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Rack of oven bbq ribs in sheet pan with brush covered with bbq sauce.
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5 from 1 vote

Oven Baked Ribs and Tangy BBQ Sauce

My oven-baked ribs are fall-off-the-bone tender with the best homemade tangy barbecue sauce. These no-grill-required ribs couldn't be easier!
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time2 hours 45 minutes
refrigerating time1 hour
Total Time4 hours
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Italian
Servings: 6
Author: James Delmage

Ingredients

For the ribs

  • 2 racks baby back ribs about 4 pounds (1.8kg)
  • 4 teaspoons (13g) Diamond Crystal Kosher salt
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1 teaspoon black pepper
  • 2 teaspoons paprika

For the bbq sauce

  • 1 1/2 cups (360g) ketchup
  • 1 3/4 cups (420ml) distilled white vinegar
  • 3/4 packed cup (150g) brown sugar
  • 1/4 cup (85g) honey
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons (22ml) Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons fine sea salt plus more to taste
  • 1 teaspoon black pepper plus more to taste
  • 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper or to taste

Instructions

  • Dry off the ribs with paper towels. If the membrane has not already been removed, use a paper towel to grab and pull it off.
  • Mix the salt, onion powder, garlic powder, black pepper, and paprika together to make the spice rub. Rub the spice powder evenly on both sides of the ribs. Wrap the ribs in foil and place them on top of a foil lined baking sheet. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
  • Preheat oven to 250°F and set the rack to the middle level.
  • Bake for 2 1/2 hours then check for tenderness. If the ribs aren't tender, closeup the foil and bake for another 30 minutes and check again. Once the ribs are tender remove them from the oven.
  • Meanwhile, add the bbq sauce ingredients to a saucepot and bring to a simmer, stirring frequently to combine. Taste test and season with salt and pepper as required. Remove the sauce from the heat and set aside.
  • Turn on the broiler and set the rack to the second highest level.
  • Unwrap the ribs and place them on top to the foil-lined baking sheet. Pat the ribs dry of any accumulated juices then baste with the bbq sauce on both sides. Broil for 1-3 minutes per side, watching carefully for burning! Remove from the oven and slice. Glaze the sides of the ribs with more bbq sauce then serve with extra sauce at the table Enjoy!

Notes

  • To remove the membrane.  Position the ribs, bone side up on a cutting board and starting at one side of the rack use a butter knife to slide under the silverskin and loosen it.  With paper towels, grab the loosened silver skin and pull off the membrane across the whole rack.
  • Tenderness. If the ribs are not fork tender after 2 1/2 hours of baking, simply rewrap and cook for another 30 minutes and check again.  
  • Broiling. Be very careful when broiling the ribs.  They will get caramelized very quickly and can burn easily.
  • BBQ sauce. This recipe makes approximately 3 cups of bbq sauce which is more than is needed.  The sauce is vinegar based and will last in the fridge for up to a month.  Store in an airtight container.  For a thicker sauce simply whisk in a cornstarch slurry (start with 1 tablespoon cornstarch mixed with 1 tablespoon of water) while simmering the sauce until your desired consistency is achieved.  
  • Make ahead. The ribs can be baked the day ahead and finished in the oven or on the grill with the bbq sauce.
  • Leftovers.  Oven BBQ Ribs can be saved for up to 3 days and can be reheated in the oven or microwave.

Nutrition

Calories: 753kcal | Carbohydrates: 15.3g | Protein: 39.2g | Fat: 58.5g | Saturated Fat: 21.7g | Cholesterol: 195mg | Sodium: 1130mg | Fiber: 0.1g | Sugar: 15g | Calcium: 96mg | Iron: 2mg

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