Oven Baked Ribs

These Oven Baked Ribs are the BEST, hands down! They cook low and slow, until the meat is so tender that teeth are totally optional.

It’s so simple to cook perfect baby back ribs, just a few minutes of hands on time, then your oven does the work.

All you need is one secret ingredient: patience…

In case you didn’t know by now, low and slow is the only way to go when cooking naturally tough cuts of meat.

Some of our top recipes use this method, including the oven roasted Puerto Rican Pernil, slow braised Flemish Beef Stew, and a variety of slow cooker recipes like Barbacoa Pork and Hawaiian Chicken.

Now ribs… they can stir up a little debate at times. Some people do like to have a little something to chew on. That’s fine.

But we like them melt in your mouth tender. If you agree, read on…

How to Prepare Ribs For Baking

The first step many people undertake is to remove the whitish membrane on the underside of the ribs.

Having tried both ways, we have found this to be an unneseccary step, which doesn’t impact the quality of the end product. If you wish to do it, feel free.

Before baking, you want to give the ribs some seasoning. This allows the flavors to seep into the meat during the long cooking duration. If nothing else, use some salt and pepper, but we have included a simple dry rub that we use in the recipe card.

Once seasoned, you will need to wrap the ribs in aluminum foil. This will help keep the moisture in. You certainly don’t want dried out ribs.

If you are using a sheet pan, it will probably be large enough to wrap the entire rack of ribs in one piece. If using a baking dish, or a smaller sized baking sheet, you may have to cut the ribs onto 3-4 bone sections.

The foil should loosely tent the ribs, but be tighly sealed enough to prevent much moisture loss.

How Long to Bake Ribs in the Oven, and at What Temperature?

Although we have used lower temperatures at times, 275 degrees for about 4 hours works perfectly for baby back ribs.

It’s a low enough temperature for them to become very tender, without drying out, but is not so low that they take an excessive amount of time.

As ovens do vary, check the ribs to make sure they are tender. It’s better to wait and let your appetite grow for a bit than chew on tough ribs.

Towards the last 15 minutes of cooking, remove the foil cover, and slather with BBQ sauce.

If desired, broil for a few minutes at the end to caramelize the sauce.

What is the Best BBQ Sauce for Ribs

This is a question that can have a lot of answers. Some like sweet BBQ sauce, some prefer tangy. Some like thick and paste-like, some prefer a thinner sauce. For a bunch of different options, so you can coat your ribs in just the right sauce for you, check out our collection of favorite homemade BBQ Sauce Recipes.

What to Serve with Oven Baked Ribs

For a ton of different options, you can check out our post on the best Side Dishes for Ribs.

Some of our top favorites:

Southern Squash Casserole
Creole Coleslaw
Rainbow Pasta Salad
Mexican Street Corn Salad
Dirty Rice

Leftovers and Storage

Leftover baked ribs can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days.

To reheat, you can wrap them in foil and bake at 300 degrees till hot. Alternately, heat them in a covered skillet over medium heat with a mixture of about a quarter cup each of BBQ sauce and water. This essentially steams them, so they don’t dry out.

The next time you’re craving a barbecue night, try these awesome oven baked ribs. They’re just as good as any you’ll get in a restaurant.

Just remember to be patient. They’re going to be worth the wait!

Oven Baked Ribs, on our Gypsy Plate… enjoy!

Try these other recipes for your game days and summer holidays!
Cajun Pulled Pork
Garlic Parmesan Wings
Sticky Asian Wings
Chicken Souvlaki Skewers
Loaded Hummus Dip
Surf & Turf Nachos