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Beef Ribs in the Oven

Bake beef ribs in the oven until they’re fall-off-the-bone tender with minimal effort! Coated in a homemade rib rub, they bake low and slow for two hours, resulting in juicy, flavorful ribs. Short on time? Make Instant Pot beef ribs  instead—they’re ready in just one hour!

Beef ribs on a plate.

Key Ingredients

  • Beef Ribs: Two full racks of beef back ribs are perfect for feeding my family with leftovers to spare. When choosing beef ribs, look for meaty cuts with good marbling for flavor and tenderness. The meat should be deep red, fresh-looking, and have a balanced fat cap—enough for juiciness but not excessive. Avoid ribs with too much silver skin, as it can be tough. Remove the membrane and cut the ribs into 3- to 4-bone slabs. Pre-cutting them makes serving oven-baked ribs easier—without the hassle of slicing them individually later.
  • BBQ Sauce: Slather the ribs with your favorite BBQ sauce. My go-to store-bought barbecue sauce is Sweet Baby Rays.

Additions and Substitutions

I enjoy making my own seasoning for ribs using pantry ingredients. If you’d rather skip the prep, here are some store-bought BBQ rubs you can find online or at the grocery store.

Tools You’ll Need

You’ll need a paring knife to remove the silver skin membrane from the ribs and a chef’s knife to cut them into slabs. Bake the ribs on a rimmed baking sheet with a wire rack or in a large baking dish. A basting brush works well for spreading the barbecue sauce, but you can also use clean hands or the back of a spoon to coat the ribs.

Prepare the Beef Ribs

1. Beef ribs often come with a layer of fat on top. Trim off any excess fat, but leave a thin layer (about ¼-inch) to keep it moist as it cooks.

How do you remove the membrane from ribs?

For the best results, remove the thick membrane attached to the ribs. Leaving it on can make the meat tough and block the spice rub from fully seasoning the ribs.

2. Slide a sharp paring knife under the thick membrane.

Removing the membrane from the ribs.

3. Gently lift and pull the membrane until it tears away, using your knife to help separate it as needed.

Removing the membrane from the ribs.

4. Grab the edge of the membrane with your hand or a paper towel and gently pull it off. If you’re lucky, it will come off in one piece, but you may need to remove it in smaller sections.

Removing the membrane from the ribs.

How to Bake Beef Ribs in the Oven

The full recipe with measurements is in the recipe card below.

Step 1: Combine the ingredients for the rib rub in a small bowl and set them aside.

Rib rub in a bowl.

Step 2: Prepare the ribs by removing the membrane, then cut them into slabs of 3-4 bones. Generously coat all sides—top, bottom, and edges—with the dry rub. Cover the ribs with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour.

Beef ribs coated in rib rub.

Step 3: Preheat the oven to 300°F (148°C). Remove the ribs to come to room temperature. Then, wrap the slabs in aluminum foil and place them bone-side down on a wire rack set onto a rimmed baking sheet. Bake on the middle rack for 2 hours.

Beef rib slabs wrapped in foil.

What temperature should beef ribs cook to?

The ideal internal temperature for beef ribs falls between 190°F (87°C) and 200°F (93°C). Personally, I love the extra tenderness at 200°F (93°C), but it comes down to preference. If you don’t already have a meat thermometer, it’s worth investing in for perfectly cooked ribs every time!

Step 4: Remove the foil and brush the ribs with your favorite BBQ sauce. Broil uncovered on low for 15 minutes, then take them out of the oven and let them cool for 5-10 minutes before serving.

Ribs coated in BBQ saice.
Beef ribs on a plate.

Expert Tips

  • Start with room-temperature ribs. Let the ribs sit at room temperature for 30 minutes before baking to ensure they cook evenly.

If you enjoy making beef ribs in the oven, try more mouthwatering beef recipes!

Beef ribs on a plate.

Serving Suggestions

If you’re wondering what to serve with ribs, here are a few of my favorite side dishes to complete the meal.

What To Do With Leftovers

  • Refrigerate: Store the leftovers in an airtight container for 3-4 days.
  • Freeze: Wrap the leftover beef in foil and transfer the slabs to a freezer-safe container or bag. Oven beef ribs freeze for 2-3 months.
  • Reheat: Preheat the oven to 250°F (121°C). Wrap the ribs with foil and bake them until they reach an internal temperature of 145°F (62°C) for about 10 minutes.
  • Reheat: Eat leftover ribs as is, or combine the meat with BBQ aioli or ancho aioli to make a BBQ wrap, sandwich, or slider.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are beef ribs hard to cook?

Cooking ribs can be tricky, but this baked beef rib recipe simplifies the process. Slow cooking at a low temperature ensures tender, flavorful ribs with minimal effort.

Grilled ribs, on the other hand, require more attention. They cook slowly over low heat like oven-baked beef ribs, but you’ll need to check them every 20–30 minutes and monitor the grill temperature to prevent hot spots.

Where can I buy beef ribs?

You can buy beef back ribs at butcher shops, grocery stores, warehouse stores, and farmers’ markets, but I usually get mine from Costco. They offer beef back ribs and long-bone beef back ribs (or dino ribs) in packs of individually cut ribs.

If you’re making dino ribs, you can follow this easy recipe for oven-baked beef ribs, but they may need a longer cooking time to become tender.

Are beef ribs and beef short ribs the same?

Beef back ribs come from the upper part of the ribcage and have less meat but are great for baking, grilling, and smoking.

Beef short ribs come from the lower ribcage and are meatier with more fat, making them perfect for braising or cooking in a slow cooker.

I like this write-up from BBQ Champs explaining the differences between rib cuts and varieties.

More Oven-Baked Recipes:

Did you make this recipe?

Let me know how it turned out for you by leaving a comment and rating below. And if you’re looking for more healthy international recipes for everyday cooking, sign up to get them delivered straight to your inbox.

Beef ribs on a plate.

Beef Ribs in the Oven

Tressa Jamil
Coated in a delicious homemade rib rub – the oven-baked beef ribs cook, low and slow, until they are juicy and fall off the bone tender. 
5 from 1 vote
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 2 hours 20 minutes
Marinating Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Total Time 4 hours
Course Dinner
Cuisine American
Servings 8 Servings
Calories 59 kcal
Ingredients
  
For the Rib Rub:
For the Beef Ribs:
  • 2 beef rib racks, membranes removed and cut into 3-4 slabs
  • 3-4 tablespoons rib rub
  • ½ cup BBQ sauce
Instructions
 
  • Combine the ingredients for the rib rub in a small bowl and set them aside.
  • Prepare the ribs by removing the membrane, then cut them into slabs of 3-4 bones. Generously coat all sides—top, bottom, and edges—with the dry rub. Cover the ribs with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour.
  • Preheat the oven to 300°F (148°C). Remove the ribs to come to room temperature. Then, wrap the slabs in aluminum foil and place the bone side of the ribs down on a wire rack set onto a rimmed baking sheet. Bake on the middle rack for 2 hours.
  • Remove the foil and brush the ribs with your favorite BBQ sauce. Broil uncovered on low for 15 minutes, then take them out of the oven and let them cool for 5-10 minutes before serving.
Notes
Serving Size: One Slab
Expert Tips: 
  • Start with room-temperature ribs. Let the ribs sit at room temperature for 30 minutes before baking to ensure they cook evenly.
  • How to remove the rib membrane. Slide a sharp paring knife under the thick membrane. Gently lift and pull the membrane until it tears away, using your knife to help separate it as needed. Grab the edge of the membrane with your hand or a paper towel and gently pull it off. If you’re lucky, it will come off in one piece, but you may need to remove it in smaller sections.
Nutrition
Serving: 1 Serving | Calories: 59 kcal | Carbohydrates: 14 g | Protein: 1 g | Fat: 1 g | Sodium: 1963 mg | Potassium: 117 mg | Fiber: 1 g | Sugar: 11 g | Vitamin A: 849 IU | Vitamin C: 1 mg | Calcium: 25 mg | Iron: 1 mg
Did you make this recipe? Let me know how it turned out for you! Leave a comment below and follow @thejamilghar or tag #thejamilghar on Instagram!
5 from 1 vote
Recipe Rating




RJ

Wednesday 1st of June 2022

These ribs are indeed finger-licking good! They fall right off the bone and the flavor is so rich. The kids and adults in our family were both left fighting over the remaining ribs.

Tressa Jamil

Friday 3rd of June 2022

Wow, thank you for taking the time to comment. I am so glad everyone enjoyed the ribs.