It is best to reheat ribs using either an oven or grill to accommodate both the meat and the sauce that are already on the leftover ribs. Heat times vary upon the size of the rib cut, but the process is the same.

Method 1
Method 1 of 2:

Reheating Ribs with an Oven

  1. 1
    Thaw your ribs that need to be reheated if applicable.
  2. 2
    Preheat your oven to 250 degrees Fahrenheit (121 degrees Celsius). If the oven is any hotter than this, there is risk of the rib meat shrinking and getting tough.[1]
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  3. 3
    Slather barbecue sauce over the rib meat on all sides.
  4. 4
    Wrap the ribs to be reheated in 2 layers of foil. Be careful to not rip the foil otherwise the rib meat could dry out.[2]
  5. 5
    Set the foil wrapped ribs onto a baking pan or cooking sheet and put in the middle rack of your oven.
  6. 6
    Heat until the center of the rib meat is 155 degrees Fahrenheit (66 degrees Celsius). This takes approximately 1 hour, depending on the size of the cut.
  7. 7
    Remove the foil from the ribs and set the oven to "Broil." Allow ribs to sit in the oven on broil with the oven door open on 1 side for 5-10 minutes then turn to opposite side until the BBQ sauce bubbles. The door should remain open so the thermostat in the oven does not turn off.
  8. 8
    Remove reheated ribs from oven and allow to sit for 5 minutes or until ready to eat.
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Method 2
Method 2 of 2:

Reheating Ribs on a Grill

  1. 1
    Thaw your ribs that need to be reheated if applicable.
  2. 2
    Coat both sides of the ribs with barbecue sauce along the rib meat.
  3. 3
    Heat your grill to approximately 250 degrees Fahrenheit (121 degrees Celsius) with the lid closed. If you are using a gas grill, this is a medium setting.[3]
  4. 4
    Wrap the ribs with 2 layers of foil.
  5. 5
    Set the ribs on the grill in a spot with indirect heat and reheat until the rib meat comes to approximately 155 degrees Fahrenheit (66 degrees Celsius).
  6. 6
    Take ribs out of foil and place on the grill in a spot with direct heat for approximately 5 to10 minutes per side until the barbecue sauce is bubbling.
  7. 7
    Remove the ribs and allow them to cool until they're ready to serve.
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Community Q&A

  • Question
    How do you reheat from frozen?
    Community Answer
    Community Answer
    Thaw them in a microwave on defrost, or leave them out overnight, then follow the directions in the article.
  • Question
    How should I sauce individually cooked, non-frozen ribs?
    Community Answer
    Community Answer
    Liberally. With a cut or sliced meat, the more surface area there is, the higher the risk of the meat drying out and becoming tough.
  • Question
    How to reheat burnt ends?
    temiloluwa
    temiloluwa
    Community Answer
    Remove vacuum sealed package from freezer and thaw. Preheat oven to 350°F. Remove burnt ends from package and wrap in aluminum foil. Heat in the oven for 20-25 minutes. Remove from foil and serve.
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Warnings

  • Do not leave ribs unattended during the last 5 to 10 minutes of reheating as the barbecue sauce burns extremely easily due to the sugar in the sauce.
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Things You'll Need

  • Barbecue sauce
  • Foil


About This Article

Tested by:
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wikiHow is a “wiki,” similar to Wikipedia, which means that many of our articles are co-written by multiple authors. To create this article, 13 people, some anonymous, worked to edit and improve it over time. This article has been viewed 503,826 times.
9 votes - 89%
Co-authors: 13
Updated: September 30, 2021
Views: 503,826
Categories: Basic Cooking Skills
Article SummaryX

To reheat ribs, start by covering them in barbecue sauce and wrapping them in 2 layers of foil. Then, place the ribs on a baking tray and heat for 1 hour in the oven at 250 degrees F. Finally, remove the ribs from the foil, turn the oven to "broil," and put the ribs in the oven with the door open for 10 minutes. Alternatively, if you want to reheat ribs in the microwave, cover them with a paper towel to prevent the fat from sparking and heat them for 1 minute. For tips on how long to thaw out frozen ribs before reheating them, read on!

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