Fall Off The Bone Ribs

Fall Off the Bone Ribs Recipe – baby back ribs coated with a homemade spice blend and baked until tender. Finish the ribs off on the grill with a homemade barbecue sauce. THE BEST! Better than any restaurant. We never order ribs at our favorite bbq joint anymore! Perfect for summer cookouts, holidays, and football parties in the Fall.

baby back ribs on a baking sheet with bbq sauce and text overlay

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Fall off the Bone Baby Back Ribs

I ran across this method of cooking ribs and decided to give it a try. OMG – these ribs were un-freakin-believable! Fall off the bone tender. They were hands down the best ribs we’ve ever made. So easy to make and they have fantastic flavor. They require very little hands-on cooking time. All you have to do is put the dry rub on the ribs, wrap them up in aluminum foil, bake. Finish them off on the grill with some BBQ sauce. This is our new go-to recipe for ribs. These would be great for your Memorial Day cookout, 4th of July feast, or even a football tailgate this fall.

baby back ribs covered in bbq seasoning on a baking sheet

How to Make Fall Off the Bone Ribs in the Oven

These ribs are effortless to make with only a few simple ingredients. In a bowl, combine brown sugar, paprika, kosher salt, black pepper, garlic powder, onion salt, celery salt, cayenne pepper, and cumin. Set aside.

Remove the membrane from the ribs and discard. Place each full rack of ribs on top of two sheets of heavy-duty aluminum foil. Apply seasoning mixture generously to the front and back of the ribs, patting gently to ensure the rub adheres. Fold and wrap foil around each rack. Let ribs marinate in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to overnight.

Place the ribs on a rimmed baking pan, and bake until you can twist the pork rib bones with little resistance. Remove the ribs from the aluminum foil. 

While the ribs are cooking prepare the home BBQ sauce. In a medium saucepan, combine ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, water, white vinegar, sugar, salt, and celery seed. Bring to a boil and simmer for 30 minutes. 

Transfer the ribs to a platter or rimmed baking sheet. Brush the ribs with the homemade barbecue sauce and finish on the grill or under the broiler.

Helpful Tips & Frequently Asked Questions

  • It is very important to remove the membrane from the back of the ribs. The membrane does not soften when it’s cooked. It just comes out tough and chewy.
    • To remove the membrane, slide a dinner knife under the membrane and over a bone on the back of the rack of ribs. Lift and loosen the membrane until it tears. Grab the edge of the membrane with a paper towel and pull it off.
  • buy my ribs at Costco, and they come with the membrane already removed.
  • My favorite store-bought BBQ sauces are G. Hughes, Sweet Baby Rays, Stubbs, and Williamson Brothers.
  • Feel free to use a store-bought pre-made BBQ seasoning instead of the homemade seasoning below.
  • Can make BBQ rub in advance and store in an air-tight container for weeks.
  • Can Fall Off the Bone Baby Back Ribs be made in advance? Yes! You can rub ribs with BBQ seasoning and refrigerate overnight before cooking.
    • You can also cook the ribs in the slow cooker and refrigerate them overnight before adding the sauce. When ready to serve, reheat the ribs covered in the oven and then brush with BBQ sauce and broil.
  • Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
plate of baby back ribs

What to Serve with Baby Back Ribs

These ribs are a favorite at our house. They are better than any bbq joint! We like to serve these ribs with some potato salad, coleslaw, corn on the cob, and baked beans. These ribs are a must for your next cookout. They are sure to be a hit!

Here are a few of our favorite side dishes from the blog that go great with these yummy baby back ribs:

BBQ Black Eyed Peas

BBQ Black Eyed Peas – the BEST baked beans EVER! Perfect side dish for all your summer cookouts and potlucks.…

baby back ribs on a baking sheet with bbq sauce and text overlay

Fall Off the Bone Ribs

Yield: 8 people
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 3 hours
Total Time 3 hours 30 minutes
Fall Off the Bone Ribs Recipe – baby back ribs coated with a homemade spice blend and baked until tender. Finish the ribs off on the grill with a homemade barbecue sauce. THE BEST! Better than any restaurant. We never order ribs at our favorite bbq joint anymore! Perfect for summer cookouts, holidays, and football parties in the Fall.

Ingredients:

  • 3 racks baby ribs

BBQ Dry Rub

BBQ Sauce

Instructions:

  • Remove the membrane from the back of the ribs. (I got my ribs at Costco and the membrane was already removed) *I suggest cutting each rack of ribs in half – we had a hard time keeping them in one piece after they were cooked.*
  • In a small bowl, combine all ingredients for the rub.
  • Place one full rack of ribs on top of two sheets of heavy-duty foil. Apply rub generously to the front and back of the ribs, patting gently to ensure the rub adheres. Fold and wrap foil around each rack. Let ribs marinate in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to overnight. (You can skip marinating if you are pressed for time).
  • Preheat the oven to 300°F. Place rib packs on a rimmed baking sheet to catch any juices that may leak. Cook ribs for 2½- 3 hours. The ribs are done when you can twist the bones with little resistance.
  • To prepare BBQ sauce, Combine all ingredients in a medium saucepan. Heat to boiling. Let simmer for 30 minutes.
  • Heat the grill. Unwrap cooked ribs and transfer them carefully to the grill and brush with BBQ sauce. Grill for 5-10 minutes. Alternately, you can brush the ribs with BBQ sauce and cook them under the broiler in the oven.

Notes:

Can make the BBQ rub a head of time and store in an air-tight container. The rub will keep for several months.
Can make the BBQ sauce a few days in advance and refrigerate until ready to cook ribs.

Steph

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plate of baby back ribs with text overlay
plate of baby back ribs with text overlay
baby back ribs with bbq seasoning and text overlay

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Comments

  1. Just wanted you to know we fixed the ribs tonight…and they were "Slap Your Mama " good!!!!
    I did add 1/4 cup of brown sugar to the BBQ sauce as we like the sweeter sauce better. Hubby said the sauce was so good I drank the rest of it. Now that is an endorsement. LOL Thanks for the great recipes!!!

  2. These were AMAZING! (much like most of your dishes!) I have never even thought about making ribs before, and had no idea what I was doing. I peeled the membranes while holding my 13 month old in a sling, and burned the first batch of bbq sauce (nursing – priorities, ya know?!), but in the end, they were so good, that we ended up eating both racks – even Baby E was loving it! They were spicy (maybe I was a little heavy handed with the sriracha :-D), but not too much so, and they really did fall off the bone! I will be making these again for SURE!

  3. Can you cook the ribs in the oven a day or two ahead of time and throw them on the grill the day you eat them?

      1. Can I just make the entire recipe in the oven. I have no grill and want to make this very much for the holiday that is in 2days. Help.

  4. We just started cooking our ribs like this recently and they ARE fall apart tender (but we only bake them for 2 hours). Thanks for the rub and sauce recipe, I'm always looking for good ones.

  5. I saw this on Pinterest, and we loved it!! It was so good, even my Texas snob husband couldn't get enough, so we had to go get more ribs and I'm making them again tonight. Thank you for sharing this awesome recipe!

    Katie in Dallas

  6. Love your blog and boy are these ribs a keeper for sure! I used our favorite KC sauce but your rub was amazing and like you said, the meat falls off the bone. Featured them in my blog today with a link to you of course. Thanks for what is now a family favorite!
    Dorothy in Arizona

  7. LORD, HAVE MERCY….
    Girl, I am taking yur button to my sidebar..I want everybody to come take a look at these…and all the other good stuff you turn out.
    whew…these look good.
    I am thrilled to have a Rub recipe AND the sauce.

  8. Made these for a big group. Everyone loved them. Made the totally in the oven due to weather. I loved these!

  9. Excellent. I love to over bake ribs and they're fall off the bone tender. People work way to hard to make ribs. Simple is best.

  10. We're going to my parents for the 4th and they're hosting Ribfest! 🙂 Ribs are perfect for the 4th of July, I can't wait!

  11. I was just telling my husband the other day we don't do ribs anymore. What a great day to find your post! Now I have a reason to get some ribs.

  12. Believe it or not, I've never done any meat with a dry rub.

    With a name like this and your recommendation, I've got to give these a try.

  13. My gosh these sound amazing!! I have tried quite a few of your recipes with great success! Thanks for what looks to be another winner!

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