Guarantee juicy, effortless ribs using my oven baked country style pork ribs recipe! My family swears they’re the most tender ribs ever!
Craving ribs? You’ll love my beef chuck short ribs, boneless beef short ribs, or air fryer ribs.Table of Contents
- Why I love this recipe
- Key ingredients
- How to oven bake country style pork ribs
- Arman’s recipe tips
- Frequently asked questions
- Oven Baked Country Style Pork Ribs (Recipe Card)
- More recipes using pork shoulder
Growing up, ribs were something we only ate at BBQ restaurants. Rarely did we have them at home, and if we did, it would have been after my parents borrowed a friend’s smoker. No more!
Don’t get me wrong, I love smoked ribs as much as anyone (especially my 321 ribs!), but using the oven is much more convenient. The results are equally mouthwatering, fork tender ribs…just with half the effort and cook time.
What are country style ribs?
Country style ribs aren’t actually from the ribs at all. They’re actually from the pork butt or shoulder area, which is the same cut of pork used in carnitas. The meat is cut into slender strips and cooked in the style of ribs.
Why I love this recipe
- More meat for less work. No ribs means you get more meat per serving, so you’re getting a bigger bang for your buck.
- Easy to cook. I always thought ribs were time-consuming or hard to perfect, but I promise, this recipe couldn’t be easier. Oh, and it needs just 5 ingredients.
- Affordable. Pork butt is one of the most affordable cuts of pork since it can be tough unless properly cooked.
- Customize it. Use any BBQ sauce you want to completely transform the flavor, or try a spice rub or brine. I’ll list plenty of suggestions below.
Key ingredients
- Pork ribs. Also known as pork butt or pork shoulder. I’m able to find this cut both boneless and bone-in, though I prefer boneless pork ribs for convenience. If you’re using bone-in country-style ribs, add 20 minutes of cooking time.
- Oil. To rub on the ribs before seasoning them.
- Salt and black pepper. To taste.
- Barbeque sauce. To coat the ribs in. I like to make sugar-free barbecue sauce when I have time, but any good quality grocery store brand works.
How to oven bake country style pork ribs
I’ve included step-by-step photos below to make this recipe easy to follow at home. For the full printable recipe instructions and ingredient quantities, scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Prep. Preheat the oven and line a baking dish with aluminum foil.
Season. Coat the ribs in oil, salt, and pepper. Place them on the baking sheet.
Bake. Bake the ribs covered, flipping halfway through. After 90 minutes, increase the oven temperature.
Second bake. Discard excess liquid and coat the ribs in sauce. Bake until a meat thermometer reads the internal temperature as 202-205F. Rest the ribs for 5-10 minutes before serving.
Arman’s recipe tips
- Plan on 2 ribs per person. They’re much bigger than regular ribs, and I find 2 ribs to be more than enough, especially if you’re serving Japanese potato salad with it!
- Pat the ribs dry with paper towels. If you do this before seasoning them, you’ll notice a far crispier exterior. Plus, the sauce will stick better to the ribs.
- Cover the ribs. I chose not to cover them because I wanted the exterior to get crispy, but if your oven runs hot, you can cover the ribs in foil for the final 30 minutes of the first bake to lock in moisture. Just be careful when you open the foil, as a lot of steam will have built up inside.
- Stick to the temperature! Don’t increase the temperature too early in the baking process, or you’ll end up with tough, dry ribs.
Variations
- Use a spice rub. Swap the salt and pepper for a store-bought barbeque rub, or mix salt, pepper, smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, and a little brown sugar.
- Mustard. For a Carolina Gold style of BBQ sauce, add a few tablespoons of mustard to your sauce before basting the ribs.
- Heat. Add chili powder or cayenne pepper to the salt and pepper mix.
- Brine the ribs. Swap salt and pepper for a sea salt soak to impart more savoriness.
Frequently asked questions
How do you tenderize pork ribs?
The best way to guarantee your country ribs come out juicy and tender is to cook them at a low and slow temperature, covered in aluminum foil. This will help to preserve the heat and slowly tenderize this cut of pork so it doesn’t become tough.
Oven Baked Country Style Pork Ribs
5 from 9 votes
My oven baked country style pork ribs need just 5 ingredients to make and yield melt-in-your-mouth ribs every time.
Servings:
Prep:1minute min
Cook:1hour hr 30minutes mins
Total:1hour hr 31minutes mins
Ingredients 1x2x3x
- ▢2 pounds pork ribs
- ▢1 tablespoon olive oil
- ▢1/2 teaspoon salt
- ▢1/2 teaspoon pepper
- ▢1 1/2 cups barbecue sauce
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 150C/300F.
- Rub the oil over the ribs and season with salt and pepper.
- Line a large baking tray with tin foil and arrange the ribs in a single layer. Roast the ribs for 90 minutes, flipping them halfway through.
- Remove the ribs from the oven and increase the temperature to 210C/420F.
- Discard any excess liquid on the baking tray and brush the barbecue sauce all over the ribs. Return the ribs to the oven and bake them for a further 10 minutes, or until glazed and the sauce is bubbling.
Notes
TO STORE: Leftover ribs can be stored in an airtight container and kept in the fridge for up to 4 days.
TO REHEAT: Transfer leftover ribs to a baking sheet lined with foil and heat at 250°F for 10-15 minutes or until they’re fully reheated. A microwave will also work. Simply heat them in 30-second intervals until warmed.
TO FREEZE: Store cooled ribs in an airtight container or freezer-safe bag and keep them in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Nutrition
Serving: 1servingCalories: 265kcalCarbohydrates: 12gProtein: 13gFat: 21gSodium: 762mgPotassium: 318mgFiber: 1gVitamin A: 121IUVitamin C: 0.3mgCalcium: 30mgIron: 1mgNET CARBS: 11g
