Bangin’ Baby Back Ribs are oven-baked to perfection, then slathered with an Asian-inspired spicy and sweet BBQ sauce. They’re gluten-free, paleo, and Whole30!
I love tender baby back ribs, but I hate the hassle of setting up the backyard grill or smoker. That’s why I created a super simple yet fabulous tasting baby back ribs recipe for our second cookbook, Ready or Not!, that you can bake it in the oven. Each bite yields a fiery punch, and the sticky-sweet sauce will have you coming back for seconds and thirds!
Many Nomsters have told me that my finger-lickin’ Bangin’ Baby Back Ribs are their favorite way to cook pork ribs, but for years, this recipe was only available in the pages of Ready or Not! Lucky for you, I finally decided to share the recipe here (but don’t let that stop you from buying my books, people)!
Healthier baby back ribs
My baby back rib recipe utilizes a sugar-free dry rub and a spicy-sweet barbecue sauce that uses 100% fruit-juice sweetened apricot jam in place of sugar. You can serve the ribs at any summer gathering, and no one will know that they’re chowing down on soy-free, gluten-free, and refined sugar-free pork ribs. You can be on a Whole30 and eat ’em, too!
Should you use baby back ribs or St. Louis ribs?
The choice is up to you because both types of pork ribs work in this recipe. I prefer baby back ribs because they’re leaner and meatier on top of the rib. Many folks like St. Louis ribs which are flatter, fattier, and meatier in between the ribs. In all honesty, I make a game-time decision when I arrive at the butcher counter—I just pick the one that looks the best or is on sale.
How can you make these ribs ahead of time?
You can season the ribs with dry rub up to 3 days in advance and store ’em in the refrigerator until you’re ready to cook. The homemade barbecue sauce can be prepared up to 4 days in advance and stored in a sealed container in the fridge. Once the ribs are cooked, you can refrigerate them for up to 4 days. You can reheat the leftover ribs in a 300°F oven for about 20 minutes or until heated through. Then, brush on additional sauce and broil for a few minutes or until bubbly.
Ingredients
Dry rub
- Diamond Crystal brand kosher salt
- Onion powder
- Garlic powder
- Paprika
- Freshly ground black pepper
Ribs
- 2 racks of baby back ribs or St. Louis ribs
Barbecue Sauce
- Apricot jam (100% fruit juice sweetened): Adds natural sweetness and tang to the sauce without any brown sugar! My favorite brand is St. Dalfour.
- Coconut aminos: my favorite substitute for soy sauce—and it adds umami and a smidge of sweetness to the sauce, too.
- Sriracha sauce: Imparts a delightful punch of heat to the sauce. Not a fan of heat? Then use just 1 tablespoon. If you want to keep it Whole30, be sure to whip up a batch of my Whole30 Sriracha to use in this recipe.
- Tomato paste
- Ginger: Fresh minced ginger works best in this recipe, but you can also substitute ¼ teaspoon ground ginger if you don’t have any fresh ginger on hand.
How to make bangin’ baby back ribs in the oven
Prepare the dry rub
In a small bowl, combine the spice rub ingredients and mix well.
Prepare and season the ribs
Pat the racks of ribs dry with a paper towel. If your butcher didn’t remove the silverskin on the bone side of the racks, pull this thin membrane off with your hands or with a paper towel.
Sprinkle the dry rub all over both sides of the rib racks. Rub it in with your hands.
Place the seasoned racks on a rimmed baking sheet and cover them loosely with plastic wrap. Refrigerate the ribs for at least 2 hours and up to 3 days.
Baking the ribs
When you’re ready to cook the ribs, heat the oven to 300°F with the rack placed in the middle position.
Take the ribs out of the fridge, remove them from the plastic wrap, and pat them dry with paper towels. Wrap each rack in aluminum foil or parchment paper and place the foil-wrapped ribs on a wire rack set in a rimmed baking sheet.
Bake the ribs for 1½ hours.
Then, take the baking sheet out of the oven and remove the foil from the ribs. Place the ribs meat-side up on the wire rack. Bake for 1 more hour or until the meat is easily pierced with a knife. (It may take up to 2 hours if your ribs are very meaty.)
Make the Whole30 and paleo barbecue sauce
While the ribs are cooking, combine the sauce ingredients in a small saucepan. Stir the sauce over medium heat until simmering. Set it aside until the ribs are done roasting.
Broil the ribs
When the ribs are done, take them out of the oven and turn on the broiler. Brush half the sauce over the racks, covering the tops and sides.
Broil the baby back ribs for 5 to 8 minutes or until well-browned. Watch them closely—the sweet sauce can easily burn!
Slice and serve
Transfer the ribs to a cutting board. When the ribs are no longer super hot, slice the ribs by standing them on edge and cutting down cleanly between the bones. Brush the ribs with the remaining barbecue sauce and serve!
What can you serve with the baby back ribs?
Some of my favorite side dishes for baby back ribs are the following:
- Pineapple Coleslaw
- Chopped Salad with Sesame Ginger Dressing
- Smashed Cucumber and Carrot Salad
- Red Cabbage Slaw with Tangy Carrot Ginger Dressing
- Spicy Mango Cabbage Slaw
- Mexican Watermelon Salad
Looking for more recipe ideas? Head on over to my Recipe Index. You’ll also find exclusive recipes on my iPhone and iPad app, and in my cookbooks, Nom Nom Paleo: Food for Humans (Andrews McMeel Publishing 2013), Ready or Not! (Andrews McMeel Publishing 2017), and Nom Nom Paleo: Let’s Go! (Andrews McMeel Publishing 2022).
PRINTER-FRIENDLY RECIPE CARD
Bangin' Baby Back Ribs (Oven Baked, Whole30)
Ingredients
Dry Rub
- 1½ tablespoons Diamond Crystal kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Ribs
- 2 racks pork baby back ribs (2½ pounds per rack) or St. Louis-style pork ribs
Barbecue Sauce
- ½ cup apricot jam 100% fruit juice sweetened
- ¼ cup Whole30 Sriracha you can use 1 tablespoon if you don't want it as spicy
- 2 tablespoons coconut aminos
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon fresh minced ginger or ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
Instructions
- In a small bowl, combine the dry rub ingredients and mix well.
- Pat the racks of ribs dry with a paper towel. If your butcher didn’t remove the silverskin on the bone side of the racks, pull this thin membrane off with your hands or with a paper towel.
- Sprinkle the dry rub all over both sides of the rib racks. Rub it in with your hands.
- Place the seasoned racks on a rimmed baking sheet and cover them loosely with plastic wrap. Refrigerate the ribs for at least 2 hours and up to 3 days.
- When you’re ready to cook the ribs, heat the oven to 300°F with the rack placed in the middle position.
- Take the ribs out of the fridge, remove them from the plastic wrap, and pat them dry with paper towels. Wrap each rack in aluminum foil or parchment paper and place the foil-wrapped ribs on a wire rack set in a rimmed baking sheet.
- Bake the ribs for 1½ hours.
- Then, take the baking sheet out of the oven and remove the foil from the ribs. Place the ribs meat-side up on the wire rack. Bake for 1 more hour or until the meat is easily pierced with a knife. (It may take up to 2 hours if your ribs are very meaty.)
- While the ribs are cooking, combine the sauce ingredients in a small saucepan. Stir the sauce over medium heat until simmering. Set it aside until the ribs are done roasting.
- When the ribs are done, take them out of the oven and turn on the broiler. Brush half the sauce over the racks, covering the tops and sides.
- Broil the baby back ribs for 5 to 8 minutes or until well-browned. Watch them closely—the sweet sauce can easily burn!
- Transfer the ribs to a cutting board. When the ribs are no longer super hot, slice the ribs by standing them on edge and cutting down cleanly between the bones. Brush the ribs with the remaining barbecue sauce and serve!
Video
Notes
- You can season the ribs with dry rub up to 3 days in advance and store ’em in the refrigerator until you’re ready to cook.
- The homemade barbecue sauce can be prepared up to 4 days in advance and stored in a sealed container in the fridge.
- Once the ribs are cooked, you can refrigerate them for up to 4 days. Reheat the leftover ribs in a 300°F oven for about 20 minutes or until heated through. Then, brush on additional sauce and broil for a few minutes or until bubbly.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I will try this hopefully this week!
Just a quick tip – I’ve been preparing ribs in the instant pot [20min (for NOT fall-off-the-bone ribs – if you want them falling off the bone, cook 35min) on high pressure, quick release] and finishing them under the broiler with the sauce. Comes out great. You might try that, since it really cuts down on the time.
That’s how I always cook my ribs. They come out fantastic!!!
Run don’t walk to make this recipe. Made it tonight and it was so delicious. I used the same seasoning and sauce on some chicken legs also and they were so good too! Highly recommend.
I’ve made this recipe a quite a few times; a couple of times by oven and a few times in the Instant Pot. This recipe is SOLID. If you’re on the fence about making this recipe for the first time, wait no longer. You won’t regret it.
Have you ever made this in a slow cooker and then finished under the broiler?
I haven’t, but I bet it would work!
these were amazing! my kids and I really enjoyed them, although I don’t then salty. to I would use a lot less salt next time.