These easy BBQ St. Louis Ribs in the Oven are tender, sweet, saucey, and caramelized on top. They start with a dry rub, then are basted with apple cider vinegar and honey as they are cooked low and slow for hours at 275 degrees.
If you are looking for more easy oven recipes, learn How to Cook Pork Tenderloin in the Oven too.
You will also love my Slow Cooker Dr. Pepper Ribs and Easy Bratwurst in the Air Fryer.
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
- This St. Louis style ribs recipe is easy to make & no grill or smoker is needed.
- The combination of the dry rub (with garlic powder, smoked paprika, & chili powder) and barbecue sauce make these BBQ St. Louis Ribs in the Oven super flavorful.
- These ribs are basted with honey and apple cider vinegar.
- These are perfect for any summer barbecue or the Fourth of July.
- Learn how to make a dry rub for ribs, baste ribs, and how long to cook St. Louis ribs in the oven at 275 degrees.
Ingredients & Substitutions
- St. Louis Ribs: Be sure to remove the membrane (or silver skin) and cut the rack into about 2-3 pieces so it will fit in the pan.
- BBQ Sauce: Some of my favorite brands are Stubbs, Jack Daniels, and Sweet Baby Ray’s. Use your favorite!
Complete list of ingredients and amounts is located on the recipe card below.
How to Make St. Louis BBQ Ribs in the Oven
Quick Overview
- Preheat oven & season the ribs with the dry rub.
- Wrap the ribs in foil.
- Bake at 275 degrees & baste for 4 hours.
- Remove ribs from foil and bake uncovered.
- Broil.
Step by Step Instructions
Step 1: Preheat the oven to 275 degrees. In a small bowl, combine the salt, pepper, garlic, paprika, cumin, and onion powder. Rub the ribs with all of the dry rub, focusing on the meat side.
Step 2: Wrap each piece of the rack of ribs by itself tightly with foil so they are completely covered. Place these in a large pan lined with foil.
TIP - Line the pan with foil for easier clean up.
Step 3: Bake for 2 hours. While the ribs bake, combine the vinegar and honey. Set aside. Lift the foil gently just to expose the top of the ribs. Spoon or brush about half of the vinegar mixture on the ribs.
Step 4: Rewrap and bake for another 2 hours. Lastly, unwrap the ribs and preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Brush them with the remaining vinegar mixture.
Step 5: Next, brush them with the barbecue sauce. Bake uncovered for 30 minutes.
Step 6: Broil on high for 5-10 minutes, or until the sauce bubbles and dark spots begin to form.Serve with more sauce or pan drippings.
TIP - The ribs should be about 195-200 degrees.
Recipe Serving Suggestions
Here are some of my favorite sides to serve with these BBQ St. Louis ribs in the oven:
- Baked Potatoes
- Crispy Seasoned Tater Tots
- Red Skin Mashed Potatoes
- Copycat Panera Broccoli Cheddar Mac & Cheese
- Instant Pot Southern Green Beans
- Cast Iron Corn
- Old Fashioned Yeast Rolls
Expert Tips & Variations
- Use paper towels to dry the ribs. Removing the moisture will help the rub stick.
- Press in the rub. Use your hand and some pressure to press the rub into the ribs. If you just sprinkle it across them, it will not adhere.
- Wrap in foil. I tested this recipe by just placing the ribs in the pan and covering it with foil. The ribs were significantly drier. So be sure to wrap each piece of the rack. When in doubt, use another piece of foil. You want the ribs to be completely covered. This prevents the juices from escaping.
- Don’t skip out on the basting. Pork loves acid. It makes the ribs more tender and the sweetness of the honey pairs perfectly with the vinegar.
- Use a meat thermometer. If you want your ribs to be super tender, they need to reach about 190-200 degrees. This is the temperature when the collagen begins to break down. You can also use a fork to check the tenderness.
- Broil. That caramelized charred sugar crust on top is almost reminiscent of the char you get on the grill. So I keep a close eye on them, but purposely allow some black spots to form.
What Is the Difference Between St Louis Ribs and Baby Back Ribs?
St. Louis-style ribs are cut from near the pork belly, right below the baby back ribs.
St. Louis ribs are less expensive, larger, more uniform, and flatter compared to other ribs. They also contain more bones compared to baby back, but they have more fat and flavor.
With that being said, baby back ribs are more leaner and more tender. They will get fall off the bone tender. If that's what you are looking for, you might not like oven baked St. Louis-style ribs as much.
Storing Leftovers
Refrigerator: Store leftover ribs in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days.
How to Reheat Ribs in the Oven
Place the ribs in a baking dish, brush with sauce or melted butter, and cover. Bake at 275 for 30-45 minutes, or until heated through.
Recipe FAQs
The covered portion of the baking process allows the ribs to become tender and still remain moist. The uncovered portion is where the caramelization begins. If you do not uncover them, you are basically just steaming the ribs.
It is likely because they did not cook enough. Like I mentioned above, the ribs needs to get over 190 degrees for the collagen to break down. St. Louis ribs have to be cooked longer than baby back ribs to achieve a similar tenderness.
Yes! This will create the most tender ribs. You will also want to cook them uncovered but for the first few hours, they should be wrapped. At the end remove from the oven and bake uncovered.
I recommend 275 degrees. You want to cook ribs low and slow. Any higher will cause the ribs to dry out.
Yes. Like I mentioned above these will take longer than baby back ribs to reach the same tenderness. This is because they have more bones.
Yes, but there is a sweet spot. They will also begin to lose moisture. So you really do not want to completely over cook them. But ribs are technically overcooked in the sense that pork only needs to reach 145 degrees. However, ribs need to break down more.
Between 190 and right over 200 degrees is when ribs will begin to fall off the bone. Do not cook them past this.
More Main Dish Recipes
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Oven Baked St. Louis BBQ Ribs
Ingredients:
- 3 pounds St. Louis style pork ribs, about 1 large rack, trimmed & cut*
Dry Rub
- 1 Tablespoon salt
- 2 teaspoons black pepper
- 1 Tablespoon granulated garlic
- 1 Tablespoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- ¾ cup barbecue sauce*
Basting Liquid
- 4 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 2 Tablespoons honey
Instructions:
- Preheat the oven to 275 degrees. In a small bowl, combine the salt, pepper, garlic, paprika, cumin, onion powder, and chili powder. Rub the ribs with all of the dry rub, focusing on the meat side.
- Wrap each piece of the rack of ribs by itself tightly with foil so they are completely covered. Place these in a large pan lined with foil.
- Bake for 2 hours. While the ribs bake, combine the vinegar and honey. Set aside. Lift the foil gently just to expose the top of the ribs. Spoon or brush about half of the vinegar mixture on the ribs.
- Rewrap and bake for another 2 hours. Lastly, unwrap the ribs and preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Brush them with the remaining vinegar mixture.
- Next, brush them with the barbecue sauce. Bake uncovered for 30 minutes.
- Broil on high for 5-10 minutes, or until the sauce bubbles and dark spots begin to form.Serve with more sauce or pan drippings.
Notes:
- St. Louis Ribs: Be sure to remove the membrane (or silver skin) and cut the rack into about 2-3 pieces so it will fit in the pan.
- BBQ Sauce: Some of my favorite brands are Stubbs, Jack Daniels, and Sweet Baby Ray’s. Use your favorite!
- Press in the rub. Use your hand and some pressure to press the rub into the ribs. If you just sprinkle it across them, it will not adhere.
- Wrap in foil. I tested this recipe by just placing the ribs in the pan and covering it with foil. The ribs were significantly drier. So be sure to wrap each piece of the rack. When in doubt, use another piece of foil. You want the ribs to be completely covered. This prevents the juices from escaping.
- Don’t skip out on the basting. Pork loves acid. It makes the ribs more tender and the sweetness of the honey pairs perfectly with the vinegar.
- Use a meat thermometer. If you want your ribs to be super tender, they need to reach about 190-200 degrees. This is the temperature when the collagen begins to break down. You can also use a fork to check the tenderness.
- Broil. That caramelized charred sugar crust on top is almost reminiscent of the char you get on the grill. So I keep a close eye on them, but purposely allow some black spots to form.
Is it just me or did anyone else see where that teaspoon of chili powder gets used?
Just fixed that mistake! Add it with all of the other spices.
Help! I’m slightly confused about the times? The recipe at the top says it takes a total of 3 hours 5 min. But I just did the whole recipe only to see that it says cook for 2 hours, baste, then cook for another 2. Can I cook for an hour, baste and cook for two more hour? I don’t have 4 hours to spare tonight. Eeek!
I apologize! The recipe has been tweaked since I posted it originally. The times in the recipe card are correct. I will update the total time now. Thanks!
Absolutely fabulous recipe for fall-off-the-bone ribs! I followed every step to ensure tenderness, along with moist meat. Because of getting started late, I had to cheat a bit on the time and temps, and it all worked out! I’m sure the best tricks were to wrap in foil and baste with vinegar/ honey…perfection! Thanks so much!
Thank you so much! The vinegar and honey are a match made in heaven 🙂
Perfect. I was on the fence about whether to baste with the ACV + honey, but it was well with it. WIll is now my go-to recipe for ribs.
It adds even more flavor! I'm so glad you loved these.
You show a cook time of three hours at the top with instructions totaling almost five hours of cook time.
Sorry that is a mistake! The recipe card is correct.
Which part of the recipe card is correct? The part where the total time says 3 hours? Or the instructions where it says to cook 2 hours baste cook 2 more hours baste again then cook 30 mins uncovered? Because I have had mine in the oven 2 hours now and just basted the first time and I don't want to ruin them . So I need to know specifically which one is right.. is it the top of the card or the written instructions part?
Sorry for the confusion! The instructions in the recipe card are correct. The total time at the top was incorrect. Fixing it now.
Good job Bri. Great recipe and details for something that can go so wrong quickly. Ribs take practice!