Slow cooked and full of flavor, these fall off the bone maple BBQ ribs are all kinds of delicious. Oven baked and simple to make, they are seasoned with a dry rub and finished with a sweet and tangy glaze.
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Ribs are one of my weaknesses when we eat out at our local BBQ joint, but it's so easy to get those perfectly tender fall apart ribs at home.
Slow cooked for tender meat, these maple BBQ pork ribs are loaded with flavor. They are sweet and sticky with a wonderfully smokey flavor from the BBQ sauce.
Perfect for weekend feasting, they are a great option if you are hosting game day and feeding a crowd.
Be sure to try my Pulled Pork Sliders and Apple and Maple Pork Chops too!
Why you will love this recipe!
- Easy to prep: To get tender ribs, you need to cook them low and slow, but the good news is is that the prep is super quick and easy and the hands on time is minimal, so you can sit back and relax.
- Simple ingredients: You don't need a long list of ingredients to make this pork rib recipe, and you'll likely have quite a few things to hand already.
- So delicious: My only regret making these was that I didn't use a bigger rack of ribs! The maple BBQ glaze is perfect in it's simplicity, and the meat is so tender.
Ingredients
- Ribs: I used baby back ribs for this recipe, but you can easily adapt this recipe for other cuts.
- Dry rub: Before being slow cooked, we rub the ribs with a dry rub comprised of brown sugar, salt, pepper, paprika, onion and garlic powder. This adds flavor to the ribs right from the get go.
- Glaze: The glaze is made from BBQ sauce and maple syrup. I used a smokey BBQ sauce, but you can use a spicy one or more classic to suit your tastes. The maple syrup can be substituted for honey if you prefer.
How to make maple BBQ ribs
Be sure to scroll down for the full recipe!
- Remove the membrane from the back of the ribs, if your rack has one (photo 1).
- Rub the dry rub all over the ribs (photo 2).
- Cover and cook til the meat is tender (photo 3).
- Mix together the maple syrup and BBQ sauce (photo 4).
- Glaze the ribs and broil (photo 5).
Frequently Asked Questions
I used baby back ribs for this recipe, but you can use other cuts. The four types of pork ribs are:
Baby back ribs: These come from the top of the ribcage and are the most tender and lean.
Spare ribs: These come from the belly and have longer bones. They have less meat than baby back, but have a richer flavor.
St. Louis Style: These are trimmed spare ribs where the tips have been cut for a more uniformed shape.
Country-Style ribs: These aren't actually ribs and they come from near the shoulder blade. These are the meatiest, but are more like a pork chop.
For the best fall off the bone ribs, you need to cook them low and slow, but the good news is, is that you can do this long and slow cook the day before you plan to serve them.
Cook the ribs til tender, as per the recipe, then let them cool and store in the fridge. When you are ready to serve them, reheat them in the oven at 360F for 10 to 15 minutes, covered with foil til warmed through, then, glaze and broil them to serve.
These maple BBQ ribs are cooked at a low temperature at 275F / 135c. The cooking times can vary, but allow for 3 to 4 hours for your ribs to be tender. Start checking them for doneness around 2 ½ hours. The cooking times can vary a little depending on the size of your ribs. Be patient, it's worth it!
Serving Suggestions
These maple BBQ ribs are a great appetizer to serve to friends and family for game day, but they are great to serve as part of a meal too with salads, pasta and potato side dishes. Try them with:
Recipe Notes and Tips
- Not all ribs will have a membrane, and you can ask your butcher to remove it for you. Find the membrane by using a sharp knife, and lift it from the middle of the rack. Use your hands to pull it away. If it's slippy, you can use a paper towel to help you grip. You can leave the membrane on if you prefer, your ribs will just be a little chewier.
- Cover the ribs rightly with foil when you bake them. This will help to trap the steam and stop the ribs from drying out.
- Use a fork to test when the ribs are cooked, the meat should be tender.
- Use any leftover glaze as a dip or drizzle over the cooked ribs.
More Pork Recipes
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Oven Baked Maple BBQ Ribs
Ingredients
- 1.5 pounds pork ribs (680g)
For the dry rub
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
For the glaze
- ⅓ cup BBQ sauce
- ¼ cup maple syrup
Instructions
- Pre heat the oven to 275F / 135c and line a large sheet pan with foil.
- Remove the membrane from the ribs if there is one. Use a sharp knife to lift it away from the middle of the rack and the use your hands to pull it off. You can leave the membrane on if you prefer your ribs a little chewy. Cut the ribs in half if needed to fit on to your baking sheet.
- Mix together the ingredients for the dry rub and rub all over the ribs, on both sides and the edges.
- Cover tightly with foil.
- Bake in the oven for 3 to 4 hours, depending on the thickness of your ribs. Use a fork to check when they are done, the meat should be tender.
- Once cooked, remove from the oven and turn on the broiler.
- Mix together the maple syrup and BBQ sauce and brush a generous layer over the top of the ribs.
- Broil for a couple of minutes til the sauce starts to bubble.
- Brush over another layer of the glaze and broil again.
- Any leftover sauce can be drizzled on top of the ribs or used as a dipping sauce.
Notes
- Not all ribs will have a membrane, and you can ask your butcher to remove it for you. Find the membrane by using a sharp knife, and lift it from the middle of the rack. Use your hands to pull it away. If it's slippy, you can use a paper towel to help you grip. You can leave the membrane on if you prefer, your ribs will just be a little chewier.
- Cover the ribs rightly with foil when you bake them. This will help to trap the steam and stop the ribs from drying out.
- Use a fork to test when the ribs are cooked, the meat should be tender.
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