This is hands down the best ribs recipe I’ve ever made! The secret to incredibly tender ribs is baking them low and slow. Baking ribs in the oven is so easy. 95% of the cooking time is spent relaxing while your ribs transform into fall-off-the-bone perfection.
My family loves this oven baked ribs recipe! It’s the best, easiest way to guarantee fall-off-the-bone tender ribs! I bake my ribs in a 275°F oven for two to three hours. Then, I slather them with a simple homemade barbecue sauce (or you can use your favorite sauce instead).
This simple recipe guarantees tender ribs every time! I use the same method when I make my Asian sticky ribs with a hoisin glaze. For more pork recipes, see our popular skillet pork chops (which are so juicy), baked pork chops, or this incredibly tender pulled pork.
Key Ingredients
- Pork Ribs: I use baby back ribs, but other ribs, such as spare ribs, country-style, or St. Louis-style, will also work with this recipe. The cook time should be similar, but keep an eye on them to see how they’re progressing.
- Seasoning: A generous amount of salt and pepper is all you need, but feel free to use your favorite BBQ spice rub or seasoned salt.
- BBQ Sauce: I make my own sweet and spicy BBQ sauce (recipe below), but you can use your favorite homemade or store-bought sauce for these ribs. We use a similar sauce for our BBQ chicken wings. I also love this sweet and tangy BBQ sauce.
How to Cook Ribs in the Oven
We learned how to make oven-baked ribs from Steamy Kitchen and haven’t looked back since! These baked ribs are incredibly easy! All you need is time.
For the most tender ribs, you’ll want to remove the thin membrane from the back of the rack. This membrane can become tough when cooked. If your butcher hasn’t already removed it, here’s how:
- Gently slide a knife under the membrane.
- Use your fingers to peel it away from the bones.
- If it’s slippery, use a kitchen towel to help grip and pull it off.
Once you remove the membrane, generously season both sides of the ribs with salt and pepper (or my homemade seasoned salt). Then, wrap them tightly with aluminum foil. Bake the ribs low and slow at 275°F for 2 ½ to 3 ½ hours or until they’re perfectly tender.
Finally, just before serving, I slather the baked ribs with my favorite barbecue sauce and broil (or grill) them for a few minutes until the sauce bubbles and caramelizes a bit. That’s it! These will be some of the best ribs you’ll ever make.
Easy Fall Off the Bone Oven Baked Ribs
- PREP
- COOK
- TOTAL
Baking low and slow makes these oven-baked ribs fall off the bone tender. Once baked, we add our sweet and spicy BBQ sauce to the ribs, but you can use whatever you love. For the most tender ribs, we remove the thin membrane covering the back of the rack. Depending on where you purchased the ribs, this may already be done for you. If not, instructions are in the tips below the recipe.
For the same tender results, but a different sauce, try our hoisin sticky ribs (made with an Asian-inspired sauce)!
Watch Us Make the Recipe
You Will Need
2 to 2 ½ pounds baby back pork ribs
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/4 cup finely diced onion
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 cup ketchup
1 tablespoon hot chili sauce like Sriracha
2 tablespoons light brown sugar
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
Salt and ground pepper, to taste
Directions
1Preheat your oven to 275°F (135°C). Set aside a large roasting pan or rimmed baking sheet and aluminum foil.
2Season the ribs: If your ribs still have a thin membrane on the back, remove it. (See the tips section for instructions.) Generously season both sides of the ribs with salt and pepper. If using a spice rub, apply it evenly.
3Wrap with foil: Place the ribs, meatiest-side down, in your roasting pan. You may need to cut the ribs in half to fit. Cover the pan or baking sheet tightly with aluminum foil. The ribs must be well-sealed to prevent drying out. If your foil isn’t large enough, wrap the racks of ribs individually in tight foil packets and place them on the baking sheet. After making this recipe so many times, we find that keeping the meatiest side of the ribs facing down is best. The rendered fat and juices from the meat above drip down, creating a natural basting effect that keeps the meat moist and prevents it from drying out, especially during long, slow cooking, like in this recipe.
4Bake the ribs: Bake for 2 ½ to 3 ½ hours or until the meat easily falls from the bones. I check the ribs after 2 hours to see how they’re doing. Ribs are ready when the meat is cooked through and very tender. To check if they are done, pierce them with a sharp knife. There should be little to no resistance. You can also gently bend the ribs. If the meat looks like it will easily pull away from the bone, they’re ready. If the meat is still tough, they are likely underbaked (your oven might be cooler than mine). Continue baking and consider increasing the temperature to 300°F (150°C).
5Make BBQ Sauce: While the ribs are baking, prepare your sauce. Heat the olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat, then add the onions and cook until they’re soft and translucent, which should take about 5 to 8 minutes.
6Stir in the cumin and cook for another 30 seconds. Next, add the ketchup, hot chili sauce, brown sugar, and apple cider vinegar. Stir everything to combine, season with salt, and cook for 2 minutes. Set the sauce aside while the ribs finish baking.
7Brush the sauce onto the ribs: Remove the ribs from the oven, discard the aluminum foil, and generously brush both sides with barbecue sauce.
8Broil the ribs: Move an oven rack near the top of the oven and turn your broiler to high. Broil the ribs until the BBQ sauce begins to caramelize, about 3 to 4 minutes. Keep a close eye on them during this step to ensure the sauce doesn’t burn. Enjoy!
Adam and Joanne's Tips
- Serving suggestions: Potato salad, pasta salad, macaroni salad, creamy coleslaw, and cornbread are always a hit with ribs. They pair perfectly with roasted potatoes, mashed potatoes, or mashed sweet potatoes, and I love them with a nice, big salad (try our homemade honey mustard dressing, creamy blue cheese, or my favorite ranch dressing)!
- Ribs: We call for baby back ribs in the recipe, but spare ribs, country-style, and St. Louis-style will work with this recipe. Cook time should be similar. We recommend you check on the ribs while they cook to see how they are progressing.
- Remove the membrane: Place the ribs meat-side-down on a cutting board. Locate the thin membrane covering the rack, then use a knife to gently slide underneath it. Pull the membrane away from the bones using your fingers. If it’s slippery or difficult to remove, use a kitchen towel to hold and pull it off.
- Multiple racks of ribs: Cooking time should stay the same with multiple racks of ribs. I wrap each rack tightly with foil and then place them onto a large baking sheet. You can fit two racks on one baking sheet, so my oven can bake four racks at a time.
- Storing: Store baked ribs in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days, or freeze for up to 3 months (I double-wrap them before freezing). Thaw frozen ribs overnight in the refrigerator.
- Reheating ribs: Place the ribs (thawed), wrapped in foil, in a 275°F oven for 20 to 30 minutes or place them on the grill over medium heat. Slather the warmed ribs with BBQ sauce before serving (you can also broil or grill to caramelize the sauce, as shared in the recipe).
- Ketchup: The BBQ sauce is best when made with thicker varieties of ketchup that contain no high-fructose corn syrup. Use homemade ketchup or opt for organic and natural options, such as Hunt’s 100% Natural or Heinz Simply.
- Back in the day, we were contributors to Betty Crocker. We shared a similar version of this recipe with them. We loved it so much that we had to share an adapted version with you.
- The nutrition facts provided below are estimates, which include the barbecue sauce and 1 teaspoon of salt.
I have made ribs using this recipe numerous times they are so delicious and fall off the bone every time!
So happy you enjoy them so much, Jamie!!
This oven-baked rib recipe is definitely true to its name-Fall off the Bone! They were the perfect combination of spices and tenderness. I will definitely use this recipe again!
So happy the recipe worked so well for you, Ellie!
This is the absolute best recipe for Baby Back Ribs. Thank you so much for posting it. I told my granddaughter this morning I won’t be paying a restaurant to make them anymore. It is too easy to make them myself now.
I used this recipe to bake ribs. If I had known it was this easy to make such delicious ribs I would have done it a long time ago! Lol. I didn’t have any BBQ sauce but they were still do good. Thank you!
If you’re baking or roasting anything for over an hour-and-a half there’s no need to preheat the oven. The time spent preheating is trivial compared to the total cooking time. Other than that, I liked the recipe. I like slow-roasting meat when possible, it stays juicy that way.
These were without a doubt the best ribs I ever ate. You said that they were fall off the bone and they absolutely were. Thank you so much!
If I wrap the ribs in a tight foil packet, is it meat side down?
I prefer the meatiest-side down, since this side usually has the most fat and that fat will melt, which means the meatiest side of the ribs will be sitting in the melted fat/juices.
The only way to make the best ribs , love how easy it is, thank you
You are so welcome! Glad you enjoy the recipe 🙂
Hello Adam and Joanne, I just put the ribs in the oven! I wasn’t sure if to use salt and pepper and then a store bought rub which I did before putting them in the oven. Should I still use the homemade or bbq sauce before the end grilling if I used the rub? thanks, Mary
Hi Mary, If you used a store-bought rub, it probably already had salt added, so I bet you are fine! It depends on your taste. I like wet ribs with sauce, but some prefer a dry rub. It is totally up to you! – Joanne
I followed this recipe exactly and my ribs were the chewiest I’ve ever had and the only flavor was from the sauce, they definitely did not fall off the bone in any way.
Hi EB, I am sorry the ribs did not turn out well. If your ribs were chewy, they may have not been cooked enough. When this happens, it may be that your oven does not hold the 275°F temp (many ovens have trouble holding temperatures, even the newer models). You can check this with a oven thermometer (mine was around $10). Or, you can adjust the recipe temperature to 300°F and see if that helps a bit.
Thank you for your delicious and easy baby back rib recipe, I will definitely do it again and invite family to enjoy as well.
Amazing, so happy you enjoyed them!
Recipe was great! I had about 2 lbs ribs, made a Rub and cooked at 275 degrees for 3 hours used a knife for donenes they were perfect. I didn’t make your barbecue sauce. Used Sweet Baby Rays Honey. Broiled them until bubbly and a tinged of black to look like a grill. Will use this recipe again, thanks.
I absolutely love ribs and have tried many recipes, this ones is one of the best. I used store bought bbq sauce, I could not be bothered to make own tonight, I have had an absolutely beautiful dinner with ribs
My first time cooking ribs and google led me to this. Family raved and said best ribs they had ever eaten! Thanks!
This is my second time making these ribs. I don’t typically like BBQ sauce but this homemade sauce is excellent