Easy Barbecue Baked Spareribs

By
Peggy Trowbridge Filippone
Peggy Trowbridge Filippone
Peggy Trowbridge Filippone is a writer who develops approachable recipes for home cooks. Her recipes range from Grandma’s favorites to the latest food trends.
Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
Updated on 01/6/23
Prep: 15 mins
Cook: 90 mins
Total: 105 mins
Servings: 4 to 6 servings

This recipe for baked spareribs is super easy and full of flavor. Just top the pork ribs with a balsamic vinegar-infused barbecue sauce and you don't even need a grill. In case you have ever wondered how to cook pork spare ribs in the oven fast, this recipe is your method to tender perfection.

Spareribs are a type of pork cut from the bottom section of the ribs and breastbone of the pig, just above the belly. (Baby back ribs are from the top of the rib area along the back. They are not as meaty or succulent as spareribs.) As bacon is removed, a thin layer of meat remains on the spareribs.

The term comes from the German "rippenspeer," which literally translates to "spear ribs," as this cut was traditionally roasted on a spit or spear. In English, it became ribspare and, eventually, sparerib. This term not only refers to the practice of roasting the meat on a spear or spit, but it is also a perfectly reasonable description of the cut itself.

Naming history aside, when these ribs are slathered with this tasty sauce, which is put together using some pantry and fridge staples including your favorite barbecue sauce, lemon juice, and balsamic vinegar, they become transformed into a tangy delight. Half the sauce is used for the ribs during their time in the oven, and the other half is reserved for serving. (Try it sometime on beef ribs, too.) Whip up a batch to use for other meats and seafood.

Barbecue baked spareribs stacked on a plate with a small bowl of barbecue sauce to the side

The Spruce Eats / Julia Estrada
Cook Mode (Keep screen awake)

Ingredients

For the Ribs:

  • 4 pounds pork spareribs

  • 1 tablespoon onion powder

  • 1 tablespoon garlic powder

  • Salt, to taste

  • Freshly ground pepper, to taste

For the Barbecue Sauce:

  • 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice (about 2 to 3 large juicy lemons)

  • 1 cup bottled barbecue sauce

  • 1/2 cup ketchup

  • 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

  • Hot sauce, to taste, optional

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Ingredients for barbecue baked spareribs recipe gathered

    The Spruce Eats / Julia Estrada

  2. Heat oven to 325 F. Select a large baking pan to fit ribs in one layer. Line with heavy-duty foil. Place baking rack (a cake rack works fine) inside lined pan to keep ribs from resting on the bottom of the pan.

    Metal rack placed over a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil

    The Spruce Eats / Julia Estrada

  3. Remove the thin membrane (silverskin) from the back side of the ribs (if not already done by the butcher).

    Silverskin being removed from pork ribs with a chef's knife on a cutting board

    The Spruce Eats / Julia Estrada

  4. Sprinkle both sides of the spareribs liberally with onion powder, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Place seasoned ribs, bone side down, on the rack in the baking pan.

    Seasoned spareribs placed on the metal rack over foil-lined baking pan

    The Spruce Eats / Julia Estrada

  5. Prepare the sauce by combining lemon juice, bottled barbecue sauce, ketchup, balsamic vinegar, and hot sauce (if using) in a small bowl. Stir vigorously until combined. This will make about 3 cups of barbecue sauce.

    Barbecue sauce ingredients stirred together in a bowl

    The Spruce Eats / Julia Estrada

  6. Pour half of the sauce into a separate container and set aside for serving. Drizzle remaining sauce over the top of the ribs, covering all exposed areas.

    Spareribs thickly coated with barbecue sauce on the metal rack

    The Spruce Eats / Julia Estrada

  7. Cover pan tightly with heavy-duty foil. Bake about 90 minutes to 2 hours, or until tender. 

    Baking pan tightly covered with aluminum foil

    The Spruce Eats / Julia Estrada

  8. Serve spareribs with reserved barbecue sauce. Enjoy!

    Narrow sparerib pieces on a plate with a small bowl of barbecue sauce on the side

    The Spruce Eats / Julia Estrada

How Do You Cook Spareribs Without Drying Them Out?

The key to keeping spareribs nice and moist is to cook them slowly at a lower temperature over indirect heat: the oven. Using a marinade with vinegar (such as this one) and then wrapping them in foil in the oven will allow for steam to develop will also prevent them from drying out. Skipping direct high heat of a grill, say, in lieu of a lower temperature that you can more easily control (the oven) eliminates some of the variables that can produce dry, disappointing ribs.

Tip

  • After cooking the spareribs in the oven, you can also char them on the grill or under the broiler before serving, if you wish. This adds a nice little crust, which serves a pleasing contrast to the tender cooked ribs.
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
1212 Calories
94g Fat
29g Carbs
64g Protein
×
Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4 to 6
Amount per serving
Calories 1212
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 94g 120%
Saturated Fat 28g 140%
Cholesterol 318mg 106%
Sodium 1040mg 45%
Total Carbohydrate 29g 11%
Dietary Fiber 1g 3%
Total Sugars 21g
Protein 64g
Vitamin C 9mg 46%
Calcium 86mg 7%
Iron 5mg 27%
Potassium 1030mg 22%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

Recipe Tags: