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These Baked Beef Ribs are perfectly seasoned with a simple Texas-style dry rub and then cooked slowly to perfection to make some tender fall off the bone ribs.
Here are some flavorful sides to serve with your tender beef ribs: Potato Salad, Southern Baked Mac and Cheese, Baked Beans, Collard Green Coleslaw, Banana Pudding, and Peach Cobbler.
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Beef ribs have possibly been around since man first started barbecuing. Traditionally, beef ribs are cooked low and slow on the grill for hours until tender with an incredible bark. However, cooking outside is not always an option, which is how oven baked beef ribs became a thing to save time while still creating juicy, tender ribs in the oven. You can serve them with homemade bbq sauce or a tangy barbecue sauce from the store.
I first learned how to make oven baked ribs at my first restaurant job after I finished culinary school, and although those were pork ribs, the technique is the same for beef ribs. I start by marinating them in a wet rub of hickory liquid smoke and worcestershire sauce; then, generously season them with kosher salt, black pepper, and garlic powder, the perfect dry rub for beef.
I'll let that sit out covered at room temperature for 1 hour in a baking pan or sheet pan, depending on how large the ribs are. These beef ribs are too large to fit in a roasting pan. Letting them set out allows the salt to penetrate and dry brine the thick cut of beef.
Then I pour in some water to prevent it from burning and wrap it with plastic and foil to create the perfect conditions for the ribs to steam and get tender. Bake them in the oven for a couple of hours, remove the foil, and continue cooking until the ribs are tender. I like to serve them with my honey bbq sauce, which is finger-licking good!
Key Ingredients
Before you start whipping up these incredible beef ribs, look at this list of ingredients to make sure you have everything you need.
Beef Rib
Chuck short ribs/ beef plate short ribs have some bomb flavor! You can find them at Costco or Sam's Club. They're cut from the section between the chuck and short ribs, giving you a meaty, tender, and juicy piece of beef. You can also use beef back ribs, which are more common at the local supermarket.
Seasoning
The dry rub is simple but requires a lot to ensure you season the ribs to the bone! The best combination is kosher salt, cracked black pepper, and granulated garlic powder.
Wet Rub
Hickory liquid smoke will give you the taste of grilled ribs in the oven, and the worcestershire sauce creates a depth of flavor.
How To Cook Oven Baked Beef Ribs
Making bone-tender bbq beef ribs takes time, but cooking them in the oven will save you a third of the time it takes to make them on the grill.
Place ribs in a baking pan or baking sheet, and pour liquid smoke and worcestershire evenly over both racks' front (meat side) and back (bone side). In a small bowl, mix salt, black pepper, and garlic powder and liberally season both sides of the ribs. Cover and set on the counter for 1 hour to marinate.
Preheat oven to 300°F/148°C. Wrap the pan with plastic wrap, then foil and bake for 2 hours. Remove the ribs from the oven, remove the foil and plastic wrap, add water, and pop the ribs back in the oven for another 2 hours until the ribs are tender. The meat will draw noticeably from the bone. If you would like to serve bbq ribs, in the last 30 minutes, sauce the ribs, and finish cooking.
Cool for 15 minutes before slicing into individual ribs. Serve with your favorite bbq sauce and sides.
How To Store Beef Ribs
You can marinate the ribs for up to 8 hours before cooking. Leftover beef ribs are best 3 days after cooking, but they'll be delicious for 7 days if stored in an airtight container in the fridge. I wouldn't recommend freezing cooked beef ribs at all.
Reheat the whole ribs in a 350°F/ 176°C oven for 15-20 minutes until hot; reheat cut beef ribs for 10-12 minutes or until hot.
Pro Recipe Substitution, Tips & Tricks
Here are the best practices, techniques, substitutes, and flavor builders you'll need for these fall off the bone beef ribs.
- Using flaky salt like kosher and butcher cracked pepper is best. The large pieces cover more surface area and create a gorgeous crust.
- Finished ribs have an internal temperature of 202-203°F degrees. Insert in the thickest part of the beef ribs to confirm. If you do not have a meat thermometer, a knife should easily pierce the ribs close to the bone.
- Do not buy beef short ribs. They're cut from the same section, but you don't want them cut already. You're looking for beef plate short ribs.
- Beef ribs do not have a membrane to remove. There may be some silver skin to remove; use a small knife and cut a small piece away from you, then grab it and cut slowly in the opposite direction to remove it all. You may need to remove some excess fat to expose it fully. Silver skin is infamous for getting stuck in your teeth.
- Feel free to use mesquite liquid smoke if that's all you can find; it'll still be absolutely delicious.
- Beef ribs have a significant amount of fat on them, so there's no need to rub them with olive oil or any other oil.
- It's best not to serve immediately after coming out of the oven. If you cut oven baked beef ribs right out of the oven, all the succulent juices will run out of the ribs and onto your cutting board.
FAQ
Here are the top questions readers have about oven baked beef ribs.
How long does it take to cook beef ribs in the oven at 350?
Cooking your beef ribs at 350°F/ 176°C is too high of a temperature. The ideal temperature is 300°F/148°C. It takes about 4 hours to cook beef ribs in the oven. I like to cover them with foil for the first 2 hours so they steam, then remove the foil for the last 2 hours so they can develop a gorgeous bark all over.
Do you bake ribs meat side up or meat side down?
For the best results, when cooking oven baked beef ribs, it is recommended to place the meat side up. This allows the fat to baste the ribs as they cook, resulting in a succulent, tender, and flavorful beef rib.
Do beef ribs get more tender the longer you cook them?
Indeed, as you cook beef ribs longer, they become more tender. The connective tissue's collagen in beef ribs breaks down at an internal temperature of 180-200°F, resulting in the delectable, lip-smacking tenderness we crave in beef ribs or brisket. The best beef rib is achieved by slow-cooking them for several hours.
Can you overcook ribs in the oven?
Yes, it is possible to overcook ribs in the oven. While ribs do become more tender the longer they cook, there is a point at which they can become dry and tough if cooked for too long. This happens because too much moisture has evaporated during a long cooking time. The key is to find the right temperature and time to create tender ribs.
Is it best to cover ribs in the oven?
For bone tender tender and juicy beef ribs, it's highly recommended to cover the ribs with foil when you bake them. This keeps them moist by trapping heat and steam to help prevent the ribs from drying out during the long cooking time. It's also essential to remove the foil during close to the final cooking times so the crust can caramelize and form a crust (bark).
More Beef Recipes
Here are a few more mouthwatering beef recipes to add to your recipe rotation:
- Roast Beef Po-Boys
- Beef Stew
- Grilled Beef Ribs with Cherry Cola Glaze
- Root Beer Braised Short Ribs
- Jamaican Oxtails
Before You Begin
Before getting started, here are the steps I use to get organized.
Step 1: Read the recipe one time before you begin cooking.
Step 2: Measure everything out into individual bowls.
Step 3: Start following the recipe and get ready for some fire oven baked beef ribs!
Making oven baked beef ribs is both an art and a science, blending the right mix of seasonings, temperature, and cooking time to achieve perfectly cooked, flavorful, and undeniably satisfying ribs. This is a recipe that the whole family will love for dinner, game day, or cookout.
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📖 Recipe
Oven Baked Beef Ribs
Ingredients
- 2 beef plate short ribs
- 1 cup hickory liquid smoke
- ½ cup worcestershire sauce
- ½ cup kosher salt
- ½ cup black pepper
- ¼ cup garlic powder
- 1 cup water
- 2 bottles of favorite bbq sauce
Instructions
- Place ribs in a baking pan or baking sheet, and pour liquid smoke and worcestershire evenly over both racks' front (meat side) and back (bone side). In a small bowl, mix salt, black pepper, and garlic powder and liberally season both sides of the ribs. Cover and set on the counter for 1 hour to marinate.
- Preheat oven to 300°F/148°C. Wrap the pan with plastic wrap, then foil and bake for 2 hours. Remove the ribs from the oven, remove the foil and plastic wrap, add water, and pop the ribs back in the oven for another 2 hours until the ribs are tender. The meat will draw noticeably from the bone. If you would like to serve bbq ribs, in the last 30 minutes, sauce the ribs, and finish cooking.
- Cool for 15 minutes before slicing into individual ribs. Serve with your favorite bbq sauce and sides.
Notes
- Using flaky salt like kosher and butcher cracked pepper is best. The large pieces cover more surface area and create a gorgeous crust.
- Finished ribs have an internal temperature of 202-203°F degrees. Insert in the thickest part of the beef ribs to confirm. If you do not have a meat thermometer, a knife should easily pierce the ribs close to the bone.
- Do not buy beef short ribs. They're cut from the same section, but you don't want them cut already. You're looking for beef plate short ribs.
- Beef ribs do not have a membrane to remove. There may be some silver skin to remove; use a small knife and cut a small piece away from you, then grab it and cut slowly in the opposite direction to remove it all. You may need to remove some excess fat to expose it fully. Silver skin is infamous for getting stuck in your teeth.
- Feel free to use mesquite liquid smoke if that's all you can find; it'll still be absolutely delicious.
- Beef ribs have a significant amount of fat on them, so there's no need to rub them with olive oil or any other oil.
- It's best not to serve immediately after coming out of the oven. If you cut oven baked beef ribs right out of the oven, all the succulent juices will run out of the ribs and onto your cutting board.
Jamie says
Does this really call for half a cup of salt and a half cup of pepper?
Kenneth Temple says
Hi Jamie, one beef short plate can weigh up to 5 lbs. and the recipe calls for two of them, you need that much to season the meat to perfection. However, feel free to reduce the amount by half. They'll still be good but not as good.