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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I have fixed ribs many ways. Loved this recipe. Thanks for sharing it.
I am so glad you liked them Brenda!!! This is one of my families favorites, hope it becomes one of yours as well!!
I made these for supper, they turned out great, even though I mistakenly bought beef back ribs instead of pork back ribs, gonna share this recipe with friends and family.
Next time, I’m going to buy pork ribs and would like to try your homemade BBQ sauce. If I want to make just enough sauce for 2 racks of ribs, would I divide your recipe in half or thirds?
Thanks,
Angela
I am so glad you liked them Angela!! I always make a full batch and store the extra in the refrigerator, so I am not 100% certain. I would half it and if there is a little left you can always put it in a jar in the fridge and will know next time if you need to third it. Hope that helps.
I have tried ribs many ways but I have to say hands down this is the best method…..i made 2 racks…..and my 14 year old son(6ft 2) ate a whole rack alone and said this was the best ribs ever……i did make my own sauce thoy from a old family recipe…..Thank you Christy you have done it again……y lcbo after what I have made from your recipes have been a hit and 8 didn’t change them at all…
Thank you Dizel!! I am so glad to hear they were a hit!!
Hi Christy, I just read uour comments and recipe, etc. You are SO funny and generous with such a good heart!!! I’ll need to try your recipe when I make for my husband and son. I have 6 racks I’m making for a party tomorrow but I’m so bad with following directions that I’m chicken to try your interesting recipe when I have so many racks to make. I live in Hawaii and known for not measuring, etc. I just dump all my ingredients and cook eyeball but in love to cook and please. Lol Lisa
LOL, I do hope you will give it a try as soon as you can. I hope your party turns out wonderful and everyone has a glorious time!!
Making tonight…. Smells so DELICIOUS… Thanks for posting your recipe Christy…..:)
Christy,
Thank you so much for sharing your information on cooking baby back ribs. They turned out delicious. Thanks again, Renee
I am so glad they turned out Renee!! This is one of our favorite recipes and I am always glad to hear when someone else likes it as well as we do! 🙂
Hi! I found you via Pinterest. I brought home some baby back ribs, and had no idea what to do with them. Typed in baby back ribs into the Pinterest search, and came upon your post. The picture is what drew me in! Then, I read some comments, and took a chance. They were delicious! Thank you so much for sharing! I’ll definately be making them again!
Welcome to Southern Plate Penny!!! I am so glad you found me and I look forward to getting to know you!! So glad you enjoyed the ribs!
I did a search for doing ribs in the oven, came across this post and oh my goodness my family loves this. I do have a suggestion on the membrane removal – using the handle of a standard spoon (one you eat with normally, not one you use to serve stuff with) helps get up under the membrane and I can usually get it off with one pull. Mind you that’s also when I’ve let the ribs sit out of the fridge for at least 15 minutes but still in their packaging so they’re not super cold.
That said… that’s the only thing different I do with the ribs. I salt, pepper and garlic powder them, coat them good with BBQ sauce, bake them for 2 hours, slather more sauce, bake for another hour and they’re phenomenal. Your recipe is great. Thank you for sharing it.