Fall Off the Bone Oven Baked Beef Ribs
- PREP 30min
- COOK 4hrs
- TOTAL 4hrs 30min
For these beef ribs, bake them covered with foil for 2 to 3 hours, then check for tenderness. If a fork slides in easily, go ahead and add the BBQ sauce.
If the ribs are not yet tender, reseal the pan tightly, and continue baking. If the pan ever looks dry (it shouldn’t), add a splash of water or stock, then seal well with foil. Keep baking until the ribs are very tender, then uncover, add the sauce, and finish baking as directed below.
*See the article above for tips on buying ribs for this recipe.
You Will Need
- For the Ribs
3 pounds meaty short ribs, 8 to 10 ounces each, about 6 ribs (1.3kg)
1 tablespoon fine sea salt
1 ½ teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon garlic powder or granulated garlic
½ teaspoon onion powder
2 tablespoons avocado oil
- For the Sauce
1 cup BBQ sauce, try our homemade BBQ sauce
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
¼ cup beef stock or water
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
Directions
1Prep: Preheat the oven to 275°F (135°C). Set aside a 13×9-inch baking dish (possibly 2 if you have really large ribs).
2Prep ribs: We don’t trim much from the short ribs. If you see larger fat clumps or flaps, trim them. Don’t over trim. You want to leave most of the fat for flavor and moisture.
3Add spice rub: In a small bowl, mix the salt, pepper, smoked paprika, garlic powder, and onion powder. Pat the ribs dry with paper towels, then coat all sides generously with the spice rub.
4Sear the ribs: Heat the oil in a wide skillet over medium heat. Working in batches, sear the ribs on all sides until browned, about 2 minutes on each side. Transfer them to the baking dish, placing the fattiest side facing up. It will be a tight fit.
5Bake the ribs: Tightly cover the baking dish with foil and bake until the ribs are very tender but not yet falling apart, about 2 ½ hours.
6Begin checking for tenderness after 1 ½ hours by sliding a fork into the meat. It should meet some resistance but not feel tough. Continue checking every 30 minutes until tender. The goal is tender, but not yet fall-apart-tender.
7Prepare the sauce: While the ribs bake, whisk together the BBQ sauce, vinegar, beef stock, and Worcestershire in a medium bowl.
8Add the sauce: When the ribs are fork tender, remove the foil and check the liquid in the dish. Some is fine, but if it’s almost to the top, remove some of it. Then, brush the ribs all over with sauce (saving some for later). Re-cover tightly with foil and return to the oven for 45 minutes.
9Caramelize the sauce: Remove the foil completely, add more sauce, and return to the oven for another 20 to 25 minutes, or until the sauce has thickened into a shiny glaze and the edges look slightly caramelized.
10Let them rest: Remove the ribs from the oven and let them rest for 15 minutes, tented lightly with foil, before serving.
Adam and Joanne's Tips
- Short ribs thickness: The thickness and meatiness of your ribs affect cooking time. Begin checking for tenderness after 1 ½ hours of baking (before adding sauce). Meaty, thick ribs typically need about 2 ½ hours, and really meaty ribs may need even longer, before they’re ready for sauce.
- Short ribs vs. back ribs: Short ribs are meatier and richer than beef back ribs. You can use back ribs in the recipe above, but expect less meat and a shorter cooking time (about 45 minutes to 1 hour less before adding sauce). The remaining steps and times stay the same.
- Doneness: The ideal texture depends on preference. For ribs that hold together when bitten (the classic barbecue competition style), bake for slightly less time and stop when the meat is tender but still cohesive. For a fall-apart texture, continue baking until a fork slides in easily and the meat pulls away with minimal effort.
- Sauce: For store-bought sauce, we have used Sweet Baby Ray’s with great results. I also love this homemade barbecue sauce, which was our attempt at recreating store-bought sauce, but with slightly less sugar.
- Storing: Store them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days, or freeze for up to 3 months (I double-wrap them before freezing). Thaw overnight in the refrigerator.
- Reheating: Place the ribs (thawed), wrapped in foil, in a 275°F oven for 20 to 30 minutes or place them on the grill over medium heat. Slather the warmed ribs with extra BBQ sauce before serving.
- The nutrition facts provided are estimates.