Fall off the Bone Baby Back Ribs in the Oven

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There really isn't much to say about ribs, because ribs speak for themselves. I love all kinds, and these are the ultimate Fall Off The Bone, eat me any time, spicy, tangy, dry rub and sauce, finger lickin, sauce in the corner of your mouth, whole roll of paper towel using, it is great to be American Baby Back Ribs! And that is all I have to say about it!

close up ribs cut and served on sheet pan

I like to cook my ribs in the oven because it is easy, neat, and never fails me. Once a little prep is done, you simply put these in the oven and let them cook away nice and slow with a good dry rub.

Then, finish them by slathering with your favorite barbecue sauce and sliding them under the broiler or on the grill for a perfect brown, sticky crust.

Oven baking baby back ribs gives you the flexibility to serve a barbecue classic all year long no matter the weather. The temperature is easy to manage and the foil packet ensures you’ll get to the high fall-off-the-bone temperature without drying out the rack and losing the delicious tasting fats through the grill grates.

Contents hide

Ingredients

Instructions

FAQs

Tips for Success

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Fall off the Bone: Baby Back Ribs in the Oven

Ingredients

Baby Back Ribs- Also known as loin ribs, these are a short, curvy rib full of lean meat that comes back of the pig near the loin.

Dry Rub- This special rub combines savory garlic and onion with a blend of peppers, cumin, and a generous portion of salt for richly spiced ribs. Some rubs have sugar, but I leave out sugars and add sweetness with barbecue sauce.

Barbecue Sauce- I recommend a sauce that is both sweet and tangy that is just a little bit spicy. Try my Apricot Honey Barbecue Sauce for a special homemade treat.

Instructions

Step 1: Prepare the ribs.

Preheat your oven to 325° and line a sheet pan with foil.
Then, mix together salt, pepper, granulated garlic, granulated onion, red chili powder, paprika, cayenne pepper, and cumin to make the dry rub.
Next, pat down the ribs with a paper towel to remove excess moisture and apply dry rub. Use your hands to rub the seasonings into the meat and make sure all sides are well seasoned.
Cut a piece of foil large enough to completely wrap your rack. Lay the seasoned baby backs meat side up in the center of the foil sheet. Bring the long sides together in the middle and fold over. Then, fold each end to make a neat packet.

Step 2: Bake low and slow.

Place the foil packet with ribs on your lined sheet pan and bake at 325° for 2 hours.

Rack of ribs right after it has been cooked, no sauce

At the end of two hours, you should have a good pool of juice in your foil packet and the meat should be naturally pulling away from the bone as it shrinks from cooking.

Step 3 Slather and Sizzle

Remove the cooked ribs from the oven and let rest for 10 minutes.
Carefully, open the foil packet to expose the top of the rack.
Then, brush your favorite barbecue sauce across the top of the rack giving them a good thick coat.

Step 4: Finish under the broiler or on the grill.

Place the ribs under a low broil for approximately 5 minutes. Then brush with another layer of sauce and put back under the broiler for another 5 minutes.
Watch them closely to make sure they do not burn and always keep food at least 6 inches from the top of the oven.

Step 5: Cut and Serve

Reserve the juices to pour over the rib pieces after cutting.
Using the bones as a guide, cut the rack into individual ribs, drizzle the juices over the top and serve with your favorite barbecue sides.

FAQs

Why wrap baked ribs in foil?

Using the foil packet method, nothing escapes and nothing burns. As you cook these ribs on a low temperature in the oven, the juices come out and act as a natural baste. Once the ribs get hot, the juices steam up and create moisture all around the meat and keeps it from drying out. The fat melts into the meat instead of losing it to the pan or the grill.

What temperature are ribs considered done?

Technically pork can be eaten at 140°, however, ribs should be cooked until they reach around 190°. That is the point that the connective tissues and fat really break down giving you the desired fall-off-the-bone texture.

What temperature should foil baked ribs be cooked?

Low and slow is key to tender rib meat. 325 for two hours will give you tender juicy meat every time. When you bake ribs in a foil packet the foil prevents the meat from getting too hot too fast and allows the fat to render while the natural juices steam up and baste the meat while it cooks.

Tips for Success

Mix the spices in a small bowl before handling the meat when your hands and counters are clean. This way you can prevent cross contamination with your dry goods.
The curve of the baby backs can make cutting them a bit tricky. Take a good look at the direction the ribs curve, then place your knife between two ribs angled towards the curve for nice even pieces.