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!
Key Ingredients
- Rib Rub: You can’t go wrong with a simple homemade rib rub recipe made with a blend of Diamond Crystal kosher salt, MSG, coarse black pepper, smoked paprika, brown sugar, garlic powder, onion powder, and a pinch of cayenne pepper for some heat. I double the batch and store it in an airtight container so it’s always ready to go. You can also try mustard rib rub for another homemade variation.
- 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.
- Kinder’s Hickory Brown Sugar
- Meat Church Honey Hog
- Hardcore Carnivore Black
- Meat Church Holy Cow
- Killer Hogs BBQ Rub
- Cimmaron Docs Sweet Rib Rub
- REO Rib Rub
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.
3. Gently lift and pull the membrane until it tears away, using your knife to help separate it as needed.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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!
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 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:
Beef Ribs in the Oven
- Small Bowl
- ½ cup Diamond Crystal kosher salt
- ¼ cup MSG
- ¼ cup coarse black pepper
- ¼ cup smoked paprika
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons garlic powder
- 2 tablespoons onion powder
- 1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
- 2 beef rib racks, membranes removed and cut into 3-4 slabs
- 3-4 tablespoons rib rub
- ½ cup BBQ sauce
- 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.
- 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.
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.