This is the best dry rub recipe for ribs! A reader favorite for years now, this dry rub uses a simple mixture of paprika, chili powder, brown sugar, and garlic powder for the most flavorful, oven baked baby back ribs. You won't miss store-bought BBQ sauce ones at all.
Dry rub ribs are also easy to make without a grill! All you need to do is bake at 300 degrees for a couple of hours and you have the most tender and juicy fall-off-the-bone ribs - plus a healthier homemade bbq sauce.
You'll love this dry rub for ribs because it's easy, quick to throw together, and delicious. Serve it with potato salad, watermelon basil salad, and a peach mocktail for the ultimate summer holiday meal.
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Why Make Dry Rub Ribs in the Oven?
I love oven baked ribs, especially baby back ribs, because they are so easy to make and come out perfect every time! With a grill, so many factors come into play with the weather being good and the heat being consistent - using the oven is totally hassle free. Cooking at 300 degrees F gives you a 2.5-3 hour cooking time, which is really fast for ribs. This dry rub for ribs recipe:
- Does not require a grill.
- Can be used for baby back ribs or St. Louis style.
- Is perfect for dairy free and gluten free family members.
- Super simple ingredients.
Dry Rub For Ribs Ingredients
This is one of my favorite dry rub recipes for ribs because it doesn't require a ton of different ingredients - just six ingredients total. Besides salt and pepper, here are some of my tips for choosing the right spices.
- Chili Powder - My favorite chili powder is from Morton and Bassett, which uses a really basic blend without any cocoa powder. It's also salt-free for those following a low sodium diet. If you're following a migraine diet, you'll want to watch out for mixes containing onion powder as well.
- Brown Sugar - Brown sugar is essential to adding a hint of sweetness, especially when the dry rub transforms into a bbq sauce while the ribs are in the oven.
- Garlic Powder - Unless you have a chili powder with a lot of garlic in it, the extra garlic powder adds so much flavor.
- Paprika - I love to use a combination of smoked paprika and regular paprika. The smoked paprika makes these ribs taste like they're hot off the grill without the effort, but it's not overpowering when you mix the two.
- Kosher salt - This is super important! I used Diamond Brand Kosher Salt for this recipe which is much less salty tasting than Morton's because of the salt crystal. Therefore, if you use Morton's or another type of salt, either decrease the added salt by about half or taste and adjust as needed once the ribs are finished cooking.
Types of Pork Ribs
A few things to note. “St Louis” aka “Spare Ribs” vs. “Baby Back” ribs will both work well with this recipe. I prefer baby back as there’s a little more actual meat, less fat, and just overall easier to eat. My husband vehemently disagrees with me and thinks St Louis/spare ribs have more flavor and are heartier.
- St Louis style is also less expensive than baby back, which is good if your husband can also polish off a whole rack by himself. I know you can usually get both types pre-packaged, but I highly recommend asking your local butcher for fresh ones. They’re usually quite common this time of year and that way you don’t have to worry about any additives or preservatives.
- Baby back ribs are trimmed of a thick, shiny membrane on the back of the ribs, but if not, you can ask your butcher do it for you, or remove the membrane from the ribs yourself. This technique will result in more tender and flavorful ribs that are easier to eat!
Step by Step Process
Step 1: Make the dry rub for ribs
Start by removing any excess membrane on the back of the ribs, or have the butcher do it for you. Pat them dry with a paper towel. Prepare a tin foil piece that's just as long as your rack of ribs and lay them on top. Combine all the spices for the dry rub in a bowl and stir to combine.
Step 2: Apply the dry rub
Pat the dry rub on the meaty side of the rack. (Picture 3) Then flip and rub the mixture on the back side of the ribs (meatiest side down).
Step 3: Wrap the ribs
Curl the tin foil up around the ribs as much as you can on all sides, you need the juices to stay inside the foil. You will most likely need to lay an extra sheet of tin foil on the top and wrap it around snugly. (Picture 3, 4) Place your tin foil-wrapped rib rack on an oven-safe rack over a sheet pan. (Picture 5 below). You can also place foil underneath the rack for easy clean up in case any juices leak.
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Step 4: Bake ribs in oven
Bake in the oven at 300 degrees for 2.5-3 hours or until the ribs reach an internal temperature of 145 degrees F. I find these ribs to be pretty forgiving - they don't get dried out unless you leave them in a really long time! A smaller rack will be on the shorter end and if they're thick and meaty, I tend to go 3 or 3 ½ hours.
Step 5: Broil the ribs (optional)
To finish these dry rub ribs off, you can either grill them or broil them. Since you're already using the oven, I prefer broiling to make it easier on yourself and dirty fewer dishes. This is also an optional step. These ribs are still great if you skip this! While you make the BBQ sauce, turn the oven broiler on high. Place the ribs, meaty side up, about 6-10 inches away from the heat. Leave them for about 10 minutes, rotating the pan every so often so they are darkened evenly. (Picture 7)
Step 6: Make BBQ Sauce
Remove the rack of ribs carefully, reserving the juices that accumulate in the tin foil - this will be your homemade BBQ sauce! Transfer the juices to a small pot and whisk in cornstarch to help thicken it while reducing the sauce over medium heat. You can do this 1 teaspoon at a time until desired thickness is reached. Just give it some time to reduce before adding more. (Picture 8)
To slice the ribs, place them meat side down so you can clearly see where the bones are, making for easy cutting.
Dry Rub Substitutions
These dry rub oven ribs are already gluten free and dairy free, so they work well with lots of diets. For low sodium, you can control the amount of salt you add. I like to start with a tablespoon of Diamond Kosher, but the spices are so flavorful you don't need too much.
- Honey for brown sugar - If you have an issue with brown sugar, I’ve tried this with honey and it was also really good. The trick is to mix the spices all together and apply them to the meat, then drizzle the honey on top. If you try to mix the spices with the honey and then apply it, everything will clump together. Once it all warms in the oven, it’s not an issue.
- Maple syrup for brown sugar - Maple syrup is also a great substitute and you don't have to worry about that one clumping.
Sides for Dry Rub Ribs
There’s also not much else that goes better with dry rub ribs in the oven than these sides.
- Fingerling Potato Salad
- Coleslaw
- Green salad
- Ranch dressing
- Watermelon Basil Salad
- Peach Watermelon Salad
- Mac and cheese cauliflower
- Pasta salad
- Couscous salad
Storage and Reheating
This dry rub for ribs can be stored in a cool, dry place for up to 2 weeks and used as needed. Once the dry rub has been applied to the ribs, I'll wrap in foil and place in the refrigerator until I'm ready to bake them. This can be done a few hours before. Often I will prep the ribs in the morning and put them in the oven about 2-3pm for dinner.
Once cooked, the ribs can be stored in the fridge for up to 3 days or frozen. To reheat, I'll cover them and warm them in the oven at 325 degrees Fahrenheit for about 10-15 minutes, or until warmed through.
Frequently Asked Questions
I have experimented several ways and I prefer 300 degrees Fahrenheit because they are almost always done by 3 hours, no matter the size of my ribs. You can also cook the ribs around 250 for a "low and slow" method, but anticipate them taking closer to 5 hours. Any higher than 350 degrees and the ribs are cooking too fast to get that fall-off-the-bone texture we're looking for.
Yes! Wrapping BBQ ribs in foil when baking will allow them to cook in their own juices, leaving them tender and not dried out. Once they're done baking, you can choose to grill them or broil them for extra flavor.
I prefer baby back ribs for this dry rub for ribs recipe because the way it's cooked makes it tender and flavorful without the extra fat that St. Louis ribs have. I also like that most baby back racks have the thin membrane already removed. St Louis ribs tend to be better on the grill because they're flatter and have a more even, versus curved, surface. However, both will work for this recipe!
BBQ Recipes
For more summer recipes like these dry rubbed ribs in the oven, check out these posts.
If you make this, tag me #thedizzycook or @thedizzycook on Facebook and Instagram. And if you love the recipe, please leave a review below! Follow along on my Pinterest for more great recipes.
Dry Rub for Ribs in Oven
Ingredients
Dry Rub
- ⅓ cup brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon paprika
- 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
- 1½ tablespoons chili powder
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 1 tablespoons kosher salt
- 1-2 teaspoons fresh ground pepper
Ribs
- 4-5 lb rack of ribs, either baby back or St Louis spare ribs, membrane removed* (or 2 smaller racks around 2.5 pounds that equal roughly the same weight) *see notes in post
BBQ Sauce
- 1-2 teaspoons distilled white vinegar (for sauce)
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. Cut a large, long piece (the length of your rib rack plus a few inches) of tin foil. Place the ribs, meaty side up. Combine your dry rub spice mixture together and pat half the mixture all over the rib rack, coating it as best you can. Carefully flip the rib rack so the meaty side is down and apply the other half of the mixture.
- Fold your tin foil inward on all sides to seal the meat as best you can. Cut another piece of tin foil and apply it on the top of the rack, sealing it underneath the rack. Make sure there are no holes, otherwise all the good juices will leak out!
- Place on a baking sheet with a wire rack over it, if possible. Cook in the oven at 300 degrees for 2.5 to 3 hours. Baby back ribs should cook a little faster than St Louis style. If you're not ready to serve, turn the heat down to 175 degrees F and keep them warm till ready.
- Remove the rack from the oven and CAREFULLY remove the tin foil from the top (it will be hot!). Then slide the ribs out from the lower foil packet with all the juices and place on a cutting board, meat side down. This way you can see the bones for easy cutting. A cutting board with a little "moat" works best, since they will be juicy. Carefully pour the leftover juices from the foil into a small saucepan.
For the bbq sauce
- Heat the juices, along with the 1-2 teaspoons of white vinegar, over medium high heat until boiling. Whisk in the cornstarch till it's no longer clumpy and then turn the heat down to a low simmer. You can do this one teaspoon at a time until desired thickness is reached. Allow the sauce to simmer about 5-7 minutes, stirring frequently.
- Cut the ribs, sometimes this is easiest done when flipped over with the meaty side down.
- Apply as much of the sauce as you'd like to the ribs and enjoy!
Notes
- Chili powder - I used Morton and Basset Chili Powder, but do NOT use "chipotle" or "ancho" chili powders as they are not the same and you may have very spicy results.
- Both St. Louis and baby back ribs will work for this recipe, but I prefer baby back. Make sure you ask your butcher to remove the membrane on the back for more flavorful, tender ribs.
- This rub covers about 1 full size rack of ribs that is 4-5 pounds or 2 smaller racks that are less weight. The spice mix can easily be doubled for 2 racks. Plan on about 1 pound of ribs per adult.
- If you'd like to substitute honey for the brown sugar, make sure you evenly drizzle on top of the rack after you have applied the spices. Honey will not coat the meat well if it's any bit cold.
- For low sodium, adjust the added kosher salt as needed and look into chili powders without added salt, like Morton and Bassett.
These are the best ribs ever!! So yummy and very easy!!! 🙂
Wonderful and easy, will make again.
Super delicious and perfectly tender rack of ribs. Only change I made was a light brushing of our bbq sauce at finish!!! Yummy Stuff...
First time making ribs was with this recipe. It was simple, delicious and family favorite!
Thanks so much, Zack!
I just made these for Fathers’s Day and boy did they blow us away with how good they came out! I don’t make ribs often. These were so easy and the meat fell off the bone completely. The flavor of the rub and the sauce is amazing. I will definitely make this again and again. I didn’t have smoked paprika so I just doubled the regular paprika.
These ribs are finger-licking good and they feel like a special treat whether you have food limitations or not! I have made them twice and they turned out great both times. Since I haven't been able to eat many sauces on this diet, having BBQ sauce was a dream come true! Can't recommend this recipe enough.
These are absolutely fantastic! Fall off the bone tender and full of flavor!
Thanks so much Ron! Glad you enjoyed them.
So good!
Love this recipe!! I've made it a few times and everyone always loves it!! The meat falls right off the bone! You can also finish off the ribs in the broiler or on the grill while the sauce simmers if you want a little blackening on them.
Personally, i add a dash of cayenne to the rub, because we like spicy, and I add a touch of tomato paste to the simmering sauce, because I can tolerate tomatoes and we like a tomato based bbq.
Thanks, Pam!!
This sounds delicious! As someone with VM and Meniere’s, I avoid too much sodium. Maybe I read it wrong but 1 serving has 2050mg of sodium? Or is that the entire recipe?
Great take on ribs! My husband like them, too, so this makes HYH life that much easier. I botched the sauce but will be more careful next time. I think what I did wrong was boiling the sauce on high instead of medium high. After simmering, I was left with sticky molasses separated from the oily fat. I’m sure if I had made the sauce correctly it would’ve tasted even more amazing than the juices that I licked out of the aluminum foil. ????
Oh yes! Too high heat for too long haha!! So glad you still enjoyed it though!
I made this for Sunday Dinner everyone loved it. We are very picky about our BBQ here in Texas so the fact that everyone cleaned their plates and I had no leftovers speaks volumes
Thanks, as always, Brandy! So thrilled you loved it.