Smokey, juicy, tender, and bad-to-the-bone Baby Back Ribs packed with a boatload of flavors fall off the bone and straight in your mouth. The delicious spice rub gives it an incredible flavor, and then the homemade BBQ sauce doubles the fun. Just plain finger-licking good!
In our family, we take barbecuing seriously! One of the perks of being in sunny LA is that we can do barbecues anytime we want.
We don’t necessarily have to wait for summer to fire up the grill. Weekend grilling is a thing in our backyard. 😉
For this week, I am sharing with you these babies here which are outrageously delicious in every bite. Perfect for this coming Labor Day!
You’ll be eating it by hand – that’s how irresistible it is!
Easy Fall-Off-The-Bone Baby Back Ribs
There are two ways to enjoy baby back ribs. You can enjoy the dry rub flavors as is. (I always make my own rub (like this Steak Seasoning because I know what goes in it.) OR… after and during the last 10-15 minutes of grilling, baste it with your favorite barbecue sauce.
I love making my own BBQ sauce because I can customize the flavors to my mood. Just look at these photos above and below.
Either way, you’ll whole-heartedly nibble down each rib and lick your finger clean to get the most out of it!
See these photos?? Careful not to drool on your phone. 😉
Why Are They Called Baby Back Ribs?
In case you’re wondering, these baby back ribs do not come from young, tender baby pigs!
They are called as such since they are shorter than other bigger ribs like St. Louis-style spareribs.
It goes with names like pork loin back ribs, back ribs, or loin ribs.
Back ribs are a cut from where the rib meets the spine after you remove the loin. The upper ribs are then called baby back ribs as they are shorter than the bigger ribs.
Each baby back rib rack would average about 10-13 curved ribs (those sliced ribs you see below) that are between 3-6 inches long.
They are very tender and lean and so good to eat with your fingers. 😋
And that smile says how I love being in charge of the grilling! I don’t know why, but the smokey meaty flavor really turns me on.
Recipe Ingredients
This is an amazingly short list! Woohoo!
- Baby Back Ribs – The star of this recipe cooked to perfection is tantalizingly delicious. They go on sale fairly often, so stock the freezer if you can.
- Black Pepper adds zing without the intense heat. Add as much or as little as you like.
- Homemade Steak Seasoning is the perfect rub for these babies. I prefer making my own steak seasoning to control what goes in and what doesn’t go in (too much salt and chemical preservatives).
- Homemade Barbecue Sauce – Another spicy seasoning I like to make at home. A jar of good-quality BBQ sauce will work, but I like my recipe so much better.
Alternative Ingredients
- Baby Back Ribs – OK, I know, I know! It’s not a baby back rib recipe if you’re not using baby back ribs. However, the seasonings and cooking process will work for short ribs or any other kind of rib (pork or beef.)
- Homemade Steak Seasoning and BBQ Sauce – Not everyone has the time or ingredients to make homemade everything. No worries! If you prefer storebought, go for it. I won’t tell.🤫
Tips & Tricks
- When using the steak seasoning or dry rub, the rule of thumb would be 1 tablespoon for every pound. But feel free to add more. Then wrap it in foil paper or aluminum paper and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or preferably overnight to allow the flavors to sink in. And you can grill it then to your heart’s desire.
- You can also grill ribs without cooking them in the oven. Lightly oil the grill, then place ribs bone-side down on it. Cover and cook, rotating the rib racks every now and then until the meat is tender and pulls away from the bones. This may take 1 ½ hours or more, depending on the size of the pig.
- My family worships BBQ sauce, so I always use plenty. However, there are no carved-in-stone rules on how much you need to use or that you need to use it at all.
- When buying baby back ribs, go for the meaty rack with lots of patches of streaky white fat.
- You can leave the thin slick membrane on. However, it won’t let the dry rub sink into the meat very well.
- If you prefer your sauce a little on the tangy side, up the vinegar. Or, if you want to sweeten it, add more brown sugar or honey. If you’re like me and love it spicy, add more heat. See? I told you this recipe is easy.
FAQs
This failproof baby back ribs recipe is a family favorite, hands down. I adore grilling but don’t feel you have to fire up the grill every time.
You can let your oven do the work and fill the house with the unbelievable aroma of baking ribs. Instead of throwing them on the grill, remove the foil, and turn on the broiler for about 10 minutes.
Baby back ribs are the part of the ribs that meet the spine. They’re meatier than spare ribs. St. Louis-style spare ribs are cut from the pig’s belly, making them flatter. They have more bone and fat, and with that comes more flavor.
No worries, you can use this recipe for both.
Actually, you don’t. You will need to up the cooking time by half again. I would use a meat thermometer to ensure the internal temperature goes high enough to kill the bad guys.
I’m not judging. There’s a time and place for neat, and it works for this recipe, too. Without the bone, it will cook faster, so reduce cooking time by about half.
It’s pretty easy. Just take a knife and slide it under the membrane on one end until you can grab onto it. Then carefully pull it off. I put pictures of it with the instructions below.
Serving & Storage Instructions
You can save yourself some time the day of by cooking them in the oven the day before and storing them in the fridge. Take them out of the fridge while firing up the grill for mouthwatering ribs.
If you have leftovers (I never do), you can store them in an airtight container in the fridge for three or four days and in the freezer for up to three months.
What to Serve with Baby Back Ribs
This baby back ribs recipe here is best paired with Caribbean Coleslaw or Black Bean and Corn Salad. But if you don’t mind the heavy stuff (which I surely don’t), you can go all out with either one of these two salads; Macaroni Salad or Easy Pasta Salad.
Happy grilling!
More Easy BBQ and Smoking Recipes
- Spicy Grilled New York Steak – Beef is one of my favorite meats. Spice it up with garlic and rosemary, throw it on the grill, and I’m in heaven.
- Smoked Tri-Tip – Juicy sirloin tri-tip marinated in garlic, thyme, olive oil, and soy sauce then slowly smoked to perfection.
- Smoked Chicken Legs – OK, here’s an economical dinner you can slow cook to juiciness. Chicken legs are marinated in Italian seasoning, then smoked till it’s crispy on the outside and melts in your mouth with every bite.
- Caribbean Grilled Whole Red Snapper – I know Americans like fish fileted, no bone, and no skin. I say what a waste! The flavor is so much richer when you grill the whole fish.
How to Cook Baby Back Rib
Remove the Membrane
- You can skip this part. However, I personally find that the rub’s flavor doesn’t penetrate the meat as well not. Your butcher might be happy to remove it for you if you ask him, pretty please. Otherwise, here’s how to do it!
- Remove the membrane on the backside of the ribs by sliding your fingers under the thin membrane of the pork ribs and pulling it off. (Photos 1 & 2)
Season the Ribs
- Season them – Now rub the ribs with the Steak Seasoning on both sides. Place ribs on a baking sheet or roasting pan with two layers of heavy-duty aluminum foil. Wrap tightly. (Photos 3 & 4)
- Oven-bake the ribs – Place the baking sheet into the oven and bake until the ribs are tender, but you do not want them falling apart – about an hour. (Photo 5)
- Grilled to perfection– Preheat grill to medium-high. Grill ribs for 5-10 minutes on each side, basting with barbecue sauce (if desired) while grilling until charred. Be careful not to burn it. (Photo 6)
Baby Back Ribs Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 packaged Baby Back ribs slab (2 1/2 pounds or more)
- freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 2-3 tablespoons (15- 23 g) homemade steak seasoning
- ½ – 1 cup (115 – 230) barbecue sauce
Instructions
- Remove the membrane on the backside of the ribs by sliding your fingers under the thin membrane of the pork ribs and pulling it off.
- Now rub the ribs with the Steak Seasoning on both sides. Place the ribs on a baking sheet or roasting pan with two layers of heavy-duty aluminum foil. Wrap them tightly.
- You may let it rest in the fridge for a couple of hours or overnight or continue with the next steps.
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
- Place the baking sheet into the oven and bake until the ribs are tender, but you do not want them falling apart – about an hour.
- Carefully unwrap ribs; pour any juices from foil and reserve juice to mix with barbecue sauce. Let the ribs cool completely before grilling.
- Preheat grill to medium-high. Grill ribs for 5-10 minutes on each side, basting with the barbecue sauce, if desired, while grilling until charred. Be careful not to burn it.
- Transfer to a cutting board. Cut between ribs to separate. Transfer to a serving plate and serve with more barbecue sauce and sides.
Tips & Notes:
- When using the steak seasoning or dry rub, the rule of thumb would be 1 tablespoon for every pound. But feel free to add more. Then wrap it in foil paper or aluminum paper and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or preferably overnight to allow the flavors to sink in. And you can grill it then to your heart’s desire.
- You can also grill ribs without cooking them in the oven. Lightly oil the grill, then place ribs bone-side down on it. Cover and cook, rotating the rib racks every now and then until the meat is tender and pulls away from the bones. This may take 1 ½ hour or more, depending on the size of the pig.
- My family worships BBQ sauce, so I always use plenty. However, there are no carved-in-stone rules on how much you need to use or that you need to use it at all.
- When buying baby back ribs, go for the meaty rack with lots of patches of streaky white fat.
- You can leave the thin slick membrane on. However, it won’t let the dry rub sink into the meat very well.
- If you prefer your sauce a little on the tangy side, up the vinegar. Or, if you want to sweeten it, add more brown sugar or honey. If you’re like me and love it spicy, add more heat. See? I told you this recipe is easy.
- Please keep in mind that nutritional information is a rough estimate and can vary greatly based on products used.
Baltisraul says
Two things I like about this recipe that really turns the corner for me. Doing the rub the night before and wrapping in plastic wrap to draw the juices close to the surface. 2nd not suggesting to let the ribs set for a period of time before cutting. You see that all the time and if you do it, all that you get are colder ribs. Meat that is 3/4″ thick or less never needs resting time. There is just no room for distribution on those cuts.