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Oven Baked Ribs – Grill Finished

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This is the only recipe you will ever need for delicious pork ribs that are so tender, they fall off the bone when being cut. These oven baked ribs cook low-and-slow and then finish on the grill, just to give them that delicious, smoky BBQ flavor that we all love!

side view of ribs cut up and lined up on a wooden cutting board

By husband loves to BBQ…and I mean, he loves it. He is out there year round in his shorts with a beer in hand. Rain, sun or snow, he is at the BBQ every weekend.

While he is out there BBQ-ing I’m inside working on the rest of the meal. We love to serve these with our simple Pear Salad with pomegranates and walnuts and these amazing smashed potatoes.

When I brought home pork ribs earlier this year, he was excited to cook them on the grill. But we knew from experience that baby back pork ribs turn out best when they are precooked on the stove and then finished on the grill. We just could never achieve that fall off the bone rib that we really wanted!

Oven Baked Ribs That Fall Off The Bone

After a year of trial and error, we finally discovered a no-fail technique that always results in amazing ribs. This recipe works for both pork and beef ribs.

Many recipes will have you boil the ribs to precook them before putting them on the BBQ. We found that boiling the ribs melted the fat away and resulted in a drier rib. Once it sits on the BBQ, it dries out even more and you are forced to slather it in BBQ sauce just to salvage it.

Other recipes will have you cook the ribs in the oven and then serve it. This works well, but it tastes like meat that was cooked in the oven. There is no smoky BBQ smell or bits of crunchy meat.

This recipe combines the best of both worlds. Slow cook it in the oven (you don’t even have to check up on it) and then pop it on the BBQ to finish. Depending on the BBQ sauce you choose, you can even add this to your list of paleo recipes!

Watch Us Make It! – Coming Soon

Ingredients You Need

  • 3-4 Pounds Pork Baby back ribs – Baby back ribs are the ones everyone is familiar with. There is a lot of meat and not a lot of fat, but they are smaller than other ribs. We have also tried this recipe with beef ribs that are much larger and they turned out beautifully too!
  • Rosemary – Rosemary is optional in this dish, but it adds such a delicious flavor! Grilled rosemary is smoky and delicious and gives the ribs an added dimension of flavor. We used fresh rosemary, but dried rosemary would work too. Thyme would also be delicious!
  • Garlic Salt – You could also mince fresh garlic, or make a garlic paste and rub it on the ribs. We didn’t do that here because we didn’t want the garlic falling in to the grill and burning.
  • Salt & Pepper – Salt generously!
top view of a raw rack of pork babay back ribs

Step By Step Process For Oven Baked Baby Back Ribs

top view of the back of the ribs showing the white membrane
Flip the ribs over and remove the white membrane
top view of the ribs seasoned with salt, pepper and rosemary on a cutting board
Season with Rosemary, Salt and Pepper
top view of the ribs in a glass pan after baking
Place in a baking dish and cover tightly with foil. Place in the oven and bake for 3 hours

top view of ribs on a bbq qrill
Remove from the oven and place it on the grill. Grill just until it is browned. Serve with your favorite BBQ sauce!

How To Cook Ribs In The Oven

This is going to be easier than you think! The hardest part is having to smell them as they cook for hours!

  1. Remove the membrane from the ribs – Sometimes you will find that the butcher will remove the membrane for you. This is a win for sure! If you buy it in a package at the grocery store, chances are that the membrane is still attached. Use a knife to gently pull the membrane away from the pork. Once you get it started, you can use your hands to pull it off.
  2. Season the pork generously with Salt, pepper and Rosemary.
  3. Place the ribs in a baking dish. You may need to cut the ribs to make them fit. Then cover them tightly with foil. Bake in the oven for 3 hours.
  4. Be sure to start warming up your grill before the 3 hours are up. Once done, remove the ribs from the oven and place on the BBQ over medium-low heat for 10-15 minutes or just until they are browned.
side view of two ribs cut and placed on a white plate with a salad

Important Teaching Tips

  1. For tender ribs, the white membrane from the back of the ribs must be removed. The easiest way to do this is use a knife to carefully peel it back. Once you get it started, you can use your hands to pull it off. When making beef ribs, the membrane is really difficult to pull off. I will usually give it a try but end up leaving it on. Here is a great post on how to remove the membrane if you get stuck: Removing The Membrane From Ribs
  2. Warm up your grill before the ribs are done in the oven. We use a gas grill and will start warming it up 20-30 minutes before the 3 hours are up. If the ribs have to sit while you heat up the grill, they will dry out. If you forget to preheat your grill before the 3 hours are up, consider putting them under your oven broiler instead. That can be done immediately, and you will still get some crunchy parts.

Frequently Asked Questions About Oven Baked Ribs

Do you put BBQ sauce on ribs before or after cooking?

The BBQ sauce should be added after the ribs are done cooking. If you really want to cook the ribs with the sauce, add it at the 10-15 minutes of cooking to keep it from burning. Usually there is sugar in BBQ that will burn at a high heat. With this recipe, you would want to add the sauce after you take the ribs out of the oven and right before putting them on the grill.

What if I don’t eat pork?

You can use beef ribs instead. We have tried it with both and it turns out great every time.

Can you use a rub and BBQ sauce on ribs?

Yes you can! In fact, that would result in a very flavorful rib! Just pay attention to the spices in the BBQ sauce and make sure they won’t clash with your rub.

How long does it take to cook ribs at 275?

With this recipe, we are cooking 3.5 pounds of ribs for 3 hours at 275.

Do I have to remove the membrane?

No you don’t. I prefer the meat to fall off the bones so I like to remove the membrane. If you don’t mind a little extra chewing, you can leave it on. Some people actually prefer it that way!

I don’t have a grill. Do I have to grill them?

If you don’t have a grill, or just don’t want to grill them, drain the liquid from the pan after baking them, then put them under the broiler for 3-5 minutes. Keep a close eye on it because you don’t want it to burn!

How long are leftover ribs good for?

The USDA recommends that cooked meat be consumed in 2-3 days. Ribs make great leftovers so they probably won’t last that long!

Here Are More Dinner Recipes You Might Enjoy:

Side Dishes That Pair Well With Ribs

top view of the ribs cut up and lined up with bbq sauce brushed on it

Oven Baked Ribs

Yield: 4
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 3 hours
Additional Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 3 hours 30 minutes

This is the only recipe you will ever need for delicious pork ribs that are so tender, they fall off the bone when being cut. These oven baked ribs cook low-and-slow and then finish on the grill, just to give them that delicious, smoky BBQ flavor that we all love!

Ingredients

  • 3-4 Pounds of Pork Ribs
  • 3 Tablespoons Rosemary, Fresh
  • 1 Tablespoon Garlic Powder
  • Salt and Pepper, to taste

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 275 degrees
  2. Carefully remove the white membrane from the back of the ribs
  3. Season both sides of the ribs with Rosemary, Garlic Powder, Salt and Pepper.
  4. Place the ribs in a 9x11 baking dish and cover tightly with foil
  5. Bake the ribs at 275 degrees for 3 hours. When there is 30 minutes remaining, start heating up your BBQ grill
  6. Place the ribs on the grill and grill on both sides, for a total of 10-15 minutes, or just until the ribs are browned.
  7. Serve with BBQ sauce and enjoy!

Notes

  1. For tender ribs, the white membrane from the back of the ribs
    must be removed. The easiest way to do this is use a knife to carefully
    peel it back. Once you get it started, you can use your hands to pull it
    off. When making beef ribs, the membrane is really difficult to pull
    off. I will usually give it a try but end up leaving it on.
  2. Warm up your grill before the ribs are done in the oven. We use a gas grill
    and will start warming it up 20-30 minutes before the 3 hours are up. If
    the ribs have to sit while you heat up the grill, they will out.

Nutrition Information:
Yield: 4 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 1647Total Fat: 140gSaturated Fat: 42gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 62gCholesterol: 476mgSodium: 488mgCarbohydrates: 2gFiber: 0gSugar: 0gProtein: 95g

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By on October 3rd, 2021

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20 thoughts on “Oven Baked Ribs – Grill Finished”

  1. 5 stars
    Thank you so much for this very delicious and super easy to make oven baked ribs recipe! Will surely have this amazing recipe again! Highly recommended!

    Reply
  2. 5 stars
    Most recipes called for higher temps with faster oven cook times. I enjoyed this slow & thorough process more. Thanks

    Reply
  3. 5 stars
    Omg this leaves the ribs so perfectly juicy! I never thought to double cook them like this but they’re so totally worth it.

    Reply
  4. I’d like to make them in the oven the night before using a rub per your recipe. But I’d like to finish them on the grill with bbq sauce the next day at the park. Any tips? Thank for this great recipe.

    Reply
    • That should work great. The grill will reheat it and add the char at the same time! I would recommend bringing the ribs to room temperature before putting them on the grill. You may also want to lower the heat to prevent the outside from browning too quickly. Sometimes grilling a cold piece of meat will result in the outside of the meat being done before the middle has a chance to warm up.

      Reply
  5. 5 stars
    So much easier than doing them entirely “low and slow” on the grill! I knew I’d be pressed for time before dinner, so I did the baking part in the morning, left them wrapped in foil then did the grilling part just before we wanted to eat. I kicked them up an extra notch by adding some smoke to the grill. Fantastic!

    Reply
    • That is such a smart idea to bake them ahead of time! That makes them even easier when guests start to arrive. Thanks for sharing!

      Reply

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