Sticky, tender, and packed with flavor, this baby back ribs recipe delivers all the sweet and savory satisfaction of BBQ—no grill required. Inspired by my mom’s oven method and finished with a Chinese-style hoisin glaze (or bbq sauce), they’re fall-off-the-bone delicious and perfect for year-round cooking. Whether it’s a rainy day or you’re just keeping things simple, this rib recipe is a guaranteed crowd-pleaser. Don’t forget the napkins!
This is my baby back ribs recipe before I had a smoker—adapting my mom’s recipe, cooking them in the oven, and finishing them with a quick broil for that irresistible sticky glaze. You don’t need a big grill or fancy equipment—just an oven and a craving for something sweet, savory, and satisfying. Whether you're cooking in a spacious kitchen or a small apartment, these baby back ribs are easy, approachable, and full of flavor. If you do have a grill, you can finish them on the grill.
Jump to:
Why You'll Love This Baby Back Ribs Recipe
- No smoker? No problem – just use your oven and broiler.
- Sticky, sweet-savory glaze – made with hoisin for bold, irresistible flavor.
- Weeknight-friendly – ready in 90 minutes.
- Make-ahead option – prep early, broil just before serving.
- Small space approved – perfect for apartment kitchens or rainy-day cooking.
If you have a pellet grill, make these 3-2-1 baby back ribs. They are amazing and I walk you through every step!
Recipe Ingredients
- Baby back ribs – Tender and meaty, these cook beautifully using this oven method.
- Onion – Use yellow, white, brown, or sweet—whatever you have on hand.
- Orange – One large navel or two smaller oranges for natural sweetness and moisture.
- Lemon – Adds brightness and helps tenderize the ribs.
- Sauce – Choose from:
- My homemade hoisin sauce, thinned into a glaze.
- Bottled hoisin sauce.
- Your favorite BBQ sauce.
- Or my homemade BBQ sauce.
Please see the recipe card for measurements, salt, black pepper, and granulated garlic.
Substitutions and Variations
- Make It Spicy – Add red pepper flakes, a pinch of cayenne, or a drizzle of hot sauce to the glaze or before broiling.
Chef’s Tip: Baby back ribs are cut from the top of the rib cage and are naturally more tender and lean than other types like St. Louis or spare ribs. That makes them ideal for this faster oven method. Look for ribs labeled “baby back” or “loin back” for best results. You can use St. Louis-style ribs too. Just increase the baking time slightly since they’re meatier.
How to Make Oven Baby Back Ribs
Remove the ribs from the refrigerator about an hour ahead of time to get the chill off.
1. Prep the ribs:
Remove the silver skin from the back of the ribs. Use a table knife and run it under the small end under side of the ribs, then tear the silve skin off with a paper towels. Pat dry with paper towels. Season both sides with kosher salt, freshly ground black pepper, and granulated garlic.
2. Add citrus and onion:
Place the rib racks meat-side up on a rimmed baking sheet or roasting pan. Top with thin slices of onion, orange, and lemon.
3. Cover and bake:
Cover the pan tightly with foil. Bake in a preheated 350°F (175°C) oven for 1 hour, until the ribs are tender but not falling apart.
4. Glaze and finish:
Carefully discard the citrus and onion slices. Brush ribs generously with hoisin glaze (thinned hoisin sauce) or your favorite barbecue sauce. See notes in recipe card.
Option 1: Finish on the Grill
- Preheat the grill to medium-low.
- Place ribs directly on the grates.
- Cook for 20–25 minutes, turning every 5–7 minutes.
- Brush with more sauce each time you turn them to build up a sticky, caramelized coating.
Option 2: Finish Under the Broiler
- Adjust oven rack 1–2 levels below the top to avoid burning.
- Set broiler to high.
- Place ribs on a foil-lined baking sheet and brush with sauce.
- Broil for a few minutes at a time, brushing with more sauce between rounds, until caramelized.
Slicing Tip:
Flip ribs over on the cutting board and slice from the back side where you can easily see the bones. This makes cleaner cuts and better portions.
Chef's tip: When you unwrap the ribs from the foil there will be delicious juices accumulated. Pour them into a cup and save them in case you need to thin the barbecue sauce.
Serving Suggestions
These sweet and savory hoisin-glazed ribs are rich, sticky, and packed with flavor, so simple, classic sides are the way to go. Here are a few ideas to round out your meal:
- Potato Salad – Try my French-style potato salad with fresh herbs or a classic creamy version.
- Coleslaw – Cool and crunchy coleslaw balances the richness of the ribs beautifully.
- BBQ Baked Beans – A backyard favorite that pairs perfectly with smoky, glazed ribs.
- Corn on the Cob – Grilled or boiled corn on the cob, with butter and a sprinkle of salt.
- Watermelon Slices – Juicy and refreshing, especially on hot summer days, and here is a post in ways to cut watermelon.
- Simple Green Salad – A light, crisp counterpoint with a tangy vinaigrette.
For drinks, serve iced tea, lemonade, or chilled rosé—and don’t forget the extra napkins!
Leftovers and Storing
Store cooked ribs in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3–4 days. Reheat in a 300°F oven, covered with foil, until warmed through. Add a little extra sauce to keep them moist.
Another option is to shred the meat off the bones and use it for amazing tacos!
Recipe FAQs
Yes! This recipe is designed for exactly that. The ribs bake in the oven with citrus and onions for flavor and tenderness, then finish under the broiler for a caramelized glaze. No grill required.
Definitely. You can use your favorite bottled BBQ sauce, homemade BBQ sauce, or even go spicy with a chili garlic glaze. I often use my homemade hoisin-style sauce for a sweet-savory twist.
Yes—removing the silverskin (a tough membrane on the bone side) helps seasoning penetrate and keeps the ribs tender. Use a small knife to loosen a corner, then grab it with a paper towel and peel it off. It’s worth the extra step.
More Ways to Love Ribs
Try these rib-worthy side salads pair perfectly with sticky fingers, whether an easy bean sakad, a pasta salad, or a summer burrata peach salad.
Did You Make This Recipe?
If you make these oven baby back ribs, please add your comment. I appreciate your feedback and enjoy hearing from you. If you loved it, please give it a 5-star rating! They really help other readers.
📖 Recipe
Baby Back Ribs Recipe (Oven Method)
Ingredients
Ribs
- 3-4 pounds baby back ribs
- 1 medium onion thinly sliced
- 1-2 lemons thinly sliced
- 1-2 oranges thinly sliced
- 1 ½ teaspoons sea salt
- 1 ½ teaspoons granulated garlic
- ¾ teaspoon black pepper
- ¾ cup Hoisin sauce or BBQ sauce
Instructions
Prep the Ribs
- Pre–heat oven to 350 degrees.Remove baby back ribs from the refrigerator 1 hour ahead of baking time to get the chill off. Remove the silver skin (the tough membrane) from the back of the ribs. Slide a table knife under the thin layer at the small end of the underside, then grip it with a paper towel and pull to peel it off—it should come off in one piece.
Season ribs and create foil packet
- Pat the ribs dry with paper towels, then season both sides generously with kosher salt, freshly ground black pepper, and granulated garlic.
- On a half-sheet (13” x 18”) size rimmed baking sheet, place a large piece of heavy duty foil. Place rib racks in a single layer. Two racks will fit on one half sheet baking pan. Sprinkle ribs liberally with salt, garlic, and pepper. Top ribs with the onion slices, lemon and orange slices. Squeeze any extra orange pieces over the ribs. With more heavy-duty foil, enclose the ribs in a foil packet.
Bake the ribs
- Place the ribs in the oven for 50-60 minutes. When ribs are done, open the foil packet carefully, releasing the steam away from you. Drain the juices into a container and reserve if needed to thin sauce. If not, discard.
Finish the Ribs - grill
- Brush ribs with sauce on the top side (rounded side). Place ribs on a hot grill turned down to low and allow to cook for 20-25 minutes, turning occasionally with brushing with additional sauce until the ribs are thickly coated with caramelized sauce. Remove ribs from the grill, slice between the bones, serve with extra sauce on the side. For easier slicing, turn the ribs over and slice from the under side where you can see the ribs.
Finish the ribs - oven broiler
- Adjust oven rack 1–2 levels below the top to avoid burning. Set broiler to high. Place ribs on a foil-lined baking sheet and brush with sauce. Broil for a few minutes at a time, brushing with more sauce between rounds, until caramelized.
Notes
- Hoisin sauce – bottled or my homemade
- Your favorite BBQ sauce
Nutrition
Would you like to save this recipe?
Never lose a recipe! We'll email this post to you, so you can come back to it later.
Sawyer says
I made these tonight and they were a HUGE success... my first time I've ever made ribs, and I'll use this recipe forever. They were gone in a blink of an eye. I didn't use baby back ribs because the store didn't have them, but I used regular back ribs. These clearly took longer to cook but I took them out after 60 minutes after some color came into the meat and put them on the grill, which made them perfect. The flavor was amazing and it was incredibly tender and juicy. Thanks so much for this awesome recipe!
CestKoi says
I made those ribs last night for my brother's family and they were a success! Thank you for sharing this recipe
Sally says
I'm so glad they were a hit. Thanks for sharing. I love to hear that!
OlegT says
Sally you said to put it in the over for 50-60 minutes, My questions is will I be able to leave it in for lets say hour and a half for more tender ribs or that’s perfect the way you have it. I don’t have much experience in cooking ribs
Thank you,
Sally says
Hi Oleg. If you are cooking baby back ribs, the hour should be plenty. I don't think another 30 minutes would give you much in terms of additional tenderness. Please let me know how they come out. And thanks for the comment.
Vicki Bensinger says
These sound delicious and look so pretty with the sliced oranges. I do something similar but not with the oranges. I'll have to try that.
Razorblogger says
I think the pictures look awesome. The sauce sounds amazing. I think letting the meat get to room temperature "is asking for trouble", i think keeping meat at a cool temperature. Beneficial to keeping away bacteria that will turn your dish. Check out my tasty baby backs with Kansas Style BBQ sauce. They were a crowd pleaser.
Sally says
Dear Razorblogger. I'm glad you commented so I can clarify something for everyone about meat temperatures. Allowing meat to sit out for 45 minutes is completely safe. What you are doing is allowing the meat to get the chill off. It will roast better and you'll get better results. It's not really coming to room temperature. No fears about food safety. I'm Food Safe Certified and am very careful about such things. Now if you let it sit out for several hours, there could be issues.
The temperature danger zone is 41 degrees to 135 degrees. When food is in that range for more than four hours pathogens can grow to high enough levels to cause illness. Thanks again for the comment. Good chance to help everyone learn. Here is a link to more info on food safety. http://www.foodsafety.gov/.
Ang says
I came across your blog on a friends FB page, and the sight of these ribs have me salivating as I type. I would love to make these for my Moms Birthday coming up:)