How Long Do You Cook Baby Back Ribs In Oven

Tender, fall off the bone ribs with a bark-style crust you'd usually get from the grill? From the OVEN? Yes please. These easy baked ribs can be made entirely in your oven - so you can have baby back ribs rain or shine.

Easy Oven Baked Ribs Recipe

There are a few steps to getting the best oven baked baby back ribs, but they are straightforward and once you get the hang of it, you'll be making ribs like crazy!

How to remove silverskin from ribs?

The silverskin is a membrane on the bone-side of the ribs that becomes quite tough when cooked, and can also cause your ribs to curl up while cooking if there's a lot of it. I'm going to tell you a secret that the Rib People don't want you to know: you don't HAVE to remove the silverskin. If you don't want to remove it, you should still slice through it between each rib in order to minimize its impact, though.

{keep scrolling for full instructions to remove the silverskin}

So yeah, you don't have to remove it, but I still think you should.

Removing the silverskin is one of those cooking things that sounds difficult but it's really more of an annoyance than any sort of technical feat.

Place the ribs meat side down
Firmly hold the ribs with one hand.
Identify the silverskin - it's a membrane that looks, you guessed it, silvery white.
Loosen it Carefully slip the tip of your knife under the skin. Holding the knife parallel to the ribs, run the knife under the skin and away from the hand that is holding the ribs.
Pull at the silverskin you just loosened away from the meat and discard it. Repeat until none is left. This may be a more violent process than you expect. Just think of everyone who ever did you wrong, give it a good grab, put your back into it, and make sure the knife is nowhere near you when you start.

Alternative method: When at the butcher, just say "hey, can you please remove the silverskin for me?" and be done with it. This is my preferred method.

How to cook ribs in the oven

Prepare the ribs by removing the silverskin and patting them dry.
Preheat the oven to 275 F.
Rub a dub dub. But not in the tub. Rub the ribs all over with a good quality rib rub that contains sugar, or make one from scratch. My homemade rib rub recipe is amazing for this recipe!
Tightly Wrap the ribs in foil.

ribs cooked in the oven — Perfectly tender ribs, ready to be sauced and broiled

How long to bake ribs in the oven?

The short answer is "until they are tender." The long answer is that depending on the size and weight of your ribs, this could take anywhere from 2 hours to 3.5 hours. For baby backs, you'll reach tender around the two hour to 2.5 hour mark. For larger cuts like spare ribs or St Louis style, expect 3 to 3.5 hours.

What's the best temperature to cook ribs at?

275 F - any lower and you'll be cooking all night. Higher, and the ribs will cook through but possibly dry out or otherwise not be tender.

Why use a dry rub on baby back ribs? (Or any ribs, for that matter)

To make the best oven baked ribs, you're going to want to use a dry rub. There's absolutely nothing wrong with picking up an old standard from the store like Butt Rub, Lamberts, Bone Suckin' Sauce Dry Rub, or Killer Hogs. Just MAKE SURE whatever you pick up has sugar in it. I make my own dry rib rub - it's great not only on ribs, but boston butts, beer can chicken, and more.

The sugar is a major part of the magic of this recipe and to faking the bark you'd get from a grill or smoker. The rest of the spices in the rub are a delightful bonus that pack extra flavor in.

But the sugar. You need the sugar.

ribs from the oven with bark — Grill, who?

Should oven baked ribs be covered?

Keep the ribs wrapped in foil until while baking until they are fall off the bone tender, then I remove the foil for the final cooking step.

How to reheat ribs in the oven

Just like the original cook, your best bet when reheating ribs in the oven is to take it slow. This prevents the meat from seizing up, and will ensure you still have a nice, tender rib.

Coat the ribs in any leftover sauce you might have (if you don't have leftover sauce that's fine - skip this step)
Wrap the ribs tightly in foil
Slowly reheat at 275 F for 20 - 30 minutes, or until they are warmed through.
Remove the foil from the ribs
Broil on high for 2 - 3 minutes to get a little bit of crisp back on the top

What sides to serve with ribs?

Southern Baked Macaroni and Cheese
Green Bean Casserole from Scratch
Healthy Potato Salad
Crunchy Broccoli Salad with Bacon

Rib Rub

1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 tablespoon black pepper
1 tablespoon smoked paprika
1 tablespoon cumin
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 tablespoon chili powder
2 tablespoons salt
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Ribs

1 rack baby back ribs ~ 3 lbs
2 cups bbq sauce

Heavy Duty Aluminum Foil
Sheet Pan
Basting Brush

Prepare

Preheat the oven to 275 degrees F.
Remove the silverskin membrane from the ribs if it has not already been removed. Pat the ribs dry, then rub them all over with either a store bought rib rub that contains sugar, or use the blend listed above.
Place the ribs on heavy duty aluminum foil and wrap them tightly. Place the package of foil wrapped ribs, bone side down, onto a large rimmed sheet pan.

Cook

Bake at 275 F for two hours for baby back ribs (see notes for other types of ribs.)
After two hours, remove the ribs from the oven, open the foil to expose the meaty tops of the ribs, and drain any liquid that has accumulated in the foil or pan. Turn the oven up to 475 degrees F. Brush the top of the ribs with barbecue sauce and return them to the oven to cook for 15 minutes. It's okay if the oven hasn't fully preheated to the new temperature yet. After 15 minutes, brush another layer of sauce onto the top of the ribs, and bake for another 15 minutes.
Turn the oven to broil. Broil the ribs for 3 to 5 minutes, or until the sauce begins to bubble and brown. Remove from the oven, let cool for 10 minutes, then cut the ribs and serve.

For Baby Back Ribs, bake for 2 hours.

For St Louis Style ribs or spare ribs, bake for 3 to 3.5 hours.

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