St Louis Style Ribs Recipe (Oven Baked )
Learn how to make the perfect St. Louis Style Ribs. Oven Baked St Louis Style Ribs Recipe – made in the oven, covered in bbq sauce, these ribs are so tender, sticky and delicious! Grilling option available in the recipe notes.
These Oven Baked St Louis Style Ribs are one of my favorite family dinners.
They are so easy to make, too!
Why are they called St Louis Style Ribs?
The name St. Louis Ribs comes from the cut of the meat, not the seasoning or sauce used.
These ribs are baked in the oven, but they are perfect for a summer meal.
And of course you can make these oven baked St Louis style ribs for Memorial Day Weekend, at the same time you do all the grilling.
What are St. Louis Ribs?
St. Louis-style spare ribs are cut in a particular way with the sternum bone, cartilage and rib tips removed so that a well-formed, rectangular-shaped rack is created for presentation.
This cut of ribs originated with numerous meat-packing plants located in the region in the mid 20th century and put into the policy by a diehard fan of the St. Louis Cardinals baseball team. St. Louis style ribs are often a class entry in barbecue competitions.”
How to prepare Ribs for cooking?
- Step 1: Remove from the packaging and rinse with water. Pat dry with paper towels.
- Step 2: Remove the membrane on the bottom of the ribs.
- Step 3: Apply the dry rub. You can leave it on for 15 minutes to up to a few hours or start cooking the ribs.
- Step 4: Preheat oven to 350F. Place rack in the middle. Wrap ribs in aluminum foil. Place ribs on a baking sheet and bake for 2 hours, or a little less, until tender.
- Step 5: Remove ribs from foil and generously brush with barbecue sauce. Return to the oven and bake for 20-25 more minutes, until sauce has warmed up and turned darker. Cut into individual ribs. Serve.
How to cook St Louis Cut Ribs?
- These St Louis Ribs are baked at 350F in the oven, wrapped in foil and there is no way they can overcook, get dry or burn.
- You first make the ribs in the oven, seasoned and wrapped in foil, until they are almost done, but not fall off the bone.
- Then you baste them with barbecue sauce (homemade or store bought ), and bake for 30 minutes longer.
- Yes, that’s right, I bake them at 350F, which is relatively high temperature, compared to other recipes. It works just fine.
- I first rub the ribs with a mix of spices, wrap them in foil and bake them for 2 hours in the oven.
- After that, I brush them with a generous amount of barbecue sauce and bake them for another 15-20 minutes, unwrapped.
When is the best time to make ribs?
This recipe is perfect for any time of the year, because it requires minimal effort and tastes amazing!
I usually use store-bought barbecue sauce and this time I used Heinz The Carolina Vinegar Style Tangy Sauce has been a favorite in my house this year!
But really, any barbecue sauce would work!
And it is perfect for these oven baked St Louis style ribs.
Why buy these instead of Baby Back Ribs?
You may be curious, why did I choose St Louis Cut ribs, over baby back.
I always cook St Louis Style Ribs at home and order Baby Back when I’m at a restaurant.
They have more fat and are a lot more flavorful.
And St Louis Style are less expensive to purchase than Baby Back. St Louis Style ribs also require longer cooking time, since they are bigger.
Can these ribs be cooked on the grill?
Some people like to cook ribs in the oven and then finish them on the grill.
I personally rarely do so, because it makes a mess.
If you’d like to finish cooking your ribs on the grill, after you add the barbecue sauce on them, cook for 20-25 minutes on the grill, on low heat, flipping once.
Update!!!
I’ve received numerous comments and you guys seem to love this recipe.
I’ve received a lot of questions on how to make these St. Louis ribs on the grill.
I personally prefer making them in the oven, because they take around an hour and a half of cooking on the grill at temperature between 350F – 400F (not higher!) and this is a lot of time for me to spend around the grill, plus it takes a lot of gas (not cheap!).
If you’d like to cook these St. Louis Style Ribs on the grill, follow these steps:
- Rub ribs with the seasoning
- Preheat grill to 350F. Wrap ribs in aluminum foil and grill for 60 minutes.
- Unwrap the ribs, brush with barbecue sauce, wrap and grill for 15 more minutes. Unwrap again, brush with sauce again and wrap in the foil . Cook for 15-25 more minutes until tender.
Can St Louis Style Ribs be smoked?
Yes, absolutely! Check this Smoked Ribs Recipe that I posted in September of 2018. They are so good!
Sides to serve with ribs
Oven Baked St Louis Style Ribs
Ingredients
- 3-4 pounds St Louis Ribs
- 1 cup (or more if needed) Barbecue sauce of your choice
- For the spice rub:
- 1 tbsp salt
- 2 tsp black pepper
- 2 tbsp paprika
- 1 tbsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
- 2 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tbsp brown sugar
Instructions
-
Combine all ingredients for the marinade in a small bowl. Rub both sides of the ribs with it. Let ribs absorb the spices for at least 15 minutes.
-
Preheat oven to 350F. Place rack in the middle.
Wrap ribs in aluminum foil. Place ribs on a baking sheet and bake for 2 hours, or a little less, until tender.
-
Remove ribs from foil and generously brush with barbecue sauce. Return to the oven and bake for 20-25 more minutes, until sauce has warmed up and turned darker.
Cut into individual ribs. Serve.
Recipe Notes
- Rub ribs with the seasoning
- Preheat grill to 350F. Wrap ribs in aluminum foil and grill for 60 minutes.
- Unwrap the ribs, brush with barbecue sauce, wrap and grill for 15 more minutes. Unwrap again, brush with sauce again and wrap in the foil . Cook for 15-25 more minutes until tender.
Nutrition Information
Calories: 788, Fat: 41g, Saturated Fat: 8g, Cholesterol: 251mg, Sodium: 3568mg, Potassium: 1367mg, Carbohydrates: 33g, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 24g, Protein: 67g, Vitamin A: 1955%, Vitamin C: 0.4%, Calcium: 119%, Iron: 4.5%
Mmm now my mouth is watering for some ribs! We usually grill ours in the summer and put them in the oven in the winter. This backed version looks fantastic! Love the rub on here!
We are not eating a lot of meat at the moment, but we did have some ribs the other day and they were amazing. I am going to have to try your recipe, as they look equally epic!
I love ribs made in the oven. They come out so tender and juicy!! I can’t wait to give your version a try!!
The weather here has finally gotten hot, thankfully! I hope the rain doesn’t last long near you, Mira! But, rain happens, so it’s always good to have a backup plan when you can’t fire up the grill and these ribs are absolutely perfect for that! They look succulent and that BBQ sauce is sticky and fab! I could eat at least 2 racks. 😉 pinned! Cheers, girlie!
Thanks Cheyanne! Yeah, the weather can never be nice enough around here, after 2 gorgeous days, now we need to get some rain 🙂 Have a nice weekend!
Ooh, these look sooo beautiful, Mira! And it’s amazing that you can make this deliciousness with so few ingredients! 🙂
Simple and flavorful is always a winner! 🙂
Our weather has finally improved here in NC too! I’m definitely wanting some ribs like these in my near future!
My husband always smokes ribs, but it just takes too long. I love the idea of baking these in the oven and it doesn’t take too long either. These look so perfect, Mira!
I love smoked ribs, but I haven’t had luck making them, I guess I just need to practice 🙂 Hope you like these Danielle!
Aw man…. I LOVE ribs! I totally let my inner cave woman fly when I’m eating them! The weather out here has been a bit cool recently, but I hear it’s supposed to warm up over the weekend – keeping my fingers crossed 🙂
These look so good…I just don’t care if they were cooked in the oven or on a grill. All that really matters is the taste. And these look like they would taste amazing!
Mira, oh my gawd, these ribs!!! and I love that you made them in the oven! they look AMAZING! so much flavor!
I used this recipe today. The ribs were so tender and falling off the bone. My husband loved them. I paired it with a homemade Mac and cheese recipe I found on pinterest and baked beans. I look forward to making them again for labor day.
Thanks Debbie! So glad you liked the recipe and it worked for you! Happy 4th!
I’m so glad I found this!
Easy and descriptive. This is going in the oven in 20 minutes!!!
Thank you 🙂
Hi Elinor, hope the recipe works for you and you like the ribs 🙂
My hubby accidental came home with L-style vs baby back ribs. So glad I found your recipe! Hitting the oven shortly….dinner party this afternoon!! Thx!!
Hey Nancy, thanks for the nice words. Hope you like them! Super easy to make and you can’t go wrong with them!
Hi. Are these ribs fall off the bone? Thanks.
Yes, they are.
Just made these last night for family dinner! Such a big hit and they were so good. Definitely a fall off the bone recipe. Thanks, I’ll be making them again!
Thanks Bari! So glad you liked them!
I made these and they were the best ribs I ever had…thanks for sharing…
I’m glad you liked them Debbie! Thanks !!!
These turned out so moist and delicious. The seasoning mix makes the dish, they tasted good even before I put the BBQ sauce on
Thanks Alyssa! I’m so glad it worked out!!!
Delicious ribs! I made this last night and they were, tasty, juicy, and fell right off the bone! I baked them at 325 instead of 350 because my roommate happened to be using the oven and I didn’t want to wait and extra hour and a half for her to finish. But my ribs were a little under 3 pounds so I kept the cooking time the same and it was just delicious!
I’m so happy you liked these! Thanks Klaudia!
Made two full racks tonight, just doubled the recipe for marinade and wow ? , they came out flavorful and soft and yummy! Great recipe 🙂
Thank you so much Sophia! Glad you liked them!
I made these last weekend and they turned out amazing! They are the perfect fall-off the bone St Louis Style Ribs!!!
I love all the cooking options! Making these on the smoker today. The oven option is so easy and delicious!
I’m confused. In your notes at the beginning under How To Prepare St. Louis Ribs For Cooking (Step 5) you say to take them out of the foil after putting on the BBQ sauce and continue cooking. But then in your section titled How To Cook St. Louis Ribs the last comment says to cover them up with the foil again after putting the BBQ sauce on and the times different on those two steps. This is my first attempt at cooking them in the oven and I would like to do it correctly. Thanks.
Hi Shirley, sorry for the confusion.
You don’t wrap them again in foil after you add the sauce. Whatever is in the recipe card is correct.
Do you use all of the rub?
Yes, I use all the rub.
These were so fabulous and so easy, exceeded my expectations! The only change I would make next time is decrease salt to 1T.
Thanks Debra! Glad you like these! I’ll make a note for the salt for others to be aware.
The temp. you posted for doing the ribs on the grill shows 3500 degrees. I think you mean 350 degrees. At 3500 the ribs would VAPORIZE. I did them in the oven. I want to bottle the aroma. Anyone in the OLDEN days, if they cooked like this, they would be treated like queens or kings.
Thanks Ken! I’ll correct that. Glad you liked them! Need to make some ribs again 🙂
Do I prepare the ribs frozen or do I have to thaw them out? If I do have to thaw them, what’s the quickest way to do it if I’m wanting to cook it for tonight’s dinner?
You definitely have to thaw them. I usually thaw in the fridge overnight. To do it quickly, maybe try thawing on the microwave or (wrapped in plastic wrap) under running water. Hope you like them.
Your ribs are a hit at home! My husband was licking his fingers and asking for more. Totally delicious!
Hey Helene, glad you guys got to try these and actually liked them! This is my favorite ribs recipe 🙂
This is how we make ribs! We are in Iowa…so must be similar up here too!
Great! Glad to hear you make them the same way! They are so good 🙂
This is making me hungry! Looks so delish!
02/03/19, recipe didn’t need tweaking for my taste. The meat was cooked nicely, off the bone easily and fork tender. I used my favorite run and store bought sauce. A keeper.
Great! Glad you liked it Katy!
Thank you for the recipe! I fallowed your directions to the T and it turned out awesome. The second time I made them I only added 2 things, I rubbed yellow mustard on the ribs before the dry rub and I added 1/4 cup brown sugar to the rub. Thanks again!
Great! Glad you liked these ribs!
I noticed in the video it includes some brown sugar in the recipe. However, in the written instructions I don’t see it, so I’m not sure how much to use for this recipe.
For some reason it has disappeared from the recipe, I just added it now. It is 1 tablespoon.
Great recipe. Ribs were so tender I had to cut in half to flip over to baste. Fabulously tender and delicious. Had them in oven for a little over two hours. Then basted and back in oven for about 30 minutes. Good!
‘This is my second time making these! I wish I could upload a photo they look amazing and I have to admit they taste even better! Yum!
I’m usually not a St. Louis style rib person.. I’m usually a baby back preferred and I always prefer mine cooked outside with indirect heat on my weber grill! it’s easy because you don’t have to stand out there and baby them, this may be even easier!
Even in 80° heat I still cooked these inside today for the memorial day weekend and they turn out perfect and delicious every time.
I have to try the baby backs the same way! I never liked ribs cooked in the oven.. but this recipe is the best, it’s fail proof and I’ll still cook them on my grill, but this will be my go to oven recipe there’s no need to look any further. Thank you!
Great to hear you liked them! I used to not like St Louis Ribs, but this recipe makes them very tasty! If you are on instagram or facebook, you can tag @cookinglsl , I’d love to see them 🙂
This recipe turned out amazing.
Great! Glad you liked it Zoe!
These turned out great. Followed the oven roasted recipe exactly as written. Fall off the bone tender. Will definitely make again.
I have a question… I’m going to be making 12#s of ribs. Does that change to cooking time and if so, how much?
The reason that I’m making them to serve is that I’ve made them 2x for myself and they were delicious! From my experience, try #1: forgot the oregano in the rub, otherwise followed all of the directions and they were perfection!, try #2: put oregano in the rub but tried cooking longer at 200 degrees. Fail. I think the amount of time they were sitting in the juices boiled them or something, they never got tender and I did not like the taste of the oregano. try #3: left out the oregano and they’re in the oven now to do a test run & try two different sauces.
Hi Christy,
It shouldn’t change the cooking time. For this cut of ribs “St Louis Style” in my experience it is best to cook at a higher temperature in the oven. You can always leave the oregano out, I’ve hd this question a lot and quite a few people don’t even like oregano. Let me know how they turn out.
Hi Debbie
Perfect
Easy and Mmmm good.
Thank you
The best pork ribs I’ve made or eaten! And I’ve eaten a lot of them ❤️.
Have you tried your rub on beef ribs? If so, just as good? How would you adjust the recipe using beef ribs?
Thank you!
Great recipe and very simple to make. I have found that wrapping the ribs in foil and baking them is absolutely the best way to get tender and juicy ribs with minimal effort and mess. I make 2 racks of ribs and now hive enough leftover for another meal. I served them with home made potato salad and corn on the cob. Delicious!
I very rarely leave reviews for recipes even if they are pretty good, but we just finished eating these ribs for dinner and they got rave reviews from everyone at the table. This method of preparing ribs is spot on! Restaurant quality ribs with minimal effort. The only thing I did differently is omit the cayenne pepper and used smoked paprika instead of regular paprika. They were very tender, flavorful, and made the house smell heavenly while cooking! I will never make ribs any other way.
Hi Chrissy,
Thank you for the nice comment, I’m so happy the recipe worked for you! Have a great day!
Hello I have a quick question for you. I have St. Louis Style ribs but they have been cut into 1′ strips. Are there any changes in cooking time for the ribs cut this way? I plan to follow the recipe as stated even though they are cut in this way.
Thank you.
Hi Rina, I have not tried the recipe with cut St Louis Style Ribs, but I believe the recipe will work if you follow the exact directions. Let me know how it turns.
I made this tonight and it was Amazing! I am a slow learner when it comes to cooking and this recipe is easy to follow. The meet was super tender and flavorful. I will definitely make again
I’m glad you liked these Natasha 🙂
Do you think you could wrap the ribs in parchment paper instead of foil? I imagine it would come out in similar fashion, but the foil might hold a bit more heat.
I prefer foil to parchment for this recipe, but you can certainly try it.
Question, could I leave the ribs unwrapped after putting sauce on them and continuing to bake for 30 minutes more? My family likes a more “finished” look (like a grill look) to their ribs? I will be making 2-3 racks of ribs next weekend for a big family party, do I need to cook them longer?
Yes, you definitely can, just keep in mind that the sauce might dry out faster than 30 minutes.
I love these ribs … perfect every time.. I was going to try to grill them but then i saw “l Preheat grill to 3500F” in the update section and thought.. i dont think mine or anyone else’s BBQ goes that high… either way though… this recipe is fantastic .
Yeah, glad it works. It is 350 F and I’ll change it immediatelly!
I used this recipe and my boyfriend said it was one of his top 3 favorite meals!!! My first time ever cooking ribs as well!! Excellent recipe and very helpful!! You are awesome!!! Thank you!!! I will definitely use this multiple times!
Trying this recipe NOW, for dinner tomorrow. Can the ribs be rubbed and left overnight, baked tomorrow? Or do you suggest baking tonight, saucing tomorrow and finishing in oven?
Yes, you can rub, leave overnight and bake the next day.
Just tried your method. They were the best ribs I’ve made! My girl said I should never make them any other way, and I agree. Thank you for sharing this with all of us!!
I’ve used this recipe as the base for my recipe for a while now, but just wanted to get your opinion on it. FYI I don’t sauce mine but use a slightly different rub that’s thicker and cooks down to gooey stickiness in the oven, but do you cook yours meat side up or down?