This recipe for BBQ Ribs in the Oven is so easy and makes the best fall off the bone ribs in the oven you can imagine. Serve these fast oven baked ribs with baked beans and cornbread, or a simple salad and you'll be treated to an amazing easy comfort food dinner.
BBQ Ribs are a classic American dish. While they may be a classic, there are as many BBQ sauces, BBQ rib rubs and methods to cook them as are there are ribs! This particular recipe for ribs in the oven is my favorite recipe and always is a winner in my house!
What I Love About These Ribs in the Oven
Simple Ingredients. You can use your favorite ready-made BBQ sauce and a dry rub mix. Or, you can use a homemade BBQ sauce - yes I have an easy BBQ sauce recipe for you in the recipe card! You can also use a seasoning blend or you can use my recipe for BBQ rib rub.
Fall Off the Bone Tender. These ribs in the oven are wonderfully tender and juicy. The ribs don’t dry out like many methods of cooking ribs and the BBQ sauce infuses the ribs with flavor.
Easy Cleanup. The ribs are cooked in a foil packet that is laid inside a 13-by-9 glass baking dish. When the ribs are finished roasting, transfer the ribs to serving plates, ladle any residual liquids you desire over the ribs, and rollup and toss the foil. The dish is now very easy to clean.
No Fuss. The ribs in the oven are sealed in foil for the majority of the cooking time. In the last 15 minutes, the packet is opened, basted with BBQ sauce, and returned to the oven. I like to leave the foil open for the final cooking time to give the ribs that caramelized finish. The only step left is checking for doneness.
These BBQ ribs in the oven are one of those easy, always reliable, mouthwatering recipes that can be made on any number of occasions. And I can honestly say, I’ve never had someone say “oh not those again”! I’ve even reduced the servings down and made them for 1 to 2 people.
How To Make Ribs in the Oven
Easy as can be and a surefire treat! I’m confident you will love just how easy these BBQ ribs are to cook!
- Make a foil packet for your ribs. Tear off a large sheet of heavy-duty foil. You will need it large enough to cover the bottom of a 9-by 13-inch baking dish and have plenty to make a foil packet over your ribs.
- Arrange ribs if foil-lined dish. Add 3 tablespoons water to the bottom. Season ribs with a rib rub.
- Make a tent-style foil packet over the ribs. Get more detailed instructions for How To Make a Foil Packet.
- Bake. Slather with barbecue sauce. Bake again until ribs are tender and sauce is caramelized.
My Favorite BBQ Rib Rubs
- Montreal Steak Seasoning. McCormick makes a great Montreal steak seasoning that goes fabulously with baby back ribs. It is under their Grill Mates line. You could even try one of their other Grill Mates seasonings to change up your flavors.
- Homemade BBQ Rib Rub. This Homemade Montreal Steak Seasoning Recipe is almost like the original if you want to make your own seasoning. You can make a large batch of the rib rub and store it to use again.
- Kansas City Rib Rub. This recipe is an adaptation from my daughter’s favorite rib joint in Kansas City. Best Dry Rub for Ribs Inspired by Jack Stack's Barbecue works wonders on baby back ribs or spare ribs.
Ready-Made Barbecue Sauce Brands
You may already have your own favorite Barbecue Sauce Brands. If so, go ahead and use that them. Here is an assortment of the most highly rated ready-made barbecue sauce brands:
- Sweet Baby Ray’s BBQ Sauce (This brand is one of my personal favorites.)
- KC Masterpiece
- Bull’s Eye Original Barbecue Sauce
- Trader Joe’s Kansas City BBQ Sauce
- Kraft Original and Sweet Honey Barbecue Sauce
There is also an array of gourmet Barbecue Sauce brands or ones tied to a popular restaurant. Personally, I have never found one of those to be worth the additional cost compared to the above list for popular sauce brands.
You can even add a touch of homemade flavor to your favorite Barbecue Sauce Brand by adding a touch of maple syrup, molasses, honey, hot sauce, chilis, lemon, lime of orange juice, or berry jam to give your ribs in the oven different flavors.
Are you ready for the easiest fall-off-the-bone BBQ Ribs In The Oven that you have ever made? Let's do this!
More Ribs To Try
Amazing BBQ Ribs in the Oven - Fast and Fuss-Free
Ingredients
BBQ Rib Rub and Ribs
- 1 rack baby back ribs (about 3-½ lbs)
- Kosher Salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 2 teaspoon onion powder
- 2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 4 cloves garlic, sliced optional
- 2 bay leaves optional
- 1 bottle ready-made barbecue sauce, divided (see Tip)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Prepare 1 large sheet of tin foil to cover the bottom, sides, and top of a 13-by 9-inch baking dish. Place the foil covering the bottom and sides of the with the edges standing upright. (See Tip).
- Cut ribs into 4 equal pieces. Season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle onion powder and garlic powder over ribs. Using your hands, rub seasonings into ribs. Arrange ribs in foil-lined baking dish. Add 3 tablespoon water to the bottom of the dish.
- If using garlic cloves, cut small slits in between ribs (do not cut all the way through). Insert garlic slices in slits. If using bay leaves, arrange alongside ribs.
- Fold foil into a tent-shaped packet over the ribs.
- Bake ribs for 55 minutes. Carefully open top of the foil packet, letting steam escape. Baste ribs with barbecue sauce until just covered. Set aside remaining barbecue sauce. Do not reseal foil packet.
- Bake with foil packet open, 15 minutes or until ribs are fork-tender and sauce is caramelized. Remove from the oven, lightly close the top of the foil and let stand 10 minutes. Transfer to serving plates and serve with remaining BBQ sauce.
Cooks Tips
- Replace the ready-made barbecue sauce with one of these homemade sauces, if you desire:
- The USDA recommends that baby back ribs be cooked to an internal temperature of at least 145°F. While they will be safe to eat at this point, they will not be very tender or flavorful. Barbecuing experts agree that ribs are done between 180°F and 195°F. (One of the best tests is to bite into a rib and see if you can see your teeth marks!)
- The cooking time for these baby back ribs will be more than enough to be cooked to a safe temperature. Now, you just need to test for doneness which is best done with a fork. - Or your teeth 🙂
Nutrition
Cyrus says
Thank you... I can't wait to taste this.
Giggs says
The only thing I woud do different is to brown the ribs first then put them in oven ty for recipe YUMMO!! 😉
Marilyn says
Browning first should work, but I haven't tried it. I would suggest carving the rack into shorter sections to make them easier to handle. Also, if you brown the pork ribs first, you may want to reduce their time if the oven.
Brenda says
Basic recipe is fine BUT there is no way your ribs will be cooked in 1 hour!
I actually just made ribs using the same basic technique BUT I tented them for one hour. Turned them. Tented them another hour. Turned again added the barbecue sauce Tented cooked 40 min. Turned added barbecue sauce Tented cooked 40 min. Brush on more sauce. Broil at 400degrees- 4 inches from heat for 10 minutes. or till browned (not burnt). Watch closely . Turn last time Broil 400 degrees- 4 inches from heat for 10 minutes or till brown. They will be fork tender.
I have been cooking my ribs this way for years. They receive rave reviews.
P. Sophie says
Not sure how you can judge something you haven’t tried. Besides I’m trying THIS recipe because it said “fast and fuss free.” Thanks Marilyn!