When it comes to Baby Back Ribs, the secret is baking low and slow, This will make the best fall-off-the-bone oven-baked ribs you’ve ever had!
If you thought that the only people that can make delicious, tender, mouth-watering ribs were serious barbecue aficionados, you’re wrong. And it’s time to check out my easy baby back ribs recipe to see that cooking ribs in your oven is easier than you think.
Baking ribs in the oven couldn’t be easier and all you need is the time to let them slow roast in your oven and you’ll have amazing barbecued baby backs for your friends and family to enjoy!
For the best bbq ribs, give them a few minutes under the broiler to caramelize the sugars in the bbq sauce. It adds some char to the exterior of the ribs enhancing the flavor.
If you’re old school you’ll love my easy Grilled BBQ Ribs Recipe and for the slow cooker fans, my Ginger Beer Barbecue Baby Back Rib Recipe is sure to please!
What ingredients do I need to make Oven-Baked Baby Back Ribs?
Let’s start by gathering the ingredients we need to make Oven Roasted Baby Back Ribs. In Chef Speak this is called the “Mise en Place” which translates to “Everything in its Place”.
Not only does setting your ingredients up ahead of time speed up the cooking process, it also helps ensure you have everything you need to make the dish.
*You can use this recipe to make your favorite type of spare ribs, not just baby backs. If you’d like to use a spice rub to make ribs, click on this link to find my favorite dry rub recipe made with brown sugar, chili powder, onion powder, garlic powder, salt, black pepper, smoked paprika, dry mustard and oregano.
These are the sheet pans and screens I use for my recipes. They are restaurant quality pans and screens.
How do I make Oven-Baked Baby Back Ribs?
Preheat the oven to 275 degrees F.
- Rinse and pat the dry the ribs with a paper towel. Remove any silver skin on the top side of the ribs and the thin membrane from the underside of the ribs.
- Split the racks in half and place them on a baking sheet (this makes them easier to handle and gives you four good portions).
- Rub the mustard onto the tops and sides of the ribs
- Season the ribs with sea salt and cracked black pepper (to taste).
My oven-roasted Pulled Pork is another easy-to-make recipe!
- Wrap the half rack of ribs in foil. Seal the edges of the foil, making sealed packets.
- Place the ribs in the 275-degree preheated oven on a rack in the center of the oven. Cook the ribs for 2½ hours.
*You can also cook these ribs over indirect heat on your gas grill. The time and the rest of the directions should remain the same.
Can I make these ribs in a slow cooker?
Yes, you can. For a slow cooker method, add one cup of bbq sauce and one cup of apple juice to the slow cooker with the prepped ribs and use the high setting for 4 hours. If you want to have the charred look, baste with bbq sauce and place under the broiler until the desired appearance is achieved.
Cut the aluminum foil packets open using kitchen shears and fold back the foil to expose the ribs.
- Liberally coat the ribs with your favorite bbq sauce (I used Sweet Baby Rays).
- Raise the oven temperature to 400 degrees F. (you don’t have to wait for it to preheat). Place the ribs back in the oven for 20 – 25 minutes or until the internal temperature is between 190 -205 degrees.
*If you’re not a fan of sweet barbecue sauces, try adding a little apple cider vinegar to the sauce. And if you like a spicier version you can always add a little of your favorite hot sauce.
If you want to get a little char on the ribs and have them look more like barbecued baby back ribs, set the oven to broil. Allow the ribs to cook under the broiler for 3-5 minutes (or until you have the desired char). Repeat with an additional layer of bbq sauce, if desired and serve up the best baby back ribs that will ever come out of your oven.
Recipe FAQ’s:
At 275 degrees F., the ribs should cook for 2.5 – 3.5 hours or until they are fall off the bone tender. For fall of the bone ribs, the internal temperature needs to be 190 -205 degrees.
Yes, you can. But I would not go above 300 degrees F. The higher the heat and the quicker the ribs cook, the greater the chance they will be tough and chewy. Slow and low is the rule for ribs.
Technically they do not. But covering with foil helps keep the natural juices in the meat. The longer the ribs are exposed to direct heat, the more they will dry out.
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Kitchen knives are the most important tool in your kitchen. This one of the Misen knives that I use in my home kitchens. It's comfortable and has a great edge that stays sharp.
The Best Oven Roasted Baby Back Ribs
Ingredients
RIBS
- 2 racks baby back pork ribs (or your favorite ribs) 2-2½ pounds per rack
- ¼ cup spicy brown mustard you can substitute yellow or Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon sea salt more or less to taste
- 1 tablespoon cracked black pepper more or less to taste (if you use regular black pepper reduce the amount by half)
- 1½ cups barbecue sauce your favorite brand. I used Sweet Baby Rays
Instructions
- Pre-heat the oven to 275 degrees F.
- Rinse and pat the dry the ribs with a paper towel. Remove any silver skin or membrane from the ribs.
- Split the racks in half. This makes them easier to handle and gives you four good portions.
- Rub mustard into the top of the ribs
- Season with sea salt and cracked black pepper.
- Wrap the ribs in foil, sealing the edges of the foil, making sealed packets.Place the ribs on a bakig sheet bone side down.
- Place the ribs in the 275 degree preheated oven on a rack in the center of the oven. Cook the ribs for 2½ hours.
- Cut the foil packets open using kitchen shears and fold back the foil to expose the ribs. Liberally coat the ribs with barbecue sauce.Do Not Rewrap the Ribs with Foil.
- Raise the oven temperature to 400 degrees F, you don't have to wait for it to preheat. Place the ribs back in the oven for 25 minutes.For fall of the bone ribs, the internal temperature needs to be 190 -205 degrees.
- Set the oven to broil. When hot, place the baking tray under the broiler for 3-5 minutes. Repeat with an additional layer of bbq sauce, if desired. Serve the ribs.
Kathleen Stanley
Another five-star rating! Used baby back ribs. Pot-luck Halloween party. Rave reviews. Used Stubb’s Sticky-Sweet BBQ sauce. Not spicy. Everyone who had a rib made it a point to tell me how good they were. Now, I’m making some tonight for my husband and I! Thank you so much!
Chef Dennis Littley
You are very welcome and thank you, for taking the time to let me know the ribs were a big hit! I love hearing success stories
Leslie
Can you do mustard prep in advance?
Chef Dennis Littley
you sure can. You could do this up to 48 hours in advance. Any longer than overnight just make sure to keep it covered.
Pat Dooley
I used the technique but I marinated the ribs in a mixture of gochujang and soy paste. I convection baked for 2.5 hours and then put them under the broiler for around 5 minutes. As promised, the ribs were fall off the bone tender. The final broil crisped up the top layer without drying out the meat. Will use this technique, but maybe other marinades and sauces, from now on, The gochujang worked pretty well; just needed some extra pepper heat to add a bit more zing.
Patricia Schulz
First time making baby back ribs – my son suggested that I oven-bake them. I took Chef Dennis’s dry rub recipe from his grilled rib recipe and used the oven-baked recipe for ease. These are better than any restaurant – absolutely fell off the bone. There were too many choices of rubs in the store, so I am glad I made Chef Dan’s recipe. I bought Sticky Fingers Sweet/Smooth Kentucky Bourbon BBSauce – only needed a little, as the rub made the ribs. Thank you Chef Dan for making my first attempt a wonderful success. DELICIOUS!
Karen
I’d love to try these ribs today. My husband doesn’t like mustard at all. After cooking for a few hours and adding the bbq sauce, can you taste the mustard? He doesn’t notice it in marinades and dressings, but I’m not sure i can get away with this.
Comments?
Chef Dennis Littley
hi Karen
you really don’t taste the mustard, it is more of a marinade-style ingredient, adding flavor to the ribs, but not a mustard flavor. If you’d rather not try it, you can leave it out. Just rub a little olive oil on the ribs instead.
Jessica
Great method! I used to barbecue and went all out on the ceramic kamado smoker, thermometers, etc. I quit all that when I moved and had to sell my smoker. Now, I sous vide anything that will be seared or fried at the end (steaks, sausage, london broil, chicken cordon blue) and I braise short ribs, shanks, etc. This foil method is perfect for ribs. The meat came out amazingly tender and moist. Instead of regular sauce, I lightly brushed on a gochu-jang sauce with another very light layer of molasses on top of that. The flavor of this combo was delicious, with just enough heat.
Mac Ribs
I was supposed to cook ribs on my smoker today for my lady and I. Rain all day drove me inside. I found your website and oven roasted ribs method and recipe. Day saved! Hooray! The caramelization of the sauce under the broiler rocked! It sealed my fate as the ribs guy for every time to come.
Kraig Perlmutter
Thanks for writing this! I’ve been bbqing all year and looking forward to it again this weekend! Excited to try ribs for my next bbq.
Hayley Dhanecha
I shared this recipe with my friend, she was so happy to create in her kitchen for her dad. They enjoyed it a lot
Debbie
These oven baked Baby Back Ribs are so good and easy. My family loves ribs and we have found our new favorite recipe.
Amanda
These ribs came out so good! They were super tender and flavorful, and the preparation was super simple. Perfect summer meal!
Amy Casey
Thanks for this easy rib recipe. I made it for one of my personal chef clients and they loved it. The broiling at the end gave the ribs a nice char.
Jessica
These look perfect! I’ve been looking for a good rib recipe and so many are on the grill. Oven baked is my favorite way to make them, and your recipe is just the perfect mix of flavor without being to saucy. This weekend’s feast for sure!!
Veronika
These ribs take a while to cook but they’re SO worth the wait! They were juicy, tender, and perfectly charred on top.
Lisa
your ribs turned out perfectly! Everyone loved them and they were fall off the bone tender!
Cathleen
I don’t know why it has taken me so long to make ribs!! This turned out so perfect, thank you so much for the best recipe!!
Ann
Ribs and this recipe was on the menu tonight! I made the ribs just as you said – low and slow and they were perfect!
Freya
My boyfriend was looking for a ribs recipe and I came across yours…he followed it almost to the letter and the ribs were soooooo tender and full of flavour!
Marta
I made these oven-baked baby back ribs for the 4th of July and my guests raved about how tender and juicy they were. I loved how easy the recipe was to prepare.
Craig
As usual, Chef Dennis comes thru again with another great recipe. Perfect timing, Chef, I’m making this rib recipe for the Preakness today here in Baltimore, Maryland. Cooking on the grill indirectly at 275 for 2 1/2 hours with mesquite wood for the last half hour unwrapped. I’ll be toasting a Black-eyed Susan to you today. Thank you, Chef!
P.S….crabs are running!
Craig