An easy recipe for cooking ribs in the oven. The ribs literally fall off the bones when done, and the sauce becomes nicely caramelized.
No need to fire up the grill! These ribs are slowly baked until the meat is tender, juicy and falls off the bones.
How long do you cook ribs in the oven?
I start by baking the spare ribs naked in a 250°F oven for one hour. After that, I quickly mix a simple homemade BBQ sauce and brush it on the ribs every hour for three more hours.
After 4 hours in the oven, these oven-baked ribs are extremely tender. All the tough tendons have melted, and the meat literally falls off the bones as you cut the slab into individual ribs.
Did you burn those ribs?
No! Much like smoked brisket, these oven-baked ribs turn very dark – almost blackened. However, they are not burned at all. The dark color simply means that the sugars in the sauce were caramelized.
What bbq sauce do you use when cooking ribs in the oven?
The homemade barbecue sauce that I use is not very sweet. But it still has a fair amount of sugar from the tomato paste and the aged balsamic vinegar. So if you prefer a less sugary rub, I suggest you try this tasty North Carolina BBQ sauce. It’s wonderful!
Is this a healthy recipe?
It depends on your definition of “healthy.” A someone who thinks that “healthy food” means real food and low carb, and feels that pork meat is fine, I think they are in fact healthy. However, they are high enough in calories that I only make them once in a while.
What about leftovers?
Leftovers keep well in the fridge for 4-5 days, in an airtight container. Gently reheat them, covered, in the microwave on 50% power.
By the way, if you like fatty pork meat, may I suggest that you also check out my very easy recipe for delicious country style ribs. They are wonderful!
Oven Baked Ribs
INGREDIENTS
- Avocado oil spray
- 1 3 lb. rack pork spareribs
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
Barbecue sauce:
- 1/3 cup tomato paste
- 1/3 cup aged balsamic vinegar
- 1/4 teaspoon smoked salt
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup*
INSTRUCTIONS
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Preheat the oven to 275 degrees F.
- Place the ribs in the pan, bone side down. Spray them with oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
- Bake the ribs for 1 hour, uncovered.
- Meanwhile, mix the barbecue sauce ingredients in a medium bowl, then divide it into three small bowls.
- After one hour, take the ribs out of the oven and drain the pan juices. Brush the top of the ribs with a 1/3 of the BBQ sauce and return to the oven. Wash the basting brush with warm soapy water.
- Repeat this after one more hour – brush the top of the ribs with another 1/3 of the BBQ sauce and return to the oven. Wash the basting brush with warm soapy water.
- After one more hour, brush the ribs with the remainder of the sauce. Reduce the oven to 250 degrees F and return the ribs to the oven for one final hour.
- After 4 hours, the meat will be very tender and will fall off the bones. The top will look very dark, but it is NOT burnt! Just deliciously caramelized. Remove the oven baked ribs from the oven, cut into individual ribs and serve.
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NOTES
More Healthy Recipes:
Vered DeLeeuw, LL.M., has been following a healthy real-food diet and blogging about it since 2011. She has taken 
