These oven barbecue ribs are fall-off-the-bone, sticky and delicious. In this recipe, baby back ribs are seasoned, wrapped in foil and baked until they are very tender. Then they are slathered with a thick, tangy and sweet barbecue sauce.
The sticky ribs take a while to cook, that’s how you get them fall-off-the-bone good, but the prep is quick and most of the cooking time is hands off.
Oven baked ribs are a favorite at my house; my son calls them “fall apart ribs” and always gets happy when I make them. Having this recipe in your back pocket is great especially if your barbecue gets rained out. Make these barbecue ribs in the oven and they will most certainly be a crowd pleaser.
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Tips to make the best baked ribs
- The ribs are wrapped in foil and baked to get them super tender. When wrapping the ribs don’t wrap them tightly. Seal them up so the juices stay but leave room for air. Like making chicken foil packs and this shrimp foil packet, we need air to circulate.
- Try not to open the oven door so that the temperature stays steady in there. Really, there’s nothing to see anyway since the ribs are wrapped in foil.
- When it’s time to turn the ribs do it gently because they will be very tender. I use two tongs and to turn the ribs. Grab each end with the tongs and move them towards the center of the rib rack to provide support in the middle, then flip them. Do the same thing to remove them from the pan and set on a serving platter or cutting board.
Ingredients
- Ribs – It is best to use baby back ribs (also called “back ribs” or “pork loin back ribs”) for this recipe. They are shorter than spare ribs and become very tender when cooked.
- Cajun seasoning – a blend of spices that is a little spicy and incredibly flavorful (this is the cajun seasoning we used)
- Brown sugar – used in both the rub for the pork ribs and the sticky barbecue sauce, the sugar cuts some of the heat from the Cajun seasoning
- Condiments – Soy sauce is combined with the Cajun seasoning and brown sugar to create the rub for the ribs. Honey, ketchup, yellow mustard, and Worcestershire sauce are added to plain barbecue sauce to make it sweet and tangy
You will also need
- 1 Large Baking Sheet (18”x13” Sheet Pan)
- Aluminum Foil
- Pastry Brush
Prep work
- Pat the ribs dry with a paper towel.
- Line a large baking sheet with aluminum foil – cut 2 pieces of foil approximately 28 – 30 inches.
- Place one piece vertically on the pan with an equal amount of overhang on the top and bottom.
- Place the second piece horizontally (crossing the vertical piece), also leaving an equal amount of overhang on each side.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
How to prepare the ribs
Make a rub for the ribs by combining 1 tablespoon brown sugar, soy sauce and the cajun seasoning in a small bowl. Place the ribs on the foil-lined baking sheet.
Rub the rib slab all over with the prepared seasoning mix.
Fold in the sides to loosely cover the ends of the rib slab. Bring up the sides but don’t press them to the ribs, just make like a tray.
Next, bring up the vertical piece of foil and fold a couple of times to make a packet. Don’t wrap the ribs too tight, seal the packet but leave room for air.
Bake and glaze
Bake the ribs for 2 hours.
When the ribs are almost done add the ingredients for the sauce to a small saucepan. Warm the barbecue sauce gently until the sugar is melted and the ingredients are incorporated.
Carefully remove the baked ribs from the oven, turn them over and brush the bottom with the barbecue sauce. Bake them for 15 minutes.
Turn them so they are top side up and glaze two more times baking for 10 minutes between each application.
Serve, slice and devour!
You may also like these recipes:
- Stovetop Pot Roast
- Turkey Salisbury Steaks
- Spicy Baked Chicken
- Baked Italian Sausage and Potatoes
- Baked Buffalo Wings
- Sticky Chicken Wings
Oven Barbecue Ribs
Ingredients
Ingredients for the ribs
- 2-3 pounds Baby Back Ribs also called “back ribs” or “pork loin back ribs” – 1 large slab
- 2 tablespoons Cajun Seasoning
- 1 tablespoon Brown Sugar
- 1 tablespoon Soy Sauce
Ingredients for the barbecue sauce
- 1½ cup Plain Barbecue Sauce use your favorite brand
- ¼ cup Brown Sugar
- ¼ cup Honey
- 2 tablespoons Ketchup
- 1 teaspoon Yellow Mustard
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire Sauce
Instructions
- You will also need: 1 Large Baking Sheet (18” x13” Sheet Pan), Aluminum Foil, Pastry Brush
- Preheat oven to 350°F
- Add the Cajun seasoning, 1 tablespoon brown sugar and the soy sauce to a small bowl. Mix well using a fork, set aside.
- Cut two pieces of aluminum foil about 28-30 inches each.
- Line a large baking sheet with the foil. Place one piece vertically and place the second piece horizontally (running the length of the pan).
- Place the ribs in the center and rub the prepared Cajun seasoning mixture on both sides of the ribs.
- Fold in the sides to loosely cover the ends of the rib slab. Bring up the sides but don’t press them to the ribs, just make like a tray.
- Next, bring up the vertical piece of foil and fold a couple of times to make a packet. Don’t wrap the ribs too tight, seal the packet but leave room for air.
- Bake the ribs for 2 hours.
- When the ribs are almost done, prepare the barbecue sauce
- Add the barbecue sauce, ¼ cup brown sugar, honey, ketchup, mustard and Worcestershire sauce to a medium saucepan.
- Gently heat the sauce over medium heat. Stir frequently, almost constantly, to avoid sticking and burning.
- When the sauce comes to a simmer lower the heat to low and continue warming and stirring until the sugar melts and the ingredients are incorporated. Keep the sauce warm until ready to glaze, stir occasionally.
- Reserve about 1/3 of the sauce for serving.
- Remove the ribs from the oven, carefully open the foil (there will be steam accumulated in there) and fold it down so that the ribs remain uncovered.
- Carefully turn the ribs (they will be very tender) so that the underside is up. Brush or spoon about a 1/3 of the barbecue sauce on the ribs.
- Place the baking sheet back in the oven and bake them for 15 minutes.
- Remove the ribs from the oven, carefully turn them so they are topside up, and brush the top of the ribs with the barbecue sauce. Bake another 10 minutes.
- Brush them one more time and bake another 10 minutes.
- Serve the oven barbecue ribs with the reserved sauce and lots of napkins. Enjoy!
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