Recipe for cooking pork ribs in the oven

Making baked ribs in the oven ensures they are fall-off-the-bone tender and incredibly delicious. Literally perfect every single time.

These have been dubbed the “best ribs ever” by almost everyone who has tried them. Below is the step-by-step method I learned from my mom for finger-lickin’ perfection.

5 Secrets for Tender Ribs in The Oven

Perfectly tender ribs are actually easy to make and the secret is in the method below! They’re melt-in-your-mouth tender and flavor packed.

The best pork ribs are baby back ribs or pork back ribs. They are the most tender.
Wrap the pan with foil and ensure it is well sealed. This helps the ribs steam in the oven for tender flavorful meat.
Cook them low and slow in the oven until they become really tender.
These can be made with any sauce (my fave is below) or even just salt & pepper.
Once the meat is tender, broil or grill to get a little bit of color before serving.

Ingredients for Oven Ribs

RIBS – Baby Back (or Pork Back Ribs) are the best choice, they cook to tender perfection. Although the cost is more, it really makes a difference and in my opinion, it is worth the extra money.

SEASONINGS – These can be simply seasoned with salt & pepper or use the dry rub below. The homemade rib rub below is easy and inexpensive (and not too salty). Start with the mixture below and change it to your liking. Try cumin, cayenne pepper, or dry mustard.

BBQ SAUCE (or not!) – Use a favorite BBQ sauce, try making your own barbecue sauce, or opt-out completely! My husband loves salt & pepper ribs while I love barbecue sauce mixed with chili sauce for zesty and delicious sticky ribs.

The membrane does not have to be removed from the ribs, but I prefer the texture. On the back of a rack of ribs, there is a very thin layer of the membrane (photo above). If you don’t see it, it is sometimes it has already been removed at the store.

How to Remove the Membrane from Ribs

To remove the membrane, slip a knife under the edge of the thin skin on the back of the ribs on one end. Grip the edge of the membrane (use a paper towel if it’s slippery) and gently pull it away from the meat. Discard the membrane.

How to Cook Ribs in the Oven

In this recipe, the ribs are baked sealed, low and slow, for the most melt-in-your-mouth tender meat.

Prep Ribs: Remove the membrane (tips above). Check the ribs to remove any small bone shards. Pat Dry.
Season: Sprinkle both sides with salt and pepper or massage dry rub onto both sides of the ribs and place them meat side down on a baking sheet.
Bake: Cover with garlic and onion. Then seal with aluminum foil and bake per the recipe below.
Broil: Grill or broil to brown a little bit if you’d like.

Our favorite side dishes with ribs are corn on the cob and of course Classic Coleslaw and Beans!

How To Check if the Ribs Are Done

Once the ribs have cooked in the oven for at least 2 hours, open a corner of the foil (be careful, steam will come out and it’s very hot). Use a fork to pull off a little piece of meat.

If the meat is not tender, they need MORE time. Seal them back up and add another 20-30 minutes and check again.

If they are ready ahead of time, turn the oven off and let them sit for up to 1 hour if you don’t open the oven. Perfect fall off the bone ribs.

How long to cook ribs in the oven

My preferred method is a low temperature for a longer period of time.

Cook at 275°F – 2 hours to 2 ½ hours *preferred method
Cook at 300°F – 1 ½ hours to 2 hours
Cook at 350°F – 1 ¼ hours to 1 ½ hours

Do you have to remove the membrane?

No, you don’t and some ribs will already have the membrane removed.

What are the best ribs to buy

Baby back ribs or back ribs are the best. They’re so tender and delicious and we prefer them over spare ribs or side ribs.

How do you make ribs tender?

Cooking low and slow as directed in the recipe below ensures they’re perfect every time!

Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Reheat them in the oven, microwave, or air fryer.

What to Serve with Ribs

The Best Coleslaw Recipe

Salads

Garlic Cheese Toast

Side Dishes

Deviled Egg Potato Salad

Salads

Creamy Macaroni Salad

Pasta Salad

The Best Baked Beans

Side Dishes

Grilled Corn on the Cob

Grilling & BBQ

Did you love these BBQ Ribs in the Oven? Be sure to leave a rating or a comment below!

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Tender Oven-Baked Barbecue Ribs

Ribs in the oven are easy to make and come out perfectly tender every single time.

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Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 2 hours 15 minutes

Total Time 2 hours 30 minutes

Servings 6

Author Holly Nilsson

Equipment

Baking Sheet

Ingredients 1x2x3x

Ribs

▢3 pounds baby back ribs 2 slabs
▢2 onions sliced
▢4 cloves garlic sliced

Rib Rub (optional)

▢1 tablespoon paprika
▢1 tablespoon brown sugar
▢¾ teaspoon garlic powder
▢¾ teaspoon onion powder
▢½ teaspoon black pepper
▢½ teaspoon lemon pepper
▢½ teaspoon salt or to taste

BBQ Sauce

▢½ cup BBQ Sauce
▢½ cup chili sauce or additional BBQ sauce *see note
▢¼ cup ketchup

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 275°F. Mix together Rib Rub ingredients if using.
Remove the white membrane from the back side of the ribs (the side with less meat). It should pull off easily. Pat the ribs dry and check for little bone shards or pieces.
Season the ribs with salt and pepper or sprinkle generously with the rub and massage it into the ribs.
Place ribs on a foil-lined tray, the meaty side down, and cover with sliced onion and garlic.
Cover & seal with another piece of foil.
Bake ribs for 2 hours. Carefully open the corner of the sealed foil and pull a small piece of meat off to ensure the ribs are tender. If not, bake another 20-30 minutes and check again.
Meanwhile, combine BBQ Rib Sauce ingredients together.
Remove ribs and discard juices, onions & garlic. Brush ribs with olive oil and brush generously with BBQ sauce.
Grill or broil over medium high heat 5-10 minutes or until charred.

Notes

Rub: The homemade rub can be substituted for a purchased rub if desired or use salt and pepper in place of a rub.
Baby back ribs or back ribs give the most tender results.
Sauce: Chili sauce is not spicy it is more like a zesty ketchup and is found where the ketchup is sold. It is a great addition to BBQ sauce. If you’d prefer, use all bbq sauce in this recipe.
Membrane: To remove the membrane, slip a knife under the edge of the thin skin on the back of the ribs. Grip the edge of the membrane (use a paper towel if it’s slippery) and gently pull it away from the meat. Discard the membrane. Some ribs will have the back membrane already removed.
Cutting the ribs into pieces (about 4-6 ribs) makes them easy to grill and serve.

Cook times/temps:

275°F – 2 hours to 2 ½ hours *preferred method
300°F – 1 ½ hours to 2 hours
350°F – 1 ¼ hours to 1 ½ hoursAfter cooking, if the ribs are not tender, they need MORE time. Seal them up and cook an additional 20-30 minutes if needed.

If they are ready early, turn the oven off and let them sit for up to 1 hour in the warm oven.Nutritional information does not include sauce and is based on 3lbs baby back ribs.

4.95 from 147 votes

Nutrition Information

Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.

Course Entree, Main Course, Pork

Cuisine American

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How long do pork ribs need to cook in the oven?

Shoot for around 2 hours at 350 degrees if the ribs are uncovered, as in our Barbecued Pork Ribs. If wrapped in foil, the ribs can go for up to 3 hours at 300°F degrees, or crank the oven up to 400 degrees for a briefer baking time—1.5 to 2 hours.

Do you cover pork ribs when cooking in the oven?

Do you bake ribs covered or uncovered? You can cook ribs either covered with foil or uncovered. Foil is used to stop the meat from drying out but is not essential. If cooking uncovered and you notice the meat is drying out or browning too quickly, you can cover with foil for the remaining cook time.

How long to cook pork ribs in oven at 350?

Directions.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F..

Cut the racks of ribs in half crosswise. ... .

Cover the dish tightly with aluminum foil and bake until the meat begins to pull away from the ends of the bones and the ribs are just tender, about 1 hour. ... .

Preheat an outdoor grill to medium-high heat..

Should ribs be wrapped in foil when baking?

It is common to wrap ribs in foil when cooking ribs in the oven, but it's not always necessary. I like to bake ribs in the oven uncovered at first, and then about halfway through the cooking time, I will cover them with aluminum foil for the remainder of the cook time. I find this keeps them from drying out.