Go Back Email Link
–+ servings
Close-up shot of beautifully caramelized, saucy baby back ribs, cut into individual pieces, displaying their glossy, appetizing appearance.
Print Recipe
5 from 1 vote

Baby Back Ribs

These perfectly tender ribs, coated in a flavorful rub and finished with a smoky barbecue sauce, are sure to be the star of your next meal.
Prep Time20 minutes
Cook Time2 hours 25 minutes
Total Time2 hours 45 minutes
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Keyword: Baby Back Ribs, Summer
Servings: 3 servings
Calories: 217kcal
Author: Katie

Ingredients

Pork

  • one rack of baby back ribs

Rub (makes enough for two racks of ribs)

  • 2 tablespoons sugar
  • 1 tablespoon paprika
  • 1 tablespoon chili powder
  • 1 tablespoon cumin
  • 1 tablespoon coriander
  • 1 tablespoon kosher salt
  • 2 teaspoons coarsely ground pepper
  • ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper

Barbecue sauce

  • 1 cup ketchup
  • 2 tablespoons brown sugar
  • 2 tablespoons molasses
  • 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
  • 1 tablespoon worcestershire sauce
  • ½ teaspoon onion powder
  • ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
  • ¼ teaspoon coarsely ground pepper
  • ¼ teaspoon liquid smoke
  • pinch of salt

Instructions

  • Prep. Preheat the oven to 300 degrees Fahrenheit. Prepare a large baking sheet (a traditional 13x18 cookie sheet works great) by lining it with aluminum foil.
  • Make rub. In a small bowl, whisk together the rub ingredients.
    Overhead view of a glass bowl filled with a homemade spice rub mixture, with a whisk and striped kitchen towel beside it on a marble countertop.
  • Remove silverskin. Remove ribs from packaging and pat dry with paper towels. Place the ribs on the lined baking sheet. Turn the ribs meat side down to remove the membrane, called the silverskin. Slide a butter knife between the membrane and ribs about an inch in. This can be easier to do starting one or two ribs down from the top. Using a paper towel, take hold of the edge of the membrane and pull across the ribs and down. The paper towel helps grip the membrane to pull. Often the membrane comes off all in one piece.  If not, grab a hold of the next piece and pull until completely removed.
    Two-step image showing the process of removing the membrane from the back of a rack of ribs using a butter knife and paper towel on a foil-lined baking sheet.
  • Rub. Spread rub across one side of the ribs, rubbing the spices into the meat, using about 2 ½ tablespoons of the rub. Turn and spread and rub the spice mixture onto the other side, using an additional 2 ½ tablespoons of the rub.
    Overhead view of a rack of baby back ribs coated with a dry rub, placed on a foil-lined baking sheet ready for baking.
  • Bake. Cover the ribs with aluminum foil and place them in the oven. Cook for 2 hours and 15 minutes and remove from the oven. Check with a meat thermometer. Ribs should be at an internal temperature of 195-205 degrees Fahrenheit to be at the perfect tenderness. They are safe to eat at a lower temperature but need to cook to a higher temperature to be tender enough to eat. Place back in the oven for a few minutes if necessary.
    Overhead shot of baked ribs on a foil-lined baking sheet, showing a well-seasoned and cooked rack of ribs right out of the oven.
  • Make sauce. While the ribs cook, prepare sauce for your ribs. In a medium saucepan, whisk together ketchup, brown sugar, molasses, apple cider vinegar, dijon mustard, Worcestershire sauce, onion powder, garlic powder, pepper, liquid smoke, and salt. Cook sauce on low heat, stirring occasionally for 15-20 minutes. Refrigerate for later use or brush on ribs.
    Overhead view of a glass bowl filled with a homemade spice rub mixture, with a whisk and striped kitchen towel beside it on a marble countertop. 2. **Image of baby back ribs process-2:** Two-step image showing the process of removing the membrane from the back of a rack of ribs using a butter knife and paper towel on a foil-lined baking sheet. 3. **Image of baby back ribs process-3:** Overhead view of a rack of baby back ribs coated with a dry rub, placed on a foil-lined baking sheet ready for baking. 4. **Image of baby back ribs process-4:** Overhead shot of baked ribs on a foil-lined baking sheet, showing a well-seasoned and cooked rack of ribs right out of the oven. 5. **Image of baby back ribs process-5:** Overhead view of a saucepan filled with homemade barbecue sauce, next to a whisk on a marble countertop. 6. **Image of baby back ribs process-6:** Close-up shot of a rack of ribs on a grill, brushed with a thick layer of barbecue sauce, highlighting the caramelization and grill marks. 7. **Image of baby back ribs process-7:** A tray of sliced baby back ribs coated with barbecue sauce, with a jar of extra sauce and a basting brush beside them, ready to serve.
  • Finish on grill. Preheat a gas grill to medium-high heat. Brush sauce onto the meat side of the ribs. Place ribs meat side down on the grill and cook for 3-5 minutes. Brush sauce on the other side of the ribs and turn over. Brush additional sauce on the meat side of the ribs again and cook for an additional 3-5 minutes. Brush sauce on again if desired and remove from the grill.
    Close-up shot of a rack of ribs on a grill, brushed with a thick layer of barbecue sauce, highlighting the caramelization and grill marks.
  • Rest and serve. Let ribs rest for at least 10 minutes. Cut into slices by finding the soft spots in between the bones and cut between each bone, or serve two at a time. The bones can be at a slight angle and it can help to look at the ribs side, versus the meat side when cutting.
    A tray of sliced baby back ribs coated with barbecue sauce, with a jar of extra sauce and a basting brush beside them, ready to serve.

Notes

Any additional rub that does not come into contact with raw meat can be easily stored and used again. Both rubs would be excellent for other cuts of meat as well, like barbecue chicken.
I double this recipe for our family.
If you don’t own a grill, you can stick the ribs under the broiler for a few minutes as well. The sauce will still caramelize but watch carefully so it doesn’t burn. 
Finishing on the grill gets you that lovely caramelized sauce and smoky char that enhances the flavor of the ribs. It is best to apply the sauce to the ribs during the last 10 minutes or so of cooking. The sugar content in the sauces can easily burn. Applying the sauce too early can burn the sauce and affect the taste of the ribs. If you wait until after the grill, the sauce doesn’t caramelize or enhance the flavor of the meat when cooking.
I highly recommend removing the membrane on the back of the ribs before cooking. That will help improve the tenderness of the meat because the membrane tends to toughen when cooking. It also improves the flavor so the rub and sauce can permeate the meat. It is not too hard to pull off the membrane when you follow the instructions in the recipe, it just takes a minute or two and makes a big difference.
Ribs can easily be cooked in advance, up to two days before serving which can minimize oven time on a busy holiday cooking. You cook in the oven, refrigerate, and then finish on the grill with the sauce the day you are serving.
 

Nutrition

Calories: 217kcal | Carbohydrates: 54g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 2g | Saturated Fat: 0.2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 3237mg | Potassium: 636mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 44g | Vitamin A: 1478IU | Vitamin C: 9mg | Calcium: 105mg | Iron: 4mg