An easy recipe for tender, flavorful oven beef back ribs. It’s not a quick recipe, but it’s truly easy, and the result is so very flavorful!
This beef ribs recipe is super easy to make (though not quick), and they come out so tender. Whenever I spot these ribs at Whole Foods, I immediately buy them. We all really enjoy this dish.
What are beef back ribs?
They are what’s left after the butcher cuts the ribeye roast off the bones. Since butchers want to maximize profit, they cut as much meat as they can.
So there’s not much meat left on top of the bones, but there are big chunks of super delicious, fatty meat between the bones.
The ingredients you’ll need
You’ll only need a few simple ingredients to make these delicious ribs. The exact measurements are included in the recipe card below. Here’s an overview of what you’ll need:
- Apple cider vinegar
- Hot pepper sauce
- Beef back ribs
- Olive oil spray
- Spices: smoked salt, black pepper, smoked paprika, onion powder, and garlic powder
How to cook beef back ribs?
This meat is tough and needs to be cooked low and slow. When cooked properly, the ribs are tender, succulent, and very flavorful. The fatty meat falls off the bones.
So don’t try to cook them quickly! Much like other tough meats, such as chuck roast (see this pot roast recipe), brisket (check out my easy oven brisket recipe) or oven baked spare ribs, cooking beef back ribs take time.
But this doesn’t mean that making them is difficult. On the contrary, this is an easy recipe, perfect for when you’re home anyway and can baste them once in a while.
My favorite way to cook them is in the oven. I bake them in a slow oven, using smoked salt and smoked paprika to give them a smoky flavor.
I also use a marinade of vinegar and hot sauce to help tenderize and caramelize the meat and give it extra flavor.
Scroll down to the recipe card for the detailed instructions. Here are the basic steps:
- Start by placing the ribs on a parchment-lined rimmed baking sheet. Spray them with the oil and sprinkle with the spices. Bake for 1 hour at 250°F.
- Meanwhile, mix the apple cider vinegar and the hot pepper sauce and divide between three small bowls.
- After the first hour, baste the ribs with a third of the vinegar-hot sauce marinade.
- Continue baking them for three more hours, basting with the marinade two more times, and washing the basting brush with hot soapy water after each use.
- At this point, after four hours in the oven, the ribs are fully cooked and tender. But I like to reduce the oven temperature to 200°F and keep them in the warm oven for one more hour, for extra tender meat with a wonderfully caramelized exterior.
What side dishes go with them?
Traditional sides served with ribs are often starchy. But I like to serve this rich, meaty dish with vegetables to balance it out. So I often serve them with one of the following sides:
Is this beef ribs recipe healthy?
I believe it is. Some experts advise us to limit red meat. But fresh unprocessed meat is very nutritious and I believe it does have a place in a healthy diet, in moderation. Especially when accompanied by vegetables.
What about leftovers?
We actually never have any leftovers when I make this beef ribs recipe. They’re so good, we gobble them all up!
But if you do have leftovers, they should keep in the fridge, in an airtight container, for 3-4 days. Gently reheat them in the microwave, covered, on 50% power.
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Oven Beef Back Ribs
INGREDIENTS
- 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
- 2 tablespoons hot pepper sauce
- 2 racks beef back ribs, 2 lb. each
- Olive oil spray
- 2 teaspoons smoked salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
INSTRUCTIONS
- Preheat oven to 250 degrees F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a small jar, mix the apple cider vinegar with the hot sauce. Set aside.
- Place the ribs on the prepared baking sheet, bone side down. (Use two baking sheets if they don’t fit in one). Spray the ribs with olive oil and sprinkle with smoked salt, black pepper, smoked paprika, onion powder and garlic powder.
- Bake the ribs for 1 hour.
- Mix the apple cider vinegar marinade again, then pour it into three small bowls, dividing it evenly. Baste the tops of the ribs with 1/3 of the marinade.
- Return the ribs to the oven and bake them for three more hours, basting the top with 1/3 of the marinade every hour (make sure you rinse the basting brush after each basting with hot soapy water).
- After 4 hours of baking, the ribs should be nicely browned and very tender. At this point you can serve them, but to make them even better, reduce the oven to 200 degrees F, and keep them in the oven for one more hour. This will ensure extra tender beef with extra crispy, caramelized exterior.
- Remove the ribs from the oven, cut into six portions and serve.
NOTES
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Vered DeLeeuw, LL.M., has been following a healthy real-food diet and blogging about it since 2011. She has taken 
