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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We are so tired of the storms here in southwestern Kentucky. It is supposed to be pretty here tomorrow, if we can just get through the tornado watch tonight. I am praying for you and your family! AND I am going to do the ribs!
I tried and tried to figure out how to post a comment on your forums and I’m so confused. Anyway I love the polka dot apron you have on and I would love to add it to my collection. I am a stay at home mom and there isn’t a day that goes by that I am not wearing an apron. I have aprons handed down from my mother, my grandmother and more vintage ones from my great grandmother. Thanks for the chance to win this one.
Christy here is the easy way to “peel’ ribs (take that membrane off the back). On the short bone end of the rib go three bones back, take a regular screw driver and slide it under the membrane along that third bone. Now wriggle the screw driver just a bit and slide your index finger under the membrane and while holding the rib rack down with the screw drive pull up on the membrane and it should peel right off whole and intact. This is the easiest way and works great, I’ve done hundreds this way in my old restaurant and it is the best method. Great recipe, Regards Buddy…………….
Hope that all of your tornado preparation is for naught! Better be safe than sorry though. We have storms coming through NC tonight, actually 2 a.m. in our area, not a good time!
These ribs look and sound so good, I plan to get some baby backribs on my next trip to the store. Neither of us cook outside, use the George Foreman, or broiler, I know that’s not the same! Looking forward to your bean recipe. Be safe.
Ooh YUM! Those look SO good. Thanks so much for making sure you passed this on to us too before the tornadoes blew you away. LOL Seriously though ~ I REALLY hope you stay safe down there. I am deathly afraid of tornadoes because as a child we were in a campground in a pop up type camper when a tornado passed through ripping trees out of the ground in the entire campground and flipping campers upside down. This has been a terrible Spring so far. Stay safe.
I just cooked some country style pork ribs in the oven. They have more meat and sometimes you can buy them boneless. I put salt,pepper and garlic powder on them and cook them at 350*,covered with foil. Cook until they are tender, then uncover. You may have to pour off the juice or let it cook down and sauce them. They are soooo goood!!!!
My family thinks I have lost it. I burst out laughing when the whole house is quiet reading this post. You are a hoot! Love your recipes, sense of humor and your positive attitude! Stay safe!