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How to Cook Ribs Perfectly

Make-Ahead Ribs

This is the best rib recipe, especially when you’re feeding a crowd! The ribs are slow-cooked in the oven (hack!). Then just before serving, they’re sauced and grilled to heat through and get a bit of that gorgeous grill flavor.

Ribs are good. Make-ahead ribs are even better.

I love making them when we’re having friends over. The amazing thing about them is that you have to make them ahead. Ribs need to be cooked long and slow. So you get them ready well before your friends come over. Earlier in the day, or the day before, or even the day before that.

Actually, you can even pre-cook them following this recipe, sauce them, and then put them in the freezer for up to 3 months! Then you defrost them and follow the grilling instructions.

Video: Ribs Being Finished Multiple Ways

How To Cook Ribs

You’ll want to start by removing the membrane found on the bone-showing side of the ribs, if it’s there. Sometimes it’s removed already. I don’t always bother with this step. However, if you really want the flavors to penetrate the meat, and if you want the ribs to be extra-tender, you really should do it.

Here’s a video from barbecueweb.com showing how to remove the membrane from the bone side of ribs.

After that, I cook the ribs low and slow. They’re seasoned with a rub and then wrapped in foil. Put them on to a pan and cook them for 2-3 hours, depending on the type of ribs and on how tender you like them. Note that you can alternatively season the raw ribs with the rub, wrap them in foil, and then refrigerate them for 2-24 hours to really let the flavors of the rub penetrate. But I find that this isn’t really necessary.

Once the ribs have finished cooking in the oven, let them cool on the counter until you can more easily handle them. Then cut them into individual rib portions, and sauce them up.

How To Finish The Ribs On The Grill

You can grill them right away after cutting them, or that’s when you pop them into the fridge. If you choose to refrigerate them, take them out about 15 minutes before you want to start grilling.

You’re going to grill the ribs over direct heat for just a couple of minutes per side. What you’re doing here is simply heating them through and getting a little bit of that nice char on them. So quick and easy at this point, right?

The best thing about this method for cooking ribs is that you’re not having to worry about raw meat at your party, “Did I cross-contaminate? Is it still under cooked?? Did I overcook it???” None of that to worry about. Just stand there warming them up, flipping them occasionally. When there’s a bit of char on the outside, they’re done. Eat!

Ribs are all about the texture, which is pretty subjective. I like mine with meat hugging the bone just enough to not fall off when getting a toasty sauce-crust on the grill. If you like them to be actually falling off the bone, keep them in the oven for longer.

What Rub Or Sauce Is Best For Ribs?

Once you get the texture down you can play around with the flavors to your heart’s content. For this recipe, I used my own rub and my own sauce. Here is my favorite classic recipe, and my smoky and spicy recipe.

If you’re feeling lazier, skip the homemade rub and skip the homemade sauce too! Just use salt, pepper, and garlic powder to start, and then go in with a bottle of your favorite store-bought. The ribs are so good that nobody is going to notice.

If you like the idea of these ribs, you’ll also love this recipe for Make-Ahead Grilled Chicken for a Crowd. It’s the same basic technique but with chicken. And the result is beyond juicy

More Delicious Ribs Recipes

Podcast Episode On Cooking Ribs

Listen to me explain briefly about how to make these ribs, with some great tips along the way, by clicking the play button below:

Listen to more Recipe of the Day episodes here.

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How to Cook Ribs Perfectly Recipe

  • Author: Christine Pittman
  • Prep Time: 15 minutes
  • Cook Time: 2 hours 10 minutes
  • Total Time: 2 hours 25 minutes
  • Yield: 6 servings 1x
  • Category: Entree
  • Method: Grilling
  • Cuisine: American

DESCRIPTION

This is the best rib recipe, especially when you’re feeding a crowd! The ribs are slow-cooked in the oven (hack!). Then just before serving, they’re sauced and grilled to heat through and get a bit of that gorgeous grill flavor.


Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 Tbsp. brown sugar
  • 2 tsp. kosher salt
  • 1 and 1/2 tsp. smoked paprika
  • 1 tsp. garlic powder
  • 1 tsp. mustard powder
  • 1 tsp. grown cumin
  • 1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
  • 23 lb. racks of baby back ribs or St. Louis Style spare ribs
  • About 9 oz. bottled BBQ sauce. Look for a sweet one that has the word honey or brown sugar in the name – Here is my favorite classic recipe, and my smokey and spicy recipe

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 300°F.
  2. In a small bowl combine the brown sugar, salt, smoked paprika, garlic powder, mustard powder, cumin, and crushed red pepper flakes, if using.
  3. Optional Step: Remove the membrane from the bone side of the ribs. If you don’t know how to do this, check out the video link in the article above. 
  4. Lay each rack of ribs on a large piece of aluminum foil. Sprinkled each side of each rack with ¼ of the rub mixture. Wrap each rack tightly in the foil making sure the scrunched up folded seam is along the top of the racks. Lay each foil wrapped rack seam side up on another large piece of foil and wrap tightly with the seam along the top again.
  5. Put the ribs onto a large pan with a lip to catch any juices that escape. Put the pan into the preheated oven.
  6. Cook baby backs for 1.5-2 hours, St. Louis spare ribs for 2-2.5 hours. The shorter cooking time will fully cook the ribs and get them tender but still hugging the bone. The longer cooking time will yield ribs that fall off the bone.
  7. Remove pan from oven and allow ribs to cool for 15 minutes (this sets the juices making it easier to cut the ribs and helping the meat stay on the bone when you grill). Proceed or transfer ribs to the fridge overnight.
  8. Carefully unwrap the ribs. Transfer the racks to a cutting board.
  9. Preheat your grill for direct grilling over medium-high heat.*
  10. Cut the ribs into servings with 1-2 bones each. Brush each serving liberally with sauce. Put the ribs on the grill for 5-7 minutes turning occasionally. All you’re doing is heating them up and getting a bit of char here and there. Taste one to see if it’s heated through ;)

Love this recipe? I’d appreciate it if you could scroll down and add a *5 star rating* to help others know they’ll love it as well!

Notes

*Note: Instead of grilling, you can finish these ribs under the broiler. Put the sauced rib portions on a broiler pan set about 6 inches below the broiler. Broil until ribs start to get dark spots in places, then flip. They’re finished when they’re heated through and darkened in places on both sides. It’ll take about 6-10 minutes total.

This post was published in July 2012 and was updated in July 2021.