Should ribs be covered or uncovered?

Baby back ribs should be covered for most of the cooking time to lock in the moisture. Uncover the ribs at the end to ensure a nicely caramelized exterior. If left uncovered during cooking, the ribs will likely dry out and become difficult to chew.

Are baby back ribs from pork or beef?

Baby back ribs are pork ribs. They're often smaller and leaner than spare ribs. Beef ribs tend to be a bit larger, too.

Oven-Baked Baby Back Ribs Recipe

Name: Oven-Baked Baby Back Ribs
Total time: 280 min
Ingredients: 3 tablespoons kosher salt; 1/4 cup packed dark brown sugar; 3 tablespoons smoked paprika; 1 tablespoon black pepper; 1 tablespoon garlic powder; 1 tablespoon dry mustard; 4 pounds baby back pork ribs (2 to 3 slabs); 2 tablespoons olive oil; 2 1/2 cups bottled barbecue sauce (such as Big Bob Gibson's Championship Red Sauce), divided

Active Time:

20 mins

Total Time:

4 hrs 40 mins

Servings:

8

These tender oven-baked baby back ribs will be a great addition to any meal without the grill or smoker. Turn your oven on low, and give these easy baked ribs a try.

Why Cook Baby Back Ribs in the Oven?

Using the oven simplifies cooking baby back ribs. You don't have to fuss with cleaning an outdoor cooker, and the weather won't interrupt your craving for ribs.

Smoked paprika makes up for the lack of actual smoking in these ribs. That's our Test Kitchen's pro tip for when you want good barbecue flavor sans smoke. Brown sugar and the other rub ingredients, like dry mustard, garlic powder, salt, and pepper, help create the sweet, salty, and smoky flavor ribs were made for.

After a little bit of brushing and baking, watching the sauce start to bubble during broiling will be your cue that it's time to poor a cold beer and grab the coleslaw.

Oven-Baked Baby Back Ribs — Photographer: Jen Causey, Prop Stylist: Claire Spollen, Food Stylist: Margret Monroe Dickey

What Are Baby Back Ribs?

Baby back ribs, or back ribs, or loin ribs, are pork ribs that are typically shorter than other cuts, thus the diminutive name. No baby pig is required.

The ribs are cut from the backbone under the loin muscle. One rack has 10 to 13 ribs and weighs about two pounds, feeding one to two adults per rack (depending on how hungry they are). Tender and lean, baby back ribs tend to cost more than other cuts.

Baby Back vs. Spare Ribs

Spare ribs, or St. Louis-style spare ribs, are longer and flatter, cut from the pig's breast bone. Fattier than baby back ribs, spare ribs can be equally delicious when cooked properly. They also tend to have more meat between the bones. One rack weighs between two to three pounds and feeds several adults. Spare ribs tend to be more affordable than baby back ribs.

How To Remove the Membrane

Before cooking, remove the membrane by sliding a knife under the tissue and peeling away the tissue.

removing membrane from baby back ribs — Fred Hardy II, Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall, Props Stylist: Christina Brockman

Alternatively, you can always ask your butcher to remove it before purchase, or your grocery store meat counter attendant can also do this easily. Membrane tends to be chewy and tough, so remove this piece to ensure tender and melt-in-your-mouth baby back ribs.

Tips for the Best Ribs in the Oven

The Southern Living Test Kitchen shares some of the secrets that make oven-baked ribs so good:

Low and slow is the name of the game when cooking baby back ribs in the oven. This recipe calls for the ribs to be cooked at 275°F and covered for almost three hours. (The final hour is uncooked so the ribs can get sticky and glazed with sauce.)

Wrapping the ribs in aluminum foil locks in moisture. In the last hour of cooking, remove the foil, and add barbecue sauce to caramelize the baby back ribs.

How Long To Cook Baby Back Ribs

Baby back ribs should be cooked for four hours at 275°F or until they are tender.

You can also cook your ribs at higher temperatures for a shorter time. Follow this quick guide next time you need to get a rib dinner on the table fast:

Temperature	Time
275°F	4 hours
350°F	About 2 hours
400°F	About 1 1/2 hours

Barbecue Sauce Recommendation

While you can always pick up a pre-made barbecue sauce at the store, here's a list of our top sauce recipes. To develop this recipe, we tested with Big Bob Gibson's Championship Red Sauce.

What To Serve With Baby Backed Ribs

Most Southerners are going to have baby back ribs on the menu for backyard barbecues, holiday parties, or even just weekend dinners when you have time to devote to cooking them. So if you have oven-baked baby back ribs on your menu, look to these classic sides:

Editorial contributions by Alexandra Emanuelli.

ribs for oven-baked baby back ribs — Fred Hardy II, Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall, Props Stylist: Christina Brockman

Ingredients

3 tablespoons kosher salt
1/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
3 tablespoons smoked paprika
1 tablespoon black pepper
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon dry mustard
4 pounds baby back pork ribs (2 to 3 slabs)
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 1/2 cups bottled barbecue sauce (such as Big Bob Gibson's Championship Red Sauce), divided

Directions

Preheat the oven and cover ribs in spice mixture:

Preheat oven to 275°F with rack in middle position. Stir together salt, brown sugar, smoked paprika, pepper, garlic powder, and dry mustard in a bowl. Remove thin outer membrane on back of ribs by loosening with a butter knife and pulling it off; discard. Brush slabs evenly with oil; sprinkle with spice mixture, gently patting to adhere.

Fred Hardy II, Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall, Props Stylist: Christina Brockman

(If desired, wrap ribs with plastic wrap; place on a baking sheet, and chill at least 4 hours or up to 24 hours.)

Fred Hardy II, Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall, Props Stylist: Christina Brockman
Line baking sheet with aluminum foil:

Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil; set a wire rack inside sheet.

Fred Hardy II, Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall, Props Stylist: Christina Brockman
Wrap ribs with aluminum foil and bake:

If you wrapped and chilled the ribs, remove and discard plastic wrap. Wrap each slab with heavy-duty aluminum foil; place on prepared wire rack. Bake in preheated oven until tender, 2 1/2 to 3 hours.

Fred Hardy II, Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall, Props Stylist: Christina Brockman
Unwrap ribs and apply barbecue sauce:

Remove from oven, and unwrap ribs; discard foil and drippings. Place ribs directly on wire rack; brush 1/2 cup barbecue sauce on top of each slab. Return to oven; bake at 275°F until ribs are tender and meat is pulling away from bones, 45 minutes to 1 hour.

Fred Hardy II, Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall, Props Stylist: Christina Brockman
Baste ribs with barbecue sauce and broil:

Remove from oven; brush slabs evenly with remaining barbecue sauce. Increase oven temperature to broil, and return ribs to middle rack. Broil until sauce bubbles and starts to caramelize, 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from oven; let rest 5 minutes. Serve.

Fred Hardy II, Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall, Props Stylist: Christina Brockman

Frequently Asked Questions

Should ribs be covered or uncovered?

Baby back ribs should be covered for most of the cooking time to lock in the moisture. Uncover the ribs at the end to ensure a nicely caramelized exterior. If left uncovered during cooking, the ribs will likely dry out and become difficult to chew.
Are baby back ribs from pork or beef?

Baby back ribs are pork ribs. They're often smaller and leaner than spare ribs. Beef ribs tend to be a bit larger, too.

Storing and Reheating

Put any leftover ribs in an airtight container or zip-top plastic bag. Alternatively, you can wrap them in plastic wrap and aluminum foil. Store the ribs in the fridge for 3 to 4 days.

When you're ready to reheat the ribs, don't go to the microwave. Instead, place the ribs in an oven-safe pan, cover with aluminum foil, then bake at 250°F.

When the meat reaches an internal temperature 130°F to 140°F, remove the ribs from the oven, apply a final layer of sauce, and serve.