How to Cook Ribs in the Oven

Co-authored by Jessica Gibson

Last Updated: October 21, 2021 Tested

If you're intimidated by the time and skill it takes to grill ribs, cook them low and slow in the oven. Season pork or beef spare ribs with your favorite dry rub and then bake them for several hours at very low heat. Once the meat is tender and almost falling off the bone, you can brush the ribs with barbecue sauce and stick them under the broiler for a few minutes to give them a rich brown color.

Ingredients

Oven-Roasted Pork Ribs

4 to 5 pounds (1.8 to 2.3 kg) of pork spareribs or baby back ribs
1/4 cup (60 g) of Dijon mustard
1 to 2 teaspoons (4.9 to 9.9 ml) of liquid smoke
1 cup (145 g) of spice rub
1 cup (288 g) of barbecue sauce, plus more for serving, optional

Makes 4 to 8 servings

Oven-Baked Beef Ribs

2 to 3 pounds (0.91 to 1.36 kg) of beef ribs
1 tablespoon (10 g) of onion powder
1 tablespoon (10 g) of garlic powder
2 tablespoons (25 g) of brown sugar
1 tablespoon (15 ml) of oil, such as vegetable or olive oil
1/2 teaspoon (1 g) of cumin
1/2 teaspoon (2.5 g) of salt
1 teaspoon (2 g) of chili powder
1 teaspoon (2 g) of smoked paprika
Barbecue sauce for serving

Makes 2 to 5 servings

Method 1

Method 1 of 2:

Making Oven-Roasted Pork Ribs

1
Line a baking sheet with foil and put a wire rack on top. It's important to use a rimmed baking sheet so juices from the meat don't run over the side of the sheet. The wire rack should easily fit in the foil-lined sheet.^{[1]
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2
Remove the membrane from the ribs and lay them on the wire rack so the meaty side faces up. Get out 4 to 5 pounds (1.8 to 2.3 kg) of pork spareribs or baby back ribs. To remove the tough membrane, slide the tip of a knife under the thin membrane between the bones and turn the knife vertically to loosen the membrane a little. You can remove the knife and then pull the membrane away while your other hand holds the ribs in place. Arrange the ribs in a single layer on the wire rack.^{[2]
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- Discard the membrane once you pull it off the ribs.
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3
Brush the ribs with Dijon mustard and liquid smoke. Pour 1 to 2 teaspoons (4.9 to 9.9 ml) of liquid smoke into a small bowl and add 1/4 cup (60 g) of Dijon mustard. Stir the mixture until the liquid smoke is incorporated. Then, dip a barbecue brush in the mixture and spread it over both sides of the ribs.^{[3]
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- This wet seasoning will help the dry rub stick to the ribs.
4
Coat the ribs with a dry spice rub. Buy or make 1 cup (145 g) of barbecue spice rub and sprinkle it evenly over both sides of the ribs. Use your fingers to gently massage the spice into the rib meat.^{[4]
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- You can prep the ribs and season them up to 1 day before baking them. Store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator until you're ready to cook them.
Spice Rub:
4 teaspoons (8 g) of garlic powder
2 teaspoons (4 g) of onion powder
4 teaspoons (8 g) of paprika
4 teaspoons (22 g) of salt
2 teaspoons (4 g) of cracked black pepper
1 teaspoon (2 g) of cumin
2 teaspoons (4 g) of chili or cayenne powder, optional
5
Broil the ribs for 5 minutes. Turn your broiler on and heat it for a few minutes before you place the sheet of ribs about 3 inches (7.6 cm) below the heating element. Broil them so the sugar in your barbecue spice rub begins to bubble and the meat begins to look brown.^{[5]
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- If your broiler has a high or low setting, turn it to high.
6
Bake the ribs at 300 °F (149 °C) for 1 1/2 to 3 hours depending on the type. There's no need to preheat the oven before you put the sheet of ribs in it because they're baking for so long. If you used baby back ribs, bake them for 1 1/2 to 2 hours. If you're making spareribs, cook them for 2 1/2 to 3 hours.^{[6]
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- You can also make this with country-style ribs and cook them for 2 to 3 hours.
Tip: Check the ribs halfway through the cooking time. If they're looking dry, cover them with a sheet of aluminum foil.
7
Brush the ribs with sauce during the last 30 minutes of cooking. If you'd like saucy ribs, pour 1 cup (288 g) of your favorite barbecue sauce into a bowl and brush the ribs with it. Cover the ribs with foil and let them finish cooking.^{[7]
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- If you'd only like to dry season the ribs, you can skip this step.
8
Remove the ribs and rest them for 10 minutes. To tell if the ribs are finished cooking, insert a knife into the thickest part of some rib meat. The knife should slide in easily if the ribs are done. If they aren't, cook them for another 15 minutes and check them again. Take the finished ribs out of the oven and leave them covered for 10 minutes before serving them.^{[8]
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- The ribs should reach at least 145 °F (63 °C) with an instant-read meat thermometer once they're done.
- The juices will redistribute within the meat while the ribs rest.
9
Cut the ribs between the bones and serve them with extra sauce. Take off the aluminum foil and move the ribs to a cutting board. Use a sharp knife to cut between each bone so you have individual ribs to serve.^{[9]
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- Refrigerate the leftover ribs in an airtight container for up to 4 days. Keep in mind that the ribs will become more flavorful the longer they're stored.

Method 2

Method 2 of 2:

Making Oven-Baked Beef Ribs

1
Pull the membrane from the ribs set the ribs aside. Get out 2 to 3 pounds (0.91 to 1.36 kg) of beef ribs and slip a knife under the thin membrane that covers the ribs. Then, turn the knife and wiggle it so the membrane loosens and you can grip it with 1 hand. Pull the membrane away while you hold the ribs in place with your other hand.^{[10]
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- You can throw away the membrane once you've pulled it off the ribs.
2
Combine the spices with oil in a small bowl. Put all of the dry spices into a bowl and stir them until they're well mixed. Then, stir in 1 tablespoon (15 ml) of oil to create a crumbly spice rub. For the spice mix, you'll need:
- 1 tablespoon (10 g) of onion powder
- 1 tablespoon (10 g) of garlic powder
- 2 tablespoons (25 g) of brown sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon (1 g) of cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon (2.5 g) of salt
- 1 teaspoon (2 g) of chili powder
- 1 teaspoon (2 g) of smoked paprika
3
Cover the ribs with the rub. Scatter all of the dry rub over the ribs and use your hands to massage the spices into the meat. Remember to season both sides of the ribs.
- If you find this too messy, try wearing food-safe gloves while you season the ribs.
4
Rest the ribs for up to 2 hours at room temperature. Set the ribs aside so they tenderize and become flavorful before you begin cooking them. If you'd like to prep them more than 2 hours in advance, refrigerate the ribs in an airtight container and chill them overnight.
- Keep in mind that 2 hours at room temperature is the maximum you can leave the ribs out before bacteria starts growing. If you're in a hot climate, you shouldn't leave them at room temperature for more than 1 hour.
5
Wrap the ribs in aluminum foil and put them on a baking sheet. Tear off several large pieces of aluminum foil and lay a rack of ribs on each piece so the meaty side faces up. If the foil is large enough, you can wrap the ribs with the same piece of foil. If not, lay another piece of foil over the ribs so you can completely enclose them. Place the wrapped ribs on a baking sheet.
- Use a rimmed baking sheet which will catch juices that might leak out of the ribs.
- Keep the ribs in a single layer when you wrap them and place them on the sheet.
6
Cook the ribs at 250 °F (121 °C) for 3 to 4 hours. Put the sheet with the foil-wrapped ribs in the middle of the oven and bake them until the meat is completely tender. To check if the ribs are done, insert a fork or knife into the meat. The ribs are done if the fork or knife slides in and out easily or they reach at least 145 °F (63 °C) with an instant-read meat thermometer.
- Since the meat will be cooking for so long, there's no need to wait for the oven to preheat before you add the ribs.
- You might even see the meat falling off the bone once the ribs have finished cooking.
7
Unwrap the ribs and broil them for 5 minutes. Preheat the broiler to high for a few minutes while you remove the ribs from the oven and carefully open the foil packets. Keep the ribs on the baking sheet and put them about 3 inches (7.6 cm) below your broiler's heating element. Then, broil the ribs for about 5 minutes so they brown a little.

Tip: For saucy ribs, brush the slabs with your favorite barbecue sauce before you broil them.
8
Cut the ribs and serve them with barbecue sauce. Transfer the ribs to a cutting board and use a sharp knife to carefully cut the meat in between each bone. Put the ribs on a serving plate and set out plenty of barbecue sauce and napkins!
- You can refrigerate leftover ribs in an airtight container for up to 4 days.

Community Q&A

Question

Is it necessary to remove the membrane?

Community Answer

No, but if you don't, they will be “chewy”. You can’t get that fall off the bone tenderness with it still attached.
Question

Should I boil the spare ribs to make them tender?

Community Answer

You do not need to boil for oven baked ribs. Removing the membrane and baking will give you the same desired tenderness.
Question

Do I put barbecue sauce on before or after I cook them?

Community Answer

The night before, immersethe ribs in sauce. Cook them the next day.

Warnings

If you cover the ribs with aluminum foil, use caution when you open the foil since steam will escape which could burn you.

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