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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Submitted by Louise. Submit your quote or read hundreds more by clicking here.
I made the barbeque ribs about 3 weeks ago. (I used boneless short ribs). They were delicious! My husband said that they were the best and most tender ribs he has ever eaten…including restaurant ribs! So, he made a request last night for me to make them again today! Thank you for this great recipe!
I am so glad that y’all enjoyed them Mary Ann!!!
My husband just returned home from deployment and this was the first thing he asked for 🙂 Thank you so much for sharing a little slice of your life with us!
Awww, tell him thank you so much for his service. And thank you for yours as well, it is definitely a family sacrifice!!
Okay question i just followed reciepe to the tee then noticed there boneless does that matter?
Nope, they will turn out just fine!!
My family thoroughly enjoyed the ribs. The meat just fell off the bones. A very simple recipe with fantastic results. I’m going to bake them again today.
Thanks for the recipe.
Glad to hear you liked them Charles!!! They are always a hit here!!!
I made pork baby back ribs like this today and was so disappointed in the results. The ribs seemed done but were not falling apart tender like I expected them to be.
I’ve used this recipe once before, but I mistakenly bought beef back ribs instead of pork ribs, they turned out really tender.
I cooked two racks of ribs today, same as before, wrapped them well and laid them side by side on a pan.
The only difference was the type of ribs used…….
Thanks,
Angela
Try using a paper towel to pull off the membrane…works like a charm!
I tried that tip tonight and it worked great!!! Thanks!
Thought I would ask again how many pounds of baby backs … Where I purchase meat doesn’t sell them in packages like you show here and you can’t see how many pounds are in your package photo 🙁 I looked online to see how many pounds a rack weigh and the answers I found are wildly different 🙁
This recipe is very versatile. I would get enough for four people to start with. It’s not going to make a difference if you have one each or two or even three. Just grab a bottle or two of Bbq sauce and dive in. :). This isn’t a persnickety recipe where you need exacts. You’ll be fine. Promise! Do try to get a rack of ribs though, not cut apart. The rack is the only measurement you need.
Thank you !! In my lifetime have cooked just about everything, including full course French, Greek and Japanese meals, but have never cooked a simple rack of ribs 😮 Go figure – – LOL!! 😉
That’s awesome!! It’s fun to still be able to find firsts, isn’t it? I’m doing a lot of that this week. Taking the week off from blogging to play around the house and try out some skills I’ve always wanted to learn. Let me know how you like them!
I was told that a 3 lb rack is the best. They have more meat on them.