I’ve cooked a lot of Ribs. A lot. I’ve charcoal grilled them, smoked them, braised them, spiced them and sauced them. I’ve sandwiched them (made my version of a RibWich), pasta-fied them, and I’ve even stewed them. Yep…I’ve definitely cooked a lot of Ribs. There’s this one time I was invited to cook ribs in the USA, as a member of a Professional BBQ Team. My schedule didn’t allow it, but I was honoured to have even been considered. Over the years I’ve definitely stacked those racks and I’ll admit one of the easiest and most convenient ways to cook ribs is to oven bake them.

Oven Baked Ribs are super simple to make, all that’s required is a good spice rub, and some low and slow cooking in the oven. I’m going to walk you through my super simple Easy Oven Baked Ribs recipe. It’s my family’s favourite and I hope it’ll be yours as well.

Jump to Recipe

Now Pork ribs are by far my most popular choice for cooking but beef ribs are a close second. For the purpose of this easy oven baked ribs recipe I’ve used Pork. Both Baby Back and Spare Ribs would work perfectly the only adjustment would be cooking time.

Baby Back Ribs vs Spare Ribs

Baby Backs and Spare Ribs can be compared and contrasted by their location, shape and size, texture and flavour and price point.

Location: Baby Back Ribs come from the upper rib cage and are connected to the spine of the pig. They are sometimes called back ribs or loin ribs. Spare ribs come from the side of the pig and are located beneath the baby back ribs. The Spare Ribs come from the belly of the pig and are cut once the belly has been removed.

Did you know Baby Back Ribs are called “Baby” because of their smaller size? Baby Back Ribs do not come from Baby Pigs…or Babies *insert shocked face here*

Shape and Size: Baby Back Ribs are smaller and curvier than Spare Ribs. The average rack of Baby Backs contain 11-13 bones and weigh approximately 2 pounds. Spare Ribs are larger and have bigger flatter bones in comparison. The average rack of Spare Ribs can weigh between 2.5 to 3 pounds.

Texture and Flavour: Baby Back Ribs are believed to be more tender than Spare Ribs. Spare Ribs are fattier and meatier than back ribs and require a longer cooking time than back ribs to achieve perfect fall off the bone tenderness. Some people believe that Spare Ribs are the tastier of the two due to the higher fat content and its role in braising the meat during the cooking process.

Price Point: Baby Back Ribs are more expensive than Spare Ribs. Spare ribs tend to have more bone and cartilage between the meat and for this reason it’s priced cheaper than Baby Backs.

What are St Louis Style Ribs?

St Louis Ribs are spare ribs that have been trimmed. The tips and meat flap from the spare ribs are removed to yield a rectangular shaped rack. This rectangular appearance makes it a preferred cut for competition BBQ.

Rib Rub

My Rib Spice Rub is home made. I like the DIY approach. My homemade rub considers 2 factors: Flavour and Appearance. Ribs should taste good and look good too right?

What’s the Best Spice Rub Binder?

When oven baking ribs, olive oil as a binder helps the spice rub stick as well as caramelize to form a great bark.

A rub binder is a layer that’s applied to the meat before adding the spice rub. It’s purpose is to help the rub adhere to the meat. My binder of choice is a drizzle of olive oil. Some folks swear by mustard, some use mayonnaise. I’ve seen everything from a spritz of apple cider vinegar, worcestershire sauce, honey, hot sauce, water, italian dressing and teriyaki sauce. Some people use nothing at all. It really is a personal choice but whatever the binder, it should not compete with or overpower the flavour of the spices and the meat.

How To Tell When Ribs are Done?

There are three ways that I use: the skewer test, the bend test and the bone pull test.

• Skewer: Stick a skewer or a tooth pick into the meat at the centre of the rack and/or the thickest part of the meat. If it slides straight in without too much resistance they’re good to go.
• Bend: Using thongs, grab the meat in the centre and pick it up. Give the rack a slight bounce, if the ribs are ready the top of the rack will start cracking and the slab will feel like its going to break.
• Bone Pull: My favourite is the bone pull test. Grab an exposed bone tip, give it a little twist, then pull. The bone should come straight out. Be careful not to burn yourself though because the ribs will be super hot.

I’ll say that pretty much sums up how to cook ribs perfectly in your oven. It’s easy, dosen’t require any supervision and the ribs come out perfect every time.

The Good Laawd took a Rib from Adam and made Woman (or so they say). I took a rack of Ribs and made these bad boys. And on that note, I’ll say it’s time to get cooking.