Baby Back Ribs
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Baby back ribs are an all-time favorite! The tantalizing aroma rising from your grill will have friends and family salivating in anticipation. This baby back ribs recipe produces tender fall-off-the-bone goodness. Expect your crowd to come back for seconds!
BABY BACK RIBS
Grilling ribs is a very simple process. No experience is needed! My secret weapon for making tender, juicy BBQ ribs that really impress: Smithfield Extra Tender Fresh Pork Ribs. With this delicious recipe you’ll spend less time cooking and more time enjoying a flavorful meal with your family.
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INGREDIENTS FOR BBQ RIBS
All you’ll need for scrumptious BBQ ribs are 5 simple ingredients. Everything is available at your local Walmart.
- Smithfield Extra Tender Fresh Pork Back Ribs
- BBQ sauce
- Spice rub for ribs
- Limes
- Fresh cilantro
EXPERT NOTE: Smithfield ribs are hand trimmed. They contain no added hormones or steroids, which is important for my family and yours!
BABY BACK RIBS RECIPE
When it comes to BBQ ribs, this is the best baby back ribs recipe. Here’s how to cook them the #teamfast way, starting in the oven and ending on the grill!
PREPARATION: Preheat oven to 350°F. With the back side of the ribs facing up, take a knife and loosen up an edge of the silver membrane. With a paper towel, grip it firmly. Pull it up and off in one long strip.
- APPLY SAUCE & SPICES: Line a large baking sheet with an oversized piece of thick aluminum foil, shiny side down. Lay meaty side of the ribs face down in the middle of the foil. Squeeze lime juice over the ribs. Wait 2-3 minutes for the citrus juice to soak in. Brush BBQ sauce over the ribs. Generously sprinkle on the spice rub. Turn the rack of ribs over and repeat.
- START BBQ RIBS IN OVEN: Tent the meat by creating a foil packet. Bake for 1 hour and 10/15 minutes, or until a meat thermometer reads 190°F when inserted into multiple areas near the bone and away from the bone. Remove from oven.
- FIRE UP THE GRILL! Set outdoor grill to medium heat. Remove rack of ribs from foil and transfer it to the grill.
- FINISH BABY BACK RIBS ON GRILL: Grill for 15 minutes, turning ribs frequently and brushing with more BBQ sauce.
HOW TO SLICE BBQ RIBS
- Remove ribs from grill. Transfer to a cutting board.
- Allow the rack to rest for 10 minutes. This is important for tender juicy ribs! It will give the natural juices on the surface a chance to deeply penetrate the meat.
- Use a sharp knife to slice the ribs between the bones.
- Transfer to a serving tray and garnish with freshly-chopped cilantro!
EXPERT TIPS FOR BABY BACK RIBS
- Thickness not weight determines the actual time needed to cook and grill BBQ ribs. They’re done once they reach an internal temperature of 190°F.
- For food safety, invest in a good-quality digital thermometer. Don’t depend on the dial thermometer that’s on your grill. It may be off by 50°F or more.
- When ribs are on the grill, flip them often. This helps the flat of ribs cook evenly on both sides, and helps prevent the grates from producing excessive black grill marks across the surface of the meat.
- How many ribs per serving? Count on 3-4 ribs for the average eater. Heartier appetites may require 5-6 ribs.
BBQ RIBS YOUR WAY!
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RATE THIS RECIPE ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Did you enjoy these baby back ribs? Rate this recipe in the comments below!

Baby Back Ribs
- Total Time: 1 Hour 45 Minutes
- Yield: 4 Servings 1x
Description
Nothing says summer like a rack of delicious, grilled, baby back ribs! To satisfy your hungry crowd, this baby back ribs recipe starts in the oven and finishes on the grill. Say hello to tender, juicy BBQ ribs. The meat just falls off the bone!
Ingredients
- 1 rack Smithfield Extra Tender Fresh Pork Back Ribs®
- BBQ sauce
- Spice rub for ribs
- 2 Limes (plus extra limes for serving)
- Fresh cilantro
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F . Loosen membrane on the back of the ribs with a knife. Remove it by pulling it back and off with your fingers and a paper towel.
- Line a large baking tray with an oversized piece of aluminum foil. Place ribs bone side up on the foil. Cut limes in half. Squeeze lime juice over the ribs. Wait 2-3 minutes for the citrus juice to soak in. Brush BBQ sauce over the ribs. Generously sprinkle the ribs with spice rub. Turn the rack of ribs over and repeat.
- Tent the meat: lift the edges of the foil up and over the meat and create a foil packet. Bake for 1 hour and 10/15 minutes, or until a meat thermometer reads 190°F when inserted into multiple areas near the bone and away from the bone. Remove from oven.
- Preheat outdoor grill. Remove rack of ribs from the foil and transfer it to the grill. Grill ribs for 15 minutes over medium heat, turning frequently and brushing with more BBQ sauce as desired. Remove from heat and transfer to a cutting board. Allow ribs to rest for 10 minutes before slicing. Garnish with freshly-chopped cilantro!
Notes
EXPERT TIPS FOR BABY BACK RIBS
- Thickness not weight will determine the actual cooking time needed for BBQ ribs. Ribs are done when they reach an internal temperature of 190°F.
- For food safety, invest in a good-quality digital thermometer. Don’t depend on the dial thermometer that’s on your grill. It may be off by 50°F or more.
- When ribs are on the grill, flip them often. This helps the flat of ribs cook evenly on both sides, and helps prevent the grates from producing excessive black grill marks across the surface of the meat.
- How many ribs per serving? Count on 3-4 ribs for the average eater. Heartier appetites may require 5-6 ribs.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 Hour 30 Minutes
- Category: BBQ Dinner
- Method: Oven + Grill
- Cuisine: American
Keywords: Baby Back Ribs, BBQ Ribs
BABY BACK RIBS > JOIN THE CONVERSATION
Grilling season is in full swing! Do you have any BBQ tips to share? What do you think about this yummy baby back ribs recipe? Join the conversation in the comments below!
What a great recipe! I can’t wait to give this a try.
Yum! I love how easy you made making amazing ribs!
★★★★★
These look so yummy! I can’t wait to try them.
★★★★★
This recipe is so perfect for summer! My hubby-to-be loves ribs, so I have to try this recipe out sometime soon!
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What a great recipe and so perfect for summer!!!
★★★★★
Can’t wait to try this recipe!! Looks so good, thanks for sharing!
Perfect recipe for grilling season! Sounds like the perfect food for next time we have a BBQ.
Yay! Finally, I can have a good recipe for 4th of July! I love baby back ribs!
★★★★★
I am drooling over these ribs. They look so perfect. Can’t wait to make them!
★★★★★
My brother in law grilled ribs during a recent cookout, and they were delicious. I have never tried it for myself, though. I definitely want to!
We will definitely try this recipe! Baby back ribs is a little expensive here but totally worth it. Yummy!
I’ve been wanting to prepare baby back ribs so thank you for the recipe. It’s grilling season and it’s always fun to try new recipes.
Those ribs look so good. It’s been so long since I’ve had ribs. I need to give these a try real soon. I’ve been wanting to make ribs for so long now.
I’ve always wanted to try ribs on the grill but I’ve never been brave enough!! You made it look easy! My husband doesn’t grill it’s all on me, but I’m going to give it a try!!!
Super tender ribs! Followed the recipe to a “T” and now I don’t think I’ll ever go back to only grilling ribs. The oven to grill technique is perfect!
★★★★★
We were literally just talking about making baby back ribs this weekend. I am definitely going to try your recipe out! Just gotta run to the store and grab a few racks :)
★★★★★
Falling off the bone is the only way to eat ribs! These look mouthwatering!!
★★★★★
I must make this recipe! I love ribs, and these look perfect! Thanks for the awesome summer recipe!
This looks amazing and can’t wait to share with my husband whose a HUGE grill master- we actually haven’t had ribs in a while so this will be on the menu soon!
Oh yum! It’s definitely grilling weather here and I’d love to make these ribs. The flavors you used sound so nice.
★★★★★
We LOVED this recipe! Will be making again (and again!)
★★★★★
This recipe looks so good! My husband loves baby back ribs and this recipe is just right for him. I love the idea of serving them with Twisted Iced Tea.
I am going to make this recipe next week for the fourth! Can’t wait to try because it looks delicious
★★★★★
All I can do right now is sing the BABY BACK RIB song in my head by Chili’s! hahahaa! #greatmarketing
These look SO good. It’s been ages since we’ve had ribs, so we’ll have to make these for sure. Maybe for 4th of July!
Smithfield is the only pork I buy when it’s time to get my grill on. We love ribs and I’m always looking for new grilling recipes.
★★★★★
Hey Denay…This looks amazing & sounds awesome…i want to make it….Thanks for sharing…..!
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