Easy Oven Baked Country Style Pork Ribs Recipe

Oven-baked country-style pork ribs are slow-roasted for melt-in-your-mouth comfort food. This easy recipe starts with a perfectly balanced dry rib rub and then gets slathered in our favorite barbecue sauce. The tender meat absorbs all the flavors from the seasoning and sauce, creating a dish that’s perfect for family gatherings.

Country-style pork ribs have always been one of my family’s favorite meals. This ribs recipe is simple to make and turns out tender ribs every time.

A double bonus is that they are relatively inexpensive pork cuts compared to other ribs. Yet country pork ribs have such exceptional flavor that you would never know.

With so much going for them, they’re easy to cook, have great pork flavor, and are budget-friendly. What’s not to love!

What to Know About Country-Style Pork Ribs

🥘 Ingredients

For our boneless oven baked country style pork ribs, I like to make my own dry rib rub and barbecue sauce. I know this particular combination works well together. The flavor profile of the oven baked ribs with dry rub is enhanced by the smoky notes from the barbecue sauce. When paired with a side of coleslaw and cornbread, the meal becomes a true comfort food delight. I often prepare it for gatherings, knowing it will impress family and friends alike.

Dry Rib Rub:

• Paprika. Use a milder and sweeter variety, often domestic, or a good Hungarian variety that is not spicy. Spanish varieties are smoky, which doesn’t add the perfect flavoring.

• Brown sugar. Adds sweetness and a bit of crust to the pork ribs.

• Kosher salt. The recipe calls for Diamond Crystal kosher salt. The crystal shapes are ideal for absorption and adding the right amount of salt.

• Onion powder. What is a dry rib rub without the savory and sweet taste of onion?

• Granulated garlic. The granulated kind mixes better with the other rub ingredients than garlic powder. It also has less tendency to clump.

• Mushroom powder. This gem of an ingredient adds the ultimate in umami and great flavor to the country-style ribs.

The Ribs:

Country style pork ribs. Bone-in country-style pork ribs are my favorite. They are more flavorful than boneless ribs. But boneless country-style ribs will work too. Plus the sauce thickens and clings better to those delicious pork ribs. But, sometimes it comes down to what is available at the grocery store or meat market.

Barbecue Sauce. In the recipe card below is a tasty BBQ sauce that is great for these country-style ribs. Of course, if you have your own favorite barbecue sauce and dry rib rub, by all means go for it. These country style boneless pork ribs will stand up well to just about everything.

Even easier, substitute your favorite BBQ dry rib rub or your favorite barbecue sauce or both! For some of the best store-bought barbecue sauces, check out my master list on this recipe for cooking ribs in the oven. You will also find some suggestions for how to jazz up your sauces.

Alternate Dry Rub Recipe. This St Louis-Style dry rib rub recipe is inspired by one of our favorite ribs joints in Memphis and is a must try for any type of ribs.

🧂 Substitutions

• Add 1 tablespoon chili powder to the dry rub ingredients and omit 1 tablespoon of the paprika for added spiciness.
• If you don’t have molasses, use 1 tablespoon brown sugar and 1 tablespoon honey. Or, use 1 tablespoon brown sugar and 1 tablespoon real maple syrup. Maple syrup is runnier than molasses or honey, so you may have to simmer the sauce slightly longer.
• For the yellow mustard, you could use a Dijon mustard. It will have slightly less tang but you have the apple cider vinegar to compensate.

🔪 Instructions

Country style ribs have a lot of connective tissue and fat and a mixture of dark and white meat. They are also thicker and meatier than baby back ribs or spare ribs. This low and slow cooking method melts the connective tissue into tenderness. This infuses the ribs with flavor

1. Prepare the equipment. Set your oven temperature to 300°F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with heavy-duty aluminum foil.
2. Make the dry rib rub. In a small bowl, combine paprika, brown sugar, kosher salt, pepper, onion powder, granulated garlic, and the mushroom powder. Then, remove 1 tablespoon of the spice rub and set aside to add to the barbecue sauce later.
3. Prepare the pork ribs. Pat the ribs dry with a paper towel. Season the ribs with the remaining dry rib rub and gently pat onto the ribs. Place ribs in a single layer on the foil-lined baking sheet.
4. Cover and bake. Tent another sheet of heavy duty foil over the ribs and tightly seal the edges. Bake for 1-½ to 2 hours, or until the ribs are slightly tender when tested with a fork. If more cooking time is needed, reseal the foil after testing, and cook for another 30 minutes or until tender.
5. Make the barbecue sauce. While the ribs are baking, add the ketchup, apple cider vinegar, molasses, Worcestershire, mustard, black pepper and the tablespoon spice rub you had set aside early. Whisk the ingredients together and heat until boiling. Then, reduce the heat to simmering and cook, stirring occasionally, 10 minutes or until the sauce is thickened and reduced to 1 cup.
6. Slather the ribs with sauce. When the ribs are fork tender, remove the top sheet of foil. Generously brush the ribs with the barbecue sauce. Keep the ribs uncovered and return to the oven for another 45 minutes to 1 hour or until they are meltingly tender.
7. Serve. Transfer ribs to a platter and serve.

Note: The safe internal temperature for pork ribs is 145°F. However, for tender ribs, cook them to an internal temperature of 190°F to 200°F range.

🥗  Serving Suggestions

📖 Variations

Baking pan. The recipe calls for lining a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil. However, feel free to use an oven-proof baking pan or baking dish. I often us a Granite Ware oval covered roaster that I have had for decades. It works great for this recipe and clearly stands the test of time.

Broiling. For a deeper caramelized and crispy texture on top of your ribs, finish your ribs under the broiler. With an oven rack in the second position from the top, set the oven to broil. Broil 3 to 5 minutes or until your caramelized to your preference. Your ribs need to be on a sheet pan for this step.

🍽 Leftovers

Store country ribs in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Or freeze in an airtight container for up to 3 months.

To reheat this recipe, in a 250 degree Fahrenheit oven, place the country style pork ribs in an oven safe pan. Heat for 30 minutes or until heated through.

According to the USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service, do not leave the ribs out at room temperature for more than 2 hours after removing them from the oven to prevent foodborne illness.

For one of the best recipes for oven baked country style ribs, this one with its great flavor is a winner every time. It is destined to become a family favorite just like it is in my house.

Like a pork shoulder roast, these boneless pork ribs benefit from low and slow cooking. They also are a great candidate for pressure cooking such as in this Instant Pot Pork Roast.

The simplicity, flavor, and outstanding tenderness of oven-roasted pork are ideal for home-cooked meals. And if you are looking for more oven ribs, these St. Louis Ribs in the Oven and these fast Baby Back Ribs in the Oven are both outrageously good.

For a hearty meal that’s just as satisfying, easy oven baked beef short ribs make for a delicious alternative.