Easy, Fall-Off-The-Bone Oven Baked Ribs
These are the best ribs! Baking low and slow is our secret to fall-off-the-bone oven baked ribs. Jump to the Fall-Off-The-Bone Oven Baked Ribs Recipe, or watch our quick recipe video showing you how we make them.
Watch How We Make The Best Ribs
Secrets For Making Tender Ribs In The Oven
Some might have the impression that ribs are one of those dishes that should be left to the “pit masters” — it’s just not true. Baking ribs in the oven is seriously easy. All you need is time — 95% of the recipe time is sitting back and relaxing waiting while the ribs bake. Let’s do this!
We learned how to make oven baked ribs from Steamy Kitchen and have never looked back! So we suggest you prep the ribs, pick out a favorite movie, open a beer, and relax until done.
These baked ribs are so easy — all you need is time. We bake the ribs before adding any sauce, then when they are baked, we brush on our favorite barbecue sauce. You can use the barbecue sauce suggested in the recipe below (it’s so simple to make) or use your favorite homemade or store-bought sauce.
How To Remove The Membrane
For the most tender ribs, we remove the thin membrane covering the rack. It can be a bit tough when cooked and since we really love ribs that literally fall of the bone, the membrane has to go.
To remove it, use a knife to gently slide under the membrane then using your fingers pull the membrane away from the bones. If slippery or difficult to remove, use a kitchen towel to take hold of it and pull.
By the way, you might actually find that the butcher or shop you bought your ribs from has already removed the membrane. Less work for you! If you prefer your ribs to have a little bite/chewiness then you might prefer the membrane left on. It’s all up to you!
How We Cook Ribs in the Oven
Cooking ribs in the oven could not be easier. Here’s how we do it in our kitchen:
- Remove the membrane (remember, this ensures fall-off-the-bone ribs).
- Generously season both sides with salt and pepper. This is also a great opportunity for adding more flavor with your favorite spice rub.
- Cover the ribs with aluminum foil.
- Bake the ribs at a low temperature (275F) for 3 to 4 hours or until they are tender.
- Slather the baked ribs with barbecue sauce then broil (or grill) the ribs for a few minutes until the sauce is caramelized.
Sweet and Spicy Barbecue Sauce
You can use any barbecue sauce you like, but for us, we like to cook up our quick sweet and spicy sauce — it only takes a few minutes. It combines ketchup, brown sugar, chili sauce (like Sriracha), and spices. We’ve shared how to make it in the recipe.
You could always make a double batch of the sauce and serve with chicken, on a burger or as a dip for fries. In fact, we make a similar sauce to coat our Brown Sugar Barbecue Wings. Another option is our Homemade Bacon Bourbon Barbecue Sauce Recipe (it’s decadent and delicious!). We used that sauce for our Bacon Bourbon Oven Baked Ribs.
What Our Readers Are Saying
If you don’t believe that our recipe helps you achieve perfect oven baked ribs at home, take a look at what our readers are saying about the recipe! More reviews are in the comments section below.
“These are the best ribs I’ve ever made!” – Nick
“My first time making ribs and it couldn’t have been easier or tastier.” – M.B.
“This is the best recipe for ribs that I have found. It is so easy and absolutely delicious!” – Jackie
“Quite literally fall off the bone goodness.” – Jessica
“OMG! These ribs are incredible!!!” – Lupita
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 we had to share an adapted version with you.
Recipe updated, originally posted September 2011. Since posting this in 2011, we have tweaked the recipe to be more clear and added a quick recipe video. – Adam and Joanne
Easy, Fall-Off-The-Bone Oven Baked Ribs
- PREP
Low and slow cooking make these oven baked ribs fall off the bone tender. Once baked, we like to add our sweet and spicy barbecue sauce to the ribs, but use whatever you love. For the most tender ribs, we remove the thin membrane covering the back of the rack. Depending on where you have purchased ribs, this may already be done for you. If not, instructions are in the notes section below.
Makes 4 Servings
You Will Need
Ribs2 to 2 1/2 pounds baby back pork ribs
Salt and black pepper
Sweet and Spicy Barbecue Sauce1 tablespoon olive oil
1/4 cup finely diced onion
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 cup ketchup, try our homemade ketchup recipe
1 tablespoon hot chili sauce (suggestion Sriracha)
2 tablespoons light brown sugar
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
Salt and ground pepper, to taste
Directions
- Prepare Ribs
- Make Barbecue Sauce
- To Finish
Heat oven to 275 degrees Fahrenheit (135C).
If the ribs still have the thin membrane covering the back of the rack, remove it. See how in the notes section below.
Season both sides of the ribs with a generous amount of salt and pepper then place, meat-side up, into a large roasting pan or rimmed baking sheet. (It may be necessary to cut the ribs in half in order for them to fit into the pan).
Cover the pan or baking sheet tightly with aluminum foil, and then bake until the meat falls easily from the bones, 3 to 4 hours.
While the ribs bake, make the barbecue sauce. Heat the olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat.
Add the onions and cook until soft and translucent, 5 to 8 minutes. Stir in the cumin and cook for an additional 30 seconds.
Add the ketchup, hot chili sauce, brown sugar, and apple cider vinegar. Stir to combine, season with salt then cook for 2 minutes. Set aside in preparation for the ribs to finish roasting.
Remove the ribs from the oven, discard the aluminum foil and generously brush both sides with barbecue sauce.
Optional: Move an oven rack near to the top of the oven. Turn broiler to high and broil the ribs for 3-4 minutes, just until the barbecue sauce begins to caramelize. (Keep a close eye on the ribs while they broil so they the sauce does not burn.)
Adam and Joanne's Tips
- Removing the Membrane: Place the ribs meat-side-down on a cutting board. Locate the thin membrane covering the rack. This membrane can be tough when cooked. To remove, use a knife to gently slide under the membrane then using your fingers, pull the membrane away from the bones. If slippery or difficult to remove, use a kitchen towel to take hold of it and pull.
- Nutrition facts: The nutrition facts provided below are estimates. We have used the USDA database to calculate approximate values. We assumed 4 servings. The information below does include the barbecue sauce and 1 teaspoon of salt.
If you make this recipe, snap a photo and hashtag it #inspiredtaste — We love to see your creations on Instagram and Facebook! Find us: @inspiredtaste
Nutrition Per Serving: Serving Size 1/2 rack / Calories 433 / Protein 26 g / Carbohydrate 13 g / Dietary Fiber 0 g / Total Sugars 11 g / Total Fat 30 g / Saturated Fat 10 g / Cholesterol 107 mg / Sodium 694 mg
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These were fantastic. So easy. Did mine for 3 1/2 hours. Probably my oven but so good. Did half with dry rub and other half I finished with sauce. Both were great. Hubby always says let’s have them again and soon. Stay safe.
I have made these ribs at least 6 times. I gave the recipe to my son and he has made them 4 times. Always prefect and extremely easy to make. I live in Texas and he lives in Arizona. To not have to use the outdoor grill is a huge plus. Sometimes I tweak the sauce too, adding hot spices or sweet spices, depending on mood. Never will I marinate again. Thank you!
I had this receipt 2 years ago for new years and it was a total hit!! I will be making it this year 2020 for Thanksgiving..
Have tried this recipe before with great success, but this time decided to try something a little different. Instead of putting the ribs in at 275 f I cranked up the oven to 450 and cooked the ribs for twenty minutes at that temp, then turn it down to 275 and cooked the ribs for 3.5 hours found them to be even better than the original. Also used to bbq sauce recipe, which was a great hit
What difference did you notice with cooking at 450 first? Maybe I will do the same.
Going to try today
All these years of searching and trying different ways of cooking ribs, and this recipe was the easiest, and best I’ve had!
I tried this recipe and my son loved it! After dinner he asked when will I make more. Lol. Thank you! I’m going to search the website for more ideas.
This recipe is great! After struggling with a number of varying outcomes with other rib recipes, (tough, chewy, etc.) , our family thinks these are the best. I’m making another batch tonight for my sons B-Day dinner. Peace, James
Second time I made this recipe. We are having really cold weather with two feet of snow couple days ago, did not feel like walking out on deck and barbecue. So, I remembered your recipe. I even made the barbecue sauce, but didn’t add Sriracha because husband cannot handle heat. I did add a bit of Worcestershire sauce. Big hit! In fact I didn’t have baby back ribs. I used Louisiana style pork ribs. Thank you for having this blog.
The tip on removing the membrane is spot on. Always turns out wonderful. I add cumin, oregano, red chilli flakes and garlic powder along with salt and pepper. These ribs have become my signature dish. Lots of people want them all the time.
Thanks for making me look like I knew what I was doing. I’ll never not use this recipe.
wow
This was my first time making ribs and I am so glad I chose this recipe! It was PERFECT! Absolutely delicious! Thanks for the confidence boost! I was so afraid to try making them. Thank you so much!
The best ribs ever. Thanks so much for this recipe. My family loves it.
Absolutely a winner. Three hours for me was enough for “fall-of-the-bones” tenderness. I made the sauce also, but added a splash of bourbon. Delicious. Sauce is the right amount for 2+some pounds of ribs. So easy to make and used my favorite rub instead of S&P. Baked 3 hours and on my grill for about 10 minutes each side finished the ribs off perfectly. A good friend of mine suggested using the leftovers for shredded pork sandwiches on toasted buns. Great idea.