Best Barbecue Ribs Ever

Article by Layla Khoury-Hanold

There’s nothing quite like tucking into a rack of ribs at your favorite barbecue joint, especially when the meat is fall-apart-tender and they’re sticky with barbecue sauce. And homemade ribs are easier to make than you might think—even without a smoker! Katie Lee Biegel loves to make a rack of sticky, drippy barbecue ribs, even if it’s just for her. Since she doesn’t have a smoker, she roasts the ribs low and slow in the oven and then finishes them on the grill for a charred finish. With Katie Lee’s easy recipe, you’ll learn how to make a flavorful dry rub, how to roast ribs in the oven, the trick to upgrading your BBQ sauce and why saucing ribs on the grill is the best way to make sticky ribs.

How to Make Ribs Like a Pro

Reach for baby back ribs. Katie Lee uses baby back pork ribs to make barbecue ribs as they have plenty of lean meat between and on top of the bone, making them a good choice for both low and slow roasting and quick grilling.

Make a flavorful dry rub and season ribs on both sides. Katie Lee makes a flavorful homemade bbq dry rub by mixing together brown sugar, chili powder, salt, black pepper, oregano, cayenne, garlic powder and onion powder. She rubs it evenly on both sides of the ribs.

Let the pork marinate in the fridge for at least 1 hour. Allowing the ribs to marinate in the fridge for at least an hour (or up to overnight) allows the dry rub to penetrate the meat and ensures a deep flavor.

Add chicken and apple cider vinegar to the roasting pan. A mix of low-sodium chicken broth and apple cider vinegar imparts extra flavor while the ribs cook and ensures that the meat stays moist and cooks up tender.

Cook the ribs low and slow in a foil-covered pan. Katie Lee cooks the ribs low and slow in the oven for 2 hours at 250 degrees F. Covering the roasting pan with foil helps retain moisture and keeps the ribs from drying out.

Reserve a couple tablespoons of the flavorful cooking liquid. Katie Lee combines the cooking liquid with the barbecue sauce to make it even more flavorful and reduces it on the stovetop to create a thick consistency that’ll stick to the ribs.

Grill the ribs for charred flavor, meaty side down first. Katie Lee grills the ribs on both sides over medium high heat, starting with the meaty side down first so it gets nice and crispy.

Sauce the ribs on the grill for the best texture. Katie Lee brushes the ribs with barbecue sauce on the grill so that the sauce starts to caramelize and get sticky.

Ribs for BBQ

You can use baby back pork ribs, pork spareribs or St. Louis-style pork ribs for barbecue. Katie Lee uses baby back pork ribs, which are from the loin and have a curved shape with lots of lean meat, making them a good choice for both low and slow roasting and quick grilling. Spareribs come from the belly of the pig, so they are meatier and larger than baby back ribs and take longer to cook. St. Louis-style ribs are spareribs that have been trimmed of cartilage and breastbone, allowing them to lie flatter and brown more evenly.

Dry Spice Rub for Ribs

Katie Lee’s dry spice rub for ribs is a savory, sweet and spicy blend of brown sugar, chili powder, oregano, cayenne, garlic powder, onion powder, salt and black pepper. If you want to make your rib rub spicy, add more cayenne or experiment with adding different types of chili flakes. You can also add other spices to your rib dry rub, such as smoked paprika for a smoky flavor profile, cinnamon for warmth or cumin or coriander for earthy depth. If you don’t like your ribs spicy, omit the cayenne from the rub.

How Long to Cook Ribs in the Oven

Katie Lee cooks baby back pork ribs low and slow for 2 hours in a 250 degree F oven until they are fall-apart-tender. The time needed to roast ribs in the oven depends on the kind of ribs you’re cooking, the oven temperature and whether you cover your roasting pan with foil. Cook ribs low and slow in the oven until they are fall-apart tender; you can check for doneness by tearing a small piece of meat from the bone. If the ribs are done, the meat should pull away easily from the bone. If there is resistance, cook the ribs for longer.

What to Have with Ribs

Serve ribs with classic barbecue sides like potato salad, corn on the cob, macaroni and cheese, baked beans, cornbread or coleslaw, like The Best Vinegar Coleslaw or The Best Creamy Coleslaw. Try making some of Katie Lee’s best sides for ribs, like Bacon and Ranch Potato Salad, Macaroni Salad, Southwestern Cornbread and Mashed Potatoes au Gratin. Salads are also a great match for ribs, like Katie Lee’s Sweet Potato and Arugula Salad, Colorful Veggie Pasta Salad or Corn and Farro Salad.