Cook BBQ beef ribs in the oven until they are fall-off-the-bone tender with little to no effort! Coated with homemade rib rub – they bake at low temperature for two hours, resulting in tender, succulent beef ribs packed with flavor. Or you can cut the time in half by making Instant Pot beef ribs that cook in only one hour!
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Rib Rub: You can’t go wrong with a simple homemade rib rub recipe made with chili powder, brown sugar (golden monk fruit), black pepper, salt, and cayenne pepper. I often double or triple the batch and store it in an airtight container in the pantry, so I always have some on hand. You can also use mustard rib rub.
- Beef Ribs: Two full racks of beef back ribs feed my family with leftovers. Remove the membrane from the ribs and cut them into slabs of 3-4. Cutting the ribs beforehand is a game-changer and the easiest way to serve oven-baked ribs besides cutting them into individual bones.
- BBQ Sauce: Slather the ribs with your favorite bbq sauce. My go-to barbecue sauce is Sweet Baby Rays; it’s delicious, and they have a sugar-free alternative, which makes everyone in my family happy.
Additions and Substitutions
I enjoy creating a simple seasoning for ribs using pantry ingredients, but here are a few of my favorite BBQ rubs you can buy in grocery stores or online instead of preparing the spice blend from scratch.
How to Cook Beef Ribs in the Oven
The full recipe with measurements is in the recipe card below.
Step 1: Preheat the oven to 300°F (148°C). Then, combine the ingredients for the dry rub in a small bowl.
Step 2: Prepare the beef ribs by removing the silver membrane (see expert tips) and cut them into slabs of 3-4 bones. Coat the top, bottom, and sides of the ribs with the dry rub.
Step 3: Wrap the slabs in aluminum foil and move them to the refrigerator for 1 hour.
Arrange them (bone side of the ribs down) onto a wire rack set into a rimmed baking sheet. Bake on the middle rack for 2 hours.
Step 4: Remove the ribs from the foil and brush them with BBQ sauce. Broil the ribs uncovered for 15 minutes. Let the ribs cool for 5-10 minutes before serving.
Expert Tips
- Remove the ribs from the refrigerator 30 minutes before you’re ready to prepare the recipe. Letting the ribs come to room temperature ensures more even cooking.
How Do You Remove the Membrane from Ribs?
Remove the thick layer attached to the ribs (called the membrane) for the best results. Leaving it intact can result in tough meat and less flavor since the spice rub wouldn’t be able to penetrate the membrane.
1. Slide a sharp knife under the thick membrane.
2. Lift and pull the membrane until it tears, but use your knife to pull it away if necessary.
3. Using your hand or a paper towel, grab the edge of the membrane and pull it off. If you’re lucky, it will come off in one go. Otherwise, you may need to remove it in smaller sections.
If you enjoy the meal, try one of these beef recipes!
Serving Suggestions
If you’re wondering what to serve with ribs, here are a few of my favorite side dishes to complete the meal.
- Vegetables: Zucchini and Squash, Mashed Cauliflower
- Salad: Vinegar Coleslaw, Homemade Coleslaw with Mint and Cilantro, Avocado Cucumber Tomato Salad, Vegetable Chopped Salad
- Potatoes: Healthy Potato Salad, Baked Potatoes, Southern Potato Salad, Roasted Potatoes, French Fries, Hasselback Potatoes, Mashed Potatoes, Grilled Sweet Potatoes
- Grains: Rice Pilaf, Brown Rice, Risotto Allo Zafferano,
- Sides: Baked Beans with Hamburger, Gluten Free Pasta Salad, Dutch Oven Mac and Cheese
What to do with the 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 – it’s true. However, this beef rib recipe makes the cooking process much easier. Cooking the ribs at a lower temperature for longer produces delicious ribs without a fuss.
Grilled ribs require close monitoring. They cook low and slow like oven-baked ribs, but you must check them every 20-30 minutes and maintain the grill temperature to ensure they aren’t cooking over hot spots.
What temperature should beef ribs be cooked to?
The best cooking temperature for ribs is between 190°F (87°C) and 200°F (93°C). I prefer the tenderness of ribs at about 200°F (93°C), but that’s a personal preference. If you haven’t purchased a meat thermometer, it’s a worthwhile investment for perfectly cooked ribs every time!
Where can I buy beef ribs?
Long bone back ribs (or dino ribs) are not as widely available as other varieties of ribs, but I have had good luck finding them at Costco. They usually come in as a full rack of seven ribs, perfect for oven-baked beef ribs.
Are beef ribs and beef short ribs the same?
I can take the time to list the differences for you, but I don’t think I could do it any better than BBQ Champs. I love this write-up explaining the differences between various cuts.
More Oven-Baked Recipes:
Beef Ribs in the Oven
- 3 tablespoons brown sugar or golden monk fruit
- 2 tablespoons chili powder
- 2 tablespoons black pepper, coarse ground
- 2 tablespoons kosher salt
- 2 teaspoons cayenne pepper
- 2 racks beef ribs, membranes removed, and cut into slabs of 3-4
- ½ cup BBQ sauce
- Preheat the oven to 300°F (148°C). Then, combine the ingredients for the dry rub in a small bowl.
- Wrap the slabs in aluminum foil and move them to the refrigerator for 1 hour. Arrange them (bone side of the ribs down) onto a wire rack set into a rimmed baking sheet. Bake on the middle rack for 2 hours.
- Remove the ribs from the foil and brush them with BBQ sauce. Broil the ribs uncovered for 15 minutes. Let the ribs cool for 5-10 minutes before serving.
- Remove the ribs from the refrigerator 30 minutes before you’re ready to prepare the recipe. Letting the ribs come to room temperature ensures more even cooking.
- Slide a sharp knife under the thick membrane.
- Lift and pull the membrane until it tears, but use your knife to pull it away if necessary.
- Using your hand or a paper towel, grab the edge of the membrane and pull it off.
- The nutritional information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for professional advice.
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.