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My Grilled Baby Back Ribs with Sweet and Spicy Rub will change your grilling game forever! This is the juiciest, most delicious pork rib recipe, that’s fall-off-the-bone tender with barbecue sauce and a homemade dry rub.
Jump to:
- Best Baby Back Ribs
- Baby Back Ribs on the Grill
- Grilled Baby Back Ribs Ingredients
- How to Cook Baby Back Ribs
- BBQ Ribs Recipe Tips
- Dry Rub for BBQ Ribs
- Best Pork Ribs for Grilling
- Oven Roasted Baby Back Ribs
- Baby Back Ribs FAQs
- Baby Back Ribs Grill Temperature
- How Long to Cook Baby Back Ribs
- Internal Temp for Baby Back Ribs
- How to Cut Pork Ribs
- How to Reheat Ribs
- Side Dishes for Ribs
- 📌 Pin it for later!
- 📋 Recipe
- 💬 Reviews
Best Baby Back Ribs
I believe grilling with family and friends is one of life’s simple pleasures – I love easy recipes on the grill when entertaining! BBQ baby back ribs are one of my absolute favorite grilling recipes.
My family makes this recipe at least once a month – and I am talking year-round. After all, that’s one of the perks of living in Florida: It’s always grilling season!
And let me tell you, that’s my favorite part about living in Florida. It’s easy to feel like a superstar behind the grill. There is nothing like the feeling of grilling up a dish that has everyone saying WOW!
These baby back ribs are just amazing. Super easy to make and just incredible. Thank you for the recipe!
James on Pinterest
Baby Back Ribs on the Grill
My secret to getting everyone excited about what I’m cooking starts with the ingredients – which means picking the perfect fresh pork ribs!
Pork ribs on the grill smell so incredible your neighbors will come knocking at your door hoping for a dinner invitation. Pick them up at your local Walmart and GRILL ON!
Grilled Baby Back Ribs Ingredients
- Baby Back Ribs
- Rib dry rub (your choice; or, use our dry rub for ribs)
- Barbecue sauce (use your favorite)
- Garlic powder
How to Cook Baby Back Ribs
- On a large rimmed baking sheet, rub each rack of ribs all over with the rib dry rub and refrigerate overnight. Make sure to cover the entire racks well and pat down the rub. It’s called a rub for a reason…. rub rub rub and pat pat pat on both sides, you want a really nice coating!
- Bring the ribs to room temperature when ready to cook. Clean the grill grates. You want nice clean grill grates for these baby back ribs. Light gas grill to medium, approximately 300°F.
- When grill is warm, place the ribs on the grill grates and close the lid. I like to check on these ribs every 20 minutes or so. I move them around a bit if I feel they are cooking unevenly. Grill for approximately 1 hour.
- Mix the BBQ sauce and garlic powder. At the 1 hours mark, brush the ribs with the BBQ Sauce using a basting brush. Give them a good coating.
- Turn the heat to low and shut the grill for approximately 15 minutes. Only baste with BBQ sauce in the last 15 to 20 minutes of grilling or the sugars will burn.
- Remove from grill and transfer to a large cutting board. Let the ribs rest for 10 minutes. Using a sharp knife, cut each rib in between each bone.
- Serve with additional BBQ sauce on the side.
BBQ Ribs Recipe Tips
Follow these tips for cooking ribs on the grill, and you will have perfect, fall-off-the-bone ribs every time.
- There are many different thoughts on this, but I have made this recipe thousands of times and have never removed the membrane from the ribs. You simply do not need to do this when grilling BBQ baby back ribs.
- Rub both sides of the ribs very well with the rib dry rub. It’s called a rub for a reason – so rub rub rub and pat pat pat it down!
- You’re going to be cooking baby back ribs on the gas grill for an hour on low, so make sure you have propane in your tank.
- Only baste with BBQ sauce in the last 15 to 20 minutes of grilling, or the sugar in the sauce will burn.
- Let your grilled baby back ribs rest for at least 15 minutes before cutting them. If you skip this step, the ribs will lose their juiciness and become dry.
Dry Rub for BBQ Ribs
- Packed brown sugar
- Onion powder
- Garlic powder
- Creole seasoning
- Black pepper
- Paprika
- Salt; preferably Himalayan sea salt
- Cumin
- Chili powder
- Mustard powder
When you dry rub baby back ribs, our Rib Rub Recipe is the rub to use. It’s part of what makes this the best baby back ribs recipe! You can use the dry rub of your choice, but we highly recommend giving this recipe a try.
Best Pork Ribs for Grilling
Each package is hand-selected and hand-trimmed so you know you’re getting the most meat on each bone, and the flavor is irresistible. They’re meaty, cook to fall-off-the-bone perfection, and are tender on the grill or in the oven.
There’s a reason Smithfield is the #1 rib brand in the U.S. You should eat what you love – so I always choose Smithfield products! Their ribs, pulled pork, and pork chops are always my family’s favorite to grill up quick weekday meals or smoked dinners over the weekend.
Smithfield Ribs are easy to find at your local Walmart or through the online Walmart Store. This way, you know you’re getting a deal for the best ribs!
Oven Roasted Baby Back Ribs
- Season the ribs all over with rib dry rub, cover well, and refrigerate overnight.
- Preheat the oven to 325°F. Allow the ribs to come to room temperature, then lay them bone-side down on a wire rack. Fit the wire rack on a baking tray lined with foil.
- Add to the oven and bake for approximately 1 hour. After 1 hour, brush with BBQ sauce and continue cooking for 15 minutes. When the ribs reach 195°F to 200°F, they are ready to enjoy.
You can also prepare baby back ribs in the air fryer. Try our Air Fryer Pork Ribs!
Baby Back Ribs FAQs
Also known as loin back ribs, baby back ribs are from around the loin area of the pig rather than the belly, and are more tender than spare ribs. They’re curved and short with plenty of lean meat on the bones. Baby back ribs are pork and are also called pork back ribs. When you eat bone-in pork rib loin chops, the baby back ribs are a part of that cut.
Yes! However, if you use pork spare ribs in this recipe, you will need to add an additional 2 hours of cooking time. Baby back ribs are smaller than spare ribs and take less time to cook.
Baby Back Ribs Grill Temperature
Light your gas grill to medium-high at approximately 300 degrees for about 1 hour. After the 1-hour mark, baste the ribs and turn the heat to low for 15 minutes.
How Long to Cook Baby Back Ribs
When the grill is warm, place the ribs on the grill grates and close the lid. I like to check on these ribs every 20 minutes or so. I move them around a bit if I feel they are cooking unevenly.
Grill for approximately 1 hour.
Internal Temp for Baby Back Ribs
Though the safe grill temperature for ribs is 145°F, you will achieve the most tender results between 195°F to around 200°F. Use a meat thermometer to check the temperature when grilling baby back ribs.
How to Cut Pork Ribs
- Lay your ribs flat with the back side of the ribs facing up, to cut from the back.
- Using a sharp knife, cut right next to the rib, between each rib, to ensure each cut has plenty of meat on the bone.
How to Reheat Ribs
- Place the ribs in a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil. Preheat oven to 250˚F.
- Bake in preheated oven until the meat reaches about 140˚F and is heated through.
- Uncover the ribs and brush with barbecue sauce. Continue to bake for another 10-15 minutes uncovered.
Side Dishes for Ribs
- Grilling Corn on the Cob
- Grilled Potatoes
- Instant Pot Corn on the Cob
- German Potato Salad
- Instant Pot Potato Salad
- Elote Recipe
You will love all my Pork Chop Recipes! They are all super easy to prepare when you are looking for perfect quick and easy dinner ideas.
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📋 Recipe
Amazing Baby Back Ribs
Equipment
- Grill
- Tongs
Ingredients
For grilled baby back ribs
- 2 pounds Smithfield Baby Back Ribs
- ¼ cup Rib Dry Rub your choice, or our dry rub
- 1 cup Barbecue Sauce
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
Instructions
- On a large rimmed baking sheet, rub each rack of ribs all over with the rib dry rub and refrigerate overnight. Make sure to cover the entire racks well and pat down the rub. It's called a rub for a reason…. rub rub rub and pat pat pat on both sides, you want a really nice coating!
- Bring the ribs to room temperature when ready to cook. Clean the grill grates. You want nice clean grill grates for these baby back ribs. Light gas grill to medium, approximately 300°F.
- When grill is warm, place the ribs on the grill grates and close the lid. I like to check on these ribs every 20 minutes or so. I move them around a bit if I feel they are cooking unevenly. Grill for approximately 1 hour.
- Mix the BBQ sauce and garlic powder. At the 1 hours mark, brush the ribs with the BBQ Sauce using a basting brush. Give them a good coating.
- Turn the heat to low and shut the grill for approximately 15 minutes. Only baste with BBQ sauce in the last 15 to 20 minutes of grilling or the sugars will burn.
- Remove from grill and transfer to a large cutting board. Let the ribs rest for 10 minutes. Using a sharp knife, cut each rib in between each bone. Serve with additional BBQ sauce on the side.
Video
Notes
- I have made this recipe thousands of times and have never removed the membrane from the ribs. You simply do not need to do this when grilling BBQ baby back ribs.
- Rub both sides of the ribs very well with the rib dry rub. It’s called a rub for a reason – so rub rub rub and pat pat pat it down!
- You’re going to be cooking baby back ribs on the gas grill for an hour on low, so make sure you have propane in your tank.
- Only baste with BBQ sauce in the last 15 to 20 minutes of grilling, or the sugar in the sauce will burn.
- Let your grilled baby back ribs rest for at least 15 minutes before cutting them. If you skip this step, the ribs will lose their juiciness and become dry.
Frank says
Love the char you get from putting the ribs on the grill, thanks for all the helpful tips
Sara Welch says
Enjoyed this for dinner last night and it did not disappoint! So bold, juicy and fall off the bone delicious; the whole family loved it!
Reis says
Those baby back ribs looks amazing! I can’t wait to make these for my family.
Liam says
Talk about a perfect Summer grilling recipe! My family is going to love these. Thank you for this great recipe.
David says
What side do you cook them on? Do you flip them over during the 1 hour cook time?
Em Beitel says
Hi David! We cooked them bone side-up to begin with, then did flip them when brushing them with the BBQ sauce. Thank you for your question!
MJ says
I’m new to grilling. Do you cook over direct heat or indirect heat?
Em Beitel says
Hi MJ! Grill over direct heat for these. Thank you and enjoy!
Shana says
Made these on Saturday, and they were so good! Had a couple guests over for dinner, and they both agreed they were really tasty! Will definitely be making these again!
Em Beitel says
Thank you so much, Shana! We’re so glad you and your guests enjoyed the ribs!