Easy Fall Off the Bone Oven-Baked Ribs
- PREP 15min
- COOK 3hrs
- TOTAL 3hrs 15min
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.
FAQ: We call for baby back ribs in the recipe, but other types of ribs (spareribs, country-style, St. Louis-style) will work with this recipe. Cook time should be similar, we recommend that you check on the ribs while they cook to see how they are progressing.
FAQ: Doubling or tripling the recipe below should not change the recipe method or bake time. You might need to use two pans for baking.
You Will Need
Ribs
2 to 2 ½ pounds baby back pork ribs
Salt and black pepper
Sweet and Spicy Barbecue Sauce
1 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
Heat oven to 275° 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. If you are using a spice rub, add season the ribs with it now. Place the ribs, meat-side up, into a large roasting pan or rimmed baking sheet. (It may be necessary to cut the ribs in half for them to fit into the pan).
Cover the pan or baking sheet tightly with aluminum foil (or wrap the rack in tight foil packets, and then place onto a baking sheet).
Bake until the meat falls easily from the bones, 2 ½ to 3 ½ hours. We like to check the ribs after 2 hours to see how they are progressing. The ribs are done when the meat is cooked through and tender. You can tell the ribs are done by piercing them with a sharp knife. You should have little to no resistance. You can also gently bend the ribs to see if the meat looks like it will pull away from the bone.
Make Barbecue Sauce
While the ribs bake in the oven, 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.
To Finish
Remove the ribs from the oven, discard the aluminum foil and generously brush both sides with barbecue sauce.
Optional: Move an oven rack near 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 the sauce does not burn.)
Storing and Reheating
Store baked ribs, in an airtight container, in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Freeze, wrapped in foil or freezer paper and in an airtight container, for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator, and then reheat.
To reheat the ribs, wrap in foil or parchment paper and place into a 300°F oven until warmed through, about 30 minutes. If you have some leftover, slather some extra sauce that’s been warmed over the ribs before serving.
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.
- Multiple racks of ribs: Cooking time should not change much with multiple racks of ribs. I prefer to wrap each rack tightly with foil, and then place onto a large baking sheet. You can probably fit two racks on one baking sheet, so my oven could bake four racks at a time.
- 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.