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Oven-Baked Baby Back Ribs

These oven-baked baby back ribs are seasoned with a homemade dry rub, then glazed with barbeque sauce and baked until tender and delicious. If you're in the mood for a little virtual trip into summer, give this technique a try. It works with literally any dry rub and barbecue sauce combo.
Print Recipe
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 2 hours 50 minutes
Total Time 3 hours 20 minutes
Course lunch/dinner
Cuisine American
Servings 4 people
Calories 3464 kcal

Equipment

  • 1 Sheet Pan For baking the ribs
  • 1 Small Mixing Bowl For preparing the dry rub
  • 1 Heavy-duty aluminum foil Essential for wrapping the ribs for tender cooking
  • 1 Basting Brush For applying barbecue sauce
  • 1 Sharp Knife For pricking ribs and cutting into segments

Ingredients
  

Main

  • ½ cup ancho chile powder
  • ¼ cup white sugar
  • ¼ cup brown sugar
  • ¼ cup salt
  • 2 tablespoons freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 tablespoon ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon dry mustard
  • 1 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
  • ½ teaspoon ground dried chipotle pepper
  • 1 rack baby back pork ribs
  • 1 cup barbeque sauce

Instructions
 

  • Gather ingredients and preheat the oven to 250 degrees F (120 degrees C).
  • Mix ancho chile powder, white and brown sugars, salt, black pepper, cumin, dry mustard, cayenne, and chipotle pepper in a small bowl until combined.
  • Place rib rack, meat-side down, on heavy-duty aluminum foil. Prick back of the rack several times with a knife. Generously apply a coating of dry rub to all sides of the rack. Store any remaining dry rub in an airtight container for future use.
  • With the meat facing down, fold foil around the rack to create a tight seal. Transfer to a sheet pan.
  • Bake in the preheated oven until tender and cooked through, about 2 hours. Remove and cool 15 minutes.
  • Increase oven temperature to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
  • Open foil, drain and discard any accumulated juices and fat. Brush barbeque sauce on all sides of the rack.
  • Turn the rack on the foil so the meat is facing up. Return to the oven, leaving the foil open and bake for 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and brush another layer of barbeque sauce on the meat side only. Repeat baking and brushing with sauce 4 more times, for a total of 50 minutes baking time.
  • Cut rack into individual rib segments and serve with more barbeque sauce. Dotdash Meredith Food Studios

Notes

For optimal tenderness, always remove the silver skin membrane from the bone-side of the ribs. This prevents a chewy texture and allows the rub to penetrate better. The initial low-and-slow bake is crucial for achieving succulent, fall-off-the-bone results; do not rush this phase. When layering the BBQ sauce, monitor closely during the higher temperature baking to build a beautiful, sticky glaze without burning. Feel free to adjust the spice levels in the rub and experiment with different barbecue sauces to customize the flavor. Always allow the cooked ribs to rest for 10-15 minutes before carving to ensure juices redistribute for maximum moisture.