With this easy oven-baked pork spare ribs recipe, you will not miss the grill one bit! My family obsesses over these ribs every single time I make them—I'm talking pure, elated joy and excitement from the children because of this recipe. Now, that is a dinnertime win.
By far, this is the easiest way to achieve juicy, flavorful spare ribs with minimal effort, like our slow-cooker pork ribs. The ribs are cooked in the oven and topped with our signature savory-sweet brown sugar rub, braised in Dr. Pepper until fall-off-the-bone tender. It's a recipe you will want to add to your must-make list for sure!
Table of Contents
Why This Spare Rib Recipe Works
When we set out to bring the best pork spare ribs to the table, we aimed to solve the problem most home cooks encounter: dry, tough ribs. We slammed out a fall-off-the-bone, flavorful rib with zero fancy equipment by cooking them low and slow in a sweet, carbonated braising liquid--Coca-Cola or Dr. Pepper.
The soda creates a moist environment, keeping the ribs from drying out, and also allows the ribs to braise as they cook, slowly breaking down muscle fibers into the perfect, juicy, ultra-tender bite.
But can we also talk about that rib rub?! It's the perfect combo of smoky, sweet, savory, and a touch of heat for both kids and adults. Once the ribs are cooked to juicy perfection, give them a quick broil to keep that rub in place, and prepare yourself for a sticky, sweet, and incredibly delicious dinner that is dependable and easy. Out of all of our pork recipes, this one will be one of your family's favorites, guaranteed!
Ingredients
- Spare Ribs | When buying ribs for this recipe, look for meaty, plump St. Louis-style ribs with a pink, almost reddish tinge. If beef is more your thing and you want to move outside to the grill, these beef ribs meet those criteria beautifully!
- Soda | Acidic, carbonated beverages do wonders for tenderizing meat, especially a cut like spare ribs. Coca-Cola and Dr Pepper work great flavor-wise for this recipe!
- Brown Sugar | If you love a sweet and sticky rib, don't skip the brown sugar in this recipe! You can use light or dark brown sugar. This brown sugar rub is similar to the rubs we use for bacon-wrapped chicken and bacon-wrapped pork loin.
- Liquid Smoke (Optional) | Liquid smoke adds a smoky element to your spare ribs without firing up the grill. If you'd like to leave out that smoky taste, skip the liquid smoke altogether.
- Spices | This simple rib rub is where it's at. You likely already have most of the spices in your cabinet: brown sugar, Kosher salt, black pepper, chili powder, garlic powder, smoked paprika, and onion powder.
How to Cook Pork Spare Ribs in the Oven
Make the Rub | Measure all of the ingredients for your rub and combine them in a small bowl. Once your rub is ready, set it aside and move on to prepping your ribs.
Prep the Ribs | Begin by removing the membrane. If you need some guidance on how to do this, see these steps. Once the membrane is gone, pat the ribs dry with a paper towel and rub the rack with the oil. This will help the rub to stick to the ribs. Coat the ribs with the ⅔ of the rib rub seasoning. You will add the rest when you add the cola.
Prep the Pan | You can use a large casserole dish, a roasting pan, or a large, rimmed baking sheet (if you're careful getting the pan in and out of the oven) for this dish. Line your pan with aluminum foil. If you do not have a pan the size of a roaster, you may need to cut the ribs in half to get them to fit.
Add the Cola + Additional Seasoning | Add the cola along with the liquid smoke (if using) to the pan and place the ribs inside. Top off your ribs with what's left of the rub and give it a good pat to make it stay.
Cook Ribs in the Oven | Cook your spare ribs for 2 hours, uncovered, at 325°F, meat-side up in the oven. We use the same method in the oven for our country-style pork ribs. Baste the top of the ribs with the cola from the bottom of the pan every 30-45 minutes to keep the ribs moist and develop a sweet and sticky coating on the top.
Serve | Once cool enough to handle, slice the ribs, and serve them to your crowd!
What to Serve with Oven-Baked Ribs
Think up any Southern side dish (ahem, cheese grits!) and you've got dinnertime set! Potatoes and ribs are a match made in heaven, so if you put twice-baked potatoes or old-fashioned potato salad on the menu, I promise you that no one would be mad about it.
For your green side, collards are a no-brainer, but a house salad is always a crowd-pleaser. Speaking of salad, a cold pasta salad would be great for a BBQ! And if fried okra counts as a green side, bring it on.
Creamed corn and baked beans are two dishes that compliment that sweet-savory vibe of the spare ribs, and when you throw homemade cornbread into the mix to sop up all of that juicy goodness--I can't think of a more well-balanced, family-friendly Southern meal!
Frequently Asked Questions
It's not difficult to remove the membrane from the ribs, and we've got you covered with these steps!
1. Turn ribs over.
2. Identify the membrane.
3. Use the tip of a knife to lift it away from the meat.
4. Use hands or paper towel to pull away.
Oven-baked spare ribs work great for leftovers!
Keep | Store refrigerated in an airtight container for 3 days.
Reheat | Set your oven for 275°F and reheat those ribs for 20-30 minutes. It may be a good idea to cover with BBQ sauce during reheating to keep them extra juicy.
Freeze | Allow the ribs to cool to room temperature and place in a freezer-safe storage container or freezer-safe zip top bag. Freeze for up to 3 months.
Baby backs are a leaner cut but can be used in place of spare ribs in this recipe. Bake at 325°F for 1-1.5 hour.
More Pork Dinner Ideas
- Pork Chops with Mushroom Gravy
- Pork Steaks
- Pork Loin Roast
- Crispy Baked Pork Chops
- Pork Tenderloin Loin
- Smothered Pork Chops
BBQ Pork Spare Ribs
Ingredients
For the Rub:
- ½ cup brown sugar, packed
- 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon Kosher salt
- 2 ½ teaspoons black pepper
- 2 ½ teaspoons chili powder
- 1 ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
For the Ribs:
- 3 pounds St. Louis-Style Spare Ribs
- 1 tablespoon canola or avocado oil
- 2 cups Dr. Pepper (or Coca-Cola)
- ½ teaspoon liquid smoke (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325° and have ready a very large baking dish or roaster. Combine all of the rub ingredients in a small bowl and set aside.
- On a large work surface, remove the membrane from the ribs, pat dry with a paper towel, and rub with oil. Add about ⅔ of the rub to both sides of the ribs and rub to adhere.
- Pour Coca Cola and liquid smoke into the pan. Add the ribs, and pat the remaining rub on the top of the ribs.
- Bake for 2 hours (uncovered), basting the ribs with Coca-Cola every 30-45 minutes or so. Remove the oven, cut, and serve!
Nutrition
Amanda says
What a perfect and flavorful rub! I love ribs in the summer, so I'll definitely be using this recipe over and over again.
Jacqueline Debono says
Those ribs look good. I love doing spare ribs in the oven in winter when we can't bbq! Never thought to use coca cola! Have to try that!
Alexandra says
Delicious and packed full of flavour - these are a real hit at dinner parties!!
Beth Neels says
These look juicy and luscious! I am going to have to try your Dr. Pepper trick! I haven't done that before!
Veena Azmanov says
I am drooling with the look of this delicious pork ribs. Baked amazing. Mouth melting and yum.
sue says
OMG luscious, luscious, luscious! I love the deep rich color of these ribs 🙂
Annissa says
Great flavors and a perfect summer dish! Wonderful photos too!
Amanda says
I used cherry coke but OMG delicious!! Best ribs ever, homemade and restaurant.
Kelly Anthony says
What a fun twist! And thank you, Amanda! What an amazing compliment!
Lori says
I made these tonight and they were so good! My three year-old even ate some!
Lydia says
We are currently eating keto, how about Diet Coke and Swerve as substitutes?
Kelly Anthony says
Lydia, I personally have not ever looked into the keto diet and am not familiar with the restrictions. I'm so sorry I can't be of more help!
Jen says
Its all about the brown sugar rub!! So tasty on these ribs.
Jennifer says
This was really good. We're going to make it again this weekend
Kathryn says
Okay -- I'm so totally intrigued by these spare ribs. The Dr. Pepper is something I'm definitely going to have to try this week. These look out of this wold!
Tracy says
OMG these are amazing. My husband flipped over them!
Dannii says
I always order these when getting a Chinese, but I am going to have to try making them myself. They look pretty simple.
Carolyn Abriola says
Are these ribs very spicy with the chili powder and smoked paprika .
Kelly Anthony says
Unless your extremely sensitive to heat, I wouldn't consider most chili powders or paprika "spicy" spices. They don't hold a candle to cayenne or even black pepper, I don't think. They're really there for flavor purposes 😉
Raymond Daniels says
Cooking them oncovered won't dry them out? I found ribs were generally juicer if I covered them while cooking. Would covering them be a disadvantage? Ray
Kelly Anthony says
No, the liquid at the bottom of the pan locks steam and moisture in the oven and helps to keep them from drying out. Also, spare ribs are fairly fatty (which is why they taste SO AMAZING) so that's another element working in your favor! If you were to use baby back ribs, on the other hand, I could see how the foil might be necessary. Hope that helps!
Kelly Huff says
I made these today and they were so yummy and simple. I've done ribs different ways but think this will be my new go to for the oven. Southern and Mexican style foods are my favs so I really enjoy your site!
Kelly Anthony says
Thank you, Kelly!
Rachel Lee says
Will definitely make this again. Thank you for sharing!