribs Recipe
There’s so many barbecue ribs recipes to choose from, from smoked ribs to competition recipes. So why do we think this is the Best BBQ Ribs Recipe ever? Not only because of their addicting flavor, but you won’t need any special equipment or ingredients to make them. Not even a grill if you don’t have one!
You can even cook these barbecue ribs a day or two before a party or cook out. Just let them hang out in the refrigerator until you’re ready to throw them on the grill, or finish under the broiler.
The secret to getting super tender, fall off the bone ribs is to cook them in your oven at a low temperature for a few hours before finishing them on the grill with barbecue sauce.
What Kind Of Ribs Are Best?
Any type of pork rib will work for this easy barbecue ribs recipe, but baby back ribs are our preference. Spareribs are cut from the belly, same place that we get our bacon and pancetta from. This cut is meaty, fatty and super tasty.
Baby Back Ribs are also ribs that are taking from the belly area, but baby backs are taken from the loin. They’re smaller than other types of ribs, hence the name baby back. Baby Back Ribs have lots of lean meat on both sides of the ribs, making this type a fan favorite.
St. Louis Style Ribs are that perfectly rectangle cut of ribs most people are familiar with. They have a little less meat than the other types of ribs but the meat is delicious, fatty and full of flavor.
How To Make Ribs In The Oven
- Prepare The Ribs: Prepare the ribs by removing the membrane on the back of the rack of ribs. Insert the tip of a knife under the membrane and peel it back until it’s removed. Sometimes you’ll need to do this in a few steps, but usually it comes of fairly easily.
- Coat With The Dry Rub: Prepare the dry rub and then coat the ribs generously on both sides, patting the dry rub into the ribs to help it stick.
- Bake: Wrap the racks of ribs tightly in heavy duty aluminum foil, or two sheets of regular foil. Place on a baking sheet and bake at 325 for 2 1/2 – 3 hours until the ribs are tender.
- Add The Sauce: Brush on your favorite BBQ sauce and finish the ribs on the grill or under the broiler.
When Do You Add The BBQ Sauce?
This is where a lot of people get confused, don’t want to add the sauce to your ribs too early on in the game. Most barbecue sauce has sugar in it so if the sauce is on the grill too long it will burn.
The key to not having burnt sauce is to just add the bbq sauce to the ribs during the last few minutes of cooking. So after the ribs have fully cooked in the oven, baste with sauce and either finish on the grill or under the broiler.
Best Way To Reheat Ribs
The oven is my favorite option, it warms the meat through again without making the meat tough like a microwave can. Microwaving is also fine, just enough to warm the ribs through.
You can also throw your leftover ribs back on the grill! Either right on the racks or wrap them in heavy duty aluminum foil. When we have leftover racks of ribs, it’s always a party.
What Sides Go With Ribs?
The best barbecue ribs recipe is only made better with a few side dishes! Of course, when we’re having a party, we’re going to add a few sides for serving. But even a dinner at home warrants at least a side or two, pick your favorites!
Looking For More Rib Recipes?
Best Barbecue Ribs Recipe
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 3 hours
Total Time: 3 hours 10 minutes
Yield: 6 Servings 1x
The BEST BBQ Ribs Recipe ever! Cooked low and slow in the oven and then finished on the grill or under the broiler right before serving!
Scale
Ingredients
- (2) 3 pound slabs of pork baby back ribs
- 1 cup BBQ Sauce, your favorite kind
For the Dry Rub
- 1 1/2 tablespoons garlic powder
- 1 1/2 tablespoons paprika
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 1 tablespoon cumin
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons kosher salt
- 1 – 1 1/2 teaspoons cayenne pepper (depending on your taste, we use 1 1/2 teaspoons)
- 2 teaspoons black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.
- Add all the ingredients for the dry rub to a small bowl and mix together. Divide the rub evenly between the 2 slabs of ribs and rub generously on both sides, patting the rub into the ribs to help it adhere.
- Wrap the ribs tightly in heavy duty aluminum foil, or two sheets of regular foil and then place onto a baking sheet.
- Bake in the oven for 2 1/2 to 3 hours until the ribs are fork tender.
- At this point you can cool the ribs, wrap in clean foil and keep in the refrigerator for up to 2 days before finishing.
- When you’re ready to finish the ribs, preheat your grill to 350 degrees, then place each slab of ribs onto the grill, bone side down. (see NOTE if cooking the ribs after being refrigerated)
- Baste the ribs with bbq sauce and close the lid to let the sauce set and caramelize slightly, about 5 minutes. Watch for flare ups on the grill so the bottoms of your ribs don’t burn. You don’t need a super high temperature for this part of the cooking process, just a warm grill to set the sauce and add a slightly charred flavor.
- Remove the ribs from the grill to a cutting board, cut into sections and serve.
To Finish The Ribs Under The Broiler:
- Place the ribs on a clean sheet of aluminum foil on a baking sheet. Baste the ribs with the BBQ sauce and place under the broiler for 5 minutes until the sauce slightly caramelizes.
Recipe Notes
If you’re cooking the ribs after bring in the refrigerator, bring the ribs to room temperature for 30 minutes before placing on the grill or under the broiler.
Store: Store leftover ribs in a container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Reheat: Reheat leftover ribs in the microwave or in a low oven until warmed through. Serve with extra sauce.
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: American