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The Ultimate BBQ Baby Back Ribs Recipe

This is the Ultimate BBQ Baby Back Rib Recipe! Cooked slow in the oven with a homemade spice rub, then finished on the grill with your favorite BBQ sauce. There’s nothing like fall-off-the-bone Baby Back Ribs and this easy recipe is a show stopper!

The BEST BBQ Baby Back Ribs

Welcome to GRILL WEEK here at Joyful Healthy Eats! I wanted to start the week off with a bang, so prepare yourselves!

As you all know by now I am pretty much a Grill Girl at heart. If it wasn’t so stinking hot all the time here in Texas I would grill every day. One of my favorite things to grill, besides pizza, is Baby Back Ribs. There is just nothing like fall off the bone Grilled BBQ Baby Back Ribs, and believe me these ribs will fall off the bone before they even get to the grill. They are amazing, hence the name –>  “The Ultimate BBQ Baby Back Ribs.”

I actually even  make these for our Christmas dinner too, because I can. And my family requests them every year!

overhead photo of the ultimate bbq baby back ribs

How to Prepare Baby Back Ribs

The trick to making your Ribs fall off the bone in my opinion has two parts: remove the silver skin and bake them long and slow. (meaning at a low temperature for a long time) My mouth is literally watering as I’m talking about these. Once you taste them you’ll understand the extent of there deliciousness and why my mouth waters just talking about them. 

So … ready… go get you some Ribs and I’ll walk you through the process!

How to Remove the Silverskin or Membrane from Ribs

Removing the silverskin is easier than you think. Pork ribs have a membrane that’s located on the back of the ribs. It does not have to be removed, but if you do it will make your ribs more flavorful and tender aka fall of the bone! To remove flip the ribs over and slide a knife under the silverskin anywhere along the rack. If it resists in one spot, just find another spot. Lift the silverskin up and loosen it with the knife until you can get a good grip on it. Then pull the silverskin off the ribs; it should just peel away in a large sheet. If the silverskin breaks, use your knife to restart at another section and repeat the process.

How Many Baby Back Ribs Per Person?

If this is your main entree I typically plan on each person eating 1/2 rack of ribs, so a full rack would feed 2-3 people. 

process photos of how to make bbq baby back ribs

overhead photo of the ultimate baby back ribs with bbq sauce all over it

How to Cook Baby Back Ribs 

  1. To get started, preheat oven to 325ºF.
  2. Remove the membrane or silverskin.
  3. Season both sides of ribs with homemade spice rub and place in a roasting pan or 13″x9″ baking dish. 
  4. Add cubed onion and 3 garlic cloves to the pan as well as 1 cup of water. Cover pan with tin foil and bake for 3 hours.
  5. Remove from oven and place ribs on medium heat grill. 
  6. Slather with your favorite BBQ Sauce and grill each side 5-7 minutes. Remove from grill and serve.

So as you can see, I cook mine in both the oven and the grill. I find that cooking them in the oven before hand really breaks down the meat and leaves you with a “fall of the bone” tender meat. But slathering them with BBQ sauce and searing them on the grill to lock in all the flavors, well, that just screams summer to me.  

overhead photo of spice rubs baby back ribs in a dish with onions

This Recipe is tried and true. I’ve been making it for probably 10 years now and my mom has used the oven grill method since I can remember. My favorite part about this entire recipe is the homemade rub I use, the spices totally enhance the flavor of the ribs and take them to the next level.

In my opinion, I can never make ribs again without this rub! P.S. there’s subtle hints of cinnamon in it! Sooo good!

I know without a shadow of a doubt you are going to be blown away by this recipe. So make sure its’ on your MUST MAKE list.

Bon Appetit friends and Happy Monday!

Side Dish Ideas for Ribs:

side photo of the ultimate bbq baby back ribs
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side view of the ultimate bbq baby back ribs

The Ultimate BBQ Baby Back Ribs Recipe

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 5 from 15 reviews
  • Author: Krista
  • Prep Time: 3 hours 25 minutes
  • Cook Time: 15 minutes
  • Total Time: 3 hours 40 minutes
  • Yield: 6-8 1x
  • Category: Pork
  • Method: Oven / Grill
  • Cuisine: American

Description

BBQ baby back ribs cooked slow on the grill with a homemade spice rub + your favorite BBQ sauce. This is the Ultimate BBQ Baby Back Ribs Recipe, with ribs that are tender & flavorful meat that falls right off the bone!


Ingredients

Scale
  • 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

  1. Preheat oven to 325ºF.
  2. 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.
  3. In a small bowl, mix garlic powder, paprika, chili powder, cinnamon, salt, and pepper.
  4. 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.
  5. 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.
  6. 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}
  7. Remove from the oven, discard the onions and garlic cloves.
  8. Heat grill to medium high heat, approximately 375-400°F. Place rack of ribs on the grill with thickest meat side facing up.
  9. 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.
  10. 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

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