To-die-for Pork Ribs recipe with fall apart meat slathered in a sticky homemade barbecue sauce! These oven Pork Ribs are rubbed with a spice mix, slow cooked until fall-apart-tender then basted generously with the tangy, sweet sauce. Can’t-stop-eating it, finger-licking’ good!
This is a reader-favourite recipe included by popular demand in my debut cookbook “Dinner”!
Pork Ribs recipe
If you nibble daintily at a rib, holding it delicately between 2 fingers, and wipe your fingers clean with linen napkins, you and I will probably never be friends.
If you grab them with your hands, devour with gusto, get sauce all over your mouth, smearing up towards your cheekbones, then drop the bones sucked dry of every fibre of meat and sauce so they clatter dramatically on your plate, then noisily suck each and every one of your fingers clean of all that sticky barbecue sauce….
….if that’s you, then you are my kind of people.
And welcome to the pork ribs of your dreams!
These oven baked pork ribs recipe are:
super easy
the meat is tender
ribs are infused with flavour from a rub AND braising the ribs in apple cider;
finished with a simple but incredibly tasty homemade barbecue sauce.
These Oven Pork Ribs are fall apart tender and slathered with an incredible homemade barbecue sauce!
How to make Oven Pork Ribs
Here’s how I make pork ribs in the oven. There’s a few key things here:
Rub for the pork ribs – to add flavour;
Liquid for cooking – this is a key step for this pork ribs recipe! It creates a steamy situation while the ribs slow cook in the oven to keep them nice and juicy. My liquid of choice is alcoholic apple cider (also known as hard apple cider) because as with many things, alcohol adds extra layers of flavour. But there’s loads of other options: beer, apple juice, broth or even water;
Homemade barbecue sauce – Ribs are a bit of an occasion around these parts so using store bought Barbecue Sauce doesn’t even cross my mind. It’s also one of those sauces that’s astonishingly simple to make at home and really is that much better than store bought because it tastes pure and real and doesn’t have that slight artificial edge of store bought. Try it once and you’ll be converted for life!
Baste, bake, baste, bake! The more you baste-bake, the better your sticky barbecue sauce coating on the ribs.
Type of ribs to use
Oven Pork Ribs are ideal for Baby Back and St Louis Style Pork Ribs. It will also work for Pork Spareribs but the oven cook time should be reduced by 20 minutes (as they are less meaty).
🇦🇺In Australia, we do not (yet!) distinguish between various cuts of pork ribs (most are a Baby Back / St Louis style hybrid or they are very skimpy Spare Ribs). There’s also a great deal of inconsistency with how pork ribs are cut between butchers and the big grocery chains (Costco, Aldi, Woolies, Coles).
Just look for meaty pork ribs that are nice an fatty. Avoid the ribs that are cut so close to the bone on both sides there’s barely any meat – miserable eating experience plus it’s criminal to pay for 70% bone!
What you need for Oven Pork Ribs with Barbecue Sauce
And here’s what you need. Nothing unique here, except perhaps the molasses in the barbecue sauce.
I can’t remember where I first saw it, but I added it to my barbecue sauce once then I never looked back. It adds colour and intensity of flavour that can’t be replicated! Truly worth using if you can get your hands on it. If not, don’t fret – substitute with golden syrup or use dark brown sugar instead of normal brown sugar. Similar result!
Barbecue Sauce for Pork Ribs
The barbecue sauce in this recipe is used for both glazing and serving. It is literally a plonk and simmer job. Low maintenance and effortless, and really tastes of pure flavour compared to store bought (says she who has done side-by-side taste testing!).
It will look like we’re making a LOT, with the recipe calling for 1 1/2 cups of ketchup. But trust me when I say you want to have more rather than too little. There’s nothing worse than being stingy when glazing the ribs – you want to slather generously with abundance without worrying about saving some for serving!
(PS And if you’re a sticky BBQ Sauce lover, try this BBQ Brisket and BBQ Beef Ribs next…)
What to serve with Pork Ribs
In the spirit of a Southern barbecue feast, serve up your sticky oven pork ribs with a side of Macaroni Salad and corn on the cob (try the most amazing GRILLED Buttered Corn!).
Other favourites include:
Potato Salad – Classic creamy Potato Salad or for lighter options, no-mayo Lemon Potato Salad and Red Potato Salad with Charred Corn and Bacon
Corn Bread or Corn Bread Muffins (or try these Cheese Muffins)
And for something fresh, try this Tomato, Corn and Avocado Salad or a cooling German Cucumber Salad.
This is a forgiving pork ribs recipe – and it’s loaded with plenty of flavour!
As long as you get nice juicy, fatty ribs (which they typically are), it will be pretty hard to stuff this recipe up! Ribs are a tough cut of meat so they’re made for slow cooking until it’s nice and tender.
It’s quite forgiving with the cook time, unlike some other types of proteins like poultry. So even if you cook it 30 minutes too long, it will still be juicy and delicious.
There is simply no way to look elegant eating pork ribs. Just accept you will have very sticky fingers, sauce smeared on your face and a huge goofy grin! -Nagi x
Watch how to make it
This is a reader-favourite recipe included by popular demand in my debut cookbook “Dinner”!
More rib recipes
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Oven Pork Ribs with Barbecue Sauce
Ingredients
Barbecue Rub for Ribs:
- 2.5 tsp paprika powder
- 2 tsp garlic powder (sub with onion powder)
- 1.5 tsp onion powder (sub with garlic powder)
- 1 tsp cayenne pepper (omit for not spicy)
- 1.5 tsp dried thyme
- 1.5 tsp dried oregano
- 1.5 tsp salt
- 0.5 tsp black pepper
Ribs
- 2 – 2.5kg / 4 – 5lb pork ribs (2 racks)
- 3/4 cup sweet alcoholic apple cider (hard cider) , or apple juice (Note 2)
- 1 tbsp olive oil
Homemade Barbecue Sauce
- 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar (Note 3)
- 1 1/2 cups tomato ketchup (or Aussie tomato sauce)
- 1/2 cup water (or use remaining apple cider!)
- 1 1/2 tbsp molasses , orginal (not blackstrap, Note 4)
- 1/3 cup brown sugar
- 2 tsp mustard powder
- 1 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp Tabasco or cayenne pepper (optional, for spiciness)
Instructions
- Combine the Rub ingredients and rub onto both sides of the ribs (most on meaty side). Set aside to marinate for 20 minutes (or overnight).
- Preheat oven to 160°C/320°F (all oven types).
- Place ribs on a tray in a single layer. Pour apple cider underneath the ribs, cover with foil then bake for 1 hour 30 minutes or until the meat is pretty tender (Note 5).
- Remove from oven, turn up to 180°C/350°F. Remove foil, drizzle with olive oil, then return ribs to oven for 15 minutes or until rub becomes nice and crusty.
- Line a new tray with foil then baking / parchment paper (you'll thank me later).
- Remove ribs from oven, transfer to lined tray. Pour any juices from tray over the ribs.
- Flip ribs so the bonier side is up. Slather with Barbecue Sauce, then bake 10 minutes.
- Remove from oven, then turn ribs over so the meaty side is up. Slather with Barbecue Sauce, bake 5 minutes. Repeat 2 or 3 more times until you've got a thick glaze on the ribs.
- Cut ribs into individual or multiple rib portions and serve with remaining Barbcue Sauce!
Barbecue Sauce
- Place all ingredients in a saucepan and simmer over medium heat, stirring occasionally, for 45 minutes or until thickened.
- Adjust to taste: sweetness with brown sugar / honey, salt and sour with vinegar. Use for glazing ribs and as a sauce for serving.
Recipe Notes:
- Follow recipe to end of Step 4 (ie 2nd baked uncovered to make Rub crusty)
- Brush bony side of ribs with sauce, then cook on BBQ indirect heat on high (bony side up) with lid down for 5 minutes.
- Flip so meaty side is up, baste, cook with lid down for 5 minutes. Repeat 3 times until you have a nice caramelised glaze!
Nutrition Information:
Pork ribs recipe originally published January 2016. Updated August 2019 with new photos, improved recipe, brand new video and new Life of Dozer section added!
Life of Dozer
He doesn’t need a 4 leaf clover for luck. He was BORN lucky….. at least, from the moment he became MINE!! #spoiltbrat #wantfornothing #PrinceDozer
My son requested ribs for Christmas Eve and this recipe was a huge hit. Served with your lemon potato salad. Can’t wait to make it again. Thanks 🎅🎅
Hi Nagi
I enjoyed your recipe and a number of your other recipes, (no Knead rolls and cinnamon rolls), very simple ingredients. We cook the same girl. Big hug to you and please give dozer a hug for me.
Your friend from Canada
Dennis
Thanks so much for the awesome feedback Dennis!!
I am writing this review as I devour these bad boys!! Amazing aroma while baking and even better taste. Even my picky toddler who never eats anything says they’re good. I used country style ribs because that’s what I had and they’re just fantastic.
Perfect Ashley, that’s so great to hear!
Awesome !!!
I cooked just 1 kg of ribs so cut the recipe by 1/3 except the cider and used 1/2 cup which kept everything nice and moist.
The ribs were finger-licking / bone-sucking delicious.
GREAT!
Wahoo! I’m so glad you loved them Steven!
Just made the sauce for tomorrow. YUM!! If I don’t use it all will it keep? Thinking it would……. fridge?
Hi Sue, yes just keep it in the fridge or freezer – N x
hi nagi
what happens if you use blackstrap molasses?
thanks
hi mark. what happens if you use blackstrap molasses ?
That’s fine Dani – N x
Nagi* sorry auto correct!
Made this tonight with some super meaty ribs but I think I should have cooked them in the oven for another 40mins during phase 1 of the recipe to make sure they’re really soft before glazing them up. But the flavour was just fantastic! Have been requested to make them again (and soon!) 😆 Your recipes are just so amazing Nagi!
Hi Teale, the meatier they are the longer they will take. I’m so glad you enjoyed them anyway!! N x
Nagi, please, please, please let me use a passage from your recipe for “Oven pork ribs with bbq sauce” it’s the paragraph that says “if you nibble daintily at a rib holding it delicately between two fingers etc, etc…… that made me smile and think of a few friends of mine that I’d like to smear the sauce all over their faces. Oh, and I don’t know if you remember me, I complained about “Cup” measurements? I’ve bought some “cup measures” lol😜😜😜😜😜many thanks and keep those recipes coming 🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹
First time post but I’ve already tried a lot of different recipes and love it!
I’ve already made these twice and am thinking about making them for an upcoming party.
Would it okay to go up to the part where you remove the foil and bake until the rub is crusty, then refrigerate and continue the next day? I live in Japan with tiny ovens so doing this would help me get food out quickly. Thanks.
Hi Chris, I’m so glad you love them! Yes you could definitely make them before and then bake them on the day! – N x
I followed your recipe to the letter and these ribs were great. Haven’t been too impressed with other recipes but yet again yours turned out to be fabulous, fabulous, fabulous.
Thanks Nagi!!!!
That’s awesome Christine, thanks so much for letting me know ❤️
Nagi,Would just using dry rub work the same?
Hi Audrey, you could use a dry rub if you prefer!
Hi Nagi, i love all your recipes very much. It is easy to cook and easy to follow the instruction. i am living in china, i cant find Molasses so what can i use instead. thank you
I am smoking 4 racks of ribs as we speak. Do you think I could refrigerate and follow this up with your method with a good result?
I don’t see why not Melissa, love to know how you go!
Omgoodness Nagi!! This was Amazing! Yes it takes awhile to cook & is a little fidley but it is Soo Worth it!
I have to say I have never made homemade BBQ sauce before but it was So easy! And Yummy!
Ok me & my husband have had our fair share of Ribs but my husband said last night as he was eating them ‘These are the best ribs I’ve had by far, no more going to Hurricanes’ Lol 🤭
I think the Apple Cider just brings a real tenderness to the meat & that Cayenne pepper in the BBQ sauce woooot Awakens the senses! I’d probably put 1/2 Tsp of that next time!
Anyway, Thankyou Thankyou, your Recipes Never Disappoint!
I have truly become a more confident Cook because of your Blog and the Hubby is well pleased. God bless, Thankyou
Cathy xxx
That’s so great to hear Cathy!! Thanks so much for the awesome feedback – N x
I road tested this recipe midweek to see how it would work for my weekly home cooked meal for 84 yr old neighbour and his son, who stays on weekends. My Hubby raved about the yummiest ribs ever, yet we both agreed too spicy for neighbour. I think my rib racks were much smaller than yours, and even after I halved th cayenne pepper measurements it still packed a punch. It was yummy for hubby and I. I have left over barby sauce which I will use for Sunday late lunch. Again. Thanks Nagi.
I’m so glad you loved it Kate, you have lucky neighbours!!!
Hi Nagi. So far every recipe of yours I’ve tried is amazing! These ribs are no exception. You are simply The Best. I’m re-heating leftovers as we speak and wonder do you have a recommendation for best oven temp for reheating? (Side note..you’re Tiramasu recipe is simply the best I’ve EVER had. PLEASE post a banana cream pie recipe. I’m thinking of using the cream recipe from the tiramasu recipe but KNOW you can provide a perfect recipe…PLEASE??!! Our 30 year anniversary is coming up and I’d love to make it for my husband…simply his favorite). Every time I make a new recipe that’s delicious he asks “is that Nagi’s?”
Hi Susan, I’d reheat them covered in the microwave then the oven roast them on a high heat for 5 minutes – not too long otherwise they may dry out ❤️
CANT LEAVE ENOUGH STARS! NEW FAVORITE BABY BACK RIBS AND BBQ SAUCE. THE ONLY ESSENTIAL ITEM MISSING IS A ROLL OF PAPER TOWELS
Wahoo! That’s great to hear!!
Hi Nagi! Greetings from Maryland, USA! I’ve tried several of your recipes and they’ve been delicious. But this recipe…TOPS THEM ALL! I didn’t have pork ribs but I used pork chops! FABULOUS, just FABULOUS!!! Thanks so much. Love to you, love your recipes and love to Dozier!
WOOT! Thanks so much for letting me know Val!!
ooh! we are the same kind of people! I need a wet cloth after eating ribs!
Your rub and sauce is perfect!
😂 It’s the sign of a great meal!!