Grilled Baby Back Ribs (+Video)
Let me show you how to easily gas grill baby back ribs. Includes a deliciously easy pork rub seasoning and a simple glaze. No special tools needed for delicious ribs!
HOW TO (EASILY) GAS GRILL THE BEST PORK RIBS EVER!
I know that grilling pork ribs can seem intimidating. I hesitated to grill ribs for a long time. I just thought there were too many steps and that I needed to learn how to use a smoker or to create some sort of makeshift smoker. All of that is well and good, but it’s not absolutely necessary to create delicious, tender, flavorful baby back ribs. And yes, you can do it on a gas grill! Just make sure your propane tank is full and I’m gonna show you how you can do this without any fancy tools or tricks!
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:
Before grilling the ribs, it’s important to remove the membrane on the back of the ribs, which can be tough and chewy. It’s also important to properly season the ribs with your favorite dry rub (I’ve included my homemade rub recipe in the recipe card below!)
Grilling time will depend on the thickness of the ribs and the temperature of your grill. As a general rule, it’s best to grill the ribs over a medium-low heat for about 1-2 hours or until the internal temperature reaches between 180°F-190°F (this lower and slower cooking method will ensure a super tender meat.) Don’t rush it!
It’s best to use indirect heat when grilling ribs, which means placing the ribs on the cooler side of the grill away from direct flames. This will help prevent the ribs from burning or drying out.
The best way to tell if the ribs are done is to use a meat thermometer to check the internal temperature. Pork ribs are safe to eat when they reach an internal temperature of 145°F. However, we’ll be cooking these a bit longer (remember low and slow!) to reach maximum tenderness so we’re looking for a temperature between 180°F- 190°F. Another way to tell if the ribs are done is to check for tenderness – when the meat is cooked through it will separate from the bone easily.
Certainly! I know a lot of people aren’t familiar with using marmalade and vinegar for a sauce out I promise it is out of this world good! It doesn’t drown out the flavor of the meat. However, this same technique works with your favorite BBQ sauce. Or perhaps try and make a Homemade BBQ Sauce!
I love to serve these with some macaroni and cheese, cole slaw and a slice of cornbread!
INGREDIENTS NEEDED: (SEE RECIPE CARD BELOW FOR THE FULL RECIPE)
- baby back ribs – this is my favorite style of ribs to use for this recipe but it would work with St Louis style ribs as well
- pork seasoning rub – use your favorite store-bought or use my homemade recipe in the recipe card below
- unsweetened apple juice – we want unsweetened here so as not to add too much sweetness since we’re using marmalade as well but if you can only find sweetened, then go with that
- orange marmalade – this might seem like a really weird ingredient but please trust me, it works! It adds a slight sweetness but also giving you a gorgeous thick glaze (peach preserves or apricot preserves also work)
- apple cider vinegar – this actually helps to tenderize the meat while also giving it moisture
- large disposable aluminum tray – this will make cleanup so much easier but you can use any pan that is safe to use on the grill
- aluminum foil
HOW TO MAKE BABY BACK RIBS:
Time needed: 1 hour and 20 minutes
- Prepare ribs
Remove pork ribs from the packaging and pat ribs dry with a paper towel. Spray the aluminum pan with nonstick cooking spray or rub with oil. Place ribs into pan. Remove silver skin from the back side of the ribs. Cook’s note: This is optional. I like to remove it because it’s a tough and rubber-y membrane that can make it a bit more challenging to eat the ribs after they are cooked. It is super easy to remove since it will pull off in one piece. It also helps the pork rub penetrate the meat easier.
- Add the rub
Sprinkle some of the pork rub seasoning onto the back of the ribs. It’s called ‘rub’ for a reason. So you want to really get in there and rub and press it in. Note: if you’d like, you can cut the rack of ribs in half to make it easier to handle on the grill later.
- Get both sides
Flip the ribs over and season the opposite side. The rule of thumb with rub seasoning is however much naturally sticks to the ribs is enough. Whatever falls off after rubbing it in can be discarded. Pour apple juice into the bottom of the pan. Cover pan with aluminum foil and place into the fridge until your grill is ready.
- Ensure propane tank is full
We are gonna be cooking these ribs at a low temperature for over an hour. So make sure your propane tank is full or that you have another tank on standby, just in case.
- Preheat grill
Preheat grill to 300°F degrees. It’s important to try to maintain this temperature through the cooking process so your ribs don’t cook too fast. I have 3 burners and I will usually keep the middle burner off and just keep the two end burners on low so it’s a nice, low, indirect heat for the ribs. Clean the grill grates and carefully wipe them down with a bit of oil (you’ll need nice, clean, nonstick grates a little later.)
- Time to grill!
Place pan of ribs onto grill. Cover grill and cook for about an hour (maintaining 300°F degrees during the cooking process.) You may need up to 2 hours for these ribs so plan accordingly (especially if you are having difficulty keeping the temperature at a consistent temperature.)
Ribs are safe to eat when an inserted meat thermometer (into the thickest part of the meat – away from the bone) reaches 145°F degrees. But by cooking it low and slow for a longer amount of time, the ribs will end up reaching a temperature closer to 180°F -190°F degrees and that creates a more tender meat. Carefully remove ribs from the pan and place directly on the grill. Ensure heat stays on low.
- Create the glaze
Meanwhile, in a small pot over medium heat, whisk together marmalade and vinegar. Continue to whisk until it’s combined well. This should only take a minute or two. You can do this on the grill if you have a side burner attached to your grill.
- Baste the ribs
Take pot off heat and baste the cooked ribs with the marmalade sauce. Make sure to coat it well.
- Repeat the process
Cover grill and cook for an additional 5 minutes. Then repeat the process one more time.
- Allow the meat to rest
Carefully remove the ribs off the grill and place on a large cutting board and allow the meat to rest and cool for a few minutes.
- Cut the ribs
With a sharp knife, carefully cut the ribs between the bones and serve! If you cooked these properly, the meat will slide off the bone. Time to enjoy!
CRAVING MORE RECIPES?
Grilled Baby Back Ribs (+Video)
Ingredients
- 1 rack baby back pork ribs
- ½ cup pork seasoning rub (see below for a recipe)
- 1 cup unsweetened apple juice
- 1 large disposable aluminum tray
- aluminum foil
- ½ cup orange marmalade (peach preserves or apricot preserves)
- ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
Instructions
- Remove 1 rack baby back pork ribs from the packaging and pat ribs dry with a paper towel. Spray the aluminum pan with nonstick cooking spray or rub with oil. Place ribs into pan. Remove silver skin from the back side of the ribs.
- Sprinkle some of the 1/2 cup pork seasoning rub onto the back of the ribs. It's called 'rub' for a reason. So you want to really get in there and rub and press it in. Note: if you'd like, you can cut the rack of ribs in half to make it easier to handle on the grill later.
- Flip the ribs over and season the opposite side. The rule of thumb with rub is however much naturally sticks to the ribs is enough. Whatever falls off after rubbing it in can be discarded. Pour 1 cup unsweetened apple juice into the bottom of 1 large disposable aluminum tray pan. Cover pan with aluminum foil and place into the fridge until your grill is ready.
- Preheat grill to 300°F degrees. It's important to try to maintain this temperature through the cooking process so your ribs don't cook too fast. I have 3 burners and I will usually keep the middle burner off and just keep the two end burners on low so it's a nice, low, indirect heat for the ribs.
- Clean the grill grates and carefully wipe them down with a bit of oil (you'll need nice, clean, nonstick grates a little later.) Place pan of ribs onto grill. Cover grill and cook for about an hour (maintaining 300°F degrees during the cooking process.) You may need up to 2 hours for these ribs so plan accordingly (especially if you are having difficulty keeping the temperature at a consistent temperature.)
- Ribs are safe to eat when an inserted meat thermometer (into the thickest part of the meat – away from the bone) reaches 145°F degrees. However, we're looking for maximum tenderness so we're looking to get a temperature of 180°F – 190°F. The meat should look like it will easily pull away from the bone. Carefully remove ribs from the pan and place directly on the grill. Ensure heat stays on low.
- Meanwhile, in a small pot over medium heat, whisk together 1/2 cup orange marmalade and 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar. Continue to whisk until it's combined well. This should only take a minute or two. You can do this on the grill if you have a side burner attached to your grill.
- Take pot off heat and baste the cooked ribs with the marmalade sauce. Make sure to coat it well.
- Cover grill and cook for an additional 5 minutes. Then repeat the process one more time. Carefully remove the ribs off the grill and place on a large cutting board and allow the meat to rest and cool for a few minutes.
- With a sharp knife, carefully cut the ribs between the bones and serve!
Video
Notes
Homemade Pork Seasoning Rub:
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1/4 cup smoked paprika
- 1 tablespoon coarse ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon cayenne
- Feel free to use your favorite BBQ sauce or a Homemade BBQ Sauce instead of my marmalade/vinegar sauce.
- Please refer to my FAQ’s and ingredient list above for other substitutions or for the answers to the most common questions.
Nutrition
Nutritional Disclaimer
“The Country Cook” is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and other nutritional values are important to you, we recommend running the ingredients through whichever online nutritional calculator you prefer. Calories and other nutritional values can vary quite a bit depending on which brands were used.
I would like to make these for part of my Christmas dinner. I have a couple questions. I need to cook at least 4 – 5 racks. Can I stagger stack them while slowly cooking. I’m assuming I will need to cook longer. Also, once the slow cook is done, do they go on direct flame for the grill part?
Tender and delicious – very solid recipe!
Didn’t have apple juice (so used ginger ale ) nor smoked paprika (so used regular). Also, I followed the directions of others who had 3 BBQ burners but only used 2 and placed the pan on the “dead” burner. Also, the temp was more like 350/75 on my bbq so I monitored closely. It still turned out fab.
I’ve grilled this recipe 4 times now. Couple notes:
1) I placed the pan indirect with other burners at low-medium to maintain 300F. Adjusted as weather conditions such as wind impact the internal temp.
2) The indirect method I done requires a roasting time @ 300 F for at least 5.5 hours. It was fantastic at 5.5 hour roasting and then 6 min over Direct heat on each side. Basting on each side as well. I’m going to aim for 6 hours the next time, but 5.5 worked great. previously tried 5 hours, but meat needed more time.
3) I used my own seasoning and substituted the apple juice with an alternative product.
4) I happen to have a 6 burner grill, so it made it easier to roast indirect.
This is a fantastic method and it only gets better every time I add time. Cook low and slow.
Just a question. This rub recipe looks amazing, and I can’t wait to try it, but 1/4 cup of smoked paprika seems like a LOT of paprika. Smoked paprika is a very strong spice, it’s one of my favorites and I love it, but can I cut the amount to maybe a tablespoon or so?
You can use as much or as little as you like – totally your call! 🙂
I have made these 6 or 7 times, the ribs are fall off the bone every time, the best ribs I have ever eaten my family loves them and yours will too.
Thanks so very much Ralph! I truly appreciate it when folks take the time to come back and let me know how a recipe is working out for them!
I made this last night on my char broil grill and it was fabulous. I’ve been
cooking for 72 years and this is one marvelous recipe!
That makes me SO happy Austin! I sure do appreciate you taking the time to come back & leave a comment!
I haven’t made these yet..Have a few questions.
Can you use Beef Ribs?
Will it taste the same with sugar free marmalade
Hey Doreen! I haven’t tried it with beef ribs. They would cook differently from pork but I haven’t tested that out. Also, not sure about the sugar free. The sugar in the marmalade works with the heat on the grill to give it that lovely glaze that coats it.
I made these today for my husband and they turned out delicious and fall of the bone tender. We loved them! I will make them again!
Any tips to prep the ribs ahead of time? Can I put the dry rub on a few hours before ? Leave them in the fridge or out in room temperature?