Cooking these slow-roasted baby back ribs in the oven, or on the outdoor BBQ, you can achieve maximum flavor with minimum ingredients that will ensure great meaty flavor, and quality tenderness.
As much as I enjoy eating pork ribs, I never order them in restaurants. Ever. I just can’t seem to bring out my cannibal cave-woman side in public.
At home, however, all bets are off, and you can find me gnawing on the bones of these delicious oven barbeque ribs with the best of them.
**Please Note – The printable recipe card with detailed instructions, complete ingredient measurements, and nutritional information for making easy bbq baby back ribs is available at the end of this post. OR you can hit the “jump to recipe” button (found above) to be taken directly to the recipe.
The ingredient list:
**Note – The following lists of ingredients plus kitchen tools and equipment contain affiliate links (highlighted in blue) for your consideration and shopping convenience. #CommissionsEarned
Kitchen tools and equipment needed:
- Baking Sheet
- Aluminum Foil (optional, for easier cleanup)
- Paper Towels
- Measuring Cups and Spoons
- Basting Brush
- Meat Cleaver (optional, but fun for serving)
- Cutting Board
- Meat Thermometer
Visit Snake River Farms for quality family-owned, humanely raised, and sustainably focused meats.
What makes this pork rib recipe special?
Whenever I see baby back ribs for sale in the market, I make sure to buy a few slabs to keep on hand in the freezer for when our desire for sweet and smoky pork ribs hits.
What makes this recipe so special is that it takes only a small handful of ingredients, and doesn’t require a store-bought sauce BBQ sauce that has tons of sugar and preservatives.
How long will it take to oven roast these baby back ribs in the oven from start to finish?
With 30 minutes of marinating time (with the vinegar) and 4½ hours of slow roasting oven time, this recipe will take 5 hours from start to dinner.
Please plan accordingly.
How to cook easy baby back pork ribs in the oven:
- Use a paper towel and paring knife to remove as much of the silver skin from the back of the ribs as possible.
- The key to keeping these ribs moist and tangy is by liberally brushing them with apple cider vinegar before roasting. Allowing the ribs to sit approximately 30 before roasting allows the vinegar to permeate the meat making it tender and tasty.
- Once the ribs have had a chance to sit with the vinegar, it’s time to season them with salt, pepper, and garlic powder before sliding them into a low, 300-degree oven to roast for 2½ hours.
- After the initial roast, sprinkle the ribs generously with smoked paprika and return them to the oven to cook for an additional 1½ hours.
- Just wait until you smell these Oven Roasted Baby Back Ribs cooking. You’ll go crazy! But hold on because they get even better!
- Upon removing the ribs from their second roasting in the oven, spread them liberally with tomato paste (yep, you read that right), and sprinkle them lightly with brown sugar.
- That’s it!! Crazy, right?
- Return the ribs back into the oven for 20 minutes at 375 degrees, which will caramelize the brown sugar just the right amount, making the ribs sticky, and messy. Just the way baby back ribs are supposed to be!
What is the silverskin on ribs and does it need to be removed?
The silverskin is found on the backside of the baby back ribs, and other various large cuts of meat.
It’s a very thin layer of a see-through membrane which, if left on the ribs can make them tough and chewy because it will not breakdown (or melt) during the cooking process.
Eating the silverskin is not harmful in any way, however, it will only make noshing on these delicious ribs a little less enjoyable!
By removing the silverskin, the marinade and flavorings will better infuse the meat without the thin membrane impeding the process.
What is the easiest way to remove the silverskin?
I find it best to carefully pierce or slice a tiny hold through the thin whiteish membrane and then use a paper towel (because it can be slippery to remove) to peel the membrane from the back of the ribs and discard.
How do I cook these baby back pork ribs on the grill?
It may take a little longer on the grill because the temperature is usually a little less precise, but plan for approximately the same amount of cooking time as with the indoor oven.
- Once the apple cider vinegar has been allowed to sit on the ribs for 30 minutes, season them with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and smoked paprika.
- Take the ribs out to a preheated grill and place them on an oiled rack over medium heat, bone side down.
- Cover the grill and allow the ribs to cook (checking on them after 60 minutes or so).
- Flip the ribs, meat side down, after 90 minutes.
- Cover the grill again and continue cooking the ribs for an additional 30 minutes, checking occasionally for flair-ups.
- Remove the ribs from the grill, place them on a baking sheet covered with foil, and close the grill cover (to keep the heat inside).
- Return the ribs to the grill (baking sheet and all), and cook for an additional 90 minutes, or until the ribs reach an internal temperature of 190-degrees, and the meat has shrunk considerably away from the bones.
- Spread the top of the ribs evenly with the tomato paste, and brown sugar.
- Place the ribs back on the grill and cook for an additional 30 minutes.
- Allow the ribs to rest, covered, for 10-15 minutes before serving.
How to turn your outdoor grill into an outdoor oven:
- Cover one or two bricks with foil.
- When you’re ready to cook, place the food onto a baking sheet or in a baking dish on top of the bricks.
- By doing so, you’ll be cooking with indirect heat, turning the outside grill into an outside oven.
- I also like to cover the outside of the baking sheet or cooking vessel with foil to avoid scorching of the pan.
- Continue cooking as you would in an inside oven.
- You can even bake outside with this method and keep the heat out of the kitchen in the hot summer months.
How to turn an outdoor grill into an outdoor smoker:
- On a large sheet of foil, add approximately 1½ cups of dry wood chips (your favorite variety), and 3/4’s cup wood chips that have been soaked in water (or juice for extra flavor) for at least 30 minutes, and drained.
- Wrap the wood chips in the foil to make a package and then use a large meat fork to poke holes into the foil package. The more holes, the more smoke.
- Depending on what you’re cooking and for how long, you may need to replace the wood chip smoker packet every 90-120 minutes, or as needed.
- When opening and closing the grill cover, do so quickly as to keep as much smoke inside as possible.
What is the proper internal temperature for baby back ribs?
145-degrees Fahrenheit on an instant-read thermometer.
The delicious results:
Once you smell these ribs cooking, you’re going to think you’ve died and gone to hog heaven.
So you’d better be careful or you’ll make a complete pig (pork rib humor) out of yourself. 😉
Additional delicious pork recipes:
- Lime Marinated Mexican Pork Tacos (pictured below) from (yours truly) Kudos Kitchen
“Taco Tuesday just got an upgrade! These Lime Marinated Mexican Pork Tenderloin Tacos don’t take much longer to make than a standard ground beef taco, but the flavor is far superior.“
- Slow Cooker Cuban Pork from Belly Full
- Juicy Pork Burgers with Apricots and Grainy Mustard (pictured below) from (yours truly) Kudos Kitchen
“This low carb recipe for Juicy Pork Burgers with Dried Apricots & Grainy Mustard comes together in a snap and with only FOUR ingredients! By all means, if you want to add a bun, go for it!! The flavors in this burger are exceptional, with or without the extra carbs.“
- Stuffed Pork Tenderloin with Cream Cheese and Jalapenos from Cooking with Mamma C
- Garlic Lovers Pork Chops (pictured below) from (yours truly) Kudos Kitchen
“Garlic Lovers Pork Chops have a mildly sweet and fragrant garlic flavor that doesn’t overpower or overwhelm the taste buds. Trust me when I tell you that they will be some of the best pork chops you’ve ever eaten!”
- Creamy Apricot Pork Chops from House of Nash Eats
- Easy BBQ Baby Back Ribs (pictured below) This is the place!!
Below is the printable recipe card along with the exact ingredient measurements and nutritional information for making today’s easy pork rib recipe.
If you’ve made this recipe, or are excited to make this recipe, I’d appreciate it if you’d take a moment to leave it a star rating in the recipe card, along with a comment if you’re so inclined. Thank you. 🙂
Slow Roasted Baby Back Ribs (Oven and Grill Method)
Ingredients
- 2 slabs baby back ribs silver skin removed (OR scored through between the bones)
- 3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 2 tablespoons smoked paprika
- 4 tablespoons tomato paste
- 4 tablespoon brown sugar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 300-degrees.
- Prepare the ribs by removing the silver skin or scoring it between the bones on the underside of the ribs.
- Place the ribs on a baking sheet and liberally brush the apple cider vinegar over both sides of the ribs.
- Allow the ribs to sit for at least 30 minutes with the vinegar.
- Season the ribs with salt, pepper, and garlic powder.
- Place the ribs to the oven to cook for 2½ hours at 300 degrees.
- Remove the ribs from the oven and sprinkle with the smoked paprika.
- Return the ribs to the oven and roast for an additional 1½ hours.
- Remove the ribs from the oven and increase the oven temperature to 375 degrees.
- Slather the tops of the ribs with the tomato paste and sprinkle with brown sugar.
- Return the ribs to the oven and roast for an additional 20 minutes, or until the ribs reach an internal temperature of 190-degrees on a meat thermometer and the brown sugar is caramelized and sticky.
Allow the ribs to sit covered for 10-15 minutes before serving.
- Serve and enjoy!!
Video
Notes
- Once the ribs have had a chance to sit for 30 minutes with the apple cider vinegar, season them on both sides with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and smoked paprika.
- Place the ribs on an oiled grill rack, bone side down, and cover.
- Cook for 60 minutes, checking on them occasionally for flair-ups.
- Flip the ribs to meaty side down and cook an additional 40-50 minutes, covered, but check occasionally for flair-ups.
- Remove the ribs from the grill (making sure to keep the lid closed after the ribs have been removed to retain the heat), and place the ribs on a baking sheet that has been lined with foil to cover (top and bottom).
- Spread the meaty side of the ribs evenly with the tomato paste and brown sugar.
- Return the ribs to the grill (baking sheet included) and continue to cook for an additional 40-50 minutes, or until the internal temperature of the meat reaches 145-degrees on an instant-read meat thermometer, or when the meat has noticeably pulled away from the bones, and the ribs are deeply caramelized.
- Remove the ribs from the grill, cover with foil, and allow to sit for 10-15 minutes before serving.
Nutrition
Thank you so much for visiting me here today in my Kudos Kitchen!
I sincerely hope you’ve enjoyed this super simple BBQ recipe for easy baby back pork ribs as much as I’ve enjoyed bringing it to you!
Should you have any questions or comments regarding this recipe or anything else you’ve seen on my site, please don’t hesitate to reach out to me. It is always my distinct pleasure to get back with a reply just as soon as I possibly can!
Kudos Kitchen by Renee – Bringing you easy, economical, and delicious dishes to feed the people you love!
Until we eat again, I hope you have a delicious day!!
Kudos Kitchen by Renee – Bringing you easy, economical, and delicious dishes to feed the people you love!
Until we eat again, I hope you have a delicious day!!
Should you have any questions or comments regarding this recipe or anything else you’ve seen on my site, please don’t hesitate to reach out to me. It is always my distinct pleasure to get back with a reply just as soon as I possibly can!
Kudos Kitchen by Renee – Bringing you easy, economical, and delicious dishes to feed the people you love!
Until we eat again, I hope you have a delicious day!!
**Note – The post above includes affiliate links. As always, I truly thank you for your support!
As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. When I find a great product or service I like to share it with my readers. For additional information please view my privacy policy.
Barbara Morando
Sunday 9th of May 2021
Hi! The ribs turned out beautifully from my oven! Thank you for the recipe!!
Danielle
Monday 10th of May 2021
@Renée, Can you substitute a different vinegar?
Renée
Sunday 9th of May 2021
My pleasure. Thanks for letting me know, Barbara! Take good care, Renee
Erin
Thursday 22nd of April 2021
I’m not coming here to be mean, just help someone looking at this in the future.
I made this recipe today, and set aside time so I would not neglect the cooking time. I was skeptical at the instruction to cook at 300 degrees for the bulk of the cook and then even higher at the end, especially for so long. I cook a lot and it seemed strange to me.
I still followed the recipe out of trust and, before so did the last roast at the higher temp, checked my temperature. It was already reaching 200 degrees or more and wasn’t even supposed to be done yet.
I let them rest and cut them up and they were chewy and really not great. I’m just disappointed.
Renée
Friday 23rd of April 2021
Hi, Erin. I appreciate your kindness, but I'm very sorry you were disappointed in this recipe. I've made these ribs more than a dozen times and they've always come out great. That said, I'm sad that you didn't have a good experience. I'll look over my recipe and make changes to it if I feel it's necessary. Thank you for your feedback. I want everyone to be successful when cooking my recipes. Take good care, Renee
Melissa schmitt
Wednesday 16th of December 2020
My husband always parboil ribs then we add a run the cook on the bbq. We are gourmet cooks. We tried this recipe on a snowy day. Followed it to a t. Ribs were hard as a rock ! We three them away! Awful! We have a brand new Bosch convection oven so it wasn’t the oven
Renée
Wednesday 16th of December 2020
This recipe was not written using a convection oven, and nowhere in the recipe does it claim to be written for one. IF you and your husband are gourmet cooks as you claim to be, then you’d know that convection ovens cook faster and hotter than regular ovens and you would have made the necessary adjustments per your knowledge of cooking. No, your oven is fine but you need to understand how to use it before you claim my recipe is awful! Have a wonderful night ☺️
Erin
Monday 14th of September 2020
I’m so confused about where I went wrong with these. I followed the recipe to a *t* and they came out awful, burnt to a crisp, and dry. Did anyone else have this issue? These were awful. I wouldn’t feed them to my dog.
Renée
Tuesday 15th of September 2020
Hey, Erin! I'm not sure what you did wrong either, but obviously something did. I'm gonna bet you had the heat up too high to begin with, either that or your oven is badly calibrated. In answer to your question, I've never had anyone else complain about this problem. Sorry that happened to you. Take good care, Renee
Sue
Monday 7th of September 2020
Your directions in the written section don't match your directions on the recipe card. One says to add the paprika with the other seasonings and the other says to roast first then take it out after some time and then sprinkle with the paprika followed by more roasting time. Then the written part in the top of your blog says the initial roast is 2.5 hours. On the "recipe card" it's 3.5 hours. Can you please clarify? Thank you!
Renée
Tuesday 8th of September 2020
Hi, Sue! You are 100% correct, and I am sorry. I've gone in and fixed the recipe. Although the two directions were at odds with each other, they both would have worked without a problem. To that note, I can understand why it would be confusing and I apologize again. Add the smoked paprika after the first roast and return the ribs to the oven again before adding the tomato paste and brown sugar. The first roast is 2½ hours, and after the addition of the smoked paprika roast again for another 1½ hours. Once the tomato paste and brown sugar have been added, slide the ribs back into the oven, this time at an increased heat, and roast for an additional 30-40 minutes. Thank you for bringing this error to my attention. I do hope you'll enjoy this recipe. I make them all the time. We just love them! Take good care, Renee