Cook Ribs in the Oven

Although pork ribs are often cooked on a grill, they can be very tasty, tender, and moist when cooked in an oven. It's easy to control the cooking time of oven-baked ribs, and best of all, they can be made even when it's rainy and cold outside. This article outlines the basic method for cooking ribs in the oven and provides recipes for dry rubbed ribs or sweet and spicy barbecue ribs.

Ingredients

Dry rubbed ribs:

  • Rack of pork ribs, full slab
  • 8 Tablespoons brown sugar
  • 2 Tablespoons salt
  • 1 Tablespoon chili powder
  • 1 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon onion powder

Sweet and spicy barbecue ribs:

  • Rack of pork ribs, full slab
  • 1/4 cup onion, diced
  • 1/2 cup ketchup
  • 1 Tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 Tablespoon apple cider vinegar
  • 1 Tablespoon hot sauce
  • 2 Tablespoons brown sugar
  • Salt and pepper

Basic oven-baked ribs:

  • Rack of pork ribs, full slab
  • Water
  • Salt and pepper

Oven-cooked BBQ ribs:

  • Rack of pork ribs, full slab
  • BBQ sauce
  • Water or broth

Steps

Dry Rubbed Ribs

  1. Prepare the ribs. Remove ribs from the packaging and pull off the membrane, which is usually attached to the underside of the rib cage.
  2. Combine all dry ingredients in a medium bowl. Mix well using a whisk.
  3. Season the ribs on each side with the dry rub. Make sure to cover every part of the ribs, and pat the rub into the meat.
  4. Cover the ribs tightly with aluminum foil. Place them in the refrigerator for 8 hours, or overnight.
  5. Place the foil-wrapped ribs in an oven preheated to 250 degrees Fahrenheit (121 degrees Celsius). Bake for 2 1/2 hours.
    • Test to make sure the meat is ready by unwrapping the foil and poking the meat with a fork. It should fall easily from the bone with it's done.
  6. Remove the ribs from the oven and placed them on a foil-lined baking sheet. Turn on the broiler in the oven. Return the ribs to the oven and broil until they are brown and crackly, about 5 minutes.
  7. Remove the ribs from the oven and serve.

Sweet and Spicy Barbecue Ribs

  1. Prepare the ribs. Remove ribs from the packaging and pull off the membrane, which is usually attached to the underside of the rib cage.
  2. Season the ribs on both sides with salt and pepper.
  3. Place the ribs in a roasting pan and cover it with aluminum foil.
  4. Place the pan in an oven preheated to 250 degrees Fahrenheit (121 degrees Celsius). Bake for 2 1/2 hours.
  5. In the meantime, prepare the barbecue sauce.
    • Heat the oil in a saucepan over medium heat.
    • Add the onions and sauté until translucent.
    • Add the remaining ingredients. Combine them well with a whisk.
    • Bring the sauce to a boil, then reduce the heat to allow it to simmer gently while the ribs finish cooking.
  6. Remove the ribs from the oven. Pull back the foil. Pour the sauce over the ribs. Use a brush to make sure it is distributed evenly.
  7. Turn on the oven's broiler. Place the ribs in the oven and broil them on high until they are brown and bubbly, about 5 minutes.
  8. Remove the ribs from the oven and serve.

Basic Oven-Baked Ribs

  1. Prepare the ribs. Remove ribs from the packaging and pull off the membrane, which is usually attached to the underside of the rib cage. Season the ribs with salt, pepper, and other spices that you like.
    • The membrane becomes tough when cooked, so it's important to remove it. Slide a knife underneath it and gently pull it up, working carefully to remove all shreds of the membrane.
  2. Place heavy duty aluminum foil in a rectangular metal baking pan. Leave enough foil hanging over the edges to fold over and cover the pan while the meat is cooking.
    • The pan should have at least two inch sides, and be large enough for all the meat to fit in one layer. Stacking the meat will cause it to cook unevenly, and very thick layers may result in some of the meat not being cooked thoroughly.
  3. Put water in the bottom of the pan, enough to give it a depth of one fourth inch. The water will create steam to keep the meat moist, while keeping the bottom of the pan and foil from scorching. This also reduces the actual temperature in the tent you'll create with the foil.
  4. Place the ribs in the pan with the arch of the ribs up, so that you cannot see the bones as well.
  5. Form a tent with aluminum foil over the meat.
  6. Bake in a preheated oven at 325F, or 160C degrees, for about an hour, with the ribs covered. An alternative to foil is a turkey baking bag. Using a baking bag will make clean-up easier and produce an evenly cooked product. Follow the directions on the cooking bag box. The addition of water isn't necessary as the bag acts as an ad hoc pressure cooker. If all that is available to you is foil, lay some wax paper or parchment down to make a barrier between the ribs and the foil, especially if you like to use B-B-Q sauce. the foil is reactive and the paper prevents sticking and any adverse foil-acid reaction.
  7. Remove the pan from the oven. Unfold the foil, then return it to the oven, raise the temperature to 375F / 190C degrees and allow to cook 10 to 15 more minutes. This will allow the ribs to brown and will cook off some of the juices in the pan.
  8. Remove the ribs from the oven and serve.

Oven-cooked BBQ Ribs

  1. Remove the membrane from the bottom of the ribs. Use a knife to start it near the narrow end, and pull off in one piece.
  2. Put the ribs in a resealable bag. Add sufficient BBQ sauce to cover. Allow to marinate for at least an hour.
  3. Line the baking pan with heavy duty foil. Use plenty of overlapping foil to make a tent. Cover the bottom of the pan with ¼” water or broth.
  4. Wipe excess BBQ sauce off the bottom of the ribs and place into the pan. Add salt and pepper to taste. Baste the top with more BBQ sauce.
  5. Add a sheet of wax paper over the ribs. This is to prevent the acid in the BBQ sauce from corroding the foil and contaminating the sauce.
  6. Crimp the foil tightly. Bake at 350ºF or 180ºC for 50 minutes. Remove and let sit for 5 minutes. Open and apply more BBQ sauce. If it seems completely cooked, let it air dry before serving. If it doesn’t seem completely cooked, either return it to oven (open), for 5-7 more minutes at 400ºF or 200ºC, or throw them on the grill just until the BBQ sauce dries on.
  7. Serve with moistened tripled Bounty towels or similar paper towels. Enjoy!

Tips

  • You can use barbecue sauce, hickory smoke flavor, and other ingredients, either at the beginning of the cooking, or after the foil is removed from over the meat.
  • Use a large pan, so that the contents are not crowded together. Heavy, rectangular aluminum cake pans work well with this technique.
  • Consider using chicken broth in place of water.
  • Be sure the meat is well done. Frozen ribs or starting with a cold oven will slow cooking times.
  • Ribs cooked in the oven can be finished on the grill for that good flavor and a little added crispiness. Just toss on a hot grill for 5-10 min per side.
  • The meat should be well thawed before cooking.

Warnings

  • Steam will accumulate in the aluminum foil tent while the meat is cooking, so be careful uncovering it for the final browning stage.

Things You'll Need

  • Ingredients listed above
  • A deep, rectangular (preferred) metal pan
  • Heavy duty aluminum foil
  • Tongs
  • A saucepan

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Sources and Citations

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