My incredibly easy BBQ Baked Pork Spare Ribs turn out so tender and moist that you won’t have any leftovers. Use my homemade pork dry rub, or choose your favorite rub to season these ribs perfectly. These BBQ ribs will be a crowd-pleaser at your next get-together.
If you're wondering what to serve with BBQ ribs, you can see my best and favorite side dish recipes for BBQ here!
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Easy BBQ Spare Ribs
These BBQ-baked pork spare ribs are going to be enjoyed by all your meat-loving guests! They are so tender and juicy that they will fall off the bone! These ribs are great year-round for any occasion!
Not only are these pork spare ribs delicious, but they are also very easy to make! All it takes is a simple pork dry rub, BBQ sauce, and a little patience while they cook to perfection!
Easy, saucy pork spare ribs are a wonderfully tasty part of family dinners!
If you love serving up tasty BBQ-flavored foods all year round, you're sure to love more of our easy BBQ-baked recipes! Be sure to try out some of our latest recipes like BBQ baked sausage, baked BBQ chicken thighs, barbecue pork rib tips, and baked BBQ short ribs!
🥘 Ingredients
These ingredients are so straightforward that you will be able to find them at your local grocery store. Plus, my easy pork dry rub recipe only requires a few simple ingredients you likely have sitting in your spice cabinet.
- Pork Spareribs – 1 rack of pork spare ribs.
- Pork Rub – ¼ cup of pork rub (check out my pork dry rub recipe, or use your favorite brand).
- Barbecue Sauce – 1 cup of your favorite barbecue sauce; try my honey BBQ sauce or even my Hawaiian BBQ sauce.
- Liquid Smoke – 2 teaspoons of liquid smoke.
- Apple Cider Vinegar – 1 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar (optional).
If you love digging into hearty, meaty ribs, be sure to check out my collection of fabulous rib recipes!
Be sure to see the free printable recipe card below for ingredients, exact amounts & instructions with tips!
🔪 How To Bake BBQ Pork Spare Ribs
My BBQ-baked pork spare ribs are so incredibly easy to make. All you will need is a baking sheet and a basting brush.
This recipe makes 4 servings of 4 to 5 ribs per person. Count on serving 3 when you're really hungry.
Preheat & Remove Silverskin (optional)
- Preheat. Heat your oven to 250°F (120°C). Arrange sheets of aluminum foil on a rimmed baking sheet to make a “pouch”. Rinse your rack of pork spare ribs in cool water and pat them dry with a paper towel.
- Remove the silverskin (optional). For perfectly tender ribs, you'll want to remove the silverskin, or membrane, on the underside of the ribs (the bone side). Take a butter knife and slide it under the thin membrane, then lift and gently pull the sheet of membrane up and away from the fat layer on the underside of the ribs (*see note).
Season & Cook The Ribs In Foil
- Season the spare ribs. Make sure that you use enough aluminum foil to prepare a pouch that is big enough for your spare ribs. (If you’d like to add the optional 1 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar, use it to brush over the ribs before seasoning). Place the ribs with the meat side facing up and season with your ¼ cup of pork rub, making sure to save some seasoning for the underside. Flip the ribs and season the bone side as well. With the meat facing down, securely seal the aluminum pouch.
- Cook. Place the sealed pouch onto a baking sheet and cook for 2 hours or until tender and completely cooked through. Remove from the oven and increase the temperature to 400°F (205°C).
Sauce & Finish Baking Your Spare Ribs
- Flip the ribs. Carefully vent the foil pouch to release the steam, then open it and discard any fat juices. Flip your meat so that the meat is facing upwards.
- Add sauce. Combine 1 cup of barbecue sauce and 2 teaspoons of liquid smoke. Brush the combination onto the ribs, making sure to cover all sides.
- Cook. Leave the foil open and the meat facing up. Return the ribs to the oven once it has reached 400°F (205 °C). Cook for an additional 30-45 minutes, reapplying more sauce if desired. Remove from the oven once done, cut individual ribs, and serve.
These ribs would taste great with some pan-fried potatoes and onions or Southern-fried corn. You could also add a great veggie side like my roasted vegetable medley.
💭 Angela's Pro Tips & Recipe Notes
- Remove the membrane by using a butter knife to slide underneath the membrane, then a paper towel to grip the membrane. This is the easiest way to remove it. *Once you have a section lifted from the fat layer, most of the membrane can be gently pulled away and off the ribs.
- Sprinkle your BBQ-sauced ribs with a couple of tablespoons of light brown sugar when finishing for an extra sweet and sticky layer.
- Using the optional apple cider vinegar is a great way to tenderize your ribs (especially if you opted to NOT remove the silverskin).
🥡 Storing & Reheating
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-6 days, but use within the first 3-4 days for the best quality.
Freeze your BBQ spare ribs for up to 4-6 months by wrapping them securely in heavy-duty foil and putting them in an airtight container. Thaw the ribs overnight before reheating them.
Reheating
Preheat your oven to 250°F (120°C), then place your leftover ribs into a baking dish or rimmed baking sheet (you can add a touch of water or broth to keep them moist). Cover the dish with aluminum foil and heat for about 20-30 minutes or until warmed through to your satisfaction.
Note that you can also add more sauce, and for perfectly reheated ribs, remove the aluminum foil and finish reheating uncovered for the last 10 minutes.
❓ Recipe FAQs
St. Louis ribs are extremely meaty and flavorful because of the large amount of fat. Baby back ribs are much smaller, curved, leaner, and very tender. Spare ribs are larger than baby back ribs and have more bone and fat, making them very flavorful.
This depends on the kind of ribs you are serving! For these spare ribs, a typical serving is 4-5 ribs per person. For baby back ribs, since they are small, a serving is 6 ribs. Beef back ribs or country-style ribs would be only 2 or 3 ribs per person.
I like to slow cook my ribs (either beef ribs or pork ribs) at 200°F to 250°F. Cook for 2 ½ to 3 hours for melt-in-your-mouth tender ribs.
🥩 More Great Pork Recipes
- Slow Cooker Country Style Pork Ribs
- Air Fryer Stuffed Pork Chops
- Pork Ribeye Roast
- Country Style Pork Loin Chops
- Smoked Pork Roast
- Cast Iron Pork Chops
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📖 Recipe Card
BBQ Baked Pork Spare Ribs
Ingredients
- 1 rack pork spare ribs
- ¼ cup pork rub (see recipe or use your favorite brand)
- 1 cup barbecue sauce
- 2 teaspoon liquid smoke
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar (optional)
(Note: 2x or 3x only changes the ingredient list)
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 250°F (120°C) and arrange sheets of aluminum foil on a rimmed baking sheet to make a 'pouch'. Rinse the spare ribs in cool water then pat them dry with paper towels.
- (Optional) For perfectly tender ribs, you'll want to remove the silverskin, or membrane, on the underside of the ribs (the bone side). Take a butter knife and slide it under the thin membrane then lift and gently pull the sheet of membrane up and away from the fat layer on the underside of the ribs (*see note).
- Grab enough aluminum foil to make a pouch around your pork spareribs, using several sheets if needed, then place the ribs with the meaty side facing up. Season generously with the dry rub. Flip and season the bone side of your ribs as well. With the meat facing down, securely close the aluminum foil pouch, creating a tight seal. *If you'd like to add the optional apple cider vinegar, use it to brush over the ribs before seasoning in this step.
- Place the sealed pouch with the ribs onto a baking sheet and cook until tender and completely cooked through, about 2 hours. Remove the spareribs from the oven and increase the oven temperature to 400°F (205°C).
- Allow the ribs to cool slightly so that you can handle the 'pouch' of aluminum foil. Carefully vent the pouch to release the steam, then open and discard any fat juices. Flip your ribs so that the meat is facing upward again.
- Combine the liquid smoke with the BBQ sauce then brush onto your spare ribs, covering all sides. Leave the foil open and the spareribs with the meat facing upward, then return to the oven once it has reached 400°F (205°C).
- Cook for an additional 30-45 minutes. Reapply BBQ sauce, if desired. Remove from the oven when done, cut into individual ribs, and serve.
Notes
- Use a butter knife to slide under the silverskin, then a paper towel to grip the membrane. This is the easiest way to get a good grip on it for removal. *Once you have a section lifted from the fat layer, most of the membrane can be gently pulled away and off the ribs.
- Sprinkle your BBQ sauced ribs with a couple of tablespoons of light brown sugar when finishing for an extra sweet, sticky, and caramelized sauce layer.
- Using the optional apple cider vinegar is a great way to tenderize your ribs (especially if you opted to NOT remove the silverskin).
- Store leftover ribs either tightly wrapped in aluminum foil or in an airtight container. Keep refrigerated for up to 3-6 days, but use within the first 3-4 days for best quality.
- Freeze your BBQ spareribs for up to 4-6 months by wrapping them securely in heavy-duty aluminum foil and placing the wrapped ribs in an airtight container or freezer storage bag.
- Thaw frozen ribs in the fridge overnight to thaw before reheating.
- Preheat your oven to 250°F (120°C) then place your leftover ribs into a baking dish or rimmed baking sheet (you can add a touch of water or broth to keep them moist). Cover the dish with aluminum foil and heat for about 20-30 minutes, or until warmed through to your satisfaction. Note that you can also add more sauce, and for perfectly reheated ribs remove the aluminum foil and finish reheating uncovered for the last 10 minutes.
Pam says
Easy way to make ribs and they turned out perfect!!! Thank you for sharing your recipes.
Ed says
Thank you! Came out Perfecto!!