Fall Off the Bone Oven Baked Beef Ribs Recipe

Learn how to cook incredibly delicious BBQ beef ribs in the oven. Most of the cooking time is hands-off, letting the ribs slowly bake until fall-apart tender.

The key is baking them low and slow. It’s the same approach we use for our popular pork ribs, and it works beautifully with beef. Once I started making beef ribs this way, I never looked back.

For this beef ribs recipe, we rub short ribs with a simple dry rub, sear them to build flavor, and then bake until unbelievably tender. A final layer of BBQ sauce goes on at the end, and as it finishes in the oven, it becomes sticky and glossy over the meat. They are incredible!

Key Ingredients

• Beef Ribs: This recipe is written for beef short ribs, which are meaty and become very tender when cooked low and slow. If using beef back ribs, you can still follow this method, but they may cook a little faster. Note, do not use flanken ribs (Korean-style ribs), as these are too thin for this cooking method. More details below.
• Dry Rub: Beef needs a generous amount of seasoning. We mix salt, pepper, smoked paprika, garlic powder (or granulated garlic), and onion powder.
• BBQ Sauce: Use your favorite store-bought sauce, or make our tangy BBQ sauce recipe.
• Apple Cider Vinegar: We add a bit of extra tang to the BBQ sauce with apple cider vinegar. White wine vinegar or champagne vinegar are good substitutes.
• Beef Stock or Water: This thins our BBQ sauce a bit. You only need ¼ cup, so if you have beef stock in the fridge, great. Otherwise, water does the job.
• Worcestershire Sauce: A teaspoon adds a bit more savoriness to the sauce.

Find the full recipe with measurements below.

How to Cook Beef Ribs in the Oven

Tip 1: Do not trim all the fat. When working with short ribs, we rarely trim much fat before cooking. The butcher has already done most of the work. If you see any very large pieces of fat or gristle, you can remove them, but avoid over-trimming. Some fat is key to tender, juicy ribs. As Chef Richard likes to say, “don’t go chasing the fat.”

Tip 2: Use our dry rub and sear before baking. Beef needs a good amount of seasoning, so use our simple dry rub early on to build flavor. It’s a mixture of salt, pepper, smoked paprika, garlic powder, and onion powder.

Rub the short ribs all over with the dry rub. They should be thoroughly coated. Then, sear them in a pan with some oil until golden on all sides. This step builds flavor and gives the fat on the outside a head start.

Tip 3: Bake them low and slow. High heat will toughen beef ribs before they have a chance to soften. A lower oven temperature gives us more time to slowly cook the connective tissues (collagen) and fat, which keeps the beef tender and juicy. In the photos below, the first one shows the seared ribs ready for the oven, and as you scroll down, you can see how tender they look after cooking them slowly in the oven.

For tender ribs, cook them at 275°F (135°C) for 2 to 3 hours, then add BBQ sauce and continue cooking for another hour. The size of your short ribs will affect baking time. We provide tips in our recipe below.

Tip 4: Cover the pan for most of the cooking time. Tightly cover your baking pan with foil so the ribs cook in their own steam. This prevents moisture from escaping and helps the ribs turn tender. Baking them uncovered for too long will dry them out.

Keep your ribs tightly covered with foil until the last 20 to 25 minutes. Then, uncover and bake until the glaze is shiny and sticky.

Tip 5: Check the ribs toward the end of cooking. Every oven runs a little differently. When the ribs are done, a fork should slide in easily with very little resistance. If they still feel firm, keep baking. Also, check the pan. There should be plenty of rendered fat and juices. If the pan seems dry, the foil was not sealed tightly enough.

Tip 6: Add BBQ sauce at the end. Spoon over your BBQ sauce during the last part of cooking. If added too early, you’ll lose some flavor, and the sugars in the sauce might even cause your ribs to dry out.

Brush on the BBQ sauce after the ribs have become tender, then return the pan to the oven. Finishing uncovered allows the sauce to thicken into a glossy glaze without burning or drying the ribs.

A Note on Types of Beef Ribs

There are four common types of beef ribs you’ll likely come across:

• Chuck short ribs: These are cut from the upper portion of the rib cage (closer to the shoulder). They are smaller, a bit more irregular in shape, and are the most common option in standard grocery stores.
• Plate short ribs: These come from the lower portion of the rib cage. They are larger, meatier, and have richer marbling. You are more likely to find them at a butcher shop or specialty grocery store.
• Beef back ribs: These have much less meat because they are usually removed after the rib roast or ribeye is cut away. Rib roasts or ribeyes are some of the most expensive cuts of beef, so most butchers leave very little meat on the bone. These work in the recipe below, but will cook faster. Start checking for tenderness earlier.
• Flanken ribs: These are cut very thin, sometimes called Korean-style or Kalbi. These do better with quick, high-heat cooking, and are not ideal for this recipe.

Our recommendation: If you have the choice, use plate short ribs cut into smaller pieces (about 3 inches long), sometimes labeled English-style. They have the best balance of meat and fat and become especially tender when baked low and slow.

Serving Suggestions

These BBQ ribs are rich and satisfying. Depending on their size, plan for 1 to 2 ribs per person. Short ribs can be quite meaty, which is one of the reasons we love them.

For serving, something fresh on the side works beautifully. Coleslaw is a favorite. Try our creamy coleslaw or vinegar coleslaw. A simple green salad with a bright lemon vinaigrette or honey mustard dressing is also a great match, and this napa cabbage salad is excellent. As shown in our photos, we also love a side of pickles for something tangy.

For more sides, Cajun butter corn, corn salad, or homemade cornbread are all wonderful. If you want something heartier, serve the ribs with mashed potatoes, a baked potato, or baked mac and cheese. Enjoy!

More Rib Recipes