Beef Back Ribs: An Easy Oven Recipe

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In this easy recipe, beef back ribs are slowly baked in the oven, and they come out tender and flavorful. The oven pretty much does all the work for you. All you need is a few hours of your time and occasionally basting the ribs.

Beef back ribs on a parchment-lined baking sheet.

I enjoy country-style ribs and oven-baked ribs, but this recipe for beef back ribs is especially good. It's super easy to make, and the ribs come out so tender. While they need five hours in the oven, most of it is hands-off cooking, where you can go about your day while the oven works for you.

Ingredients

Here's an overview of the ingredients needed for this recipe. The exact measurements are included in the recipe card below.

Apple cider vinegar: I love the flavor of this vinegar and use it in many of my recipes.
Hot pepper sauce: It doesn't make the ribs spicy. It merely adds an interesting layer of flavor.
Beef back ribs: I usually get them at Whole Foods, but they are also available in many supermarkets.
Olive oil spray: I love cooking with this delicious oil. But if you'd rather use an oil with a higher smoke point, you can use avocado oil instead.
Spices: Smoked salt, black pepper, smoked paprika, onion powder, and garlic powder. The smoked salt adds a nice smoky flavor to the dish.

Variations

You can vary this recipe by trying different spice combinations. In addition to the spices mentioned above, I sometimes add a generous pinch of cayenne pepper to make the ribs spicy. Sometimes, I also add dried thyme and/or dried cumin - ½ teaspoon of each.
You can substitute white wine vinegar or red wine vinegar for the apple cider vinegar. I don't recommend using distilled white vinegar. It's too acidic.

Instructions

Cooking these delicious ribs is surprisingly easy. Scroll down to the recipe card for detailed instructions. Here are the basic steps:

You start by placing the ribs on a parchment-lined rimmed baking sheet. Spray them with oil and sprinkle them with spices. Bake them for one hour in a 250°F oven.

Meanwhile, mix apple cider vinegar and hot pepper sauce and divide the mixture between three small bowls. After the first hour, baste the ribs with a third of the vinegar-hot sauce marinade.

Continue baking the ribs for three more hours, basting them with the marinade. After four hours, the ribs are fully cooked and tender. But I like to reduce the oven temperature to 200°F and keep them in the oven for one more hour for extra tender meat with a wonderfully caramelized exterior.

Recipe Tips

If the slab of ribs you purchase comes already separated into individual ribs, they will cook more quickly, so you can bake them for a total of just four hours instead of five.
These ribs have very little meat on top. Don't let that deter you! These ribs are left after the butcher cuts the ribeye roast off the bones. Since butchers want to maximize profit, they cut as much meat as possible. So there's not much meat left on top of the bones, but there are big chunks of delicious fatty meat between the bones.
If you wish, remove the thin membrane from the bone side of the ribs. Use a blunt knife, sliding it gently between the membrane and the bones. Work the knife around to loosen the membrane, then use a paper towel to grab it and pull it away from the bones. I don't bother doing this since the membrane softens during cooking, and I don't find it bothersome when eating the ribs.

Featured Comment

I thought I was a baby back rib guy, but after trying this, I don't know anymore. This was excellent. Now I can see why it gets 5 stars. I didn't have smoked paprika or smoked salt, just used regular, but now I have it on my list to get it. Thank you so much. - Dale
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Recipe FAQs

Are these ribs very spicy?

No. The hot sauce flavors the ribs and adds a subtle kick. Unless you're extra sensitive, it doesn't make the ribs very spicy.

Can I pan-fry these ribs?

No. These ribs are tough and should be cooked low and slow. When cooked properly, they become tender, succulent, and flavorful. The fatty meat falls off the bones.

So don't try to cook them quickly! Just like other tough meats, such as chuck roast (see this pot roast recipe), brisket, or spare ribs, this recipe takes time and patience. I bake them in a slow oven using smoked salt and smoked paprika to give them a smoky flavor.

Even though this recipe takes a few hours, it's an easy, hands-off recipe, perfect for when you're home anyway and can baste the ribs once in a while.

Should I marinate the ribs before cooking?

I use a marinade of vinegar and hot sauce to help tenderize and caramelize the meat and give it extra flavor. However, I simply brush the marinade on the ribs while they bake. I don't marinate them before cooking.

Serving Suggestions

I like to serve these rich, meaty ribs with vegetables or salads to balance out their richness. So I often serve them with one of the following sides:

Storing Leftovers

You can keep the leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. Reheat them in the microwave, covered, at 50% power. You can also freeze the completely cooled leftovers in freezer bags for up to three months. Thaw them overnight in the fridge. Like many slow-cooked meats, the leftovers are delicious - almost as good as the freshly prepared dish.