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Oven Baked Ribs in a Sticky BBQ Glaze

Oven baked ribs marinated overnight in a dry rub before being roasted to perfection in a sticky BBQ glaze, the perfect finger-licking treat!

The ribs are slow-cooked at a low temperature to tenderise the connective tissue and then given an hour at a really high heat to develop that delicious bark.

Close up oven baked sticky BBQ pork ribs.

Slow Roasted Barbecue Ribs

I love ribs and cook them all of the time, they are my idea of perfect finger food.

These oven-baked barbecue ribs with a sticky BBQ glaze join other recipes that include slow cooker char siu ribs, stunning smoked BBQ ribs, apple glazed Instant Pot ribs and even glazed bacon ribs.

Despite a long old cooking time, they are incredibly easy to make and require no kitchen skills whatsoever.

Both the dry rub and the glaze involve nothing more than mixing together some ingredients.

As for the cooking, you do nothing fo 4 hours. Other than put your feet up and drink in that delicious aroma!

For the final hour, you do need to get up and baste the ribs every 15-20 minutes, but it is hardly challenging.

Oven baked sticky BBQ pork ribs served with salad and wedges.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I have to remove the membrane?

No, it is not essential!

Those who say keep the membrane say that it helps with fat retention and leads to juicier ribs. Those who say remove the membrane say that you get more flavour from glazes and rubs.

I fall into the latter category, but there is no definitive answer.

What is black treacle?

Treacle is a bi-product of the sugar refining process. It is a dark bittersweet viscous fluid that is superb at giving a rich sweetness and body to BBQ marinades.

If you are in the US you can substitute this for blackstrap molasses.

Do I have to leave the dry rub overnight?

To get a real deep flavour on the ribs, yes. However, if you are pushed you can reduce it to 1 hour, but the flavour will not be anywhere near as punchy.

Can I cook these ribs any quicker?

I have a technique for cooking ribs in a pressure cooker and then finishing them off in the oven. It is my Chinese spare rib recipe and you could use a similar technique.

You would need to separate the ribs and marinate them in the dry rub overnight. Then coat in the sauce and pressure cook with a little water in the base of the pot for 20 minutes.

Finally, give them another coat of sauce and blast them in a fiercely hot oven for 12-15 minutes.

Oven baked sticky barbecue pork ribs served with salad and wedges.

Serving Suggestions

I like to serve this oven baked BBQ ribs with some tatties and a side salad.

Usually, my choice would be air fryer potato wedges, they are simple to cook and using the air fryer eliminates any timing clashes with cooking the ribs.

However, as these ribs get an overnight marinade, you have plenty of time to plan. So you could make these superb crispy fried polenta chips!

On the salad front, you could opt for a simple green or even a bagged salad.

This spicy mango salad with rocket provides a wonderfully refreshing and zingy side.

Another wonderful option would be a slaw of some description.

This simple no mayo coleslaw would be perfect as it is light and crisp, you could also try this leek slaw, it is wonderfully original and delicious.

Slow cooked oven baked sticky bbq pork ribs.

Equipment Used

I only name-check brands of equipment if I think they make a material difference to a recipe. If you have any questions feel free to as them in the comments section below the recipe.

  • Oven.
  • Mixing/prep bowls.
  • Baking tray and rack.
  • Measuring spoons.
  • Pastry brush.
  • Tin foil.
Slow cooked oven baked sticky bbq pork ribs.
Yield: 2 Servings

Oven Baked BBQ Ribs Recipe

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 5 hours
Marinade Time: 12 hours
Total Time: 20 hours 15 minutes

These slow-cooked oven-baked barbecue pork ribs may take a while to cook but the intensity of flavour and tenderness of the pork makes it all worth it!

Ingredients

  • 500g (18oz) Bone In Pork Ribs
  • 1 Tsp Coarse Sea Salt

Dry Rub:

  • 1 Tsp Spicy Smoked Paprika
  • 1 Tsp Sweet Paprika
  • ½ Tsp Garlic Powder
  • ½ Tsp Ground Cumin
  • 2 Tsp Brown Sugar
  • 1 Tsp Dried Oregano
  • 1 Tsp Black Pepper
  • 1 Tsp Dried Oregano

For the BBQ glaze:

  • 4 Tbsp Tomato Ketchup
  • 2 Tbsp Black Treacle or Molasses
  • 2 Tbsp Red Wine Vinegar
  • ½ Tsp Garlic Powder
  • ½ Tsp Ground Cumin
  • 1 Tsp Dried Oregano
  • 1 Tsp Dried Thyme

Instructions

Dry Rub

  1. Remove the membrane from the bottom of the ribs by pulling from a corner. If you are careful (and a little lucky) it will come off in one go.
  2. Mix together all of the ingredients for the dry rub and massage it thoroughly into the meat.
  3. Place the ribs on a cooling rack so that air can circulate underneath and place them in the fridge overnight.

Cooking the Ribs

  1. Mix all of the ingredients for the BBQ sauce in a bowl.
  2. Place a cooling rack in a roasting tin and then pour 250ml (1 cup) of water into the base of the tin. It is important that the water does not come into contact with the pork ribs.
  3. Season the pork ribs with the coarse sea salt.
  4. Paint the pork ribs with the BBQ sauce using a pastry or basting brush, you should have plenty left and we will use this later.
  5. Cover the baking tin with foil and place the ribs in the oven for 4 hours at 130°C or 265°F.
  6. After 4 hours, remove the foil from the ribs and give them another coating of bbq glaze.
  7. Return the ribs to the given and turn up the heat to 200°C or 400°F and cook for a final hour.
  8. Every 15-20 minutes brush with the remaining BBQ glaze.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

2

Serving Size:

1

Amount Per Serving: Calories: 979Total Fat: 78gSaturated Fat: 23gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 35gCholesterol: 263mgSodium: 1706mgCarbohydrates: 18gFiber: 3gSugar: 11gProtein: 54g

Calorific details are provided by a third-party application and are to be used as indicative figures only.

Did you make this recipe?

If you made this recipe, I'd love to see what you did and what I can do better, share a picture with me on Instagram and tag me @krumplibrian and tell me how it went!

Corina Blum

Thursday 10th of May 2018

These sound delicious! Who doesn't love ribs anyway no matter how they are cooked? I'm also a fan of using the oven for them.

Brian Jones

Thursday 10th of May 2018

Me too Corina!

Tristin

Wednesday 9th of May 2018

I too prefer my ribs low and slow in the oven! Your two stage rub is genius, will for sure be saving this one for the next time i get the chance to do up some ribs.

Brian Jones

Thursday 10th of May 2018

Thanks Tristin... Enjoy!

Amanda

Wednesday 9th of May 2018

Great photos Brian! Love how dark and moody these shots are.

Brian Jones

Thursday 10th of May 2018

Thanks Amanda!

Christine

Tuesday 9th of June 2015

So crazy. Guess what's defrosting in my fridge right now for dinner tomorrow? RIBS. I'll be trying this!

Brian Jones

Wednesday 10th of June 2015

Super, please do let me know how it goes... As much as the ribs are the star I personally thing that the cheeky little sauce with the slow roasted onions steals the show a little, I could just sit there and eat a vat of the stuff with a spoon!

Nagi@RecipeTinEats

Saturday 23rd of May 2015

Ribs are one of my all time favourite meats. So whenever I see a rib recipe, I always jump onto it to check it out. This is quite different from anything I have seen before which I love! Especially the sauce!! Saving this one to try!

Brian Jones

Monday 25th of May 2015

Thanks Nagi, I love roasting meat on a bed of onions, blitzing them up with the juices and a little stock always makes for a richer fuller 'gravy' than anything else I have seen and I am certainly one of those people that thinks that everything is better with onions :)

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