To-die-for Pork Ribs recipe with fall apart meat slathered in a sticky homemade barbecue sauce! These oven Pork Ribs are rubbed with a spice mix, slow cooked until fall-apart-tender then basted generously with the tangy, sweet sauce. Can’t-stop-eating it, finger-licking’ good!
This is a reader-favourite recipe included by popular demand in my debut cookbook “Dinner”!
Pork Ribs recipe
If you nibble daintily at a rib, holding it delicately between 2 fingers, and wipe your fingers clean with linen napkins, you and I will probably never be friends.
If you grab them with your hands, devour with gusto, get sauce all over your mouth, smearing up towards your cheekbones, then drop the bones sucked dry of every fibre of meat and sauce so they clatter dramatically on your plate, then noisily suck each and every one of your fingers clean of all that sticky barbecue sauce….
….if that’s you, then you are my kind of people.
And welcome to the pork ribs of your dreams!
These oven baked pork ribs recipe are:
super easy
the meat is tender
ribs are infused with flavour from a rub AND braising the ribs in apple cider;
finished with a simple but incredibly tasty homemade barbecue sauce.
These Oven Pork Ribs are fall apart tender and slathered with an incredible homemade barbecue sauce!
How to make Oven Pork Ribs
Here’s how I make pork ribs in the oven. There’s a few key things here:
Rub for the pork ribs – to add flavour;
Liquid for cooking – this is a key step for this pork ribs recipe! It creates a steamy situation while the ribs slow cook in the oven to keep them nice and juicy. My liquid of choice is alcoholic apple cider (also known as hard apple cider) because as with many things, alcohol adds extra layers of flavour. But there’s loads of other options: beer, apple juice, broth or even water;
Homemade barbecue sauce – Ribs are a bit of an occasion around these parts so using store bought Barbecue Sauce doesn’t even cross my mind. It’s also one of those sauces that’s astonishingly simple to make at home and really is that much better than store bought because it tastes pure and real and doesn’t have that slight artificial edge of store bought. Try it once and you’ll be converted for life!
Baste, bake, baste, bake! The more you baste-bake, the better your sticky barbecue sauce coating on the ribs.
Type of ribs to use
Oven Pork Ribs are ideal for Baby Back and St Louis Style Pork Ribs. It will also work for Pork Spareribs but the oven cook time should be reduced by 20 minutes (as they are less meaty).
🇦🇺In Australia, we do not (yet!) distinguish between various cuts of pork ribs (most are a Baby Back / St Louis style hybrid or they are very skimpy Spare Ribs). There’s also a great deal of inconsistency with how pork ribs are cut between butchers and the big grocery chains (Costco, Aldi, Woolies, Coles).
Just look for meaty pork ribs that are nice an fatty. Avoid the ribs that are cut so close to the bone on both sides there’s barely any meat – miserable eating experience plus it’s criminal to pay for 70% bone!
What you need for Oven Pork Ribs with Barbecue Sauce
And here’s what you need. Nothing unique here, except perhaps the molasses in the barbecue sauce.
I can’t remember where I first saw it, but I added it to my barbecue sauce once then I never looked back. It adds colour and intensity of flavour that can’t be replicated! Truly worth using if you can get your hands on it. If not, don’t fret – substitute with golden syrup or use dark brown sugar instead of normal brown sugar. Similar result!
Barbecue Sauce for Pork Ribs
The barbecue sauce in this recipe is used for both glazing and serving. It is literally a plonk and simmer job. Low maintenance and effortless, and really tastes of pure flavour compared to store bought (says she who has done side-by-side taste testing!).
It will look like we’re making a LOT, with the recipe calling for 1 1/2 cups of ketchup. But trust me when I say you want to have more rather than too little. There’s nothing worse than being stingy when glazing the ribs – you want to slather generously with abundance without worrying about saving some for serving!
(PS And if you’re a sticky BBQ Sauce lover, try this BBQ Brisket and BBQ Beef Ribs next…)
What to serve with Pork Ribs
In the spirit of a Southern barbecue feast, serve up your sticky oven pork ribs with a side of Macaroni Salad and corn on the cob (try the most amazing GRILLED Buttered Corn!).
Other favourites include:
Potato Salad – Classic creamy Potato Salad or for lighter options, no-mayo Lemon Potato Salad and Red Potato Salad with Charred Corn and Bacon
Corn Bread or Corn Bread Muffins (or try these Cheese Muffins)
And for something fresh, try this Tomato, Corn and Avocado Salad or a cooling German Cucumber Salad.
This is a forgiving pork ribs recipe – and it’s loaded with plenty of flavour!
As long as you get nice juicy, fatty ribs (which they typically are), it will be pretty hard to stuff this recipe up! Ribs are a tough cut of meat so they’re made for slow cooking until it’s nice and tender.
It’s quite forgiving with the cook time, unlike some other types of proteins like poultry. So even if you cook it 30 minutes too long, it will still be juicy and delicious.
There is simply no way to look elegant eating pork ribs. Just accept you will have very sticky fingers, sauce smeared on your face and a huge goofy grin! -Nagi x
Watch how to make it
This is a reader-favourite recipe included by popular demand in my debut cookbook “Dinner”!
More rib recipes
Hungry for more? Subscribe to my newsletter and follow along on Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram for all of the latest updates.
Oven Pork Ribs with Barbecue Sauce
Ingredients
Barbecue Rub for Ribs:
- 2.5 tsp paprika powder
- 2 tsp garlic powder (sub with onion powder)
- 1.5 tsp onion powder (sub with garlic powder)
- 1 tsp cayenne pepper (omit for not spicy)
- 1.5 tsp dried thyme
- 1.5 tsp dried oregano
- 1.5 tsp salt
- 0.5 tsp black pepper
Ribs
- 2 – 2.5kg / 4 – 5lb pork ribs (2 racks)
- 3/4 cup sweet alcoholic apple cider (hard cider) , or apple juice (Note 2)
- 1 tbsp olive oil
Homemade Barbecue Sauce
- 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar (Note 3)
- 1 1/2 cups tomato ketchup (or Aussie tomato sauce)
- 1/2 cup water (or use remaining apple cider!)
- 1 1/2 tbsp molasses , orginal (not blackstrap, Note 4)
- 1/3 cup brown sugar
- 2 tsp mustard powder
- 1 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp Tabasco or cayenne pepper (optional, for spiciness)
Instructions
- Combine the Rub ingredients and rub onto both sides of the ribs (most on meaty side). Set aside to marinate for 20 minutes (or overnight).
- Preheat oven to 160°C/320°F (all oven types).
- Place ribs on a tray in a single layer. Pour apple cider underneath the ribs, cover with foil then bake for 1 hour 30 minutes or until the meat is pretty tender (Note 5).
- Remove from oven, turn up to 180°C/350°F. Remove foil, drizzle with olive oil, then return ribs to oven for 15 minutes or until rub becomes nice and crusty.
- Line a new tray with foil then baking / parchment paper (you'll thank me later).
- Remove ribs from oven, transfer to lined tray. Pour any juices from tray over the ribs.
- Flip ribs so the bonier side is up. Slather with Barbecue Sauce, then bake 10 minutes.
- Remove from oven, then turn ribs over so the meaty side is up. Slather with Barbecue Sauce, bake 5 minutes. Repeat 2 or 3 more times until you've got a thick glaze on the ribs.
- Cut ribs into individual or multiple rib portions and serve with remaining Barbcue Sauce!
Barbecue Sauce
- Place all ingredients in a saucepan and simmer over medium heat, stirring occasionally, for 45 minutes or until thickened.
- Adjust to taste: sweetness with brown sugar / honey, salt and sour with vinegar. Use for glazing ribs and as a sauce for serving.
Recipe Notes:
- Follow recipe to end of Step 4 (ie 2nd baked uncovered to make Rub crusty)
- Brush bony side of ribs with sauce, then cook on BBQ indirect heat on high (bony side up) with lid down for 5 minutes.
- Flip so meaty side is up, baste, cook with lid down for 5 minutes. Repeat 3 times until you have a nice caramelised glaze!
Nutrition Information:
Pork ribs recipe originally published January 2016. Updated August 2019 with new photos, improved recipe, brand new video and new Life of Dozer section added!
Life of Dozer
He doesn’t need a 4 leaf clover for luck. He was BORN lucky….. at least, from the moment he became MINE!! #spoiltbrat #wantfornothing #PrinceDozer
A worrying situation is developing. We were out for dinner recently and instead of enjoying our meal we both agreed that Nagi’s recipe was better. We are eating out less and less! Will be having the kids around for dinner tonight with these ribs and Nagi’s cornbread, sides still tbc. Because it’s tastier at home!
Wow, these were amazing, i think better than we have had from anywhere, thanks for sharing
This recipe was AHH-MAZING!! The bbq sauce was so delicious that I’ve been putting the leftovers on everything – steak, potatoes and even jaffles! Thank you for making this lazy cook look good. Will be keeping this one on file for future dinners.
Great recipe, thank you made these today for my eldest daughters birthday everyone loved them and cooked perfectly like all of your recipes, my go to place for recipes
This is my go to for ribs. I finish them on the grill which gives them that great smokey flavor. I brought them last weekend to a back yard party and received rave reviews. Thank you Nagi – Tin Eats is my go to for recipes and inspiration!
I have recently purchased quite a lot of pork ribs! Im going to try various recipes. I come from England where ribs have lots of meat but here in Australia it’s more bone so I have previously avoided. You mentioned various cuts of ribs this recipe good for the full rack sparce version available here?
Hi, and thanks for the recipe. Living in a not so large town in Northern Thailand (from Darwin), so was first surprised when I found some real sized ribs. Usually they are only about 2” long.
Followed your recipe, only things I couldn’t get were the cayenne pepper (sub with Thai chilli powder) and Onion Powder. Garlic was fine.
The results were amazing. Everyone licking fingers for ages 😎👍
And will make and save the sauce for future anything.
And to try some more of your recipes.
My 3rd time cooking these ribs and admittedly I’m lazy with plenty of time here. Tip: I cut the ribs half and stuffed them in the slow cooker on high for a couple of hours for the initial steam/ bake; saved on foil and turning on the oven. I was on my own for a few days so I got 4 half racks and Air Fried the smaller portions fresh each meal.
Made double BBQ sauce because I worked out that you just slather it onto anything; roast chicken, chicken pieces, pork anything, boiled potatoes (which you can then AirFry).. Sauce keeps for ages in a refrigerated jar because the ingredients are long life. I’m an old cook; can’t believe it’s taken me this long to discover home-made BBQ sauce. Store-bought BBQ sauce put me off decades ago!
Thank you Maria! I wanted to see if I can do this in the instant pot! And you did! You are my saviour 💕
Thank you for the instant pot suggestion! Do you need a whole 2 hours on high? It feels a bit excessive. Please confirm.
This recipe is perfection! Possibly the best ribs I’ve ever eaten, definitely the best I’ve ever cooked. Meltingly tender and delicious. Will be a go-to from now on!
Absolutely delicious! Fantastic recipe, instructions and video (which was helpful to understand the consistency for the sauce, when it was on the stove). I didn’t have molasses on hand, subbed it 1:1 with treacle. I have the recipe books, but really love reading the blog and seeing the videos, etc. I am so thankful that when I use one of Nagi’s recipes, it always works first time, no disappointments.
Can you use Pomegranate molasses instead of sugar molasses? I used honey and it worked well but my store only had pomegranate
can you make this rib recipe ahead and re heat
Made this today and WOW it was delicious and so easy. The seasoning on the ribs was perfect and the BBQ sauce were so good. My twin 4 year olds had three servings. Served with rice and some roasted green beans.
Whilst I didn’t have all your sauce ingredients, I improvised with some great products. I used the Louisiana Rblub for the ribs and substituted treacle for molasses, hot english mustard for mustard powder, fresh crushed garlic for garlic powder and added Liquid Smoke, Maple Bourbon balsamic, a dash of Marsala and it was succulent to the core! So delicious and using foil teays, no mess or clean up. Thank you 😊
This weekend I made your Oven Roasted Pork Ribs. Wow! It was absolutely fantastic and I feel confident I could feed friends this as well in future. We absolutely loved it and devoured the rib! Restaurant ribs will never do again! We had lots of meat on our ribs, and the BBQ sauce was finger licking good! Thanks Nagi for the fabulous recipes!!
This recipe is the best! The second time I accidentally added the whole can of cider to the pan. Rather than pouring it over the meat, I reduced it on the stove with the other pan juices and bits and then added it to the bbq sauce and the result was incredible. Love your recipes Nagi!
Thank you for this detailed guidance with all the notes below. I don’t have apple cider (I live in a very far place in Indonesia and apple cider is like foreign expensive stuff you can only buy online) and your note helped me to substitute it with white vinegar.
About the glaze, I tend to not use much sugar in my cooking, so I didn’t put a lot of sugar in the bbq sauce, and I didn’t use the ketchup (in ketchup there is sugar as well). Instead, I use a kind of naturally sweet tamarind (that is sold in the market here) to make the bbq sauce, with dark soya sauce to create the color as you described. It turned out delicious, and I was happy with it. Thank you so much for all the notes in this very detailed recipe.
Hey Nagi, hope you’re well. Have tried a few of your recipes, all amazing. Never really been keen on pork but tried this as my wife bought some ribs. Absolutely amazing! Thanks so much.
This sounds scrumptious but lots of work! Can I use bottled barbecue sauce instead? Thanks for helping me cheat!!
Hello Nagi! We love all your recipes! Lol… well the many that I’ve made so far. 100% NEVER disappointed.
However. We don’t eat pork. Could this recipe work the same with beef ribs?