St. Louis Style Ribs in the Oven
This recipe makes extra tender St. Louis style ribs in the oven with a few simple pantry ingredients. They come out juicy, flavorful, and fall-off-the-bone good.
I’ve loved ribs as long as I can remember. “Ribs and noodles” was my most-requested meal as a child. While there are plenty of ways to make them, including grilled, smoked, and even boiled, there’s one foolproof method that I use year-round: oven baked.
These St. Louis Style Ribs in the oven require no fancy equipment, no grill, and you’ll just need a few pantry ingredients to make them. They turn out fall-of-the-bone tender every single time.
The ribs are cooked twice in the oven. First, they bake low and slow until perfectly tender. Then, they’re slathered with bbq sauce and then broiled in the oven until the bbq sauce becomes glaze-like and the ribs are lightly browned. It’s my go-to method for making ribs, and I hope you love them as much as we do.
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Kate’s Tips for Making Ribs
- Ask the butcher to remove the membrane, or do it yourself (instructions below). It’s more simple than it sounds, I promise. The membrane is tough and chewy, and removing it allows the bbq rub to flavor the meat better.
- When the ribs are done, you’ll be able to easily insert a paring knife into the meat of the ribs.
- The bbq sauce makes or breaks the ribs, so use your favorite!
- Double the recipe. I always buy ribs when they’re on sale and make two racks of ribs: one for now and one for later. I’ll freeze one rack after the initial baking (before adding the bbq sauce), and then they’re almost ready for dinner for next time.
What You’ll Need
- While this recipe specifically calls for St. Louis style ribs, I also use this method for baby back ribs. You can easily double the recipe if you have two racks to make at the same time.
- Like smoke flavor? This recipe calls for regular paprika (my preference) but smoked paprika works well here too.
How to Make St. Louis Ribs in the Oven
- Remove the membrane for the ribs (scroll down for a how-to on this).
- Mix the brown sugar, garlic powder, paprika, and salt.
- Rub the brown sugar mixture on both sides of the ribs.
- Cover with foil and bake at 275°F for 3–3½ hours.
- Uncover and brush with bbq sauce. Broil for 2–3 minutes about 6 inches away from the heating element, or until the sauce is slightly sticky and the ribs are brown in spots.
- Let the ribs rest for 10 minutes before slicing.
Removing the Membrane from the Ribs
The underside of a rack of St. Louis ribs has a membrane that will need to be removed. Otherwise, the ribs will be tough. Turn the ribs over on a baking sheet, and you’ll see a thin white membrane covering most of the underside of the ribs. Here’s how to remove it:
- Start on one end of the ribs, and use the tip of a paring knife to pry up a piece of the membrane. Sometimes I’ll make a little slit a few inches long to get more of it.
- Grab the membrane with a paper towel. It is slippery and will slide right out of your hand otherwise.
- Pull the membrane across the ribs, pulling it up and across to remove it.
- It doesn’t have to be perfect; just do your best to get most of it off.
This whole process takes me a minute or two. You can always ask the butcher to do it for you also.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! Bake the ribs as directed, but don’t add the bbq sauce or broil them. After baking, cut the rack in half for easier storage, wrap in foil, and place in a resealable freezer bag. The ribs will last in the freezer for a few months. When you’re ready to eat them, defrost overnight, then slather with bbq sauce and broil until warmed through.
275°F for 3–3½ hours
Yes. Covering the ribs will get you the most tender and juicy result. Cover the whole pan with foil or use a covered baking dish.
You’ll be able to easily insert a paring knife into the meat of the ribs.
The ribs weren’t baked for long enough. The meat needs time to break down under low heat. Use a low oven temperature (275°F) and give them enough time (about 3 hours).
Just bake the ribs for another 15 minutes with the bbq sauce on.
What to serve with Ribs
I serve ribs with a starch and a vegetable, typically something like roasted sweet potatoes and roasted broccoli, or mac & cheese and a salad. Here are a few recipes that pair nicely with ribs:
- Bisquick cheddar biscuits
- Old fashioned mac & cheese
- French onion soup potatoes
- Baked mashed potatoes
For a cookout, I love Grandma’s old fashioned potato salad or a macaroni salad, and some sour cream cucumbers.
📖 Recipe
St. Louis Style Ribs in the Oven (Extra Tender)
Ingredients
- 1 rack St. Louis style ribs (2½–3 lbs)
- ⅓ cup light brown sugar
- 2½ teaspoons salt
- 2 teaspoons paprika
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ⅓ cup bbq sauce plus more for serving
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 275°F.
- Place a sheet of foil or a silicone baking mat on a large baking sheet. (You can also bake the ribs directly on the baking sheet but it’s more difficult to clean later.) Place the oven rack in the middle of the oven.
- Place 1 rack St. Louis style ribs meaty side down on the baking sheet. There should be a thin white membrane running along part of the ribs that is face up. Use a paring knife to pry a corner of the membrane up, then grab the membrane with a paper towel (it’s slippery!) and pull it across the length of the ribs to remove it. Sometimes it comes off in pieces and it doesn’t have to be perfect—just get as much as you can.
- In a small bowl, whisk together ⅓ cup light brown sugar, 2½ teaspoons salt, 2 teaspoons paprika, and 1 teaspoon garlic powder.
- Spread half of the brown sugar mixture over the ribs, then flip and spread the remaining brown sugar mixture on the other side. Try to get any extra brown sugar mixture off the pan and onto the ribs (this makes it easier to clean later).
- Bake for 3 hours. You should be able to easily insert a paring knife into the meat of the ribs, and the meat will start to pull away from the bone. If not, cook for an additional 15–30 minutes. Remove from the oven.
- Preheat the broiler, positioning a rack about 6 inches away from the broiler.
- Drain any grease from the pan. If you used a silicone mat, remove that now, as it can’t go under a broiler.
- Slather ⅓ cup bbq sauce over the ribs on both sides.
- Broil the ribs, watching them CLOSELY, for 2–3 minutes. You can broil just one side or do both sides. The bbq sauce will be bubbly and then start to get brown in spots. Take them out when they’re done to your liking. Let rest for 10 minutes before slicing.
- Serve the ribs with extra bbq sauce if you like.
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