Easy BBQ Baked Oven Baked Ribs Recipe | How to Bake Ribs (2024)

FAQs

Should you cover ribs when baking in oven? ›

Do you bake ribs covered or uncovered? You can cook ribs either covered with foil or uncovered. Foil is used to stop the meat from drying out but is not essential. If cooking uncovered and you notice the meat is drying out or browning too quickly, you can cover with foil for the remaining cook time.

Larger, fattier ribs need to be cooked longer than baby backs. Shoot for around 2 hours at 350 degrees if the ribs are uncovered, as in our Barbecued Pork Ribs. If wrapped in foil, the ribs can go for up to 3 hours at 300°F degrees, or crank the oven up to 400 degrees for a briefer baking time—1.5 to 2 hours.

Bake 2 1/2 to 3 hours for spareribs or 1 1/2 to 2 hours for baby back ribs. Halfway through cooking, cover the ribs with aluminum foil to protect them from drying out. Brush with barbecue sauce.

Place 1/2 cup water in baking sheet; place cooking rack inside pan. Spray cooking rack liberally with cooking spray. Place ribs directly on cooking rack; cover entire baking sheet with heavy duty foil, folding edges underneath pan to seal. Bake ribs for 8 hours without opening door.

Place ribs, meat side down, in baking dishes. Cover the baking dishes with aluminum foil and place in the oven. If you are using small baby back ribs, take out after 3.5 hours. If you are using regular baby back or St. Louis style ribs, then take out after 4 hours.

Place ribs directly on wire rack; brush 1/2 cup barbecue sauce on top of each slab. Return to oven; bake at 275°F until ribs are tender and meat is pulling away from bones, 45 minutes to 1 hour.

Pre-heat oven to 275 degrees. Use a 2 piece broiler pan, the lower half filled with very hot water, then layer racks of rib on the top. Ribs can be left whole in racks and layered, I have done 6 at a time, they still come out great.

Quick Overview: How to Cook Ribs in the Oven

Generously season both sides with salt and pepper. This is also a great opportunity for adding more flavor with your favorite spice rub. Cover the ribs with aluminum foil. Bake the ribs at a low temperature (275°F) for 2 ½ to 3 ½ hours or until they are tender.

Wrapping should be done about half way through the cooking process or when internal meat temp is 150-160 degrees. Use two layers of heavy duty foil to wrap the meat. We recommend the following process for wrapping ribs, pork shoulder and brisket. Ribs – Put the two layers of foil on a flat surface.

Moist, gentle heat and a wet vinegary sauce can save dry ribs. Here's what to do: Make a 50/50 mixture of your favorite BBQ sauce and apple cider vinegar and coat the ribs in this mixture. Then wrap the ribs tightly in foil and put them in a low oven (say 300°F) for about an hour.

Why are my oven ribs tough? ›

If you don't remove the rib membrane before cooking, it can make the ribs tough and chewy. The membrane doesn't break down during cooking, so it can be difficult to chew and can ruin the texture of the meat.

Generally, Pork ribs benefit from a lengthy cook time over low temperature. So don't just chuck them in the oven immediately and you don't have to necessarily use the grill from start to finish. It can be hard to control the temperature if you're not experienced enough which will result in burnt and tough meat.

You can coat the ribs with olive oil or mustard first to help it stick. Then, use your hands to spread it evenly on the surface of the ribs. The thick coating of the rub will keep the meat moist and tender while giving it a flavorful exterior.

Generally, the ribs will be browned before the meat is done, which is where the balancing act comes in. Overcooked ribs will be tender, but mushy.

Ribs generally cook for several hours because they store a lot of fat and collagen in the meat. But they also cook at vastly reduced temperatures. Like 200–250 degrees, which give the meat time to break down and redistribute all that delicious fat and flavor.

Rub dry rub all over ribs. Place ribs on a foil-lined baking sheet (or large roasting pan), meat-side up. Bake for 4 hours (middle rack, uncovered).

Preheat the oven to 250 degrees then unwrap the ribs and place them directly onto the foil. Cover the ribs tightly with another piece of foil then bake for 3-1/2 hours (see notes if your rib rack is larger). Carefully remove the top piece of foil then drain away any excess liquid from the sheet pan if there is any.

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C). Bake ribs wrapped tightly in foil in the preheated oven for 2 1/2 hours. Remove ribs from foil and serve with more sauce, if desired.