These mouthwatering, oven-baked St. Louis ribs are fall-off-the bone tender with a flavorful homemade dry rub seasoning. Oven roasting is a great way to make ribs without a grill or smoker. These finger-licking ribs are perfect for your next potluck or crowd gathering!
Summertime and ribs just go hand in hand – right? And with little kids running around the house and patio, I prefer to bake the ribs in the oven versus on the grill – it’s safer and more convenient.
If you’ve never made ribs before, don’t be intimidated. It’s incredibly easy and it’ll be well worth the bit of effort. Oh and don’t forget to serve it with these delicious oven roasted seasoned corn!
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Ingredients
St. Louis Ribs – This is what the cut of meat is called, it has more meat in between the bones, as well as fat, as it’s from the belly part of the pig. This makes it a flavorful choice for oven-baking, but you can also use baby back ribs too.
Dry Rub Seasoning – A good dry rub recipe is key to developing a deep, rich flavor as the ribs roast in the oven. My seasoning mixture contains mild herbs and spices that even your little ones can enjoy. If you prefer a hint of spice, add some cayenne pepper, chili pepper to the rub.
I like my ribs with just the dry rub seasoning, while the hubs enjoys it with a barbeque sauce finish. This recipe can go either way!
Instructions
1). Dry the ribs and place it on a couple sheets of foil.
2). Add the dry rub seasoning to the ribs generously on both sides. Place the ribs on the foil, meat side up.
3). Fold the foil over, making sure to seal it tightly at the top. This prevents any juices from leaking.
4). Put the ribs in the oven and slow roast it for 2 ½ hours at 300 degrees F.
5). Brush your favorite barbeque sauce over the ribs and broil in the oven for an additional 3 to 5 minutes or until you get a nice char. The sauce should be hot and bubbling under the heat.
Pro Tips
- Sometimes the rack of ribs has a membrane on the bone side that needs to be removed in order for the seasoning to absorb better. The prepackaged ones I buy already have them removed.
- Covering the ribs with foil will help keep the ribs moist and makes for easy cleanup!
- These oven baked ribs are versatile, eat them right out of the oven with just the dry rub or add barbecue sauce to them!
- You may also finish the ribs on the grill for an additional 2 to 3 minutes for a smoky flavor and charred edges.
- Keep a careful watch while broiling or grilling the ribs with barbecue sauce. The high heat can easily burn the sauce.
What to Serve with Oven Roasted St. Louis Ribs
Refreshing coleslaw, side of corn, mashed potatoes, cornbread or mac & cheese!
Frequently Asked Questions
Covering the ribs with foil will prevent the ribs from drying out.
The ribs can be seasoned and placed in the refrigerator overnight for up to 10 hours. This will provide a more intense flavor.
St. Louis ribs are meatier with a higher fat content (more flavor) and are from the belly part of the pig, where the rib tips are cut off.
Baby back ribs (also called loin back) are from the top portion of the pork’s rib cage. They are more tender and lean and is a popular cut of ribs.
More Oven Baked Recipes to Enjoy
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Oven-Baked St. Louis Ribs (with Dry Rub)
Equipment
- foil
Ingredients
Ribs
- 3 pounds St. Louis pork ribs 1 rack
Dry rub for ribs
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 2 teaspoon ground pepper
- ½ cup barbecue sauce of your choice
Instructions
- Heat oven to 300 degrees Fahrenheit.
- If the ribs have a thin membrane on the back of the rack, remove it. See link below on how to remove it.
- Combine all ingredients to make the dry rub for the ribs.
- Line a baking sheet with a couple sheets of foil. Place the rack of ribs on the foil sheets.
- Season both sides of the ribs generously with the dry rub. Turn the ribs meat side up on the foil.
- Fold the foil over, making sure to seal it tightly at the top. This prevents any juices from leaking.
- Place the baking sheet in the middle rack of the oven. Bake for 3 hours.
- Remove the ribs from the oven, use tongs to open the foil and discard the foil. Place the ribs on a clean sheet of foil and roasting pan.
- Optional: Brush ribs with your choice of barbecue sauce.
- Broil for 5 to 8 minutes, until ribs get a char.
- Cut ribs and serve with additional barbecue sauce as needed.
Notes
- Sometimes the rack of St. Louis ribs has a membrane on the bone side that needs to be removed in order for the seasoning to absorb better.
- Covering the ribs with foil will help keep the ribs moist and makes for easy cleanup!
- These oven baked ribs are versatile, eat them right out of the oven with just the dry rub or add barbecue sauce to them!
- You may also finish the ribs on the grill for an additional 2 to 3 minutes for a smoky flavor and charred edges.
- Keep a careful watch while broiling or grilling the ribs with barbecue sauce. The high heat can easily burn the sauce.
- If you prefer a more spice, add more cayenne pepper and some chili pepper to the rub.