Beef ribs in the oven will become your new favorite! They are fall-off-the-bone tender, extra meaty, and baked low and slow to perfection. Plus, we use short ribs or chuck short ribs for this recipe which have more meat than the popular beef back rib, and more is always best, right? We say YES, especially when it comes to these suuuuper tender beef ribs that you can literally shred with a fork.

A tender beef rib being pulled apart with a fork.

These beef short ribs in the oven are:

a no-fuss, low-mess ribs recipe!
fall-off-the-bone tender
seasoned with a delicious dry rub, then finished off with your favorite barbecue sauce

How to Cook Beef Short Ribs in the Oven:

If you’ve ever made our country style pork ribs in the oven, the process is actually very similar, with a few changes. Low and slow is the key to cooking any kind of ribs in the oven.

The final step for getting the barbecue sauce sticky and caramelized is a quick switch from “bake” to “broil” at the very end. This fool-proof method will give you tender ribs with just the right sauce texture every single time!

Serve them with roasted onions, creamy ricotta mashed potatoes, and a strawberry goat cheese spinach salad for an amazing meal.

Ingredient List:

We’ve broken down the ingredient list into two parts: what you will need for the dry rub and what you’ll need to prepare the ribs themselves.

Dry Rub for Ribs:

Brown sugar
Smoked paprika
Garlic powder
Onion powder
Cumin powder
Salt
Black pepper
Dried oregano

Short Ribs:

Beef plate ribs (also called Dino ribs or short ribs)
Water
Apple cider vinegar
Soy sauce
Worcestershire sauce
Barbecue sauce (homemade or store-bought)

Ingredients used to make beef ribs in the oven.

Plate Ribs vs. Beef Back Ribs:

For reference, we wanted to show you the difference between beef back ribs and plate ribs (sometimes called short ribs or Dino ribs). Take a look at how much more meat you’ll get!

A photo showing the difference between beef back ribs and plate ribs or short ribs.

Since plate ribs have a lot of fat marbled into the meat, they do best cooked low and slow so the fat renders down and the meat gets really tender. If your ribs have a really thick layer of fat, you can trim it down to 1/4-inch thickness.

The Process:

Not only do you get more meat with short ribs, but beef ribs in the oven are also quite easy to make!

Here’s a quick rundown of the process but make sure to scroll to the bottom of the page for the ingredient amounts and full recipe:

Season with the dry rub: Combine all the dry rub ingredients and coat the ribs with the rub, then place in the fridge for 2 hours or overnight. The dry rub serves two purposes: to tenderize and to add flavor.
Bake the short ribs in the oven: Pour the braising liquid into the baking dish and then add the beef ribs. Cover tightly with aluminum foil and bake until tender (3-1/2 to 4 hours at 275°F). You’ll know they’re done when they literally fall off the bone.
Broil: Drain the braising liquid and switch the oven to broil. Brush on the barbecue sauce and then broil the ribs for 4-7 minutes until the sauce becomes thick, sticky and caramelized. Watch them closely under the broiler- they can burn quickly! Remove, tent with foil and let them rest for 10 minutes.

Six photos showing how to make beef ribs in the oven.

Recipe tips:

Use a dish deep enough to hold all the braising liquid, plus the fat that renders off the ribs. You’ll end up with double the amount of braising liquid when the ribs are done.
If you’d like to make beef ribs in the oven using back ribs, reduce the cooking time by about 1 hour (or more), depending on the thickness of the meat.
Don’t put the barbecue sauce on too soon or it will get watery from the steam the ribs release while braising. Wait until the very end, then make sure to caramelize it under the high heat of the broiler.
Since plate ribs have a lot of fat marbled into the meat, they do best cooked low and slow.

FAQs for Beef Ribs in the Oven:

What temp should beef ribs be cooked at?

We cook our beef plate ribs at 275°F, especially since this cut has a higher fat content. This low and slow method results in fork-tender beef ribs that fall off the bone!

Does cooking ribs longer make them more tender?

For these beef ribs, yes. If they are not fork-tender, then return them to the oven and continue cooking them at the low temperature of 275°F until they reach desired doneness. When done, you should be able to easily shred the meat with a fork.

Should you cover ribs when cooking in the oven?

Yes! Cover the ribs with foil to allow them to braise in the liquid and fat that renders. This method produces beef ribs that are perfectly juicy, tender, and won’t dry out.

Beef rib on a dinner plate with green beans and cornbread.

Our beef ribs in the oven make a delicious, family-style meal that is low-effort! We love when the oven does most of the work, don’t you? And ribs are always a treat. Check out a few of our other favorite rib recipes:

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Silicone basting brush
Deep rectangular baking dish

Some More Recipes You Will Love:

Red Wine Braised Beef Short Ribs: A rich, wine-based sauce takes these braised beef short ribs to a whole new level! This is a fancier version of short ribs, and is perfect if you’re looking for a comforting yet elegant dinner.
Kimchee Slaw: This crunchy, crisp and refreshing kimchee slaw is a vibrant blend of fresh veggies in a light sweet-and-sour vinaigrette.
Cornbread: Ribs are basically incomplete without a batch of tender, buttery cornbread! This classic recipe is a keeper- make sure you have some soft, spreadable butter and drippy honey on hand!

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Beef Ribs in the Oven

Tender, fall off the bone beef ribs baked low and slow in the oven. These ribs will literally shred with a fork. Use plate short ribs (aka Dino ribs) or chuck short ribs for this recipe. They have more meat on them than back ribs.

4.73 from 18 votes

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Prep Time: 15

Cook Time: 3 30

Total Time: 3 45

Servings: servings

Calories: 972kcal

Author: Dahn Boquist

Ingredients

Dry rub

1 tablespoon brown sugar
2 teaspoons smoked paprika
2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon cumin powder
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon black pepper
½ teaspoon dried oregano

Ribs

4 to 5 pounds beef plate ribs aka Dino ribs or short ribs

Braising liquid

½ cup water
½ cup apple cider vinegar
½ cup soy sauce
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

Barbecue sauce

½ cup barbecue sauce homemade or store-bought

Instructions

Combine all the ingredients for the dry rub.
Coat the ribs all over in the rub. Place the ribs in the fridge for 2 hours or overnight. (The dry rub acts as a tenderizer as well as a flavor enhancer).
Preheat the oven to 275°F.
Combine the braising liquid and pour it into a 13 x 9-inch baking dish or a baking sheet with sides.
Place the beef ribs in the braising liquid and cover the pan tightly with aluminum foil. Bake for 3-1/2 to 4 hours or until tender (they will literally fall off the bone).
Remove the ribs from the oven and drain the braising liquid (discard the liquid or save it for soup stock). Turn the oven to broil.
Brush the ribs in the barbecue sauce. Broil, uncovered for 4 to 7 minutes until the sauce is thick, sticky, and caramelized. Watch the ribs closely while they are under the broiler as they can burn quickly.
Remove the ribs from the oven, tent with foil, and let them rest for 10 minutes.

Notes

Make sure you use a dish with sides that will hold in all the braising juices and fat that renders off the ribs. When our ribs finished cooking we had almost double the amount of liquid that we started with.
We are using large plate ribs in this recipe. They are also known as short plate ribs, short ribs, or Dino ribs. This recipe also works with chuck short ribs. If you use back ribs then you will need to reduce the cooking time by about 1 hour or more (depending on how thick the meat is on the ribs). Beef back ribs do not have nearly as much meat on them as short ribs.
You do not need to put the barbecue sauce on the ribs until the very end of cooking. If you put it on too soon it will get watery as the ribs steam and braise under the foil.
Increase the oven temperature in the last step when you baste the ribs with barbecue sauce. The high heat will thicken and caramelize the barbecue sauce. The ribs will already be cooked so you only need to baste them with sauce and let the sauce get thick and sticky under the broiler.
If you have thick ribs with more than 2 inches of meat on them, you may need to increase the cooking time by 30 to 45 minutes.
Plate ribs usually have a lot of fat marbled into the meat. They do best when they cook low and slow so the fat renders down and the meat gets tender.
If your ribs have a thick layer of fat, trim the fat to 1/4 inch thickness.