Make The Best Easy Barbecue Ribs right at home! These oven-baked, grill-finished ribs are tender, juicy, and fall-off-the-bone delicious with a smoky, saucy finish. Perfect for cookouts, holidays, and weeknight family dinners.
Get your napkins ready! This slow roasted then grilled recipe for Fall-Off-the-Bone- Tender, spicy, and sticky-delicious BBQ Ribs will be perfect for your Labor Day cookout.
This is an amazing recipe that I know you are going to absolutely love! These ribs get an extra dose of flavor with my sweet and savory homemade barbecue rub.
Going low and slow with the cooking is the trick to melt-in-your-mouth-tender-ribs.
I’m going to walk you through the whole process. It’s just 3 easy simple steps:
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Fall-off-the-bone tender – The oven does most of the work, leaving the ribs juicy and perfectly cooked.
- Smoky barbecue flavor – A simple rub, liquid smoke, and a saucy water bath infuse the ribs with layers of flavor.
- Easy oven + grill method – Bake them low and slow, then finish on the grill for that irresistible char and sticky glaze.
- Make-ahead friendly – Prep them early in the day, then just throw them on the grill when you’re ready to serve.
- Crowd-pleasing favorite – Perfect for holidays, backyard cookouts, or anytime you want to wow your family with the best ribs.
What You’ll Need the make The Best BBQ Ribs
- Ribs – Baby back ribs or spare ribs (about 2 racks).
- Barbecue rub – Use your favorite store-bought blend, or try my homemade version.
- Barbecue sauce – Sweet, smoky, or spicy — whichever you love most.
- Liquid smoke – For that classic smoky flavor (optional but recommended).
Aluminum foil – For wrapping the ribs tightly while they bake.
How to make The Best Bbq Ribs!
Rub it, Bake it, and Grill it!
1. After removing the skin or membrane from the back of ribs, pat the ribs with a dry rub. Apply rub evenly over the ribs. The general rule is what sticks is the perfect amount. If possible, let that dry rub soak in overnight and refrigerate until ready to bake. But at least let it rest for 2 hours on the ribs.
2. Preheat the oven to 250 degrees. Mix 1 cup barbecue sauce with 2 cups water and 1 tablespoon liquid smoke. Liquid smoke give the ribs a nice smoky flavor. The (Our favorite barbecue sauce is Sweet Baby Ray’s original sauce. We love the sweet and spicy taste.) Pour barbecue mixture into the bottom of a roasting pan. Place each rack of ribs on 2 layers of foil sheets. This will prevent your ribs from drying out. Bake 2 hours for baby back ribs and 3 hours for spareribs or until tender but not falling apart. Baste with pan juices every 20 minutes. Basting keeps the ribs moist and juicy.
3. Fire up the charcoal grill, or heat a gas grill to high. You can sprinkle ribs with more of the rub before grilling. Baste ribs with barbecue sauce turning frequently, until lacquered and charred in places and heated through, about 10 to 12 minutes. Cook ribs to 145 degrees.
That’s it! Now you’ve got the World’s Best Tasting Ribs! Enjoy with lots of warm towels and napkins!
What to Serve with Barbecue Ribs
Barbecue ribs are a meal all on their own, but here are some classic Southern pairings:
- Macaroni salad or creamy coleslaw
- Baked beans or potato salad
- Cornbread, hushpuppies, or garlic bread
- Fresh summer sides like cucumber tomato salad or grilled corn on the cob
Check out these delicious recipes!
The Best Creamy Southern Coleslaw
Southern Creamy Cucumber, Tomato and Vidalia Onion Salad/
Be sure to leave a comment below if you have any questions about the recipes. I would love to hear from you and if you make it, be sure to use #deliciouslysouthern and let me know how you like it. Lastly, please follow me on Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook.
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Sweet and Savory Rub
Prep Time: 15 minutes- Total Time: 15 minutes
Yield: 6 to 8
Print Recipe
Pin RecipeIngredients
- 1 ½ cups dark brown sugar
- ½ cup paprika
- 2 tablespoons coarse salt
- 2 tablespoons black pepper
- 2 tablespoons garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon onion powder
- 2 teaspoons cayenne pepper
- 2 teaspoons allspice
Instructions
- Mix all rub ingredients together and store in an airtight container in a cool place. Rub will keep up to six months.
Fall-Off-The-Bone Tender (spicy and sticky-delicious) BBQ Ribs
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 2 hours and 15 minutes
- Total Time: -29614386.066667 minute
- Yield: 6 to 8
Ingredients
- 2 racks of baby back ribs or 4 pounds of spareribs
- 1 cup of your favorite barbecue sauce plus extra for grilling
- 2 cups water
- 2 teaspoons liquid smoke
Instructions
- Remove skin or membrane from back of ribs. Sprinkle rub generously over ribs. Let rub soak into ribs over night or 8 hours in the refrigerator or at least 2 hours.
- Preheat the oven to 250 degrees. In a small bowl, mix 1 cup barbecue sauce, water, and liquid smoke together and pour into the bottom of a roasting pan. Wrap each rack of ribs with a double layer of foil and place on a rack over the barbecue sauce mixture.
- Bake baby back ribs for 2 hours and spareribs for 3 hours, basting every 30 minutes with barbecue sauce mixture from the roasting pan. Bake until tender but not falling off the bone.
- Fire up the charcoal grill or gas grill to high. Grill ribs and baste with barbecue sauce and turning frequently, until lacquered and charred in places and heated thoroughly, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer to a cutting board; cut between ribs to separate. Transfer to a serving platter and serve with additional barbecue sauce. Note: ribs should be cooked to 145 degrees.
Notes
Do ahead Tip: Ribs can be fully cooked 2 to 3 days ahead. Keep wrapped in foil and reheat on the grill or in the oven.
