Slow Cooked Baby Back Ribs in the Oven at 275°F
These slow-cooked baby back ribs are wrapped tightly in foil and baked at 275°F until tender, then finished with BBQ sauce under the broiler or on the grill. This is the baby back rib method I personally tested for this recipe; timing guidance for other rib cuts is included in the article above.
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 462kcal
Ingredients
- 2 to 2 ½ pounds Baby Back Ribs Or other rib type per blog post
- Your favorite BBQ sauce
- Salt
- Pepper
- Garlic Powder optional
Spice Rub for ribs in oven (Optional)
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons Kosher salt
- 2 teaspoons black pepper
- 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon ground mustard powder
- ½ teaspoon celery salt optional
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
Instructions
- Prepare the ribs: Preheat the oven to 275°F. Remove the thin membrane from the bone side of the ribs, then pat the ribs dry.
- If your ribs still have the thin membrane covering the back of the rack, remove it. If you’re unsure how to remove it, see the video in the notes.
- Season: Season both sides of the ribs with the dry rub. Place the ribs meat-side up on a large sheet of heavy-duty foil and wrap them tightly so steam cannot escape.
- Bake: Place the wrapped ribs on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake for 2½ to 3 hours, beginning to check them near the 2½-hour mark. The ribs are ready when the meat has pulled back slightly from the bones and a fork slides easily into the meat.
- Add the BBQ sauce: Carefully open the foil and brush the ribs with BBQ sauce.
- Finish Broil the ribs for several minutes, watching them closely, until the sauce is glossy and lightly caramelized. You may also finish them briefly on a hot grill.
- Rest and serve: Let the ribs rest for 5 to 10 minutes before slicing between the bones and serving.
Rub
- Make the rub by combining all the ingredients. Store any unused rub in an airtight container.
Video
Notes
Cooking time may range from 2½ to 3 hours depending on the thickness of the rack. Begin checking at 2½ hours and continue cooking until the ribs are tender.
Multiple racks of ribs: Wrap each rack in separate pieces of heavy-duty aluminum foil. You can fit two racks on one baking sheet, so most ovens will accommodate 4 racks.
- To make ahead: Remove the ribs from the oven, let them cool, then refrigerate until ready to finish.
- Rib cut: This recipe card was tested with baby back pork ribs. Other cuts require different timing.
If the ribs are still tough: Rewrap them tightly and bake for another 20 to 30 minutes. Broiling: BBQ sauce can burn quickly, so stay near the oven while the ribs are under the broiler. Grill finish: Instead of broiling, place the cooked ribs on a hot grill briefly to caramelize the sauce.
- Doneness: Look for the meat to pull back slightly from the ends of the bones. A fork should slide easily into the meat, but the rack should not completely disintegrate when lifted.
Nutrition
Calories: 462kcal | Carbohydrates: 16g | Protein: 35g | Fat: 29g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 12g | Trans Fat: 0.3g | Cholesterol: 123mg | Sodium: 1614mg | Potassium: 512mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 14g | Vitamin A: 589IU | Vitamin C: 0.2mg | Calcium: 77mg | Iron: 2mg
