Sink your teeth into these tender, juicy, oven roasted country style pork ribs and you won’t believe you can make such a delicious recipe so easily. With just a few simple ingredients, you can have restaurant quality country style ribs, without all the hassle of smokers, grills, or any special equipment at all. Your oven is the only thing you need!
These succulent country style ribs will cook low and slow in the oven for about 3 hours. When done, get ready to feast on the most tender and delicious pork you’ve ever enjoyed.
What are Pork Country Style Ribs?
Country style ribs are not actually ribs at all. I know I know… bummer, right? Not all all. Country style ribs are actually cuts of pork from the shoulder/butt area of the pork, which is the exact same meat used in pulled pork. Yay! The meat is cut in such a way that it resembles ribs. Most cuts are boneless but some do have the y-shaped bone that you find in a shoulder/butt roast. Either way, the meat is well marbled, so tender, and absolutely mouthwatering.
Country style ribs are usually sold in packages of about 8 “ribs”, totaling 2-3lbs. Of course, depending on the particular store, the packaging can vary. Also make sure the meat is well marbled. Some country style pork ribs are cut from the loin area and tend to be very lean. These ribs are not as good and tend to be very dry.
The standard packages of 2-3lbs are perfect for a hearty family meal. If cooking for more than 4, look for larger packages of more than 3 lbs. As a general rule, 2 standard sized country style ribs are the prefect serving size for 1 person.
What Do I Need to Make This Recipe?
You won’t need any special equipment to make these country style ribs. They cook right in the oven in a baking dish. A 13″ x 9″ glass baking dish is perfect for 2-3 lbs. of ribs. I like to line it with aluminum foil to make cleanup easier. You’ll also need foil to cover the dish while they roast in the oven.
Ingredients
Naturally we’ll need 2-3lbs. of country style pork ribs. Make sure is says butt/shoulder ribs and not loin ribs.
We’ll make an awesome pork rub with some real basic ingredients:
- brown sugar
- onion powder
- garlic powder
- ground mustard
- smoked paprika
- cayenne pepper
- salt and pepper
And finally, we’ll brush some of our favorite BBQ sauce onto the ribs for the final 30 minutes of cooking. This will give the sauce a chance to caramelize and stick to the ribs.
Preparation
Start by mixing all the dry ingredients together in a small bowl. Then we simple coat all the meat with the rub. I’ve found the best way to do this is to use a large, gallon-sized zip-top bag. Add the ribs, seasoning, seal the bag and shake, shake, shake. Massage that seasoning into all the ribs for about a minute and you’re good to go.
Line a glass or oven safe baking dish (13″ x 9″ is the perfect size) with aluminum foil and place the seasoned ribs in the dish, spaced apart as best possible. Make sure the fattier side of the ribs are on top. This allows that moisture from the fat to drip down through the rib, making it as juicy as possible. Cover the dish tightly with foil.
Bake Low and Slow
Place the covered dish into a preheated oven at 325°(F) for 2.5 hours. After the 2.5 hours, the ribs should be very tender and they’re actually ready to serve as-is. Plate them and pour a little of the juices on top. You will not believe how mouthwatering they are!
There is an optional step… add some BBQ sauce and place under the boiler for a few minutes.
With this optional step, remove the ribs from the baking dish in which they cooked and transfer to a shallow, foil lined baking sheet. Brush each rib with BBQ sauce of your choice.
With the oven set to “broil”, place the sauced ribs (now on the baking sheet), under the broiler for about 5 minutes or until the sauce starts to caramelize to your liking.
Ready to Serve
No need to wait, your country style ribs are now ready to serve. The best way to serve is to place them on a plate or platter and let everyone serve themselves. They can be quite large so usually one or two will be plenty. Be sure to keep some of those juices from the dish on reserve. Pour a little over each rib for extra amazing flavor.
The brussels sprouts you see in the picture are our Best Damn Air Fryer Brussels Sprouts. They’re the perfect accompaniment for this dish and also very easy to make. I’m also a HUGE fan of macaroni and cheese with BBQ dishes and our Best Damn Instant Pot Mac and Cheese is an excellent choice for a side-dish. And of course, BBQ pork can be topped with, or served with some delicious homemade country coleslaw. The cool crunch is perfect to go along with the tender pork.
PrintRecipe
Best Damn Oven Roasted Country Style Ribs
- Total Time: 3 hours 10 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings
Description
Mouthwatering, tender and juicy country style pork ribs are seasoned to perfection and roast right in your oven. No special equipment needed.
Ingredients
- 2.5–3lbs. country style pork ribs (shoulder/butt ribs)
- 3 tbs brown sugar
- 2 tsp kosher salt
- 1 tsp ground mustard
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp black pepper
- ½ tsp cayenne pepper
- ¼ cup BBQ sauce
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325°(F) and line a 13″ x 9″ baking dish with aluminum foil.
- Mix all dry ingredients and apply to the ribs. You can do this in a large, gallon-sized zip-top bag.
- Place the seasoned ribs, spaced apart, in the baking dish and cover tightly with foil.
- Place in the oven at 325°(F) on middle rack for 2.5 hours.
- After 2.5 hours, the country ribs should be fall apart tender. You can serve as is with some of the juices from the pan or continue to the next, optional step.
- Optional: Set oven to “broil”. Remove country ribs from dish to a foil lined baking sheet (so it will fit under the broiler). Brush all the ribs liberally with your favorite BBQ sauce and place under broiler, uncovered, for about 5 minutes or until BBQ sauce starts to caramelize. Remove from oven and they’re ready to serve!
Notes
This recipe has been updated July 2023. The step of brushing the ribs with BBQ sauce and returning to oven for additional 30 minutes has been removed. Instead, follow the optional step 6 for adding BBQ sauce.
- Prep Time: 10 min
- Cook Time: 180 min
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: American
Susan M says
Made these last night for my son and his gf, they both loved it! They were surprised at how tender the meat was–it literally fell off the bones. This is my favorite way to cook ribs, thank you for sharing this delicious recipe!
Lesley says
I’ve never tried country style pork ribs before. Not much of a pork eater. And I don’t like sweetish foods so I don’t like bbq sauce and I never order ribs. HOWEVER, the husband likes that sort of stuff and we bought a box of assorted meats from a local butcher and there were country style pork ribs in there. I decided to try this recipe. I had mine with just the rub on them and I put my husband’s under the broiler at the end with bbq sauce on them
SOOOOO GOOD! I loved the fact that even with the brown sugar in the rub, they weren’t sweet. And I loved the afterbite from the spice mix. Not too much, but just a little kick. And my husband complimented the meal several times (which almost never happens).
I still have another 2 1/2 lbs of country style pork ribs in the freezer. And I know just what recipe to use. This one!
Thanks so much.
Stan Derrick says
I have made this recipe several times and they turn out perfect each and every time. Tender, juicy and delicious. This has become my favorite site for recipes because they always turn out as promised.
Mary Beckum says
I’ve tried several recipes for country style ribs and this is the best I’ve found! Thank you for sharing
Mary B
Jodi Sprague - ME says
This is the first time I’ve cooked something resembling a pork chop that doesn’t require a chainsaw to cut it. Thank you for a great recipe that falls apart with your fork.
Ale Swan says
Excellent Jason! I confess I dialed down the cayenne and used 1/4 teaspoon which was plenty hot for me. I stayed on recipe for all other spices. I will make again!