Oven Baked Sticky Baby Back Ribs

by donuts2crumpets | May 3, 2020 | Main Course, Pork

You don’t need a smoker or a grill to enjoy beautifully cooked sticky baby back ribs at home! This is one of our very favorite weekend treat meals and they are so easy to throw together. These Oven Baked Sticky Baby Back Ribs are dry rubbed and baked in the oven low and slow then basted with sauce and finished under your oven broiler. They are absolute heaven – sticky, sweet and a little bit spicy, I like to cook my ribs until they practically fall off the bone!

The secret ingredient on these ribs is definitely the chipotle chili powder. We like ours with a really good kick, so I often add extra chipotle powder to mine, (sometimes up to double), but start with 1 Tbsp and go from there. The flavor this ingredient adds to the applewood seasoning is just divine.

My favorite part of these ribs is the sticky finish. You can absolutely finish then off on the grill if you like, but you don’t have to have a grill to get these sticky. You can transfer them to a foil lined baking tray, baste them with sauce then throw them under the broiler till they get the right amount of bark on them – just be sure to keep a close eye on them so they don’t burn! This recipe will do 2 racks of baby back ribs.

A couple of tips for this recipe:

I love to get my ribs from Costco – usually when I get them from there they have already had the membrane removed from the back of the ribs which is a nice little time saver!
If you are skeptical about using yellow mustard, don’t be – just give it a try! You can’t taste the mustard at all – it just helps the rub adhere to the ribs and the vinegar in the mustard helps the ribs come out tender and delicious.
I like hickory liquid smoke the best, but mesquite is great too. It’s just personal preference.
Start checking your ribs at 2-1/2 hours. If they are already pulling back from the bones on the sides 1/4 to 1/2 inch, they should be ready to pull off. If not, or if you want them SUPER pull apart, let them cook a little longer. Mine are usually done in 2 hours and 45 mins in my oven.

Ingredients:

Dry Rub – combine these four ingredients together.

1/2 cup brown sugar
2 Tbsp applewood grill seasoning
1 Tbsp chipotle chili powder, (feel free to add a little extra if you like spicy.)
1/2 tsp cracked black pepper

Other Ingredients:

2 racks of baby back ribs
Yellow mustard, (optional but highly recommended)
2 cups chicken broth
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1 Tbsp liquid smoke seasoning
2 cups barbecue sauce (I use Sweet Baby Ray’s Original)

Instructions:

Remove membrane from the back of each rack or ribs. (Loosen one end with a knife, then grab on to it with a paper towel and gently pull until it’s completely removed.)
Line a large baking sheet with foil and place the ribs on the baking sheet.
Optional but highly recommended: brush some regular yellow mustard over both sides of the ribs. (Makes them super yummy and helps the rub to adhere better.)
Pat the bottom side of the racks down with the dry rub, using your fingers to pat it in to the mustard and get it on the sides. Flip the ribs meat side up and generously coat the ribs. (I use ALL the seasoning. Pat it in to the mustard on the top as well as along the edges and sides.
Cover the baking sheet with the ribs on it with plastic wrap, (or could use foil), and let sit for a minimum of an hour. (If you are going to let sit more than an hour, throw them in the refrigerator. You can prepare these the night before and let them sit in the refrigerator over night.)
When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 275.
Combine the chicken broth, apple cider vinegar and liquid smoke. Place broth mixture in bottom of a large roasting pan with deep edges.
Place ribs in the pan meat side up in a single layer and seal the pan shut with foil.
Bake at 275 for 2-1/2 to 3 hours until desired tenderness.
Remove ribs from roasting pan and set on a clean, foil lined baking sheet.
Generously baste both sides of each of the rack of ribs with the BBQ sauce. Set your oven to broil, and broil on low for 5-8 minutes watching closely so they don’t burn. (You can also throw the ribs on the grill on medium high heat for 3-5 mins each side or until they have a nice bark if you want to.)
Remove from the oven, tent with foil and let rest covered for 10-15 mins.
Cut each rack between the bones and serve with more sauce!