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Craving ribs that are juicy, tender, and packed with flavor? These Sticky Oven Baked Ribs are slathered in a rich, garlicky barbecue sauce with a spicy kick. With their caramelized, glossy exterior and fall-off-the-bone texture, these Oven Baked Ribs are the ultimate weekend indulgence. Continuing the legacy of our Slow Cooker Barbecue Ribs, this oven-baked version delivers all the finger-licking goodness you love.
What Sets These Oven Baked Ribs Apart?
Think perfect barbecue ribs require a fancy smoker or grill? Think again! These easy-to-follow oven baked ribs are proof that mouthwatering, smoky ribs can be made right in your oven. A family favorite, these oven baked ribs release an irresistible aroma as they cook, guaranteeing everyone’s attention at the dinner table.
After mastering pork dishes like Sticky Chinese BBQ Pork Belly and BBQ Baked Pork Chops, I’ve perfected the ultimate melt-in-your-mouth consistency. The best part? With the oven doing most of the work, you can relax while your oven baked ribs turn tender and glistening in that sticky barbecue sauce.
Oven Baked Ribs With Barbecue Sauce: Key Ingredients
The secret to these Sticky Oven Baked Ribs lies in the ingredients. A smoky dry rub adds bold flavor, tender pork ensures juiciness, and a rich barbecue sauce brings glossy, caramelized perfection. Simple steps, unbeatable results!
- BBQ Sauce: Choose a high-quality barbecue sauce that complements your taste—whether smoky, tangy, or sweet. I love using plain, regular BBQ sauce for its balanced flavor that lets the dry rub shine.
- Worcestershire Sauce: The secret weapon for irresistible ribs! This savory ingredient adds depth and umami, enhancing the marinade and elevating your barbecue experience.
- Pork Ribs: Opt for fresh, high-quality ribs with a good balance of marbling for tenderness and flavor. Baby back ribs are perfect for a meatier bite, while spare ribs give you more of that satisfying fat.
*Note: Please see Recipe Card at the bottom for a full list of ingredients and measurements.
Additions And Substitutions
When it comes to Sticky Oven Baked Ribs, every detail counts. Don’t have a specific spice for the dry rub? No stress—easy substitutions still pack a flavorful punch without compromising that smoky, rich taste!
- Liquid Smoke: A few drops of liquid smoke bring a deep, smoky barbecue flavor, perfect for recreating that authentic grilled taste—no smoker needed!
- Soy Sauce: Swap Worcestershire sauce for soy sauce to achieve a savory, umami twist in the marinade without compromising the ribs’ bold flavor.
- Apple Cider Vinegar: A splash can brighten the barbecue sauce, balancing its sweetness with a tangy punch while keeping flavors vibrant and rich.
Homemade Sticky Barbecue Ribs: Step-by-Step
Let’s dive in! With a handful of easy steps, you’ll master the art of Sticky Oven Baked Ribs—tender, juicy, and coated in that rich, smoky barbecue goodness. Time to make your kitchen smell amazing!
- Preheat the Oven Preheat your oven to 350°F (180°C).
- Prepare the Ribs Peel off the tough membrane covering the underside (bony side) of the ribs.
- Season the Ribs Combine garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, salt, pepper, cumin, and chili or cayenne. Sprinkle the seasoning over the ribs and drizzle with oil. Rub the seasoning all over both sides of the ribs.
- Bake the Ribs Cover the tray with foil and bake for 2 hours.
- Prepare the Sauce During the last 5 minutes of baking, mix together the sauce ingredients: barbecue sauce, minced garlic, olive oil, Worcestershire sauce, cayenne pepper (optional for heat), and salt.
- Apply the Sauce Remove the ribs from the oven, remove the foil, and spread the tops of the ribs with the barbecue sauce mixture. Increase the oven temperature to 460°F (240°C). Return the ribs to the oven, uncovered, and bake for an additional 10 minutes.
*Pro Tip: In the final 3 minutes, switch the oven settings to broil (or grill) on medium-high heat to lightly char and caramelize the edges.
Oven Baked Ribs are a match made in heaven, aren’t they? It’s a classic that I couldn’t resist recommending. Lucky for you, I have a few versions to bring together the mild, earthy flavor of spuds with the rich, smoky taste of ribs: Easy Creamy Mashed Potatoes, Crispy Garlic Baked Potato Wedges, Garlic Roasted Potatoes, or Garlic Parmesan Scalloped Potatoes. However, if you’re craving other veggies, try Corn on the Cob with Garlic Butter, Grilled Asparagus, or Honey Garlic Butter Roasted Carrots– they all pair perfectly with barbecue ribs.
Recipe FAQ’s
While marinating overnight can enhance the flavor, it’s not necessary. You can season the ribs and bake them right away for a delicious result.
The ribs are done when the meat is tender and easily pulls away from the bones. You can also check the internal temperature, which should be around 190-203°F (88-95°C).
You can substitute Worcestershire sauce with soy sauce or a mixture of soy sauce and a dash of vinegar for a similar flavor profile.
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Sticky Oven Barbecue Ribs
Ingredients
RIBS:
- 4 pounds baby back pork ribs
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 2 teaspoons paprika
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper cracked
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon chili powder or cayenne powder – optional
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
SAUCE:
- 2 cups barbecue sauce
- 3 tablespoons garlic minced
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1/2 – 1 tablespoon cayenne pepper optional for heat
- 1 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C).
- Peel off tough membrane that covers the underside/bony side of the ribs. Place on a baking sheet or tray lined with foil (or parchment paper).
- Combine together garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, salt, pepper, cumin and chili or Cayenne. Sprinkle seasoning over ribs and drizzle with oil. Rub the seasoning all over the ribs on both sides. Cover tray with foil and bake for 2 hours.
- During the last 5 minutes of cook time, mix together sauce ingredients.
- Remove ribs from the oven, remove foil and spread the tops of the ribs with the barbecue sauce mixture.
- Increase oven temperature to 460°F (240°C). Return ribs to the oven, uncovered, and bake for a further 10 minutes. Change oven settings to broil (or grill) on medium-high heat to lightly char and caramelise the edges (about 3 minutes).
- Rest for 10 minutes to allow the juices to recirculate back into the meat before slicing.
- Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Amazing! Followed exactly but used side ribs. They were perfectly tender and everyone loved them. Thank you!
I HATE THIS RECIPE!!!! Wait a minute, how can I give this recipe 5 stars and hate it? Let’s go down memory lane for a moment, shall we? First off, I love to BBQ, HUGE fan of the grill, so cooking meat in an oven other than meatloaf confused the heck out of me. Second, when grilling ribs, you marinade/dry rub them and throw them over the coals. Membrane removal? what the heck is that?
So, I am sitting here with my ribs and I don’t have the time or daylight to use the BBQ grill and needed some advice. Lo and behold, I found this recipe. Sure, I tweaked it a bit to ingredients I enjoy on my ribs, but followed to temp and time instructions.
After preheating the oven, I used Grillmates Brown Sugar Bourbon dry rub all over my racks. I then wrapped up the ribs in foil instead of lining the sheet pan I had. The kitchen was smelling pretty good and 2 hours later, I pulled them out, unwrapped and brushed on a little of my own BBQ sauce on top. They broiled for about 3 minutes uncovered and I yanked them out.
When I tried to transfer them to my cutting board for resting, the sauce and pork juices burnt the rib bones to the foil, making it difficult to pull off in one piece, so they came out in sections. and yes, they were falling off the bone at that point.
After 15 minutes of resting, I dug in and I nearly cried and jumped for joy at the same time.
Now, let’s answer that question posed at the beginning of this review. How can I say I hate this recipe and give it 5 stars? Because after 2 hours and 18 minutes of cooking and resting two racks of ribs, it only took me 9 minutes to devour everything and see nothing but a plate full of clean rib bones.
I had to make 12 racks of ribs for my husbands work and I used this recipe and he called me to tell me how much everyone loved them! He had some left over and sold each rack for 20 dollars to raise money for the charity his company because they were so great!!
Everyone in my family likes the rib meat to fall off the bone–except for my daughter. This recipe was my first attempt to make ribs that were still on the bone. It was so simple, so easy–clean up was an non-issue–and the ribs tasted great. They had a great caramelized glaze. What a winner all the way around! I followed the recipe exactly! Huge success!
Excellent recipe. Made this multiple times now. 5* from me.
I make recipes off of this website constantly and I figured it’s time to start reviewing some. These ribs are absolutely to-die-for-delicious! They will definitely be a staple in our kitchen!
Made this for Father’s Day and everyone loved it! This is my go-to bbq sauce now – I am going to try it on chicken too! Thank you!
Tried these the weekend and oh my! Rack of ribs are surprisingly hard to come by around here, but got some along with smokey BBQ sauce. Comes off the bone so well, best ribs ever!
Next time I’ll try a reduced sugar/homemade sauce (the sauce I got knocked me a bit with its sugar content 🙂 )
Amazing taste and falling off the bone tender!!! I used Sweet Baby Rays Original as the BBQ sauce and did not add the salt. Just the right amount of sweet and spicy. Thanks for this recipe, it’s a keeper.
I’ve made it a few times already and I have to say it’s truly delicious… great recipe!