Baby Back Ribs
intro
Tender, smoky baby back ribs coated in tangy-sweet caramelized BBQ sauce, slow-cooked to fall-off-the-bone perfection for classic summer cookouts.
Ingredients
Steps
Prep the rib racks
Pat the 2 racks of baby back ribs completely dry with paper towels. Flip each rack bone-side up, grip the thin silverskin membrane along the bone line with a paper towel, and pull it off in one smooth piece to avoid chewy ribs. Evenly coat all sides of both racks with 30ml (2 tablespoons) yellow mustard to help the dry rub adhere.
Coat with dry rub
In a small bowl, mix 75g light brown sugar, 14g smoked paprika, 9g garlic powder, 7g onion powder, 9g kosher salt, 2g black pepper, 2g ground cumin, and 1g cayenne pepper until fully combined. Sprinkle the rub evenly over every surface of the mustard-coated ribs, pressing gently so the rub sticks in a thin, even layer. Let the ribs rest at room temperature for 30 minutes while you preheat your grill.
Start low-and-slow cook
Preheat your smoker or charcoal grill to 225°F (107°C), set up for indirect heat with no direct flame under the rib placement area. Add a handful of soaked hickory or apple wood chips for smoke if using a charcoal grill. Place the ribs bone-side down on the cool side of the grill grates, close the lid, and cook undisturbed for 2 hours, maintaining a consistent internal grill temperature between 225-250°F (107-121°C).
Wrap for tenderization
After 2 hours of open smoking, carefully remove the ribs from the grill. Tear off 2 large sheets of heavy-duty aluminum foil, one per rack. Place each rack in the center of a foil sheet, pour 60ml (1/4 cup) apple juice and 30ml (2 tablespoons) apple cider vinegar over each rack, then crimp the foil tightly into a sealed packet to trap steam. Return the foil-wrapped ribs to the indirect heat side of the grill, close the lid, and cook for 1 more hour at 225°F (107°C).
Glaze with BBQ sauce
After 1 hour of wrapped cooking, carefully open the foil packets to avoid escaping hot steam, and check for tenderness: a toothpick should slide into the meat between bones with no resistance. Transfer the unwrapped ribs back directly to the grill grates, bone-side down. Brush 120ml (1/2 cup) of BBQ sauce evenly over the top meaty side of the ribs, close the lid, and cook for 15 minutes to let the sauce set. Flip the ribs, brush the remaining 120ml (1/2 cup) sauce over the bone side, and cook for another 15 minutes until the sauce is sticky and caramelized, not burnt.
Rest and serve
Once the sauce is set and the ribs reach an internal temperature of 195-203°F (90-95°C) measured at the thickest part away from bone, carefully transfer them to a clean cutting board. Loosely tent the ribs with foil and let them rest for 10 minutes to allow juices to redistribute, then slice between the bones into individual rib portions and serve.
Tips
2.Always remove the thin, papery silverskin from the bone side of the ribs before adding rub; it does not break down during cooking and will leave an unpleasantly chewy texture.
3.Let cooked ribs rest for 10 minutes after glazing before slicing; cutting immediately will cause flavorful juices to run out, leaving the meat dry.
OMG these ribs were a total game changer for our Sunday family dinner! I was so nervous they’d be tough since I’ve messed up ribs so many times before, but following the steps exactly left them literally falling off the bone. My husband and three kids devoured two full racks in 10 minutes flat, even my super picky 7 year old asked for seconds. 10/10 will be making these for our next neighborhood potluck too!
First time ever making ribs from scratch and these turned out incredible! I was worried the 4 hour cook time would be too much, but it was totally hands off for most of it so I got to watch the game while they cooked. The only tweak I made was adding a little extra paprika to the rub because I love a smokier flavor. SO good, I’ll never order restaurant ribs again!
Made a double batch of these on Sunday for meal prep this week and they held up amazing! I portioned them out with coleslaw and cornbread for lunches, and even reheated in the oven they stayed tender and juicy, no tough dried out meat at all. Way better than the sad takeout ribs I used to grab for busy weeknights. Worth every minute of cook time!
I’ve been grilling ribs for 15 years and I have to admit, this method beat my old go-to recipe. I was skeptical about the low temp in the oven first before finishing on the grill, but it locked in so much moisture I couldn’t believe it. Knocked a whole star off only because I wish the recipe had a note about how long to finish them on the grill for people who don’t want to do the full oven finish — mine charred a tiny bit when I first tried the finish step.
Wait, has anyone made these with spare ribs instead of baby back? I have a big pack of spare ribs in the freezer I need to use up this weekend and I’m wondering if the cook time adjusts at all? I’ve heard spare ribs can be a little tougher so I don’t want to undercook ‘em!
Made these for our college tailgate last weekend and people were literally coming over from the next parking spots to ask what smelled so good! I brushed them with a little apple cider vinegar mixed with the BBQ sauce the last 20 minutes of cook time for that tangy kick, and chef’s kiss. No leftovers at all, which is saying something because we had 12 people there. Already got three requests to make these for homecoming next month!
Quick question before I make these this weekend — is the rub nut free? I have a severe tree nut allergy and I’ve had store bought rib rubs that have hidden almond meal in them before. Want to make sure I don’t have a reaction, these look too good to pass up!
Holy cow, these ribs lived up to the hype! I’ve tried so so many rib recipes that promise fall off the bone and end up chewy, but these were perfect. My dad came over for dinner and said they were better than the ribs he makes at his annual summer cookout, which is the highest possible compliment I could get. Will be in my regular rotation forever now!