These tender, fall off the bone ribs are sticky, sweet, and tangy with a hint of spice. They’re a sinch to make and will have your guests begging for more.
It’s finally sunny more often than not here on the west coast. Finally! This is the time of year that all of us have been waiting for/dreaming about since the rain started last year. I think those of us that live on the west coast of BC just live here because the summers are so awesome! We have about 3 or 4 amazing months where we can count on the sun being out on the weekends. The other 8 or 9 months we wonder why the hell we choose to live in this land of rain, but it sure makes us appreciate these few months of sun all the more! When the sun comes out, you can pretty much guarantee that every single patio is full, all the camping sites are taken and BBQ’s are being fired up!
Along with drinks on the patio season comes BBQ season! I think ribs are often one of those BBQ meals that most people just order in a restaurant. However, they are simple and arguably even more delicious at home. I think people can sometimes get intimidated with making ribs because they think it’s difficult to get them fall off the bone tender. But its super easy to get perfect fall off the bone ribs every time, it just takes a little patience.
Debbie and I have made fall off the bone ribs a number of different ways over the years, but this is by far the easiest and the best! The spice rub that we coat the ribs in before cooking them in the oven, infuses them with such great flavor as they slowly cook! And the sweet and tangy glaze that goes on once they get their final cook on the BBQ takes these fall off the bone ribs over the top. They are sticky, sweet, tangy and fall off the bone tender with a hint of spice. If you follow this recipe, you will have everyone asking for it at your next BBQ.
The trick to get fall off the bone ribs is to wrap them in tinfoil and cook them for a couple hours in the oven first. Low and slow. You can easily do this ahead of time too and then finish cooking the ribs when your guests arrive or when you get to the BBQ. We had to actually cut the ribs into smaller pieces to put them on the BBQ because they were falling apart when we tried to lift them! You know your ribs are going to be good when…. 😉
Remember to always remove the membrane on the back of the ribs before you start cooking them. Here’s a link to a youtube video on how to get rid of the membrane. And this is what it looks like:
- 2 - 3 racks of Baby Back Pork Ribs
FOR THE SPICE RUB: - 1 tbsp Granulated Garlic
- 1 tbsp Onion Powder
- 1 tsp Red Chilli Powder
- 1 tsp Smoked Paprika
- 1 tsp Cinnamon
- 2 tbsp Brown Sugar
- 2 tbsp Coarse Salt
- 1 tbsp Cumin
- 1 tsp Black Pepper
FOR THE BBQ SAUCE - ⅔ cup of Maple Syrup
- 3 tbsp Apple Cider Vinegar
- 2 tbsp Brown Sugar
- 3 tbsp Ketchup
- 3 tbsp Mustard
- 4 tsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tsp Salt
- 1 tsp Pepper
- Pinch of Red Chilli Flakes (optional)
- If it hasn't been done already, take off the membrane from the bottom side of the ribs.
- Mix all the ingredients of the rub together into a bowl.
- Sprinkle the rub on each of the ribs and rub it all around so that all parts of the ribs are covered in the spice mixture. Wrap tinfoil around each rack and seal.
- Cook in the oven at 300 for at least 2 hours or until the meat is very tender.
- In the meantime, make the BBQ sauce by adding each of the ingredients to a bowl and whisk to combine.
- Remove the ribs from the oven and the tinfoil. We also cut ours in pieces of 3 to 4 ribs per piece. This just makes it easier to turn on the BBQ.
- Get your BBQ heated to about 350.
- Place on the BBQ and baste with sauce. Keep turning and basting with the sauce until the ribs are well coated in sauce and have some crispy bits on the edges.
- Remove from the BBQ and serve! Make sure to have some paper towels and finger bowls handy!
thanks ladies! really clear instructions. great way to make proper American ribs!
Hi Mallory, thanks so much! Hope you enjoy them!
I’m one of those people who loves ordering ribs at restaurants. They’re super tasty, and it’s nice when someone else cooks them for you. However, I’m always looking for new recipes to try at home, and I might want to try this out now. If I can manage this recipe, I will be very happy and full of ribs this summer. Thanks for the recipe!
Hi Hazel! I hear you, ribs are often a restaurant meal in our house too. But every once in a while we make them for dinner and its ALWAYS worth it.