Sweet and Sticky Oven-Baked BBQ Ribs
These mouth-watering oven-baked BBQ ribs are fall-off-the-bone tender and full of sweet, smoky flavor. Slather on the sweet and sticky BBQ sauce, caramelize them to perfection, and serve with cornbread pudding and a dinner salad for a truly crowd-pleasing meal!
Servings: 6
Calories: 1041kcal
Ingredients
Ribs:
- 2 racks baby back or spare ribs about 4lbs
- 2 cups BBQ sauce store-bought or homemade
Dry Rub:
- 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
- 1 tablespoon cumin
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon onion powder
- 2 tablespoon brown sugar
- 2 tablespoon kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon black pepper
Homemade BBQ Sauce
- 2 cups ketchup
- 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
- 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
- 2 tablespoons worcestershire sauce or soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon chili powder/cayenne pepper or hot sauce
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
Instructions
Oven-Baked BBQ Ribs
- Peel off the tough membrane that covers the underside/bony side of the ribs. This may have already been done by the butcher but it's always good to double check. Removing the membrane helps the meat absorb more flavor and become more tender. See recipe notes for further instuction.
- Whisk together the dry rub ingredients in a small bowl. Sprinkle the dry rub mixture evenly over both sides of each rack of ribs. Lightly rub the mixture into the ribs to coat completely. Cover tightly with aluminum foil and refrigerate at least 20 minutes (or up to 24 hours for maximum flavor).
- Preheat the oven to 300 F.
- Bake the ribs, covered for 1½-2 hours (baby back) or 2 ½-3 hours (spare ribs) until the meat shreds easily and feels tender when poked with a paring knife. Take the ribs out of the oven and remove the foil. Brush both sides generously with barbecue sauce.
- Preheat the broiler to its highest setting and broil the ribs for 3-4 minutes, just until the barbecue sauce begins to caramelize.
- To serve, cut between the ribs and brush with a little more BBQ sauce. Serve with extra sauce on the side…and lots of napkins!
BBQ Sauce
- Combine all of the ingredients in a saucepan and warm gently over medium heat for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Notes
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions:
Recipe Notes:
Storing and Reheating Leftovers:
- Ribs: Both baby back and spare ribs work well for this recipe. Look for ribs that are meaty with well distributed marbling and an even thickness.
- BBQ Rub: This BBQ rub is very adaptable. If you don't have both garlic and onion powder you could double up on one or the other. Smoked paprika can be swapped out with sweet or Hungarian paprika.
- BBQ Sauce: If you don't have time to make your own BBQ sauce you can use store-bought. This Bone Sucking Sauce is one of my favorites and widely available.
Recipe Notes:
- The membrane, or “silver skin,” is the whitish semi-transparent skin covering the ribs’ underside. Sometimes the butcher will have already removed this for you, but if not, you may want to do it yourself. To check if the membrane has been removed; flip the ribs to the bone side and look for a thin, iridescent layer of white tissue. You may need to get the edge started with a small pairing knife, but it should come off easily with just your fingers after that. Here’s a step-by-step on how to remove the membrane from pork ribs.
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Make sure to save extra BBQ sauce to brush on just before serving or serve alongside the ribs.
Storing and Reheating Leftovers:
- Store leftover ribs in aluminum foil, in the refrigerator for up to five days. Reheat in an oven that’s been preheated to 250 F for 20-30 minutes.
Nutrition
Calories: 1041kcal | Carbohydrates: 47g | Protein: 49g | Fat: 72g | Saturated Fat: 23g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 12g | Monounsaturated Fat: 26g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 243mg | Sodium: 3580mg | Potassium: 1072mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 36g | Vitamin A: 1202IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 108mg | Iron: 5mg