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The Secret to Grilled Baby Back Ribs

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The trick to making perfect grilled baby back ribs every time is to cook them low and slow in the oven before grilling them. Trust me, it works!

grilled baby back ribs

The Best Grilled Ribs Recipe

This weekend we’re packing the coolers, loading up the truck with big boy toys and heading out of town with friends to the mountains. It’s one of our favorite weekends filled with deep breaths in the stunning outdoors, leisurely morning coffee time on the aspen tree-lined deck, and way too much laughter. More than most could possibly bear.

After all, we’re a funny and sarcastic group. Or at least we think so.

Besides hanging, hiking, and harassing, it’s the perfect occasion to get together and cook. Our grocery list takes precedence over the contents of our weekend-packed bags. Memorial day calls for chillin’ and grillin’ and nothin’ says grillin’ like RIBS!

My husband has spent many a day trying various methods to create the most succulent pork baby back ribs to suckle and savor upon. So what’s his big secret?

Take them to the oven before they ever hit the fire. Most think baby back ribs need to be cooked over an open grilled flame, but using the grill as a finishing agent instead of your main cooker is the key.

We season then refrigerate, and bake the ribs low and slow until its time for an introduction to the open flame. Sounds like most dating gigs right?

What’s in Grilled Baby Back Ribs?

This grilled ribs recipe requires a handful of ingredients, many of which are spices. The key ingredients are the pork ribs, apple cider, barbecue sauce, and the pork rib rub.

This pork rub is from my brother-in-law, a Virginian cum Texan with a penchant and passion for grilling and smoking. We first tasted this pork rib rub over Easter two years ago and it’s been a go-to for us ever since. I think my husband dreams of this rub as he covets my brother-in-law’s ultimate smoker.

how to grill baby back ribs

How to Cook Ribs on the Grill

If you’ve never grilled ribs before, don’t be scared! It’s a straightforward process anyone can master. Simply whisk together the homemade pork rub and rub it liberally over the surface of the ribs. Refrigerate the ribs for at least 4 hours, or overnight.

Once the ribs have chilled, place them on a high edged baking sheet that’s been lined with a wire rack. Pour 1 cup of apple cider into the baking sheet and bake the ribs low and slow for 90 minutes. Add more apple cider to the ribs and bake for another 90 minutes before grilling them.

You’ll need to grill the ribs over medium-high heat for roughly 10 minutes per side. Remember: you’re just looking to get some color on them, they don’t need to cook any longer.

Can I Use Pork Spare Ribs Instead?

Most likely, yes. Pork spare ribs aren’t as thick as baby back ribs, so you may need to reduce the amount of time the ribs are in the oven. You’ll know the ribs are ready to be grilled when the meat easily pulls away from the bones.

What Barbecue Sauce Should I Use?

You can use your favorite barbecue sauce in this recipe. It doesn’t matter what style of barbecue sauce it is as long as you love the taste! If you’re itching to make your own barbecue, try making my Raspberry Chipotle BBQ Sauce.

Tips for Making Ribs on the Grill

Make sure you’re using apple cider and NOT apple cider vinegar for this grilled ribs recipe. You want non-alcoholic cider that hasn’t been flavored with cinnamon or other spices.

It’s also important that you place a wire rack in the baking sheet, as you want some of the fat to drip off the ribs. Plus, you don’t want them cooking directly in the apple cider.

Finally, when grilling the ribs, heat them on the grill first, then baste with sauce. If you add the sauce too early you’ll be sure to end up with blackened crusty outtards thanks to the potential for burning the sugar in the barbecue sauce rather than the savory and delicious variety we all crave.

More Easy Grilling Recipes You’ll Love

If you make this recipe, please let me know! Leave a comment below or take a photo and tag me on Instagram or Twitter with #foodiecrusheats. 

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4.7 from 36 votes

Grilled Baby Back Ribs

The trick to making perfect grilled baby back ribs every time is to cook them low and slow in the oven before grilling them. Trust me, it works!
Course Main Course
Cuisine American
Keyword grilled ribs, ribs
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 3 hours 20 minutes
Chill Time 4 hours
Total Time 7 hours 25 minutes
Servings 8 servings
Calories 701kcal

Ingredients

  • 4 racks baby back pork ribs 9 to 12 pounds
  • 2 cups apple cider*
  • ¼ cup sweet paprika
  • 3 tablespoons dark brown sugar
  • 2 tablespoons pepper
  • 1 tablespoon chile powder
  • 2 teaspoons garlic powder
  • 2 teaspoons dry mustard
  • 2 teaspoons celery salt
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • Your favorite barbeque sauce

Instructions

  • Combine all dry ingredients and generously rub over surface of ribs. Refrigerate for 4 hours or overnight.
  • Preheat oven to 250 degrees F. Place room temperature ribs on high edged baking sheet lined with wire rack. Pour 1 cup apple cider in baking sheet, place ribs on rack and cook for 1 ½ hours. Add another 1 cup cider and cook for another 1 ½ hours or until meat pulls apart from bones.
  • Preheat grill to medium high. Grill ribs for 7-10 minutes each side, basting with barbeque sauce. Remove and serve.

Notes

  • *Make sure you're using apple cider and NOT apple cider vinegar for this grilled ribs recipe. You want non-alcoholic cider that hasn't been flavored with cinnamon or other spices.
  • Recipe from Ardie Davis and Paul Kirk

Nutrition

Calories: 701kcal | Carbohydrates: 15g | Protein: 55g | Fat: 47g | Saturated Fat: 17g | Cholesterol: 196mg | Sodium: 1142mg | Potassium: 896mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 11g | Vitamin A: 2133IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 115mg | Iron: 3mg

Summer Side Dishes to Make

Ribs, they’re the main event, right? But we all need a little somethin’ extra to complement the Q. Here’s a complete Q-fest menu, ready to be prepped, rattled and rolled into your awaiting belly.

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Hi! I’m Heidi and I cook real good, real food I hope you’ll love to make, too.

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  1. Kathryn says

    Gosh, thank you so much for including my galette in your bbq menu – I’m honoured to be in such great company! Ribs are such are favourite in my family but my dad always complains that it’s impossible to find good ribs here in the UK, I don’t think he’s going to let me get away with not making these for him!

    Reply

  5. Erin says

    I learned the hard way that it is best to slow cook the ribs before grilling. When I was first married, we invited some friends over and decided to slurge and grill up some baby back ribs. I asked the guy at the meat store what the best way to cook them would be. He said to just grill them up. Later that night, we put the ribs on the grill and started visiting with our friends. A few minutes later my friends eyes got really big and she said, “Your grill is on fire!” I turned around to see a major inferno. We turned off the propane and blew the flames out that were dancing on the ribs. They were seriously charred. I offered to order up a pizza, but our friends insisted on eating the ribs as they were and even tried to offer up a few compliments, but they were seriously bad. Since then I do the slow cook in the oven and finish them off on the grill. Can’t wait to try the sauce!

    Reply

    • GrillBeast says

      Hi Erin! Just read your comment and got a good chuckle out of it!! Same here, before getting into grilling and starting up our GrillBeast.com site, I thought ribs would be barbecued the same way any other meat would have been – I used to think “.. just light the grill, and throw it on, grab a beer then eat!” Oh no, how wrong we both were!! LOL At least your friends didn’t mind so much! (by the way, try using indirect heat as well so you don’t have to pre-cook them before grilling, works wonders and you can find a lot of helpful videos on barbecue ribs on youTube as well – basically, this just means put the hot coals over to one side, and your meat, ribs, etc on the other side, and use a water pan underneath them to keep them nice and moist during the slow cook).

      Reply

  6. Cookin' Canuck says

    The first time I ever made ribs, I did the whole thing on the grill and ended up with charred, tough ribs. The oven to grill method really is the best and I like your idea of baking them in a little apple cider. I hope you guys have an amazing time in the mountains. I am here to vouch for you…you are indeed sarcastic and funny!

    Reply

  11. Karylle says

    Thank you for the tips you have shared here and I just hope I can make this perfectly on my husband’s birthday.. I am sure he will love this..

    Reply

  21. Julia says

    So this might be dumb, but it occurred to me (as I was drinking a beer cider, apple flavor), does ‘apple cider’ mean the juice stuff, or the beer stuff? And I love the mason jar in the back aaaaand I’m pretty sure I’m making these for father’s day.

    Reply

  23. Eric says

    I noticed the heading of this article; “…baby back spare ribs.” That is like saying ,”I have a ribeye strip steak.” Baby back ribs are cut from the loin, near the spinal portion of the rib cage, while spare ribs are the bottom portion of the ribs, near the belly(close to bacon) The point of my comment: there is no such thing as a baby back spare rib! That just sounds silly! Foodie…pssh

    Reply

  25. Cheryl says

    Crap! I’m making this now and I used Apple Cider Vinegar instead of Apple Cider! Misread the directions. Will let you know how it turns out….

    Well, OMG, this recipe is amazing. This is the first time I’ve used a ‘rub’. The ribs came out with a nice crust and a sweetness that made them so delectable that you could eat them without the sauce.

    I didn’t have mustard or paprika or garlic powder, so I just rubbed the ribs with freshly crushed garlic first. I mixed the remaining ingredients and added about 2 tsp of ground ginger.

    I cooked at 275 for three hours (because I had to do two pans of ribs for 4 slabs because they were so long) for 3 hours. I did NOT need to put these ribs on the grill, though I totally expected to do so because I normally cook ribs this way. They were beautiful colored (browned with a little redness—from the chili powder and brown sugar, I guess) and tender and juicy.

    So….I didn’t ruin the ribs with the apple cider vinegar. Although…..after I found out I screwed up, instead of using the apple cider vinegar in the next 1 1/2 hours of cooking, I used just plain water. Next time I’ll use apple cider. :-)

    5 STAR recipe. I usually make great ribs, but my husband thought these were the best ever. He raved about them for hours after the meal. LOL

    Reply

  28. Ray Summers says

    Looks like a great recipe for this weekend after the practice. Grilled Spare ribs? Check. Grilled Corn? Check. Thanks for sharing and keep them coming.

    Reply

  34. Eurowindow River Park says

    The first time I ever made ribs, I did the whole thing on the grill and ended up with charred, tough ribs. The oven to grill method really is the best and I like your idea of baking them in a little apple cider. I hope you guys have an amazing time in the mountains. I am here to vouch for you…you are indeed sarcastic and funny!!!

    Reply