Baked BBQ Pork Spare Ribs

🍯 Why This Recipe Works

1. Low maintenance. This recipe is actually pretty easy to assemble and hardly requires much work. With just a few minutes of prep, you can be on your way to some delicious barbecue pork ribs in no time.
2. Simple ingredients. Besides the pork ribs, you'll just need some basic seasonings and your favorite BBQ sauce. The sauce is optional, of course.
3. You can finish it off in the oven or on the grill. We like to broil our ribs after adding sauce to help get them nice and caramelized, but you can use your grill instead. This is especially yummy for getting that slight char taste.

🥣 Recipe Add-Ins

If desired, you can add some peeled garlic cloves and a thinly sliced onion to the pork ribs before tenting them in foil and baking. This is optional, and I almost never do this.

🔪 Instructions

Step 1: Preheat the oven to 275°F.

Step 2: Add your brown sugar, chili powder, paprika, onion powder, salt, and pepper to a small bowl.

Step 3: Whisk well to combine. Set aside.

Step 4: Lay your ribs on a large cutting board or baking sheet and then flip over to reveal the backside of the ribs.

Step 5: Remove the white membrane from the back of the ribs. It should peel off easily, but a sharp paring knife can help with the trickier areas.

Step 6: Cut off any "silver skin" that you see on the back of the ribs. This is stuff that just hardens and becomes chewy when baked.

Step 7: Removing it from the back of the bones will help the meat to fall off the bone when tender. A trick I use is to simply cut or slice through it where it's too hard to remove completely.

Step 8: Add your rub seasoning blend to the ribs.

Step 9: Season well to coat both sides. Add seasoned ribs on a large piece of foil. The foil should be wide and long enough to wrap the ribs completely.

Step 10: Pull the foil up over the ribs, creating a tent peak along the top middle. You may need two pieces of foil lying side by side to accomplish this. Overlap them slightly so that the bottom of the ribs is on top of both pieces without exposing the meat.

Step 11: Fold the tent peak downward to crimp and seal the foil. Roll and crimp the two open ends as well. You want the ribs to be well contained.

Step 12: Place on a baking sheet, angling it from corner to corner, if needed.

Step 13: Place the ribs into the oven for 2 hours. Carefully unseal the ribs and check for tenderness. Bake for another 20 minutes if they're not tender yet.

Step 14: When your ribs are done, drain the juices from the pan and then add your favorite BBQ sauce.

Step 15: Brush the BBQ sauce around to coat everything well.

Step 16: Place in the oven and broil on high for 6-7 minutes or until the sauce begins to caramelize. Or Grill until charred.

Slice and serve.

Enjoy!

🍴 Recipe Tips

The internal temperature of your ribs should be about 190-200 degrees F. They are safe to eat at 145 degrees F, but the collagen in the bones starts to break down at 165 degrees F, and by the time they reach 190F-200F, they will be much more tender. Do not overcook or they may become mushy.

🍳 Reheating

How to reheat pork ribs:

• I have had success reheating 1-2 rib pieces at a time in the microwave on a microwave safe plate for 1.5-2 minutes.
• Cooking them in the air fryer is another option. Just cook at 375 degrees F for about 3-5 minutes.
• If reheating large portions of pork (like a full rack or half rack of ribs), then place them on a baking sheet and tightly cover them with foil. Cook in the oven at 250 degrees F for about 30 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 140F.

🥗 Side Dishes

If you're wondering "what goes with pork ribs," then you're in luck. Just about anything can pair well with ribs. For example, Dill Pickle Potato Salad, Cornbread Bundt Cake, Creamy Lemonade, and Instant Pot Steamed Broccoli.