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5 from 247 votes

Oven Baked St. Louis BBQ Ribs

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.
Prep Time5 minutes
Cook Time5 hours
Total Time5 hours 5 minutes
Course: Main
Cuisine: American
Servings: 4 people
Calories: 806kcal
Author: Brianna May

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.

Nutrition

Calories: 806kcal | Carbohydrates: 35g | Protein: 38g | Fat: 57g | Saturated Fat: 18g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 10g | Monounsaturated Fat: 21g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 191mg | Sodium: 2503mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 27g