Dry Rub Recipe for Baby Back Ribs in the Oven and Air Fryer

You haven’t had delicious ribs until you’ve had this dry rub recipe for baby back ribs in the oven. They’re easy to make any time of year and are tender enough to fall off the bone. The rib dry rub is delicious as well. You can’t beat this flavor! If you love a saucy rib this is for you.

What Are The Different Types Of Ribs?

There are four different types of pork ribs and three types of beef ribs. You can use this brown sugar rub for any type of rib, however, I recommend pork ribs vs beef ribs for their tenderness and flavor.

Types of Pork Ribs

Pork ribs are the most popular type of ribs. When cooked correctly, they’re tender and flavorful. The four types of pork ribs are spareribs, St. Louis-Style ribs, country-style ribs and baby back ribs. I used baby back ribs in this recipe but you can adapt it for other types of pork ribs.

Spare ribs are also known as back ribs or side ribs. They are flatter than baby back ribs and are cut about 6 to 8 inches wide. Spare ribs are cooked best by smoking, grilling or braising.

St. Louis style ribs are the meatiest and most flavorful type of ribs. They are similar to spare ribs but a rectangular shape and closely resemble baby back ribs. Cook St. Louis ribs on low temps in the oven, on the grill, or in the smoker.

Country style ribs are boneless pork shoulder steaks. These are not technically ribs but have a flavor like ribs. Cook these slowly on low temperature so they’re tender. I love this Instant Pot Country Style Ribs recipe.

Baby back ribs are shorter than spareribs. They are not from baby pigs. This is a less fatty cut of meat than spareribs. Baby backs are cooked best by grilling, smoking or in the oven. These are the best ribs for this easy recipe. And, in my opinion, this is the best way to cook ribs.

TRY THIS: Everyone loves mac and cheese or mashed potatoes as side dishes for barbecue ribs!

Ingredients

For a full printable homemade dry rub ingredients list and instructions are in the recipe card below.

• 4 lbs pork ribs — This is 2 rib racks. Baby back pork ribs are preferred for this recipe. You could also get great results with other types of ribs. See notes on types of ribs above.
• 1 tablespoon garlic powder
• 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
• ¾ cup light brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 2 cups BBQ sauce — Use your favorite BBQ sauce or make your own. This is my favorite homemade BBQ sauce recipe. It has liquid smoke in it and a really bold flavor.

Instructions

Full step-by-step instructions are in the recipe card below. You can print or save to Pinterest for later.

Prep: Preheat your oven to 375°F. Cut 2 large pieces of heavy duty foil long enough to wrap each rack of ribs. Tin foil is a great way to keep the moisture in the ribs while they’re cooking in the oven. This will produce juicy ribs from the oven.

Remove the membrane from the back of the ribs. It is the thin silver skin connected to the back of the ribs. You can peel it off fairly easily. Grab the edge of the thin membrane or use a knife between bones to get a hold of it. Give it a good pull and it should peel off.

Make Your Own Dry Rub: Mix the spice rub in a small bowl, mix the garlic powder, smoked paprika, brown sugar, and sea salt.

Rub Ribs: Using your hands, rub all the dry rub into all sides of the ribs. You should rub it on the meaty side and the bone side. Massage the spices into the meat so it won’t fall off when moved.

Wrap Ribs In Foil: Place one of the racks of ribs in the center of one of the pieces of aluminum foil. Bring the two sides together and fold the foil down in the center until it meets the ribs. (see photo below). Fold over the ends and roll them up. The whole rack of ribs is sealed tight. This is essential to this method of cooking ribs!

Cook Ribs: Place the large baking sheet with foil wrapped ribs into the center rack of the oven. Cook for 2 hours. The ribs are done when the meat begins to pull away from the bones on the ends. Use a meat thermometer to check the internal temperature to make sure it is at least 145°F to be safe to eat but should be about 190°-200° to be the most tender.

Final Step: Baste your ribs with your barbecue sauce. You can finish the ribs one of two ways. My preferred method is to heat the grill to high heat. Then cook for about 2 minutes on each side. The other method is to turn on your broiler and move your oven rack to the top level. Keep your ribs on the sheet pan. Broil for 2-3 minutes on each side until slightly charred. Keep an eye on them so they don’t burn.

Serving

Place your oven-baked ribs on a cutting board. Don’t cut directly on your cookie sheet! Using a sharp knife, cut the ribs apart by cutting between the bones. This will make it easier to pick up and eat your ribs.

Serve your ribs with some mac and cheese, corn on the cob, potato salad or some baked beans. Make sure you have a paper towel roll with plenty of paper towels or napkins handy!

Storing

Store leftover ribs in the refrigerator within 2 hours of cooking. Do not refrigerate or save if the ribs have been left out longer than 2 hours.

If you have leftover ribs, wrap them in plastic wrap or store them in an airtight container. Freeze them for up to 3 months or place the container in the fridge for 3-4 days. Throw away after that time for food safety.

Reheating

Before reheating your leftover ribs, baste them in lots of BBQ sauce and then wrap your leftovers in heavy duty foil again. Place on a baking sheet. Cook in a 250°F oven until the internal temperature is 145°F. Cook unwrapped for 10 minutes. You want to reheat in low heat so the ribs don’t dry out. It’s tempting to raise the temperature so they warm up faster but don’t do that.

Frequently Asked Questions