Oven Baked Pork Ribs (Baked then Grilled)

Oven Baked Pork Ribs are seriously sensational! Super easy to make with basic steps, the dry rub coated ribs are oven baked then grilled to absolute perfection. Make these and have everyone rave about how good your cooking is for weeks!! These sticky bbq pork ribs have the right amount of spice to knock your socks off. They call for the eaters to lick the sauce off every single finger as well as the getting the drips dribbling down their chins with their tongue 😉.

Recipes like my Coca Cola Ribs, Marinated Lamb Ribs and Honey Soy Pork Ribs are all oven baked.

The Slow Cooker Lamb Ribs are cooked in the crockpot, the Air Fryer Spare Ribs are air fried!

🤍 Recipe Highlights

I have summarised everything that you will come to know and love (LOVE ❤) about the recipe in the points below:

• Family favourite: these easy baked ribs are a great easy recipe for the whole family with little kids and big ones able to delight in the chowing down of the bbq pork ribs eating process!
• Versatile: be it a BBQ, picnic, game day, the super bowl, party, or dinner, these oven-baked ribs can be served as an appetizer, starter or main. They will lend themselves to a variety of serving options.
• Simple ingredients: which are readily available at your local grocery store is all that is needed.
• Super easy: it takes minutes to combine the ingredients for the dry rub and coat the ribs in them. Once done simply pop them into the oven and let them cook whilst you go about other things! The results are tender meat with tons of flavor!
• Taste and texture: the dry rub, Worcestershire sauce and apple cider vinegar bring the flavour and the tender juicy meat falling off the bones enable the variety of texture in the dish.
• Alternative cut of meat: it can be nice to switch things up a little and not always opt for mince (although it is always great for recipes like the Pork Bolognese). Oven baked ribs are a great alternative to a roast dinner, steak or wings.

🥗 Ingredients

The photo below is to show you everything you need to make the recipe. Please refer to the printable recipe card for specific ingredient measurements as well as detailed instructions.

As you can see the recipe calls for:

• Pork ribs: also known as a rack of baby back ribs or baby backs. These are different to spare ribs which are sold as individually cut ribs. Or short ribs which are beef ribs. You will be able to get them from the meat section at the supermarket or your local butcher.
• Worcestershire sauce: we combine this with apple cider vinegar and water to sit under the ribs during their cook time.
• Apple cider vinegar: combined with the Worcestershire and water for the baking tray that the ribs will cook in.
• Water: we use this to fill the remaining space under the ribs with liquid to create a moist cooking environment.

🍖 Dry Rub

• Dried Garlic powder: this can dry out if the bottle is open, sealed, but not used in a while. So keep this in mind so that you don't go to grab it out and then have to pop out again to get another bottle.
• Dried Onion powder: same as the above, a great ingredient, but needs to be used regularly so that the powder doesn't dry into a clump in the bottle.
• Mustard powder: soft and pale yellow in colour, this powder is an excellent choice for seasoning and making dry rubs.
• Cayenne pepper: this adds a little spice to the recipe. You can however, omit it if you prefer a more basic flavour to the ribs. (I think this spice is more noticeable in the leftovers than it is when cooked and consumed the same day, FYI 😉).
• Salt and pepper: we use a little salt and black pepper to season the pork ribs and these get added to the dry rub ingredients.

🍜 BBQ Sauce

• BBQ sauce: thick and rich, is it really a ribs recipe if you are not slathering them in sauce! You can use your favorite barbeque sauce 😉.
• Tomato sauce: (ketchup): another key ingredient in the basting sauce. This brings a well rounded flavour to balance the BBQ and Worcestershire sauce.
• Worcestershire sauce: a condiment that gives meats and fish a lift. You will find it near the soy sauces and apple cider vinegars in the supermarket.

🍳 Instructions

Here are the step by step instructions to make the recipe. We start by taking simple steps to make the dry rub. You will find that a glass jug and mini whisk is a handy way to do this. But you can also use a fork or teaspoon if you don't have a mini whisk.

• Gather the dry rub ingredients (Photo 1)
• Whisk them together (Photo 2)
• Remove the thin membrane from the back of the ribs (Photo 3)
• Massage the dry rub into the ribs (Photo 4)

👩‍🍳 How to Make Oven Baked Pork Ribs

Start by gathering the ingredients for the homemade spice rub and then add them one by one to a glass jug. So you will have the garlic powder, onion powder, mustard powder, paprika, cayenne pepper, salt and pepper. Use a mini whisk or fork to combine these, then set it aside.

Lay the ribs meat side down on a chopping board and starting at one corner, pull the membrane (silver skin) back and discard. If there are any tricky bits you can fold a piece of paper towel and use that to better a better grip. Or us a knife and gently place it under the membrane to lift a corner.

Once that is done sprinkle the dry rub all over the ribs and massage it in, flip the ribs and do the other side.

• Flip and massage dry rub into the other side (Photo 5)
• Gather Worcestershire sauce and apple cider vinegar (Photo 6)
• Combine these 2 liquids (Photo 7)
• Place ribs onto oiled foil lined tray (Photo 8)

Next combine the Worcestershire sauce and apple cider vinegar. This can be done by simply whisking them together.

• Pour combined liquids into baking tray (Photo 9)
• Cover with foil (Photo 10)
• Gather BBQ sauce ingredients (Photo 11)
• Stir to combine (Photo 12)

Pour the liquids into the base of the baking tray, pour in water to create a liquid layer and then cover the ribs with a layer of aluminum foil.

When that is done, place the ribs into the oven to cook for 2 hours. During this time you can gather the BBQ sauce, tomato sauce and Worcestershire sauce, whisk them together then set aside.

• Place the cooked ribs onto a baking mat and baste (Photo 13)

When the 2 hours are up, you can use oven mits to remove the ribs from the oven and place them on a heatproof surface. Change the oven to grill and turn it up to 200 degrees (200°C 392°F6).

Gently pull the alfoil off and discard. Use kitchen tongs to then pick up the cooked ribs and place them onto a silicon mat on a baking tray.

Use a pastry brush to generously coat the top of the ribs and sides of the ribs in the BBQ sauce. Then place them into the oven again, this time on the top shelf.

• Grill then baste and repeat 2 to 3 times (Photo 14)

You can repeat the baste, grill process 2 to 3 times and then remove from the oven and place on a heatproof surface.

The total cooking time for the ribs is 2 hours with around 20 mins of grilling.

Let the grilled ribs rest for a couple of mins and then use a knife and chopping board to slice them into individual portions or pairs and plate with remaining sauce. It won't take long for the eaters to dive on in 😉.

🍽 Serving Suggestions

These ribs will go down a treat with the Turkish Garlic Bread, Ciabatta Garlic Bread or Garlic Pizza Bread.

For a light and bright salad the Cherry Tomato Caprese Salad and Healthy Panzanella Salad both make good options.

The Air Fryer Chips or Gravy Fries give you some carby options as do the Duck Fat Roast Potatoes, Creamy Garlic Potatoes or Garlic Butter Potatoes.

There will be plenty of sauce left for drizzling, dunking or dolloping and my homemade sauce recipes offer some sugar free options for you to try also.

👍 How to Guide

How to Store

Store leftovers ribs in a sealed, airtight container or plate with cling wrap. They can be refrigerated for 2 days.

How to Freeze

I don't recommend freezing leftover cooked ribs as they will never taste as good as when freshly cooked then grilled if they have been frozen. You can however, purchase your ribs then freeze them (ahead of time) and thaw prior to using when you are ready to make the recipe.

How to Reheat

Place the ribs onto a silicon baking mat and reheat in the oven (moderate temperature) for 5 to 10 mins to reheat. If you are in a hurry, you can microwave them on high for 2 to 3 minutes.

😉 Substitutions and Variations

Here are my sub ins and outs that you might be thinking about as you read the post and I will tell you if I think they will work or why they won't:

• The cayenne pepper is hot! If you are not a fan of any heat in recipes you can omit this. I don't think you can really taste it as a hot spice as it blends well with the other spices, however, I get you and want you to enjoy the recipe even is spice is not your thing 😉👍.
• Yes, you can use sugar free sauces if you want to. There are plenty of keto options available these days which are either sugar free or reduced sugar versions. Or use a homemade barbecue sauce or your favorite bbq sauce.
• You can use this spicy rub for other meats like beef, chicken and fish.

💡 Tasty Tips

Here are my top tips and tricks that I want to share with you so that you master the recipe from the get go:

• Preheat the oven to start with so it will have reached the right temperature when you are wanting to place the ribs in.
• Try and keep the dry rub away from any moisture or liquids so that it doesn't get clumped together.
• With the garlic powder and onion powder these ingredients are notorious for drying out if not used regularly. This is something to keep in mind if you haven't checked your bottle in the pantry for a while 😁.

🤓 Frequently Asked Questions

How long do pork ribs cook in the oven?

Pork ribs are best cooked for 2 hours in the oven. They can then be basted in sauce and grilled for crispy saucy edges.

Do you bake pork ribs covered or uncovered?

Covering the ribs with foil is a great way to ensure that they will not dry out during the 2 hours that they are cooking. You can do this by layering the foil over the top of the ribs or wrapping the foil around the rack of ribs.

What liquid do you use for ribs??

Worcestershire sauce, apple cider vinegar, beer and BBQ sauce are common liquids to use when cooking ribs. Each of these can be used in combination with a store bought or homemade dry rub.

😍 More Easy Dinner Recipes

Dinner can be more than Winner Winner Chicken Dinner with some recipes using different proteins that you can enjoy. Here are some more recipes I know you will love:

• BBQ Lamb Ribs
• Honey Glazed Pork Chops
• Sweet and Sour Ribs
• Pork Bolognese
• Chicken Spaghetti Bolognese
• Pork Chops in Mushroom Soup
• Lamb Bolognese
• Bolognese Pizza
• Linguine Bolognese
• Macaroni Bolognese

Its time to let your face being smothered in sauce and your fingers do the talking my friend!

Adrianne

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