![Roasted Shrimp Cocktail With Horseradish Sauce](https://static01.nyt.com/images/2023/05/17/multimedia/17apperex-shrimp-lzbf/17apperex-shrimp-lzbf-mediumThreeByTwo440.jpg?width=1280&quality=75&auto=webp)
Oven BBQ Ribs
Updated Oct. 11, 2023
![Oven BBQ Ribs](https://static01.nyt.com/images/2023/05/26/multimedia/MP:-Barbecue-Ribs-jfch/MP:-Barbecue-Ribs-jfch-articleLarge.jpg?width=1280&quality=75&auto=webp)
- Total Time
- 3¼ hours
- Prep Time
- 5 minutes
- Cook Time
- 3 hours 10 minutes
- Rating
- Notes
- Read community notes
Advertisement
Ingredients
- 1tablespoon garlic powder
- 1tablespoon onion powder
- 2teaspoons smoked paprika
- 1tablespoon fine sea salt, plus more to taste
- 2teaspoons black pepper, plus more to taste
- 4pounds beef back ribs or 4 pounds beef short rib rack
- 1teaspoon olive oil or avocado oil
- ½cup barbecue sauce (homemade or store-bought)
Preparation
- Step 1
Heat oven to 300 degrees. Line a large rimmed sheet pan with aluminum foil.
- Step 2
In a bowl, mix together garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, salt and pepper until spice rub is well combined.
- Step 3
Place the ribs on the pan in a single layer. Add oil to the ribs and coat with spice rub. Arrange the ribs meaty side up. Wrap the foil around the ribs and seal.
- Step 4
Bake until the meat starts to pull away from the bone, about 3 hours (or see Tip for grilling instructions). (Beef short rib racks may take an additional 30 minutes to 1 hour to cook. Start checking at 3 hours, and continue cooking until meat starts to pull away.)
- Step 5
Take the ribs out of the oven and remove the top layer of foil. Increase oven temperature to 350 degrees. Brush on the barbecue sauce. Return the ribs to the oven and bake for another 20 minutes.
- To cook these on the grill, prepare the grill for indirect cooking (preferably at 275 degrees). Place the ribs, meaty side up, directly on the grill grate. Cook for 2½ hours, maintaining a steady temperature. Flip the ribs and cook for 30 minutes. Next to the grill, place 2 long sheets of heavy-duty aluminum foil. Transfer the ribs to the foil, meaty side up. Wrap the ribs, sealing the package tightly. Place the foil-wrapped ribs on the grill for 1 hour. (Wrapping the ribs in foil is essential to get them tender, so don't omit this step.) Move the foil-wrapped ribs to a platter once their internal temperature reaches 200 degrees. Carefully remove the ribs from the foil, place them on the grill grate, and brush with the barbecue sauce. Grill for another 5 to 15 minutes, depending on how charred you like your ribs. Flip the ribs, brush with the sauce again, and cook for 5 to 15 minutes more. Place the ribs on a platter and serve with additional barbecue sauce, preferably warm, on the side.
Private Notes
Cooking Notes
Unless you have access to a first class butcher, skip using beef back ribs and go for the short ribs. I have yet to see a rack of beef back ribs in a "supermarket" that wasn't absent virtually all meat--aka "shiners" cuz nothing bone shows. Better yet, go for pork ribs--spares or baby backs. Beef back ribs do work well for making beef stock, assuming they are priced at less than $2/pound.
I have tried every known method to cook ribs, the rub here looks great, but the easy way is to get an aluminum pan ($ tree 1.25) lay the ribs meat side down, pour BBQ sauce over the top, cover the pan tightly with foil, cook at 350 for 1 hour, the meat will fall off the bone!
I always make pork ribs using this method. 300 degrees for about 2 hours, maybe 2.5 if you have St Louis cut spare ribs. The trick is to dry rub and wrap them tightly in foil. When you remove them from the oven, leave them wrapped and rest for at least an hour before unwrapping. They will hold their juices this way. You can even refrigerate them for the next day. Unwrap, brush with BBQ sauce and bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes.
I’ve found St Louis cut pork ribs to be the meatiest and the tastiest of the pork ribs. They are often available at Costco and Trader Joe’s. Baby backs usually don’t have enough meat on the bone and they aren’t as tasty IMHO.
I remember the year when Carson's, a fabled Chicago restaurant, won a national cook-off to win the accolade of best ribs in the U.S. Visit their web site and you will learn that their ribs (and mine) are "NOT “fall-off-the-bone”. They are tender and juicy, but not so overcooked that the bones become surplus. For the real beef or pork rib eaters amongst us, the bones remain as God intended -- handles.
No need to oil the ribs before the rub. Dry rub should be dry and better to do the rub several hours or overnight before baking. Can finish with sauce in the oven as stated or on a direct heat grill if you like a bit of char.
You can't beat pork ribs, baby back or St. Louis spare style, available at Costco. Rub heavily with dry rub (I use Butt Rub--yes, that's the name). Wrap in foil, bake for 3 hours at 275 for 2 racks (slightly less for 1, slightly more for 3). 30 minutes before you're ready to serve, pour off fat, open top of the foil and place on grill at medium low heat. Slather with your favorite barbecue sauce, leave on for 15-20 minutes until the sauce carmelizes. Foolproof.
I'm a Texan and I despise "falling off the bone" comments. It means that I despise mushy ribs.
No one who knows barbecuing or competes in barbecue challenges would ever cook ribs until the meat is separating from the bone. Those are over-cooked ribs.
Great recipe and works as well in a smoker. To make them ahead of time cook them until done and they can stay in foil for a couple of hours or in the fridge if longer. When ready to serve use the broiler or grill to heat them up with the BBQ sauce in only a few minutes. Like a brisket beef ribs can take much longer than pork ribs to cook. 200 internal degrees may not be enough. You have to feel or probe the meat until its completely tender.
"Make sure to watch Millie in action. She's a delight." So says Melissa Clark in the NYT Cooking NL today re the video for this recipe. I say "Ain't it the truth." I discovered Millie a year or so ago via a NYT Cooking video. Fun to watch making good down-home food. (Check out her macaroni salad as one.) We don't eat beef but this video makes me wish we did. I'll use the rub on other things. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q5Qa6r5I-0E
I cook my ribs this exact way and my friends and family love them. Ribs in the pan, place foil over and seal well to the edge of the pan. The goal is to seal in all the juices. When removing the pan from the oven be careful not to tip the pan until you are over the sink, then carefully pry the foil at one corner avoiding the cloud of steam that will be released. Then pour the juices out of the pan. Now you're ready for your sauce.
I do them all. Good quality beef ribs are the very best, I use Bullseye sauceBaby backs are most people’s favorites. I use Jack Stack sauce from KC. I like St. Louis spares but they’re not that meaty. Key for all is the rub you use. Make it to your own liking or use a commercial one you love. I make my own but there are many I really like. Don’t make them falling off the bone. Get a good bark with good tooth. You’ll lose any competition if yours fall off the bone.
I made this recipe using drumsticks and chicken thighs. The chicken was so tender, so delicious, and so easy to make for a crowd. This is going to be a go to for me from now on.
This recipe is easy and works great every time.
This is the perfect method of cooking ribs in the oven. Comes out great every single time
Made exactly as written, with beef ribs. Came out crunchy and succulent. Delish.
This is doubtless a stupid question, but if the ribs come already cut apart, are they then individually foil wrapped to go in oven?
Used pork baby back ribs (2.85 lbs) straight from the package, and followed the instructions almost to a tee—I added some additional spices to enhance the flavor notes. After about 3 hrs in the oven, I pulled them. Super tender, but not nearly as flavorful as I had hoped. Plus they seemed dry. Maybe I didn’t make a tight-enough seal with the foil—it would seem that the juices poured out and carbonized onto the baking sheet. Overnight dry brine next time for sure.
If you add a T or so of brown sugar to the rub, you will have Ann Burril's steak rub. Adaptable for beef, pork and poultry. I rub pork ribs with the rub, cut into sections and freeze. Thaw, then 325 uncovered for an hour or more - till knife tip goes in somewhat easily. They are a little chewy and juicy.
Use chicken thighs
That was one of the best cooking videos I've ever seen. It not only made me hungry but also laugh and make me want to get out there and celebrate life. I am now a huge Millie Peartree fan.
Surprised to see fine sea salt in this rub. I was always taught never to use anything but kosher salt on meats.
I was able to get very good beef ribs, and that made this recipe a wonderful diversion from pork ribs.
Following this method of rubbing and wrapping, my ribs were not close to done after 3 hours at 300. They were still pink inside, and a meat thermometer showed they were not up to the safe interior temp of 140 degrees.
Tried it but maybe I just don't like baby backs bc they came out as if they were cooked on a steam table.
Made the recipe as written (pork, 3 hours @ 300) and had a wonderful meal! I did not find the ribs mushy, as other commenters have prognosticated and/or pontificated, but tender and toothsome. Ignore the judges, and dig in.
What a great recipe with beef ribs! Followed her recipe closely since it was my first time with beef ribs, finished them out on the grill. Everyone loved them!
I just cooked in oven and then slathered them with barbecue sauce and served them. They were fabulous.
Advertisement