Easy Baby Back Ribs in Oven
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These tender fall-off-the-bone baby back ribs are baked in the oven in a delicious barbecue sauce. Add your favorite sides for the perfect Southern supper.
I’ve always loved ribs but growing up my dad was the one who made them. He’d spend hours outside around a hot grill or smoker, basting and fussing with them until perfection was reached. They sure were good. But I’m on my own now and daddy lives an hour away. When a rib craving hits I’m not about to stand over a hot grill for hours on end. Instead, I make them the easy way and am just as happy with the results.
Now there are countless ways to make juicy ribs and there is never a shortage of folks to tell you that their way is the only right way to do things. But the way I see it, your kitchen = your rules. So today I’m gonna show you how to cheat at ribs. No grill and no sweat needed, but you’ll still end up with fall-off-the-bone juicy results.
Intrigued? Let me tell you, tender baby back ribs in the oven are a game changer. All you need is a rack of ribs, some barbecue sauce, and a little bit of time. This is such an easy baby back ribs recipe to make and the results speak for themselves. Add your favorite Southern side dishes (I’ve included lots of options below) and you have the perfect supper, at least in my books!
Recipe Ingredients
- Ribs
- Bbq sauce (I’m using my homemade bbq sauce recipe)
How to Make Baby Back Ribs in Oven
Now the trick is to remove that white membrane on the back of the ribs because that will help them be all nice and tender when they cook and when eatin’ time comes.
The way I do this is to slice into it with a sharp knife and then grab it and pull it off as best I can.
This is me removing a good bit of it.
There is still some left but at least I got the main layer off. Sometimes I have better luck than others but as long as you get the majority of it you’ll be fine.
Just think: cavemen made ribs. They can’t be that complex to prepare.
Now you’ll notice that I have the rack of ribs laying on a baking sheet I’ve lined with aluminum foil. This is important because we are fixing to baste them and seal them up all nice and tight.
Baste both sides of them using half of your bbq sauce. We’ll use the other half after they cook for a while.
There we go, all ready for the oven!
Now seal that up really well. Don’t be skimpy on the tin foil here!
Bake in a 300-degree oven for 2 hours.
Remove from oven and open foil.
Baste generously with the rest of your sauce on just the top.
Return to oven, leaving the foil opened like this, for another hour or until that sauce is nice and thick.
Oh goodness, this smells so good. Gotta love some sticky pork ribs.
Enjoy!
My husband, who normally does not care for ribs, ate three helpings of these!
Storage
- Store leftover pork ribs in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat in a 300-degree oven or air fryer until heated through. You might want to add some extra sauce.
- You can also freeze leftovers for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating as above.
Recipe Notes
Some recipes include a before the for added flavor. If you want to add one, here’s an easy homemade dry rub recipe, but you’ll need ingredients like , smoked or regular paprika, , salt, (or cayenne pepper), , and .
Recipe FAQs
What do you serve with oven-baked baby back ribs?
Here are some great side dishes to serve with your easy oven-baked ribs:
- Loaded Baked Potato Salad
- Cheesy Garlic Mashed Potatoes
- Oven-Baked Mac and Cheese
- Velveeta Bowtie Pasta Salad
- 3 Bean Salad
- Baked Beans
- Creamed Corn
- Cornbread
- Homemade Biscuits
What kind of ribs do I use?
Look for ribs that say “back” in them, either baby back or pork loin back or something of the like. This is referring to where they come from and means they will have a lot more meat on them and less bone. Spare ribs have more bone and less meat.
What’s the best temperature for baking baby back ribs in the oven?
A low temperature makes for truly tender bbq ribs, which is why we bake them in a 300-degree oven for 2 to 3 hours.
You may also like these recipes:
Slow-Roasted Beef Brisket in the Oven
Slow-Cooked Pork Roast in Crock Pot
Crock Pot Pulled Pork Recipe, Southern-Style
North Alabama Style Pulled Chicken BBQ
Crock Pot Beef Ribs (Tender and Delicious)
Ingredients
- 1 rack pork back ribs
- 1 jar BBQ sauce
Instructions
- Using a knife, slice into the membrane on the back of the ribs (the white part) and use your hand to pull it off.1 rack pork back ribs
- Place the entire rack of ribs in the center of the foil and brush it with bbq sauce on both sides. Wrap well in foil to seal and place on a baking sheet.1 jar BBQ sauce, 1 rack pork back ribs
- Bake in a 300-degree oven for two hours. Remove from oven and open foil. Baste top with remaining bbq sauce and place back in the oven, with the foil still open, for an hour, or until the sauce is nice and thick.
Nutrition
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Danny is so right when he recommends using a paper towel to grasp the silver skin with. I would add start at the narrow or small end of the rib and peel toward the large/big end. For some reason the skin remains intact and is easier to peel in this direction.
That’s the same receipt that I use and have never had a failure. Here in Kansas City it,s OK to get sauce all over your fingers but we only wipe our mouths not our fingers, we lick our fingers.
I’ve been doing it this way for many years — except I throw them on the grill for a couple minutes on each side, just to get those grill marks…..then wrap them and put them in the oven for hours. This is so great when you’re having company for dinner and you don’t want to be in the kitchen cooking while everyone is having fun. Make some potato salad and some baked beans ahead of time and you’re done.
Christy, the easiest way to remove the membrain or “silverskin” from the back of ribs or other meats is to pick at a corner until you have enough to get between your finger and thumb. Now, use an old towel or a paper towel to grab the skin and pull. So much easier than using bare fingers.
Danny is exactly right about using a a towel, paper or other material. One additional tip for all is always begin at the narrow or small end of the rib and work toward the large/big end. The silver skin peels so much easier in that direction.
Thank you for the tip Danny!!!!
I use a butter knife to start the skin on the back. Then pull it right off. Easier to start that way.
Love the article. Will say I changed one step. After two hours, I opened up the foil. Basted heavily and transferred them to the BBQ pit. Cooked for about an hour more on the pit at 300 degrees. Awesome. Think I will start all my meat in the oven first.
I am so glad you liked them Britt!
Here it is April 29, 2014. That’s 3 years and 2 days after you posted this on a day that Alabama was being hit by tornadoes. Yesterday and today your great state has been besieged with tornadoes once again. I hope that you and yours are safe and I will offer up a prayer asking for Gods protection and love to all in Bama while I am preparing these tasty ribs for dinner. Take care
Thank you so much for your prayers Annette!! We are all safe and are so thankful for prayer warriors such as yourself! Hope you enjoyed the ribs!!
I plan on cooking these ribs this weekend. I found, what sounds like a real yummy dry rub. I plan on applying the dry rub, and putting them in the fridge over night. I will then cook the ribs according to your recipe. What are your thoughts on using both a dry rub and sauce? Also, I will be cooking 6 racks; will the cooking time be the same?
I think that sounds like a fabulous idea Patty!! Yes, the cooking time would be about the same, you may want to add a little more time…like maybe 15 minutes.