Baby Back Ribs in the Oven

Steven

5 years ago

This recipe for Baby Back Ribs in the Oven is for my Mom. She loves ribs, but doesn’t use her grill and wouldn’t know heads or tails about how to use a smoker. So, when she wants BBQ ribs, they’re baked in the oven, and I don’t think that’s all that unusual either.

In the middle of the winter when it’s below freezing outside almost none of us want to go outside to work a grill and I am definitely not attempting to use a smoker. So, what are we to do when we want good BBQ ribs? My Baby Back Ribs in the Oven recipe is exactly what you need.

Low and slow is the key to cooking ribs in the oven that are tender and juicy, and just on the verge of falling off the bone. Ribs should not fall off the bone, but the meat should pull off the bone cleanly with your teeth. I start with the ribs in the oven covered with foil and then turn up the heat at the end to give them a little color.

I love how the house smells when we cook ribs in the oven!

Baby Back Ribs Dry Rub

When cooking ribs in the oven, they need a good dry rub, there are no two about it. My dry rub recipe is sweet and spicy, and just a little bit smoky from the smoked paprika. Pork loves a little sweetness and I use brown sugar to help bring out the most flavor in the ribs. The sugar caramelizes in the oven giving you a beautiful color. Definitely serve the barbeque sauce on the side, you might not want any on your ribs with this amazing dry rub.

My dry rub recipe makes enough for one rack of ribs, with a very little amount leftover. This recipe is very easy to double or triple depending on how many racks of ribs you are making.

Working with Baby Back Ribs can be Messy

When preparing to bake baby back ribs in the oven, clear your countertops and sink, this is a big piece of raw pork with a lot of juice on it, so you want to control what it comes in contact with and not cross-contaminate anything you don’t want raw pork touching.

Rinse and pat the ribs dry with a paper towel. On the one side of the ribs, is a thin silvery skin-like membrane. Slide a paring knife under the membrane at one end, try not to tear it. Grab the membrane and gently pull it off, most of the time it comes off in one piece, sometimes it’s a little more stubborn, but it doesn’t take long and is easy with a little practice.

Place the ribs in a single layer on a foil-lined sheet tray, sprinkle the ribs with a good coating of dry rub on both sides. Massage the rub into the ribs, making sure every surface of the meat is well seasoned. Now the ribs are ready to go in the oven.

Now, decontaminate your kitchen. 😉

Here is how I make Baby Back Ribs in the Oven

Preheat your oven to 250F
Line a sheet tray with aluminum foil and place a grate or rack over the foil to elevate the ribs so they don’t stew in their own juices.
Place the ribs that have already have the dry rub applied to them, bone side down. Cover them with aluminum foil and bake in the oven for 2 hours
Raise the temperature of the oven to 350F. Remove the foil and bake for 55-60 minutes.
Slice the ribs into individual segments and serve with a barbeque sauce on the side.

Here is my Baby Back Ribs Dry Rub recipe