Easy Oven Baked Dry Rub Baby Back Ribs Recipe and Video

This easy oven baked dry rubbed baby back ribs recipe is tender and full of flavor and spices.

Bake dry rub ribs in oven at 275F for 2 ½ - 3 hours on a foil lined sheet pan for perfect "meat falling of the bone ribs".

Dry Rub Baby Back Ribs Cut With The bones still on and stacked on a wood plate..

Dry rubbed baby back ribs take a long time to cook but are incredibly easy to make and always a crowd pleaser.

Spend about 15 minutes preparing the dry rub, spread dry rub over the ribs and bake ribs in the oven for 2 ½ -3 hours. Dinner is done!

Dry Rubbed Rib Spice Mix For Ribs In The Oven

Honestly, it's hard to mess up dry rubbed ribs. Salt is the obvious thing that can't be missed, but any of your favorite spices can be included.

Paprika is generally a pretty big ingredient in dry rub mixes. In addition to paprika, this dry rub ribs recipe has cumin, oregano, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, pepper, ground mustard, and cayenne powder.

Looking for a dry rub recipe without sugar. This dry rub for ribs has no sugar. Why? Mostly, 'cause I believe that sugar belongs in desserts, but also because this recipe doesn't need it. Alas, if you want a little sweetness, add a tablespoon of sugar.

This oven baked dry rub ribs recipe is paleo, gluten free, keto, low carb, Whole 30 and hecka good!

How Many Ribs or Racks of Ribs Should I Buy?

4-5 lbs of ribs *sounds* like a lot until you start eating… One large rack of baby back ribs generally gets us 3 servings and is around 2 ½ pounds.

It's really easy to bake two racks of ribs at once on a sheet pan so plan for leftovers and skip cooking dinner one other night that week. WIN!

How Long Can You Leave Dry Rub On Ribs?

If you have time to let the dry rub sit on the ribs for 2 hours that's great. Having said that, I rarely think ahead so almost never marinate the ribs ahead of time.

The ribs can be marinated in the dry rub for up to 10 hours, but after that the salt will start to pull away moisture from the ribs and can dry them out.

Generally speaking, the ribs will be "marinating" in the dry rub for a couple hours while cooking, so it's not a big deal to add the dry rub to the ribs last minute.

2 racks of baby back ribs on a sheet pan lined with aluminum foil with spices rubbed on the top.

How Do You Pull The Membrane Off Pork Ribs?

Having trouble pulling the membrane off the bony side of the ribs or don't know what I'm talking about? Skip it. You've probably eaten it plenty of times or pulled it off after it was cooked.

To watch a video of a successful and unsuccessful membrane "pull", check out my baby back rib video.

Cook Dry Rub Ribs in Oven Covered or Uncovered?

I want a crispy crust on the tender ribs so cook this particular dry rub rib recipe uncovered.

Ribs can certainly be cooked covered in aluminum foil. This will allow them to steam a little more and soak in it's fat and become uber tender without a crust.

Having said that, I would recommend minimally taking the aluminum foil off in the last 30 minutes of cooking if you go that route. This will ensure that crispy dry rub crust on the ribs.

Dry Rub Baby Back Ribs Cut With The bones still on and stacked on a wood plate. Top view.

Dry Rub Ribs Baked In Oven FAQS

Can I cook dry rub ribs in the crockpot / slowcooker?

Yup! Segment the baby back ribs into manageable sections and throw the pork ribs in it with the spice mix and cook on low for 8 hours. This will result in uber tender ribs but it will have a moist dry rub that doesn't stay on as well. Baking the ribs in the oven uncovered results in a crispier crust than in the crockpot.

Can I use this dry rub recipe for any kind of ribs?

Yup! This dry rub recipe can be used for any pork ribs, including St. Louis Style Ribs. Having said that, St. Louis ribs will need to cook at least an hour and a half longer.

Do I need to take the membrane off the pork ribs?

Nope! If confused, just leave it on. The membrane can also be taken off after the ribs are cooked if necessary, because it's generally inedible anyway. Plenty of restaurants don't take it off and people don't even care.

Oven Baked Dry Rub Baby Back Ribs

Print Recipe

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5 from 2 reviews

EatSimpleFood.com

This meaty oven baked dry rubbed ribs recipe is tender, easy to make, and full of flavor & spices. You can use this recipe for Baby Back Ribs or St. Louis Style Ribs.

Author: beckie
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 3 hours
Total Time: 3 hours 10 minutes
Yield: 6
Category: Main Dish
Method: Oven
Cuisine: American
Diet: Gluten Free

Ingredients

4-5 lb (2 racks) baby back pork ribs
2 teaspoon ground cumin
2 Tbsp paprika
2 teaspoon dry oregano leaves
2 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon dry ground mustard
¼ teaspoon cayenne - optional if you like a little spice

Instructions

Preheat oven to 275F and line a baking sheet with aluminum foil.
Mix all dry rub ingredients together in a bowl.
Peel off any tough membrane that is on the bony side of the ribs if it’s not done already (using paper towels makes this easier because fat is slippery).
Lay ribs on a lined pan with the meat side up (bone side down) and evenly sprinkle / rub spice mixture over top of the ribs (you may have dry rub left - save it for next time).
Bake dry rubbed ribs uncovered ~2 ½ - 3 hours or until ribs are fork tender. Happy finger lickin' rib eatin'! Beckie

Notes

Having trouble pulling the membrane off the ribs or don't know what I'm talking about? Skip it. You've probably ate it plenty of times or pulled it off after it was cooked.
Love your crock pot? Segment and throw the ribs in it with the spice mix and cook on low for 8 hours.

Things In My Kitchen:

12 x 17 jelly roll baking sheet - I use this for practically everything that goes in my oven.
6 quart crock-pot for days when I'm gone all day and want to come home and eat right away.

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