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    Home » Recipes » Main Dishes

    Published: Apr 20, 2023 Modified: Apr 20, 2023 by Nicole This post may contain affiliate links.

    Baked BBQ Pork Spare Ribs

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    Slow cook your way to delicious baked bbq pork spare ribs. They're fall-off-the-bone tender. Made with simple ingredients and minimal prep, this is a great recipe to keep on hand.

    sliced pork ribs on a wooden cutting board

    This recipe has been my go-to for years, and you can imagine why. From the easy hands-on prep to the juicy tender results, these ribs are a summer staple food in our home.

    While we don't eat them too often, we always make sure to enjoy them here and there as a fun treat to our dinner menu plans. Ribs are such a great low-maintenance meal. It's perfect for lazy days and paired with simple side dishes.

    If you love ribs, you'll want to check out my Instant Pot Beef Back Ribs and Instant Pot Baby Back Ribs too.

    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.
    Jump to:
    • 🥘 Ingredients
    • 🍽 Equipment Needed
    • 🔪 Instructions
    • 🍴 Recipe Tips
    • 🍳 Reheating
    • 🥗 Side Dishes
    • 🥣 Recipe Add-Ins
    • 💭 FAQs
    • 📖 Recipe
    • 💬 Comments
    labeled ingredients for making bbq pork spareribs

    🥘 Ingredients

    Pork Spare Ribs- For this recipe, you will need a rack of pork spare ribs that are about 3.5 pounds in size.

    Brown sugar- Adding brown sugar will give us a nice depth of flavor and add to the caramelization of flavors.

    Seasonings- You will want to use a blend of chili powder, paprika, onion powder, salt, and pepper.

    BBQ sauce- You will want to use your favorite barbecue sauce for this recipe. You can use homemade BBQ sauce or storebought.

    For specific quantities, see the recipe card below.

    🍽 Equipment Needed

    BeeyondCereal is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.

    • Small Bowl
    • Measuring Cups
    • Measuring Spoons
    • Baking Sheet
    • Pastry Brush
    • Aluminum Foil

    🔪 Instructions

    Check out how to make Baked BBQ Pork Spare Ribs with these simple step-by-step instructions:

    Preheat the oven to 275°F.

    bowl of seasonings and a whisk

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

    a bowl filled with seasoning blend and a whisk

    Whisk well to combine. Set aside.

    pork spare ribs on a wooden cutting board

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

    hand holding the silverskin away from the meat of the ack of spare ribs with a knife pointing to where to cut them

    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.

    aerial view of the back of the ribs after a lot of silver skin has been removed

    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.

    close up of ribs with silverskin removed off of the bones

    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.

    spare ribs on a wooden cutting board topped with seasoning blend

    Add your rub seasoning blend to the ribs.

    seasoned spare ribs on foil

    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.

    pork ribs in foil with the sides wrapped over over the ribs to create a pocket

    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.

    spare ribs wrapped in foil

    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.

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

    cooked and seasoned pork spare ribs in a foil pouch on a baking sheet

    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.

    barbecue sauce and a brush on seasoned cooked ribs in a foil pouch on a baking sheet

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

    barbecue sauce spread over cooked pork ribs in a foil pouch on a baking sheet

    Brush the BBQ sauce around to coat everything well.

    baked barbecue pork ribs covered in barbecue sauce on a baking sheet

    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!

    sliced bbq pork ribs on a wooden cutting board

    🍴 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.

    🥣 Recipe Add-Ins

    If desired, you can 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.

    💭 FAQs

    What pork ribs are the best?

    There are three types of pork ribs, including spare ribs, baby back ribs, and country-style ribs. Of them, baby back ribs are the most popular, but spare ribs are often considered more flavorful.

    What pork ribs have the most meat?

    Country-style pork ribs have more meat than other cuts of pork ribs. Baby back ribs are leaner and more tender, and spare ribs are somewhere in the middle range with more fat marbling, making them pretty tasty.

    Why do you wrap pork ribs in foil?

    Wrapping pork ribs in foil helps to seal in the flavor, hold in moisture, and speed up the cooking time. It helps to tenderize the meat too.

    aerial view of sliced pork ribs on a wooden cutting board

    More great pork recipes to check out soon

    • Air Fryer Pork Loin Roast
    • Slow Cooker Cabbage with Bacon
    • 3 Ingredient Crock Pot Pork Chops
    • Instant Pot Bacon

    📖 Recipe

    close aerial view of sliced bbq pork ribs on a wooden cutting board
    Print Recipe
    5 from 2 votes

    Baked BBQ Pork Spare Ribs

    Slow cook your way to delicious baked bbq pork spare ribs. They're fall-off-the-bone tender. Made with simple ingredients and minimal prep, this is a great recipe to keep on hand.
    Prep Time 15 minutes mins
    Cook Time 2 hours hrs 6 minutes mins
    Total Time 2 hours hrs 21 minutes mins
    Servings: 4 servings
    Calories: 1194kcal
    Cost Recipe $9.57 / Serving $2.39
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Equipment

    • Small Bowl
    • Measuring Cups
    • Measuring Spoons
    • Baking Sheet
    • Pastry Brush
    • Aluminum Foil

    Ingredients

    • 3.5 pounds Pork Spare Ribs ($8.18)
    • 2 Tablespoons Brown sugar ($0.02)
    • 1 Tablespoon Chili powder ($0.30)
    • 2 teaspoons Paprika, regular or smoked ($0.20)
    • 1 teaspoon Onion powder ($0.10)
    • 1 teaspoon Salt ($0.10)
    • ½ teaspoon Black pepper ($0.05)
    • ½ cup Favorite BBQ sauce ($0.62)

    Instructions

    • Preheat the oven to 275°F.
    • Add your brown sugar, chili powder, paprika, onion powder, salt, and pepper to a small bowl.
    • Whisk well to combine.
    • Lay your ribs on a large cutting board or baking sheet and then flip over to reveal the backside of the ribs.
    • 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.
    • 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.
    • 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.
    • Add your rub seasoning blend to the ribs.
    • 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.
    • 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.
    • 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.
    • Place on a baking sheet, angling it from corner to corner, if needed.
    • 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.
    • When your ribs are done, drain the juices from the pan and then add your favorite BBQ sauce.
    • Brush the BBQ sauce around to coat everything well.
    • 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!

    Notes

    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.

    Recipe Add-Ins

    If desired, you can 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.

    Nutritional Information

    Serving: 1serving | Calories: 1194kcal | Carbohydrates: 23g | Protein: 62g | Fat: 94g | Saturated Fat: 30g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 16g | Monounsaturated Fat: 34g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 318mg | Sodium: 1307mg | Potassium: 1122mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 18g | Vitamin A: 1167IU | Vitamin C: 0.4mg | Calcium: 89mg | Iron: 4mg
    Author NicoleDurham
    Course Main Course
    Cuisine American
    Tried this recipe?Mention @BeeyondCereal on Instagram and hashtag it #BeeyondCereal
    To view how this recipe was calculated you can visit my Pricing Disclosure Page for more information.

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