Easy Oven Baked Barbecue Ribs

The sticky ribs take a while to cook, that’s how they become fall-off-the-bone. But don’t worry about the long cooking time because the prep is quick, and the rest is mostly hands off.

Oven baked ribs are a favorite at my house. Having this great recipe in your back pocket is great especially if you have your heart set on barbecue ribs on a rainy day. Make these easy baked ribs in the oven for a meal the whole family will enjoy!

Baked ribs are great for game-day especially when it’s too cold to grill. So are these sticky chicken wings and baked buffalo wings. And for a convenient, budget-friendly dinner try this baked Italian sausage and potatoes.

What’s great about this recipe

• It’s a wonderful way to get a perfect rack of ribs when outdoor cooking is out of the question.
• With this easy recipe you are guaranteed tender, juicy ribs.
• This dish is made with budget-friendly ingredients that are readily available at the grocery store.

Ingredients

• Ribs – It is best to use pork baby back ribs (also called back ribs, baby backs, and pork loin back ribs) for this recipe. They are shorter than spare ribs and become very tender when cooked.
• Rub – Cajun seasoning (a blend of spices that is a little spicy and incredibly flavorful) find it in the spice aisle at larger supermarkets or online. Soy sauce (we use reduced sodium), and brown sugar.
• Spices and Condiments – Brown sugar, honey, ketchup, yellow mustard, and Worcestershire sauce are added to plain barbecue sauce to make the sauce.
• You will also need – 1 large, rimmed baking sheet (half sheet pan 18”x13”), aluminum foil, pastry brush
• See the recipe card for quantities and preparation.

How to make oven barbecue ribs

• Preheat the oven to 350°F.
• Combine 1 tablespoon brown sugar, soy sauce and Cajun seasoning in a small bowl.
• Pat the ribs dry with a paper towel.
• Remove the silver skin from the back of the rack.
• Line a large baking sheet with aluminum foil – cut 2 pieces of foil approximately 28 – 30 inches.
• Place one piece vertically on the pan with an equal amount of overhang on the top and bottom.
• Place the second piece horizontally (crossing the vertical piece), also leaving an equal amount of overhang on each side.
• Place the ribs on the foil-lined baking sheet.
• Rub the rib slab all over with the prepared seasoning mix. Get the bottom and sides of the ribs then set them meaty side up and add a generous amount of the rub.

Fold in the sides to loosely cover the ends of the rib slab. Bring up the sides but don’t press them to the ribs, so it resembles a tray.

Next, bring up the vertical piece of foil and fold a couple of times to make a packet. Loosely bring in or fold any pieces of foil to finish making the packet. Don’t wrap the ribs too tight, seal the packet but leave room for air.

Bake and glaze

Bake the ribs for 2 hours.

When the ribs are almost done add the barbecue sauce, brown sugar, honey, ketchup, mustard, and Worcestershire sauce to a small saucepan. Heat the sauce over medium heat, stir often. When it comes to a simmer lower the heat and continue warming and stirring until the sugar melts and the ingredients are combined.

Keep the sauce warm until ready to use. Stir occasionally. Reserve about ⅓ of the sauce for serving

Remove the ribs from the oven, carefully open the foil (there will be steam accumulated in there) and fold it down so that the ribs remain uncovered.

Turn them over and brush the bottom with the barbecue sauce. Bake them for 15 minutes.

Turn them so they are meaty side up and glaze them two more times baking for 10 minutes in between each application.

Carefully transfer them to a cutting board or platter, if desired. Slice, and serve with the reserved barbecue sauce.

Recipe tips and notes

• The ribs are wrapped in tin foil and baked to make them super tender. Don’t wrap them too tightly. Seal the foil so the juices stay but leave room for air. Like with chicken foil packs and this shrimp foil packet, we need air to circulate.
• Try not to open the oven door so that the temperature stays steady. There’s nothing to see anyway since the ribs are wrapped in foil.
• When it’s time to turn the ribs do it gently so they do not fall apart. The easiest way is to use two tongs to turn them. Grab each end with the tongs and move them towards the center of the rib rack to provide support in the middle, then flip them.

Storing and reheating instructions

Store leftover oven-baked ribs in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. Reheat them in the microwave or use the oven. To reheat in the oven place them in a baking dish and cover with foil. Bake at 350 degrees F. or until they are hot all the way through. Either way make sure they reach an internal temperature of at least 165 degrees F.

For more information on food storage and safety guidelines visit U.S. Department of Agriculture and foodsafety.gov.

Frequently asked questions