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Cooking Spare Ribs in the Oven

Want to know how to cook spare ribs in the oven? We have some great tips for you, plus a simple recipe courtesy of Emeril Lagasse

There’s nothing more delicious than tender, juicy, spare ribs, with the meat falling off the bone. What’s even better with this recipe is that no grill is required!

These spare ribs are done in the oven, meaning you can serve them for game day, or a family dinner. Just make sure you have lots of napkins handy, as the only way to eat these ribs is hands on! 

Gluten Free Sticky Asian Ribs Photo
(Brianna Hobbs)

There are two types of pork ribs – spare ribs or back ribs. Spare ribs are the thick, meaty leftover portions of meat after the bacon has been cut away. As they come from a relatively tough area of the animal, it is important to ensure a slow-cooking method is used to create beautifully tender meat.

When buying spare ribs, look for a good ratio of meat to fat, as the fat will help create juices that keep the meat tender when cooking. 

Gluten Free Sticky Asian Ribs Picture
(Brianna Hobbs)

We have a few more great tips to ensure your ribs are tender and delicious

If your ribs have come in a vacuum-sealed bag, run the ribs under cold water to wash away the liquid they were stored in. Pat them dry, and remove the silverskin, which is on the bone and ends up being tough and chewy once cooked. Make sure that you season the ribs themselves, not just the sauce that you will use to coat them.

The key to spare ribs in the oven is cooking them low and slow, which results in the meat practically falling off the bone.

Gluten Free Sticky Asian Ribs Image
(Brianna Hobbs)

We’ve found that cooking for about 2 hours, at 300 degrees Fahrenheit yields the best results.

You can also cook ribs in the crock pot for amazing melt-in-the-mouth results.

To caramelize the sauce that you’ve smothered the ribs in, baste the ribs once cooked and broil/grill for a few minutes; it’s worth the few extra minutes to heighten the lovely smoky flavor of the sauce and creates a crisp coating…is your mouth watering yet?

Nothing beats classic BBQ rib sauce, but why not consider infusing your BBQ sauce with some chipotle or Jack Daniels to create an even more delicious finger-licking sauce.

There are so many delicious variations for rib sauces, so you have plenty of reasons to make spare ribs in the oven to try them all out! 

Gluten Free Sticky Asian Ribs Pic
(Brianna Hobbs)

Serve these ribs with with baked beans, buttered corn on the cob and coleslaw for a true taste of the South!

In a hurry? Learn how to make speedy pressure cooker ribs.

Gluten Free Sticky Asian Ribs Photo

Cooking Spare Ribs in the Oven

The Editors at Food Fanatic
Want to know how to cook spare ribs in the oven? We have some great tips for you, plus a simple recipe courtesy of Emeril Lagasse
4 from 20 votes
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 3 hours 10 minutes
cooling 5 minutes
Total Time 3 hours 22 minutes
Servings 4 1 serving
Calories 341 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 2 racks Baby Back Ribs
  • 6 tablespoons Rib Rub
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons Salt
  • 1 teaspoon Freshly Ground Black Pepper
  • 1 teaspoon Celery Salt
  • BBQ Sauce

Instructions
 

  • Rinse and remove silverskin from the ribs, and pat dry.
  • On a large baking sheet, lay a large piece of foil out, enough to fold over and enclose the ribs.
  • Lay ribs on a baking sheet and rub the spice rub on both sides of the ribs.
  • Fold the foil and seal so that the ribs can steam within the foil.
  • Cook ribs for 3 hours at 300 degrees Fahrenheit.
  • Once cooked, pre-heat broiler/grill to medium heat. Pull back the foil so the ribs are exposed, and baste the meaty side of the ribs with BBQ sauce.
  • Place the ribs, meaty side-up, and grill/broil for 5-10 minutes until the sauce has thickened and crisped slightly. If you don’t like your sauce caramelized, once coated, return the ribs to the oven for 20 minutes, uncovered.

Nutrition

Calories: 341kcalCarbohydrates: 18gProtein: 18gFat: 20gSaturated Fat: 7gSodium: 1650mg
Keyword Family Meals and Snacks, Pork, Ribs, Steamed
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4 from 20 votes (20 ratings without comment)
Recipe Rating