Oven Baked Ribs are such an easy, fool-proof way to make fall-off-the-bone ribs without a grill or smoker! Cooking ribs in the oven is a great way to feed a crowd or get out of the heat!
The BEST Oven Baked Ribs
I based this recipe off of my other favorite way to cook ribs (See: Smoked Baby Back Ribs) and they are SO, SO good! I know not everyone has a smoker or grill and this is such an easy way to make ribs in the oven at home that are bone tender and juicy (See also: Grilled Ribs)! Feel free to try out our Homemade BBQ Sauce or use your favorite store-bought brand. Some of our favorite side dishes to serve with these are Corn on the Cob, Smoked Baked Beans, Creamy Coleslaw and Gluten Free Cornbread Muffins for a delicious meal!
Oven Baked Ribs Ingredients
- baby back ribs: we usually use two racks of ribs – leftovers are amazing!
- worcestershire sauce + yellow mustard + liquid smoke: these are rubbed all over the ribs and then the dry rub is added and together they make a paste.
- One batch of dry rub for ribs: I absolutely love our homemade dry rub for ribs which is a combination of spiced like kosher salt, ground black pepper, paprika, lemon pepper, garlic powder, onion powder and a little bit of cayenne. This is included in the recipe card below!
- barbecue sauce: feel free to use any kind of bbq sauce you want – we do have a delicious homemade bbq sauce on the site if you want!
How Do You Remove the Membrane From Ribs
A lot of pre-packaged ribs already have the membrane removed, but if you bought your ribs straight from a butcher, it might be there (but you can always ask them before you buy it and if it is still there, ask them to remove it for you!). The membrane is the thin layer on the back of the ribs that is white(ish) in color. Simply take the tip of your knife and lift of the corner and slowly pull it off! Easy! (See picture below)
How to Make Oven Baked Ribs
Step 1: Remove ribs from packaging and place on a clean surface (like a large baking sheet or cutting board).
Step 2: Flip ribs over so the meat side is facing down. If there is a membrane still attached, use a sharp knife to help lift the thin membrane off of the ribs and then continue lifting and pulling until the whole layer comes off.
This is what they look like without the membrane attached.
Step 3: Pat ribs dry all over with a clean paper towel.
Step 4: Rub all over with worcestershire sauce.
Step 5: Rub all over with yellow mustard.
Step 6: Rub all over with our homemade spice rub. Place on foil-lined baking sheet and cook per the recipe card below! Don’t forget to brush on your favorite BBQ Sauce at the end!
Step 7: Let rest for 5-10 minutes and then enjoy (cover or wrap ribs with tin foil while they are resting)!
Erin’s Signature Rib Preparation
In testing this recipe I borrowed a preparation method from my smoked pork shoulder recipe that I absolutely love and it works so well here! It involved a base on the ribs of worcestershire sauce, liquid smoke and yellow mustard followed by our beloved homemade dry rub for ribs! The cook times are based off of our popular smoked baby back rib recipe!
Oven Baked Ribs Side Dishes
- Purple Cabbage Slaw
- Classic Creamy Coleslaw
- Gluten-Free Cornbread
- Seven Layer Salad
- Grilled Corn on the Cob
- Grilled Broccoli
- See all of our recommended Side Dishes for Ribs here!
Oven Baked Rib FAQs
No. Ribs do not need to be washed or rinsed before cooking. According to the USDA, this not recommended as it can increase the risk of cross-contamination.
Yes, you should take the membrane off of the ribs before cooking. If you do not remove it, the ribs will be much harder to cut apart after cooking and tougher to eat.
Ribs do not need to be covered when cooking. They have enough natural fat on them that the fat self-bastes itself while cooking. You CAN cover them with aluminum foil, but that may impact the cooking time. For this recipe we do not recommend covering with tin foil.
With this recipe it takes approximately 6 hours to cook ribs in the oven. Ultimately, you are looking for your ribs to reach an internal temperature of 190 – 200 degrees F. Ribs are safe to eat once they reach 145 degrees F, but the meat would be much too tough. Once the meat reaches an internal temperature of 190 – 200 degrees F. the meat is tender and juicy and will fall off the bone!
Ribs are generally cooked between 225 – 275 degrees F. For this recipe, we are starting off low at 225 degrees F. and gradually increase the temperature until it ultimately gets to 275 degrees F. Then, at the end we crank it up to 350 degrees F. to help caramelize the bbq sauce (you can also broil them for a minute or two instead if that is what you prefer)!
Made this recipe and loved it?!
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Easy Oven Baked Ribs (Ribs in the Oven)
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 6 hours
- Total Time: 6 hours 15 minutes
- Yield: 8 servings 1x
- Category: Entree
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Low Lactose
Description
Easy Oven Baked Ribs (Ribs in the Oven) – A delicious, moist and juicy oven baked rib recipe that is perfect for your next cookout! A fool-proof way to make fall-off-the-bone ribs without a grill!
Ingredients
Oven Baked Baby Back Ribs:
- 2 racks of baby back ribs
- 1–2 tablespoons liquid smoke
- 1–2 tablespoons worcestershire sauce
- 2–4 tablespoons yellow mustard
- 1 bottle of your favorite (smokey) barbecue sauce (we also like this homemade bbq recipe!)
- 1 1/2 tablespoons kosher salt
- 2 1/2 tablespoons smoked paprika
- 2 1/2 tablespoons lemon pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)
- 1 tablespoon smoked garlic powder
- 1/2 tablespoon onion powder
- 1/2 tablespoon ground black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 225 degrees F.
- Remove Membrane: Take ribs and remove the thin layer of connective tissue on the non-meat side (aka the membrane).
- Make Dry Rub: Combine dry rub ingredients in a small bowl. and set aside.
- Prep Ribs: Pat ribs dry with a clean paper towel. Rub liquid smoke all over ribs. Followed by the worcestershire and then the yellow mustard. Rub dry rub all over ribs.
- 1st 4 Hours at 225: Place ribs on a foil-lined baking sheet (or large roasting pan), meat-side up. Bake for 4 hours (middle rack, uncovered).
- 1 Hour at 250: Turn oven up to 250 degrees F and let ribs cook for another hour.
- Finish at 275: Turn oven up to 275 degrees F and let ribs cook for another hour or until ribs have reached an internal temperature between 190 – 203 degrees F (approximately 1 hour) remove ribs from oven and turn oven up to 350 degrees F.
- Sauce: Sauce the ribs generously with your favorite BBQ sauce and place back in oven for 6-8 minutes, or until the BBQ sauce becomes tacky (you can also do this under the broiler – just watch them closely so the sauce doesn’t burn).
- Rest: Remove ribs from oven and let rest 15 minutes. Serve and enjoy!
Notes
- Fav BBQ Sauce: Feel free to use whatever sauce you want but we do have a smokey + sweet homemade barbecue sauce recipe if you want to use that or you can grab a bottle of Sweet Baby Ray’s or any other brand of your favorite barbecue sauce!
- Type of Ribs: feel free to really use any type of rib for this recipe: spare ribs, baby back ribs, etc.
- Brown Sugar: feel free to add a bit of brown sugar to our homemade dry rub – just a tablespoon or two works great!
- Liquid Smoke: Liquid smoke is amazing and can be found at most grocery stores typically by the bbq sauce, etc. I have always used the Wright’s Liquid Smoke and loved it!
- Paleo/Whole30: to make Paleo/Whole30 simply omit the Worcestershire sauce and ensure your bbq sauce is compatible.
- Let them rest: don’t skip this step!
- What to Serve: make it a meal with some lemon pasta, purple cabbage slaw, slow cooker baked beans and cornbread muffins!
- Leftovers: store leftover pork ribs in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/4 rack ribs
- Calories: 183
- Sugar: 28.5 g
- Sodium: 1661.6 mg
- Fat: 2.1 g
- Carbohydrates: 37 g
- Protein: 5 g
- Cholesterol: 10.2 mg
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Originally posted May 28, 2021.
Erin says
These turned out perfect! Thanks!
Kimberly KW says
Wonderful and simply recipe. The liquid smoke was instrumental in the flavor, never had that before and it added a certain je ne sais quoi of dimension!
A few personal tweaks: used Dijon mustard rather than yellow and the schmear was about 2x generous. Did not have any Worcestershire sauce so forged ahead without it.. Not sure but it did not seem to miss anything.
My hubs swears by a long roast at 275 so I compromised and went with 250 for 4 hours, then sprinkled with a little warm water and tent foil covered for the last 1 & 1/2 hours at 275 and the thin side ribs portion was at 193 and the thick portion at 203. Perfection. This did not even need any sauce so we just put a little warmed up on the side. I am saving this and appreciate you sharing!!
Amara says
While I didn’t use the seasonings recommended as I don’t like bbq sauce, the cook times were invaluable and even with my own spices and sauce they were so juicy and the rack didn’t last 20 minutes
Erin says
So glad to hear that!
Ashley says
Hi I am interested in trying this recipe but how many hours do I have the ribs in before turning the temperature up more?
Erin Jensen says
Hi Ashley – so it is 4 hours at 225, 1 hour at 250 and then turn up to 275 until the internal temp reaches between 190-200 degrees F.
Tanya says
These ribs were amazing. I’ve tried many recipes and almost given up making ribs at home because they lack restaurant quality. Until I saw your recipe. I purchased ribs this morning after getting the kids on the bus. Removed the membrane (never knew I needed to do that until now. In the oven by 9:30 am and out by 4. The whole house smelled amazing…AND my daughter who loves ribs couldn’t stop eating them. I usually don’t eat red meat but couldn’t help myself. They were so tender, falling off the bone. And the flavor. Thank you, bless you, you are amazing. Thank you for sharing this amazing recipe.
Kimmy says
I have been making ribs a long time… but I came across your recipe and decided to try it your way. I am so glad I did. I forgot the liquid smoke but the slow cooking, gradually increasing the heat really takes them over the top! Tender, juicy and flavorful!
Erin says
So happy to hear that, Kimmy!!
Mike says
I’m trying this recipe again today, but changing it up because they came out really crusty and dry last time. I’m covering them for the first 4 hours, and will cook them uncovered for the second two hours, or however long it takes, so we’ll see how they turn out this time…
Mike says
Well, I made these last night. They certainly turned out better than mushy slow cooker ribs, or ribs that are covered the whole time cooking. Had a nice crust on the outside, but I have to say that they were a little dried out.. Next time, I think I might actually cover them for part of the time, though I’m not sure if it should be covered at the beginning or toward the end of the cooking time. No one else’s turned out kinda dry?
Erin says
Hi Mike – thanks for trying the recipe! It’s one I come back to over and over and I have never had an issue with dryness so I wonder what the issue was for you? It could just come down to a difference in brand of rib you are using and the fat ratio? But for sure try covering with foil for part of the cook time next time!
David Worth says
Try spraying or dripping a little apple cider vinegar on it every 45 mins while cooking. It helps maintain the juiciness and you still get the crust at the end.
Bridget Montag says
That’s a great tip! Thanks David!
EH says
Turned out so good!
Mike says
Amazing flavor and consistency!
Jen says
We love this rib recipe! The ribs turn out great every time. Plus it smells so good in the house whenever we make them.
Erin says
So happy to hear that, Jen!!
Angela Watters says
My husband asks for these to be on the meal plan every week. I make him take the membranes off if he wants them. 🙂
Erin says
So happy he is loving these, Angela!! Thank you so much for coming back to leave feedback – it is so appreciated!! (love your rule about the membrane!)
Jen says
This was an easy and delicious recipe! Our house smelled amazing all day. The ribs were tender and perfectly seasoned. We loved the rub!
Erin says
Yay!! So happy to hear that, Jen!! And thank you so much for taking the time to leave a review + feedback – I really appreciate it!
Hattie says
Love this recipe!! The ribs are so tender and perfectly done, not fall-off-the-bone but so easy to get off. Flavor is amazing, too. I was a little afraid of cooking ribs because I thought it would be really hard to get right but I followed this recipe and it made it so easy. My extended family at our 4th of July party was impressed and loved them!
Erin says
So glad you enjoyed it, Hattie! And thank you for taking the time to leave a review + feedback – I really appreciate it!
Mike says
not fall off the bone?? I was hoping they would be?
Erin says
Hey Mike! So what I went for with this recipe was “fall-apart” instead of like completely “fall off the bone” … a thin line to walk, I know 🙂 But I like when they still retain *some* firmness while still being juicy, tender and fall apart delicious! When I think of “fall of the bone” I feel like that describes the meat at literally just being mushy almost too tender! Hope that helps to clear it up a bit!
Stephanie says
Love, love these ribs! So good and so easy! I can honestly say I’ve never made ribs in my life – ha!! My hubs does them on the grill but these were a great weekday treat!! Enjoy!!
Erin says
So happy to hear that, Stephanie! And thank you so much for taking the time to leave a review + feedback – I really appreciate it!