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Wow your friends and family with my fall-off-the-bone BBQ Pork Ribs on the grill! This is my favorite baby back rib recipe, with an oven barbecue ribs recipe included!
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Grilled Pork Ribs
There's really no feeling quite like heating up the grill to share a meal with your family. It's the #1 way in my house to make any meal feel like a bonding event! Or a bonding event with the neighbors, because if you make a habit of grilling, I promise they'll be stopping by to ask what's cooking.
And the best thing about grilling ribs is- well- everything! When you cook pork ribs on the grill it's almost entirely hands-free, so you have plenty of time to spend time with your family. And don't get me started on the flavor! This is the best way to cook baby back ribs!
So give it a try! Pick up some pork baby back ribs, whip up a quick rib rub with my favorite recipe, and make the best BBQ ribs you've ever had. Try it once, and you'll be cooking baby back ribs again and again.
Pork Ribs Recipe Ingredients
- Pork baby back ribs
- Barbecue sauce
- Garlic powder
- Rib dry rub
Feel free to use your favorite rib rub, but I can't recommend my Pork Rib Rub Recipe enough! It's sweet, smokey, spicy, and just perfect for BBQ!
Rub for Pork Ribs
- Packed brown sugar
- Onion powder
- Garlic powder
- Creole seasoning
- Black pepper
- Paprika
- Salt
- Cumin
- Chili powder
- Mustard powder
Baby Back Ribs on Grill Instructions
- Starting the night before, set the ribs on a large rimmed baking sheet and rub them all over with rib rub, making sure to pat the rub down. Refrigerate the ribs overnight.
- Remove the ribs from the fridge so they can come to room temperature. In the meanwhile, clean the grill grates very well, and heat the grill to medium heat or about 300°F.
- Once warmed, place the ribs on the grill and close the lid. Let cook for 1 hour, checking every 20 minutes for uneven cooking.
- After 1 hour, mix the BBQ sauce and garlic powder, then brush it liberally on the ribs on all sides.
- Set the heat to low, shut the grill, and cook for 15 more minutes.
- Take the ribs off the grill and set them on a large cutting board to rest for 15 minutes. Then use a sharp knife to cut each rib between the bones. Serve with additional BBQ as desired!
Grilling Pork Ribs Tips
- When you're grilling ribs, you don't need to worry about removing the membrane. This cooking method renders it so tender and soft that it will never be a problem.
- Make sure to rub in the dry rub very well! You want it worked into the meat so it infuses it with flavor as it cooks.
- Don't make this mistake if you're using a gas grill: check the propane before starting the grill. It cooks for an hour, so don't run out halfway!
- Don't add the BBQ too early. The high temperature of the grill can easily burn the sugars and nobody wants charred sauce!
- It's tempting to serve up the ribs right away, but always let them rest at least 15 minutes. Skipping the rest period means the meat will quickly dry out when served.
Baby Back Rib Recipe FAQs
When you're going to grill baby back ribs, a lot of recipes suggest wrapping them in foil. For this recipe, don't bother! Letting the ribs come in contact with the grill directly ensures the best flavor, and this method keeps the meat juicy.
BBQ pork ribs on the grill need to be cooked for about an hour and 15 minutes, or until the meat reaches about 195-200°F. While the meat is safe to eat at 145°F, cooking them to a higher heat leaves them more tender. The answer to how long to grill baby back ribs is really decided by use of a meat thermometer!
Pork back ribs and baby back ribs are two names for the same cut of meat! The baby back, or pork back, is a cut of ribs taken from the top of the ribs near the spine. This cut is very meaty with minimal bone, making them ideal for cooking.
Baby Back Ribs in the Oven
- Season the ribs with dry rub, and refrigerate overnight.
- Preheat the oven to 325°F. While the oven is preheating, set the ribs on a wire rack and set the rack on a lined baking tray, letting them come to room temperature.
- Set the rack in the oven, and let bake 1 hour. After the hour, brush with BBQ, cook another 15 minutes, then remove, rest, and serve!
Living in Florida means I can grill all year round, but if that's not the case for you or if you don't have a grill, these ribs cook up great in the oven, too! You won't get quite the same amazing char in the oven, but they'll still be tender, juicy and totally delicious.
Or, why not try out cooking them as Air Fryer Pork Ribs or Slow Cooker Pork Ribs? Once you know how to cook baby back ribs every way, you'll never run out of amazing ways to serve barbecue ribs for dinner.
BBQ Pork Spare Ribs
You can also prepare spare ribs on the grill just like baby back ribs! This cut has a lot more bone and is in general a larger piece of meat, so the cook time will need to be increased by 2 hours. This is the best BBQ ribs recipe because it works with every cut!
Luckily, once you know how to BBQ ribs on a gas grill, you can grill up any kind of rib! Just keep an eye on the internal temperature- you want ribs to reach 195°F before removing them from the grill.
BBQ Pork Recipes
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BBQ Pork Ribs
Equipment
- grill
- Tongs
- Knife
Ingredients
- 2 lbs Baby back ribs
- ¼ cup Rib dry rub
- 1 cup BBQ sauce
- 1 Tablespoon Garlic powder
Instructions
- Starting the night before, set the ribs on a large rimmed baking sheet and rub them all over with rib rub, making sure to pat the rub down. Refrigerate the ribs overnight.2 lbs Baby back ribs, ¼ cup Rib dry rub
- Remove the ribs from the fridge so they can come to room temperature. In the meanwhile, clean the grill grates very well, and heat the grill to medium heat or about 300°F.
- Once warmed, place the ribs on the grill and close the lid. Let cook for 1 hour, checking every 20 minutes for uneven cooking.
- After 1 hour, mix the BBQ sauce and garlic powder, then brush it liberally on the ribs on all sides.1 cup BBQ sauce, 1 Tablespoon Garlic powder
- Set the heat to low, shut the grill, and cook for 15 more minutes.
- Take the ribs off the grill and set them on a large cutting board to rest for 15 minutes. Then use a sharp knife to cut each rib between the bones. Serve, with additional BBQ as desired!
Video
Notes
- When you're grilling ribs, you don't need to worry about removing the membrane. This cooking method renders it so tender and soft that it will never be a problem.
- Make sure to rub in the dry rub very well! You want it worked into the meat so it infuses it with flavor as it cooks.
- If you're using a gas grill, check the propane before starting the grill. It cooks for an hour, so don't run out halfway!
- Don't add the BBQ too early. The high temperature of the grill can easily burn the sugars and nobody wants charred sauce!
- It's tempting to serve up the ribs right away, but always let them rest at least 15 minutes. Skipping the rest period means the meat will quickly dry out when served.
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