Beef Back Ribs In the Oven

What Makes This Recipe So Good

• The oven takes all of the guesswork out of cooking this particularly tricky cut of meat! Simply season your beef back ribs, wrap them in foil, and transfer them to the oven. Leave them to cook low and slow, before returning to perfectly tender and juicy ribs – YUM!

• You can serve them however you’d like! The quick and easy homemade dry rub included in the recipe is insanely delicious on its own. However, if you’re like me and crave even more flavor, finish your ribs off with your favorite barbecue sauce. These beef back ribs are incredibly tasty no matter which way you serve them!

• They’re a total crowd pleaser! Everyone will go crazy for this intensely flavorful recipe. I especially love throwing this recipe together for dinner guests and watch as they go crazy over this dish!

Key Ingredients

Beef Back Ribs – Beef back ribs are the meat remaining after the butcher removes the ribeye roast off the bones. These ribs are known for being particularly lean since they don’t contain much meat. Though you’ll still find a decent amount of beef that when properly cooked is juicy and delicious! You can make this recipe using either a full rack of beef back ribs, or sliced ribs. I used sliced ribs since an entire rack is sometimes hard to come by.

Smoked Paprika – Since we’re cooking these ribs in the oven, the smoked paprika emulates that delightful smokey flavor as if you’d cooked them on the grill. If you don’t have smoked paprika, I highly recommend you pick some up. However, you can definitely use regular paprika instead!

Chef’s Tips

• Resist the urge to remove the ribs from the oven before at least the 3 hour mark. By baking them wrapped in foil, the meat soaks in as much flavor as possible. If you check on them too early, you risk releasing too much steam, and therefore flavor, from the beef back ribs.

• These ribs are best enjoyed immediately after cooking! However, you can store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. To reheat, transfer the ribs to a baking sheet, cover them with aluminum foil, and bake at 350° Fahrenheit for 15 to 20 minutes or until warm throughout.

• Do not attempt to increase the temperature of your oven. Four hours seems like a long time, but trust me, it is so worth it! Cooking these beef back ribs low and slow encourages the collagen in the meat to slowly break down, creating super tender beef.

Other Barbecue Recipes You’ll Love

• Farmhouse BBQ Muffins

• Honey BBQ Chicken Wraps

• Crispy Baked Chicken Wings

Instructions 

1. Preheat the oven to 275° Fahrenheit. Line the baking sheet with a sheet of aluminum foil and set aside. Place 4 pounds beef back ribs on the cutting board.

2. Add 2 teaspoons smoked paprika, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon onion powder, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1 teaspoon black pepper to a small mixing bowl. Mix until ingredients are well blended, then cover ribs with dry rub on all sides.

3. Place seasoned ribs on a foil-lined baking sheet, bone-side up. Cover ribs with a second sheet of foil and wrap edges of foil sheets tightly to seal foil around ribs.

4.  Place the baking sheet in the oven and bake ribs bone-side up for 4 hours.

5. After 4 hours, remove ribs from the oven. Unwrap ribs and discard aluminum foil. Drain any remaining fat from the baking sheet, then return ribs to the baking sheet with bone side facing down.

6. Brush ½ cup BBQ sauce on ribs, coating ribs thoroughly on all sides.

7. Set broiler to High. Place the baking sheet approximately 6 inches below the broiler and broil 3 to 5 minutes, or until the skin of ribs is crispy and caramelized.

8. Carefully remove the baking sheet from the oven. Divide ribs into preferred portions and serve warm with desired sides.