Dry Rub Ribs
intro
Tender, smoky pork ribs coated in a bold savory-sweet dry rub, slow-cooked to juicy, fall-off-the-bone perfection for classic, sauce-free Southern BBQ flavor.
Ingredients
Steps
Prep the rib racks
First, remove the thin, papery silver membrane from the bone side of each 900g rib rack: slide a butter knife under the membrane at the narrow end of the rack, grip the loose edge with a paper towel for traction, and pull it off in one smooth piece. Pat both sides of the ribs completely dry with paper towels, then rub all surfaces evenly with 15ml canola oil to help the spice rub adhere firmly.
Mix the dry rub
In a small 1-liter mixing bowl, combine 75g packed light brown sugar, 21g smoked paprika, 27g smoked kosher salt, 9g garlic powder, 7g onion powder, 2g black pepper, 2g ground cumin, 3g chili powder, 1g dry mustard, and 0.5g cayenne pepper. Whisk thoroughly for 30 seconds until all spices are evenly distributed, pressing any clumps of brown sugar against the side of the bowl with the back of the whisk to break them up.
Coat ribs with rub
Sprinkle ¾ of the dry rub mixture evenly over every surface (top, bottom, and sides) of the oiled rib racks, pressing the spice mix firmly into the meat with your fingertips to create a thick, evenly distributed coating. Reserve the remaining ¼ of the rub in the small bowl for later. Let the seasoned ribs rest at room temperature (20-22°C / 68-72°F) for 25 minutes to allow the spices to penetrate the meat and form a sticky, adherent base layer.
Slow cook the ribs
Preheat your oven or pellet grill to 135°C / 275°F (avoid direct high heat). Arrange the seasoned ribs bone-side down on the wire rack inside the baking sheet, leaving 2cm of space between the two racks to allow even air flow. Cook uncovered for 2 hours, until the spice rub has set into a dark, matte crust and the meat has started to pull back from the cut ends of the bones by roughly 6mm (¼ inch).
Wrap to tenderize
Carefully remove the hot baking sheet from the oven, drizzle 15ml of apple cider vinegar over the top of each rib rack (30ml total), then wrap each rack tightly in two layers of heavy-duty aluminum foil, crimping the edges completely to trap steam inside the packet. Return the wrapped rib packets to the 135°C / 275°F oven and cook for 45 additional minutes, until the meat is tender enough that a wooden toothpick slides through the thickest part of the rack with zero resistance.
Finish and rest ribs
Unwrap the foil packets, discard the collected rendered fat and juices and used foil, then sprinkle the reserved ¼ of the dry rub evenly over the top of the exposed rib racks. Return the unwrapped ribs to the 135°C / 275°F oven for 15 minutes to set the final spice layer and crisp the outer crust slightly. Remove the ribs from the oven, transfer them to a cutting board, and let them rest loosely tented with foil for 10 minutes before slicing between the bones to serve.
Tips
2.Avoid cooking ribs at temperatures above 150°C / 300°F: high heat will cause the meat to seize and turn tough, and will burn the brown sugar in the rub before the ribs fully tenderize.
3.Let cooked ribs rest for 10 minutes, loosely tented with foil, before slicing: this allows rendered juices to redistribute through the meat instead of running out onto the cutting board, keeping every bite juicy.
Made these for my fantasy football watch party yesterday and every single guy asked for the recipe! The rub has the perfect balance of smoky, sweet, and a tiny kick of heat that doesn’t overpower the meat. Cooked them low and slow exactly as directed, 3 hours total, and they were fall off the bone perfect. SO good.
Wait a second, has anyone tried making these ahead for meal prep? I’m feeding a family of 4 and want to make a double batch on Sunday to eat throughout the week, but I’m worried the ribs will dry out when I reheat them.
Took these to our neighborhood potluck last weekend and people were lined up for seconds! I used a little extra paprika because my family loves that smoky flavor, and it paired perfectly with the coleslaw and baked beans I brought. Will absolutely be adding this to my regular rotation.
Full transparency, I’ve never made ribs before in my life and I was so nervous I’d mess them up! The instructions were super easy to follow even for a total beginner, and they turned out amazing? My roommate said they were better than the ribs we get at our local BBQ joint. Wild.
Quick question—does this recipe work with a charcoal grill instead of an oven? We’re camping next weekend and I want to make these for our group at the campground, but I won’t have access to a regular oven.
My kids are super picky eaters and they DEVOURED these. I cut the cayenne in half so it wasn’t too spicy for them, and they kept asking for more ribs instead of the mac and cheese I made as a side. That’s the highest possible praise in my house, honestly.
These ribs were solid, but I found the rub a little too salty for my taste. Next time I’ll cut the kosher salt by about a teaspoon and maybe add a little more garlic powder. Still, the texture was perfect—totally fall off the bone, just what I was looking for.
I’m practicing for my first local BBQ competition next month and tested this rub on a spare rib rack last night. The flavor profile is killer, but does anyone have tips for getting that perfect bark without making the ribs too tough?
Made these on my back patio in 105 degree Arizona heat yesterday and it was 100% worth turning the oven on for. The smell drifted through the whole neighborhood and my neighbor popped over to ask what I was cooking, lmao. Gave him a couple ribs and he said it’s the best he’s ever had.
I have a tiny apartment oven and was worried the cook time would be off, but these came out exactly as described! Served them with cornbread and collard greens for a little southern-style dinner in my tiny NYC apartment, and my boyfriend said I should open a restaurant. Total win.
Wait, can you freeze these after cooking? I bought a huge pack of ribs on sale at the grocery store and want to cook all of them at once to freeze for quick dinners later, but I don’t know if they’ll hold up.
I’ve been making ribs the same way for 15 years and decided to switch up my rub recipe to give this one a try. Let me tell you, my wife said these are the best ribs I’ve ever made. The brown sugar and smoked paprika combo is unbeatable. I’m never going back to my old rub.
Wait, is this rub actually gluten free? I have celiac so I have to be super careful with pre-mixed spices and cross contamination, but all the ingredients listed look safe, I just wanted to double check!
Made these in my dorm oven with a bunch of my floor mates and we had an absolute feast. Cost way less than ordering ribs from the takeout place down the street, and they tasted way better. Even my RA came down to grab a plate and said it was the best dorm cooking he’s ever seen. 10/10
These were the star of our extended family Sunday supper last week! We had 12 people over and made 3 racks, and there were zero leftovers. Even my 82 year old dad who swears by his own rib recipe said these were top tier. That’s the best review you can get, if you ask me.
I added an extra half teaspoon of cayenne and a pinch of chipotle powder to the rub for an extra kick, and it was chef’s kiss. If you love spicy ribs, don’t sleep on that little adjustment! The meat was so tender it slid right off the bone, no tugging required. So so good.
Help! I put these in the oven 2 hours ago and the meat is still pretty tough. Did I do something wrong? My oven temp says 275 like the recipe says, but they don’t look like they’re fall off the bone yet.