These juicy, BBQ-glazed baby back ribs with a garlic-cinnamon spice rub just scream 4th of July! They’re baked and finished off on the grill for a tender, fall-off-the-bone bite.
Why You’ll Love This Baby Back Ribs Recipe
This pork baby back ribs recipe with sweet BBQ sauce and a homemade spice rub will be your new go-to for summer cookouts.
- Great for cookouts. It’s not really a BBQ without tender ribs, is it? Everyone loves them and they’re easy to make.
- Convenient. Store-bought BBQ sauce helps you save lots of time once the ribs hit the grill.
- Perfect for summer. Saucy baby back ribs are a go-to for any summer menu.
- Sweet and savory. Sweet onions and BBQ sauce balance out the garlic, chili powder, and cinnamon spice rub in the recipe.
What You’ll Need
The earthy, spicy, and garlicky spice rubs helps infuse lots of flavor into the ribs while they’re in the oven. Scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of the post for exact amounts.
- Baby back ribs – I prefer pork loin ones.
- BBQ – Use your favorite.
- Sweet onion – Go for shallots or yellow onion if you prefer.
- Garlic – Fresh garlic and garlic paste are best.
For the Spice Rub
- Garlic powder – Feel free to use granulated garlic or onion powder instead.
- Paprika – Smoked paprika adds lots of depth.
- Chili powder – Cayenne pepper or red pepper flakes are good swaps.
- Cinnamon – You can use ground nutmeg.
- Salt and pepper – Kosher salt and freshly-cracked black pepper are best.
Baby Back Ribs vs Spare Ribs
Baby back ribs come from the top of the rib cage, near the spine. The bones are close together, so there isn’t as much meat on them but, since there’s little muscle movement, they’re incredibly tender. On the other hand, spare ribs come from the bottom of the rib cage. Since the bones open up to support the stomach, there’s a lot more meat on them.
How To Make Baby Back Ribs on Grill
The most important thing is not rushing the baking time. Scroll to the bottom of the post for the full recipe card.
- Make the spice rub. Preheat the oven to 325F. Whisk all of the spice rub ingredients in a bowl until evenly combined. Rub the mixture over the meat-side of the ribs.
- Add the onions. Place the seasoned ribs in a roasting pan. Sprinkle the onions and garlic over the ribs.
- Bake them. Pour water into each roasting pan until 1/2″ high. Cover with foil and bake for 3 hours. Remove them from the heat. Discard the onions and garlic.
- Grill them. Set the grill to medium-high heat. The meat side of the ribs should be facing upward (towards the sky). Brush them with BBQ sauce and grill them for 5-7 minutes. Flip over and repeat this step.
- Serve. Remove the ribs from the heat. Let them rest for 5-10 minutes. Serve and enjoy!
FAQs
You don’t need to be a master of the grill to nail these ultra tender and juicy baby back ribs.
How do you easily remove the membrane from ribs?
Flip the ribs over so that the bone side is facing upwards. Carefully slide a sharp knife under the silver skin on any corner of the ribs. Lift it with your fingers and then pull it off in one swift move. If it breaks, repeat this process until you’ve removed it completely from the ribs.
How many baby back ribs per person?
If it’s your main dish, each person typically eats 1/2 rack of ribs. You can calculate that each rack feeds 2-3 people. However, if you’re serving lots of side dishes with the ribs, you might even get away with 1/4 rack per person.
Why do I need to bake the ribs first?
Baking the ribs first allows the meat to cook low and slow, giving the fat a chance to render and melt into the meat for an ultra juicy and tender bite. This way the grilling time is short and only helps caramelize the BBQ sauce on the outside.
Tips for Success
Homemade BBQ sauce and sweet pineapple chunks can take these easy baby back ribs to the next level.
- Marinate them. Place the ribs in a large Ziploc bag. Add 1 cup beef broth, 1/2 cup BBQ sauce, 1/2 teaspoon chili oil, 1 tablespoon vegetable oil, 1/2 cup freshly squeezed orange juice, and 1 teaspoon salt. Seal it and shake well. Refrigerate overnight for more flavor.
- Remove excess moisture. Pat the ribs dry with a paper towel before adding the spice blend. Then place them in the roasting pan and refrigerate them (uncovered) for 4-5 hours. This will help draw out excess moisture and make the ribs extra tender.
- Make them sweet-and-savory. Cut chunks of pineapple and/or peaches and add them to the roasting pan along with the onions and garlic. They’ll release natural sweetness that goes perfectly with the BBQ sauce.
- Don’t uncover them. The ribs need to be covered at all times as they bake to prevent them from drying out and burning. The foil helps trap the steam inside so that the fat can melt.
- Make your own BBQ sauce. Mix 2 cups ketchup, 1/2 cup yellow mustard, 1/4 cup beef broth, 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce, 1 tablespoon garlic powder, 1 tablespoon onion powder, 1/2 tablespoon paprika, 3 teaspoon ground cumin, 1 teaspoon chili powder, 1 teaspoon ground black pepper, 1/2 teaspoon celery salt, and 2 teaspoons kosher salt until smooth.
- Stay in the middle. Avoid baking the ribs on the top or bottom oven racks. They won’t cook through completely at the top, whereas they’ll burn on the bottom rack. The middle is where heat is more evenly distributed so make sure to stay there.
What To Serve With BBQ Baby Back Ribs
These tender baby back ribs are a wonderful dinner. Pair them with Corn on the Cob and Bacon Wrapped Stuffed Jalapeños for a classic cookout meal. If you prefer potato sides, try my Garlic Parmesan Fries or Sour Cream & Chive Mashed Potatoes. For salad ideas, go for my Simple Arugula Salad or Mexican Street Corn Salad.
Proper Storage
Make sure the ribs are fully cooled before storing.
- Fridge: Place them in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
- Freezer: Set the ribs on a baking sheet and freeze for 1 hour. Wrap them whole or sliced in foil. Transfer to a freezer bag and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge.
- To reheat it: Sprinkle the ribs with 1 teaspoon water and microwave for up to a minute. You can also heat them in the oven at 300F for 20-25 minutes.
More Pork Recipes To Try
- BBQ Pulled Pork Sweet Potato Bites
- An Easy Instant Pot Baby Back Ribs (Foolproof + Tender)
- Pulled Pork Sliders with Red Cabbage & Avocado
- Honey Balsamic Crock Pot Pulled Pork
BBQ Back Ribs
- Prep Time: 3 hours 25 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 3 hours 40 minutes
- Yield: 6-8 1x
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Oven / Grill
- Cuisine: American
Description
This fall-off-the-bone baby back ribs recipe with garlic-cinnamon spice rub and BBQ glaze will be a juicy, 4th of July favorite.
Ingredients
- 3 Full Racks of Pork Loin Ribs (Baby Back)
- 1 large bottle of your favorite BBQ sauce
Spice Rub Blend:
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground pepper
- 1 large sweet onion, peeled & cut into wedges
- 6 garlic cloves, peeled and left whole
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325ºF.
- Remove the membrane or silverskin from the bottom side of the ribs. (see photo above) Flip over the rib rack so you are looking at the bottom side (the side without the meat.) Go to one end of the rib rack, using a knife slide it under the silverskin and pull. It should peel right off in one swipe. Once you have removed this part from all 3 full racks, set them aside and prepare the spice rub.
- In a small bowl, mix garlic powder, paprika, chili powder, cinnamon, salt, and pepper.
- Next, rub this spice blend on the top side of each rack and place racks in two 13×9 baking dishes or in a roasting pan.
- Next, evenly spread the onion quarters and garlic cloves between the two baking dishes, placing the onions and garlic cloves on top of or underneath the racks of ribs.
- Lastly, add a 1/2″ of water to the bottom of each baking to dish. Completely cover each dish with aluminum foil. Place in oven and bake for 3 hours. {thats right.. you heard me… long and slow}
- Remove from the oven, discard the onions and garlic cloves.
- Heat grill to medium high heat, approximately 375-400°F. Place rack of ribs on the grill with thickest meat side facing up.
- Slather each side of the ribs with your favorite BBQ sauce and grill for 5-7 minutes. Flip the ribs and repeat process, by slathering bbq sauce on the other side and grilled for 5-7 minutes.
- Remove the ribs from the grill and let them rest for 5-10 minutes.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/2 rack
- Calories: 357
- Sugar: 16 g
- Sodium: 1100 mg
- Fat: 18 g
- Saturated Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 25 g
- Fiber: 4 g
- Protein: 22 g
- Cholesterol: 75 mg
66 comments on “BBQ Back Ribs”
Have used this recipe various times and “Aaron’s Ribs” have drawn a cult following due to it. I’ve had to rush a bit at times due to being tight on time and cut the cook time down a little and albeit they are cooked through, it definitely affects the tenderness. The choice of the cut of ribs I feel affects it also. I tend to look for baby back ribs with tighter to the bone and less of the “big chunk” sections at one end per my preference and that seems to make a difference in the tenderness and not being dried out as well.
hahaha I love that it has a cult following. You are so right the cut of the ribs makes a big difference especially if you have to cut the cook time down. Thanks for sharing!
This is our GoTo for family get togethers. Best rib recipe ever!
Awe! Yeah, I”m so glad to hear that!
Perfect Ribs! I cooked them at 300 for 4 hours. The rub was nice but I think I’ll cut the cinnamon back a little next time, a bit too much for me personally. I ended up putting them under the broiler to finish instead of the grill, I was afraid of losing all the meat in the grill since they were falling off the bone. I paired it with your Root Beer BBQ Sauce and they were a huge hit! My family is already asking me when we are having them again.
Yippie! Is there anything better than fall-off-the-bone ribs! Isn’t that sauce sooo good!
I just printed the recipe. I am going to make these asap. One question…I only want to make 1 rack of ribs since there are only 2 of us. How long do I cook them in the oven? Also, I plan on cutting the ingredients for the rub in half or shouldn’t I do that?
Hey Ronna, I would start with 2 hours and then check them to see if they need to go longer. You want them nice a tender. And yes, you could cut the seasoning in half since you’re just making one rack. Hope you like it!
My husband said this was the best ribs I’ve made yet! We marinated them the night before with something I just threw together but he said it was the seasoning I put on it today which is the recipe..
This is hands down my husband’s favorite! I am so glad the rub was a hit. Tender Baby Back Ribs, is there anything better!
I made this recipe tonight exactly as it was written and it was fantastic! I really liked the flavor of the rub and the technique produced fall off the bone tender ribs. Thank you so much for sharing!
Hurray! So glad you love it just as much as we do! It’s one of our favorites!
This is by far the best ribs I have ever made, used to slow cook in oven at 200 for 7 hours, not only is this quicker, but i believe tastes much better
Quicker and better sounds like a winner to me. So happy you loved them!
Last night was my second session with this recipe. Truly amazing, so tender I probably used too much water this time so just left the ribs in the pan and put them under the broiler to avoid spilling. Not bad for a 82 year old novice.
Is there anything better than tinder ribs! I am so glad you gave it a shot!!
If making this dish in the summer (33C), instead of using my oven, could I put ribs in foil pan with water, cover with foil, & cook at 325 for 3 hrs on BBQ? Hoping to make these for a family gathering & when I searched for 5 star baby back ribs, your recipe was on the top!
Yes you definitely could do that! Would serve the same purpose. Then I would still finish on the grill to sear the flavor in.
Excited to make these ribs this evening. Quick question with the water! So the ribs will be directly sitting in the water based on how the recipe is worded is that correct?
yes that is correct. It helps steam them and makes them SUPER tender!
Can I bake them and place them in the fridge to cool and cook later? My culinary skills tell me this shouldn’t be a problem but I wanted to ask the author of the recipe………. Maybe you’ve done this?
Yes, you definitely can do this. I’ve even baked them and then grilled them the next day.
Does this recipe work with spare ribs as well?
yes it will!
Question, I am making a small amount of ribs, basically 8 ribs. Would you recommend a different cooking time? Also, just to confirm that the meaty side it on top when cooking and not turned over on bottom of pan?
Yes, I would reduce the cook time to 45 minutes to 1 hour. And yes the meaty side is face up.
I made this rib receipt tonight and they were the best ribs Iāve ever had! The spice rub made the house smell so good while they were in the oven. It is challenging to flip them on the grill because the meat is so tender it falls off the bone but I think thatās a great problem. I will definitely be using this recipe from now on! Iām looking forward to trying your other recipes.
So glad you loved the recipe! Fall off the bone ribs is never a bad thing!
This was the best rib recipe, that I have ever made. Fall off the bone tender. And so tender! Exceptional flavor throughout the meat. Thank you for sharing!
YES!!! It’s my one and ONLY recipe for ribs. You only need one if it’s a good one š
Your BBQ Baby Back Ribs look so great. You make me go to the kitchen and cook ! Hope i can cook well as yours. Thank you very much for your sharing.
Hi, this recipe looks great, definitely going to try it. One question though. At the top of the article it says to put ribs on grill and put sauce on and grill, in the recipe itself it says to grill on each side and then put sauce on and remove from grill. Just wanted to make sure š, Thankyou
Hey Marilyn, I put the sauce on when the ribs are on the grill and then grill each side for 5-7 minutes to sear in all the flavor. I saw how it could be confusing in the directions so I edited it to be more clear. Thanks!
These ribs were a bit hard to flip on the grill because they were so very tender….next time I will oil the grill grates a bit. Recipe was easy to follow but I made and used extra spice rub because it was so good. I coated the ribs sparingly with sauce because I wanted to taste the meat. I made your grilled sweet potato salad and that was amazing, as well!!! Flavorful and fall off the bone tender-it’s what ribs are all about!
Awww… yeah that’s so exciting to hear Cynthia. So pumped you loved both of those recipes! They are my favorites!
Great recipe. The meat fell off the bone. I made my own BBQ as well. This is definitely a keeper.
These Baby Back Ribs look so inviting! I have to make them!
Looks absolutely fantastic! I’d love to try this, craving for this right now!
I have never made my own Ribs, I will now with these simple and straight forward recipe, they look mouthwatering!
Canāt ever get enough BBQ! This sounds like a great sweet and tangy flavor ā what a fantastic idea. Looks tender, tasty and tantalizing ā canāt wait to cook āem up
Super tasty! We’ll be making these all summer!
As someone who absolutely loves barbecue, these look amazing! Trying these ASAP
I came drooling because of your recipe. It such favorable and viusable. I will start this BBQ weekend with your recipe.
thank you again
Made this recipe for 4th of July. They came out AMAZING. Thanks so much!
Awesome! So glad to hear it Bryce!
I made these last night, they were the best ribs I have ever had. The meat fell off the bone. This will be my rib recipe forever. Thanks again.
Yeah!! Awesome.. so excited to hear that you made them and LOVED them! š We now share the same Rib recipe… forever. š hehe
These ribs are on my “to make” list! Thanks for sharing at Party Thyme. This recipe has been pinned to my Party Thyme features board
Awesome! They are on my “make again” list. š Hope you have a great day Marilyn and awesome 4th!
Delicious! š I love baby backs! Thank you so much for linking up with me this week at Tasty Tuesdays! Iāve pinned this & shared it with my followers! Please be sure to stop back by the party and check out some of the other links!
Me too! My mom use to make them all the time growing up and I can remember fighting my dad over them. š Soo good!
Thanks! They were delicious :)! Stopped by your awesome party too! Thanks Lori, I hope you have a great Sunday.
Tomorrow Amazon will be delivering my first grill – Ever. A whole new grill world is about to open up to me. Thank you for this tutorial – it’s very helpful. Oh, btw, I found you at Anyonita Nibles’ Tasty Tuesdays.
Thanks,
Michele
Woo Whoo!!! I’m excited for you! You will love it! Can’t wait to see the grilling recipes you come up with. š Thanks so much for stopping by Michele, I hope you have a great rest of the week.
I want my babyback babyback babyback… š I digress.
But, THESE look PHENOMENAL! ! Also, Iād like to invite you to come link up with me at my link party! Iād love it if you could stop by & link up some of your recipes! Here’s the link: http://anyonitanibbles.blogspot.co.uk/2013/06/tasty-tuesdays-16-dozen-delicious-desserts.html
haha… I was so thinking that song as I was writing this post. Too funny! š Thanks for stopping by Anyonita, I hope you have a great week!
Looks delish, Krista! It’s time to grill out and I was just saying yesterday that I want ribs! Need to try this1
I’m visiting today from Mop It Monday. I hope you get the chance to visit my blog, linkup and leave a comment, too!
~ Megin of VMG206
Join me at my NEW party!! Open NOW (Sat thru Fri) @ DIY Showcase Link Party
Thanks for stopping by Megin! I hope you do get a chance to try these ribs, they are seriously amazing. š Thanks for stopping by.
I love barbecue ribs, one of my all time favorite meals! I am jealous that you can grill year round, so not fair š
Me too! I am pretty lucky. After think living in Wisconsin for 23 years I just want to grill all the time now, because I CAN! š
Grilling is something we do several times a week- ribs- are almost always on the menu this time of year. Can’t get enough. YUM
Totally agree, we actually moved it to a Christmas time tradition to because well.. we live and Texas and we can still grill then. š
Wow those look incredible! Fantastic recipe, definitely want to give this a try š
Happy Blogging!
Happy Valley Chow
Thanks so much, I promise you will love them! š Thanks for stopping by Eric, hope the baby’s doing well.
Krista, these look simply, mouth-wateringly, delish to nth degree! WOW! Thanks for sharing and pinning!
haha.. thanks Cindy. Always love seeing your sweet comments! I hope your day goes well and you are able to knock out that work stuff! š