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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! Serve with my favorite Perfect Boiled Corn On The Cob or Oven Fries. For a summer potluck, you can pair them with this flavorful Mango Salsa.
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 rub 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.
Notes
Can I make these St Louis Ribs On The Grill?
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.
What ribs to choose?
Look for ribs with a lot of meat on the bones and a layer of fat, which will help keep them moist and juicy during baking.Removing the membrane
One of the most important steps, when cooking ribs is to remove the membrane. Use a sharp paring knife to loosen it, then pull it off. This way the ribs absorb the seasoning and sauce better.Bake them slowly
While this recipe suggests baking the ribs at 350 F (180 C), which is not that low, be patient and don’t increase the temperature to rush the process. This is a recipe for fall of the bone ribs.Use foil
Cover the ribs in foil, this will prevent the outside from drying out and it is going to keep the inside moist and help it cook faster.Should you use any liquid to baste the ribs while baking?
There is no need to use basting liquid, since the ribs are baked in foil.Finish the ribs with sauce
Use your favorite BBQ sauce and add it for the last 30 minutes of baking. Do not add the sauce at the beginning.Size of the rack of ribs, oven and temperature
Make sure you follow the recipe, but please use your judgement to find out of the ribs are cooked to your desired doneness.Check for doneness
The internal temperature of the meat should reach around 190°F to 205°F (88°C to 96°C). The meat should be tender and has to pull back from the bones slightly.Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Can u prepare the ribs the day before and cook in foil; then, the next day add bbq sauce and finish cooking uncovered?
Yes, you can.
Absolutely fabulous! This recipe is so flavorful. It is simple in preparation but the outcome is enormously delightful and delicious! Just perfect
This recipe is a keeper. I make ribs both in the oven and on the grill depending on the weather. My husband loves my ribs, but I have not been happy with the way my St. Louis Style ribs have been turning out when cooked in the oven lately. Pork back ribs are perfectly cooked in the oven wrapped in foil for 2 hours at 250 degrees, But I couldn’t get the timing right for the larger ribs – until now. Cooking them at 350 degrees make a huge difference, my ribs came out so tender and juicy. I am also a big fan of your simple, yet delicious rub. Only thing I added was some onion powder. I will continue to use this recipe from now on and my family agrees.
Wow! So easy and absolutely amazing! My husband voted them better than a local restaurant that was named as Top 5 ribs in the state! Only substitution I made was to use smoked paprika and add a couple dashes of Liquid Smoke under them to get a bolder smoked taste. Easy cleanup was a bonus!
This is such a delicious recipe and so easy to do in the oven — don’t be afraid to make your own ribs from scratch! I’ve made the recipe a few times already and the ribs are always a crowd pleaser. I’m sorry to mention a brand, but last night I used Stubb’s sticky sweet bbq sauce and it complimented the rub perfectly. Thank you so much for posting.
Made these for my parents and my mom said if they were any more tender, you’d have to serve them with a spoon! Thanks for the recipe!
Just tried this recipe a couple days ago-it’s a keeper! Simple, easy prep and delicious. The hardest part was waiting the couple hours for the ribs to cook. I had two racks and doubled the spice marinade-perfect amount. We like a little heat, and I happened to have some hot paprika on hand, so subbed 1 tbls for reg, and I used Stubb’s brand “slow heat” bbq sauce for the finish. Leftovers added a nice zing to a “clean out the veggie drawer” fried rice dish the next night. Thanks for the recipe!
I do not like fall off the bone. Will the recipe make them FOTB?
yes, just reduce the cooking time and try.
Just made them. Needed an oven backed recipe for 2 hours or less. They are perfect, falling off the bone. I wrapped them tightly in 2 layers of foil and baked at 350 for exactly 2 hours. They were good right out of the oven, and almost didn’t wait to add the BBQ sauce.
These were really good. I thought the underside was a bit wet/mushy. Much more fat on this cut than baby backs. Next time, I would sauce and BBQ the ribs for the second stage instead of leaving them in the oven. That would crisp them up somewhat. Great taste and very quick/easy.
Thanks!