Perfect Ribs in the Oven

Learn how to make ribs in the oven! First, dry rub your baby back ribs, bake them to perfection, and finally slather them with a delicious BBQ sauce.

This oven baked ribs recipe is seriously the best on the internet. Your ribs will turn out so tender and the flavors are unreal all thanks to a dry rub and bbq sauce.

There is seriously nothing better than saucy, perfectly cooked ribs with a big fluffy baked potato on the side. Today we are sharing one of our favorite oven baked ribs recipes. They’re slow-cooked in the oven and come out so yummy.

The Tastiest Oven Baked Ribs

There are so many different ways to prepare baby back ribs. Ribs on the grill in the summer, sous vide ribs when you’re feeling fancy, and ribs in the oven for a classic, yet foolproof variation.

These perfectly cooked pork ribs come out so flavorful all thanks to a rib dry rub and homemade bbq sauce recipe.

In this post, we’ll teach you how to make the most perfect oven baked ribs every time with just a few simple steps. You’ll be wowing your guests with the texture and flavor of these incredible pork ribs!

So flavorful: The flavor is pretty unbelievable because there is a tasty dry rub AND homemade BBQ sauce.
Amazing texture: These ribs in the oven leave you with tender ribs that are juicy, but not quite fall all the bone. And the skin on the outside is so crispy and delicious.
Versatile: You can serve these ribs for a weeknight dinner or at a dinner party!

Cuts of Pork

Not sure where all the different cuts of pork come from on the pig? We made it easy. Check out more details on everything pork in our pork recipes round up

Learn More A slab of ribs on a baking sheet.

Baby back ribs (~3 lbs.) – you can find a rack of ribs pretty much anywhere these days, just make sure you buy pork ribs.
Spices- garlic powder, brown sugar, dried thyme, chili powder, paprika, black pepper, salt
Olive oil
Homemade bbq sauce: the homemade bbq sauce for these baked ribs is delicious. You’ll need: tomato sauce, white onion, garlic, Worcestershire, ketchup, molasses, brown sugar, butter, and apple cider vinegar.

What kind of ribs should I use for oven baked ribs?

We suggest using baby back pork ribs for this recipe. We do not suggest using spare ribs for this recipe.

What is the best temperature to cook pork ribs in the oven?

We cook the baby back ribs at two different temperatures in this recipe. We suggest baking the ribs at a low temperature (300ºF) and then at a high temperature for the last 15 minutes (400ºF) to caramelize the ribs!

How do I get my ribs to caramelize?

Making sure you have a little sugar (we used brown sugar and molasses) that you brush over the ribs is important because when you turn the temperature up in the oven it will caramelize that sugar!

How do I know when ribs are done?

These ribs in the oven are done when they reach an internal temperature of 195ºF but you can also tell when ribs are done because they will start to expose the bone or if they start to fall off the bone.

Trust us when we suggest cooking these ribs low and slow. It’s similar to our slow-roasted pork shoulder or smoked pork shoulder in that they come out similar to smoked meat – tender, but with a bite.

Then, in the end, up the temp to caramelize that delicious bbq sauce!

At a Glance: How to Cook Ribs in the Oven

Remove the membrane. Start by removing the membrane from the ribs and discard.
Salt Salt Salt. Massage kosher salt into toe ribs and set aside. This will start to draw the juices out of the ribs and begin to tenderize the ribs.
Add the Dry Rub. We use a combination of delicious spices. Mix the spices together and then shake them over the ribs. Massage the spices into the ribs and the wrap the ribs in plastic wraps. Place them in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.
Bake. Place the ribs on a greased baking sheet and cover with tin foil. Bake at 300ºF for 2.5 hours.
Make barbecue sauce. When the ribs are almost done prepare the bbq sauce by adding all the ingredients for the sauce to a saucepan and bring to a boil. Turn heat to low and let the sauce simmer for 15 minutes. Remove from heat.
Broil. Remove the aluminum foil from the ribs and turn the heat up to 400ºF. Slather the ribs in bbq sauce and then place them in the oven to caramelize for 10-15 minutes.
Enjoy. When the ribs are caramelized remove them from the oven and let them rest for 10 minutes.

How To Remove The Membrane from pork ribs

The membrane of the ribs holds the ribs together and if you’re looking for tender ribs that are easy to eat, we suggest removing the membrane.

Grilling Directions

Looking to fire these babies up on the grill? Here’s a quick rundown on what to do after you’ve dry-rubbed them!

Grill the ribs at 300ºF for about 1 hour.
Up the heat to 400ºF and then slather on the bbq sauce. Allow the ribs to grill and caramelize for an additional 30 minutes.

For a more in-depth tutorial on how to grill pork ribs, check out our post.

Try it!

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We swear by using a meat thermometer when cooking any cut of meat. The Thermapen is our go-to meat thermometer that works every time.

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Ribs in the oven go with so many delicious side dishes. Choose from one of the side dishes below and you won’t be disappointed.

Store leftover ribs in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3-5 days. Option to also wrap them in a piece of tin foil.

More of our Favorite…

Pork Recipes

Grilled Pork Chops
Pork Rib Marinade
Crock Pot Pork Roast
Baked Pork Tenderloin
Instant Pot Pulled Pork
All the Pork Recipes!

BBQ Ribs

1 rack baby back ribs ~3 lbs.
1/2 tablespoon kosher salt
2 tablespoons garlic powder
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 teaspoons dried thyme
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil

BBQ Sauce

1 cup tomato sauce
2 tablespoons grated white onion
1 tablespoon grated garlic
1 tablespoon worcestershire
1 tablespoon ketchup
1 tablespoon molasses
2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
1 teaspoon chili powder
½ teaspoon paprika
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
1 tablespoon butter
¼ cup apple cider vinegar

Begin by removing the membrane from the ribs and discard the membrane.
Next, sprinkle the ribs with kosher salt and massage the salt into the meat. Set aside.
Add the garlic powder, brown sugar, dried thyme, chili powder, paprika, and black pepper into a bowl and mix until combined.
Sprinkle the spices over the ribs and be sure the whole rack of ribs is covered.
Wrap the ribs in plastic wrap and place them in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes (but up to overnight).
Preheat the oven to 300ºF and spray a baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray.
Unwrap the ribs and place them on the baking sheet.
Drizzle the ribs with olive oil and cover them with tin foil.
Place them into the oven and bake the ribs at 300ºF for 2.5 hours.
When there is 30 minutes of bake time left, add all the ingredients for the bbq sauce into a sauce pan and whisk all of the ingredients together until combined.
Bring the BBQ sauce to a boil over high heat and then reduce the heat to low and let the BBQ sauce simmer for 15 minutes. Remove from heat.
When the ribs have baked for 2.5 hours, remove them from the oven and unwrap them from the tin foil.
Increase the heat to 400ºF and slather the bbq sauce over the ribs.
Return the ribs to the oven and bake them at 400ºF for 10-15 minutes or until the BBQ sauce begins to caramelize on the ribs.
Remove from the oven and let the ribs rest for 10 minutes and then enjoy.