These are the best ever slow cooked beef ribs in oven. They’re melt-in-your-mouth tender, delicious, topped with a simple glaze, and so flavorful. This family-favorite recipe is no fuss, and so easy to make!
Cooked Beef Ribs In Oven
These are the best beef ribs ever! Cooking them low and slow gives the meat a chance to absorb all the delicious flavor from the chili powder, brown sugar, garlic, onion, and cumin.
Ribs are one of those cuts of meat where you really need to take the time to cook them slowly at a low temperature. Trust me, it’s so worth it. You’ll be rewarded with juicy, tender meat that you can literally break apart with your fingers as you pull it off the bones. It’s melt-in-your-mouth good!
Once the ribs are cooked and tender, we’re going to finish them off with a BBQ sauce glaze. Just a few minutes in the broiler will have the glaze sticky, sweet, and so delicious. Everyone is going to want seconds of this recipe!
If you love beef ribs, be sure to check out these country style beef ribs! They’ve got lots of 5-star reviews and are a reader favorite.
Ingredients
Beef Back Ribs: When you’re shopping for beef ribs, avoid ones where the bones are too visible. You’re looking for ones with good marbling and with as much meat as possible between the bones.
Brown Sugar: This adds some sweetness and molasses flavor to the seasoning blend, and also helps with caramelization during broiling.
Garlic, Chili, Cumin, and Onion Powder: This easy homemade spice blend has a lot of depth of flavor. It’s slightly sweet, earthy, smoky, and savory. Feel free to add cayenne for a little extra heat or smoked paprika for a smokier flavor.
Salt and Pepper: The salt enhances the other flavors in the ribs, and the slight heat from the pepper helps balance out the savory richness of ribs. If you use freshly cracked pepper it will be spicier than if you use ground pepper.
BBQ Sauce: This is what makes the delicious sticky-sweet glaze after the ribs finish cooking. I like to use a smoky BBQ sauce, but feel free to use your favorite kind. Sweet, smoky, and vinegary would all taste great here. If you don’t want to use BBQ sauce, you could also let butter melt into the cooked ribs after they come out of the oven.
How To Cook Beef Back Ribs In The Oven
Prep the Ribs: Remove the silverskin (membrane) from the back of the ribs by loosening it with a butter knife, then gripping and pulling it off with a paper towel. Place the ribs, bone-side up, on a large sheet of heavy-duty foil. (See the recipe card below for the full printable instructions.)
Make the Dry Rub: In a small bowl, mix together the brown sugar, garlic powder, chili powder, cumin, onion powder, salt, and pepper until well combined.
Season: Rub about one-third of the spice mixture onto the back of the ribs and massage it into the meat. Flip the ribs over and coat the meaty side with the remaining rub, pressing it in well so it gets into all the crevices.
Seal: Bring the foil up and around the ribs, folding and crimping the edges tightly to create a sealed packet. Place the foil-wrapped ribs on a rimmed baking sheet.
Bake: Place in the oven and bake until the ribs are very tender and a fork twists easily in the meat.
Broil and Glaze: Carefully open the foil to expose the ribs, folding the edges down so they don’t cover the top. Brush half of the BBQ sauce evenly over the ribs. Return to the oven and broil until the sauce caramelizes and becomes sticky and glossy, watching closely to prevent burning.
Serve: Brush with the remaining BBQ sauce and let them rest until you can safely handle them. Slice between the bones and serve. See the recipe card below for the full written instructions, including ingredient amounts, cooking times, and helpful tips, etc.
Pro Tips
- Remove the Entire Membrane: This step is critical if you want tender ribs. The membrane won’t break down during cooking. If you don’t remove it, the ribs will be tough and chewy.
- Tightly Seal the Foil Packet: This is important because you don’t want the steam to escape. You’re basically creating a little steam packet for the ribs, which is what will make them so tender.
- Let Them Rest: Before you slice the rack of ribs into individual ribs, let them rest for a few minutes. This gives the meat a chance to reabsorb the juices.
Do You Cook Ribs Meat Side Up Or Down In The Oven?
I prefer to cook ribs meat side up in the oven because I want the meat to steam in the aluminum packet, not boil in the liquid at the bottom of the packet.
How Do You Keep Beef Back Ribs Moist In The Oven?
The key to keeping your ribs moist in the oven is to very tightly seal the aluminum foil packet. You need to trap all of the steam that would otherwise escape, keeping the moisture with the ribs so they stay moist.
Do You Flip Ribs When Baking In The Oven?
No, there’s no need to flip ribs while you’re baking them.
Do You Put BBQ Sauce On Ribs Before Baking?
No, if you add it at the beginning of the cooking process it will likely burn. It’s best to add it at the end, after the ribs are cooked but before you put them under the broiler. That way the sauce has a chance to caramelize and create a sticky glaze, but won’t be in the oven so long that it burns.
Do Beef Ribs Get More Tender The Longer You Cook Them?
Only up until a certain point. They do get more tender by cooking them low and slow as the collagen breaks down, but if you cook them too long they can dry out. You know they’re cooked and will be tender when you insert a fork into the meat and it twists easily.
How Long Can You Leave Dry Rub On Ribs Before Cooking?
You can leave the dry rub on up to 24 hours before you cook the beef back ribs. If you’re going to let the ribs rest in the dry rub for more than 30 minutes before cooking, be sure to store it in the fridge. Letting the ribs rest in the dry rub for 24 hours will make much more flavorful ribs.
Should You Dry Rub Beef Ribs Overnight?
If you have time, yes! You don’t have to, but it really does a great job of seasoning the meat all the way through. Plus, the salt will penetrate the meat, making it more tender.
Why Are My Beef Ribs Always Tough?
There are a few reasons your ribs may be turning out consistently tough. Any one of these problems could create tough ribs. Tender ribs are all about patience.
- The membrane wasn’t removed.
- The aluminum foil packet wasn’t fully sealed.
- You didn’t cook them long enough.
- You cooked them at too high of a temperature.
- They didn’t have a chance to rest before you sliced them.
What To Serve With Beef Back Ribs
From baked beans, to potato salad, to mac and cheese, to coleslaw, to cornbread, to baked potatoes, these are my all-time favorite side dishes to serve with beef ribs.
- Baked Beans with Ground Beef
- Baked Velveeta Mac and Cheese
- Vinegar Coleslaw
- Jiffy Cornbread with Creamed Corn
- Microwave Baked Potato
- Microwave Baked Sweet Potato
- Hawaiian Macaroni Salad
Storing And Reheating Leftovers
After the ribs have cooled, transfer them to an airtight container. They can be kept in the fridge for up to 3 days. To freeze, wrap them tightly in foil and place them in an airtight container for up to 2 months. It’s best to reheat them in a foil packet with a splash of water or broth in the oven rather than using the microwave.
Keep In Touch
I’d love to hear what you thought of this recipe in the comments or on Instagram! @KeyToMyLime #KeyToMyLime
Rib Recipes
If you like this recipe, be sure to check out all of our other beef recipes and pork recipes. Some reader favorites are:
- Country Style Beef Ribs
- Air Fryer Country Style Ribs
- Boneless Pork Ribs in Oven
- Slow Cooker Country Style Ribs
- Instant Pot Country Style Ribs
- Slow Cooker Cajun Ribs
TENDER Beef Ribs in Oven (Oven-Baked Beef Ribs Recipe)
These are the best ever slow cooked beef ribs in oven! They’re melt-in-your-mouth tender, flavorful, and topped with a simple glaze.
Ingredients
Beef Ribs:
- 5 pounds beef back ribs
Dry Rib Rub:
- 2 Tablespoons light brown sugar
- 1 Tablespoon garlic powder
- 1 Tablespoon chili powder
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 2 teaspoons onion powder
- 2 teaspoons fine sea salt
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1/2 cup BBQ sauce (I used a smoky BBQ sauce)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 300F.
- Remove the silverskin (membrane)* from the back of the ribs. Place the ribs, back side up, on a large piece of heavy duty aluminum foil.
- Add all the spices for the rub to a small bowl, and thoroughly mix.
- Apply about 1/3 of the rub to the back of the ribs and massage it into the meat using your hands. Flip the ribs over so the meaty side is up, and apply the remaining rub evenly over the ribs. Massage the rub into the ribs, getting it into all the nooks and crannies.
- Lift the foil up around the ribs and make little folds until you have a complete, tightly sealed package.
- Place the sealed rib package onto a rimmed baking sheet, and place into the preheated oven and bake for 2 hours and 45 minutes (see notes if your ribs are on the thinner side)**. Remove the ribs from the oven, then carefully open up the foil package to expose the ribs. Turn the oven to broil.
- Fold in the side of the foil so it's not hanging off the baking sheet, but not covering the ribs, then brush half the BBQ sauce all over the top of the ribs. Place back into the oven and broil for 3-4 minutes to caramelize the BBQ sauce. Don’t walk away while the sauce is caramelizing (it can burn quickly, so you need to keep a close eye on it).
- Brush with the remaining BBQ sauce and let them rest for a few minutes. Slice the ribs once you can safely handle them, serve, and enjoy!
Notes
*To remove the membrane from the ribs, use a butter knife to lift the skin up enough that you can grab it. Use a paper towel to grab it and pull it off. If it breaks, repeat this step until the silverskin is off. You want to remove this so that the flavor of the rub is able to penetrate the meat, and so the ribs aren’t tough when you eat them.
**I had very meaty ribs. If yours are on the thinner side, I would recommend cooking them for 2 hours 15 minutes and checking their tenderness by inserting and twisting a fork to see if it breaks apart easily. If not, put it back in the oven for the remaining time, but you don’t need to worry about sealing it back up, just fold the edges in and place it back into the oven.
Nutrition Information:
Serving Size:
1/8Amount Per Serving: Calories: 764Total Fat: 43.2gCarbohydrates: 12.7gFiber: 0.8gSugar: 9.3gProtein: 76.4g
Nutrition information isn't always accurate.
Try making some of these perfect slow cooked BBQ beef back ribs in the oven! They’re great for holidays, family dinners, or get-togethers.
