Seriously Delicious Ways To Make Ribs

Making your own ribs can seem really overwhelming. Low-and-slow grilling, smokers, aging ... it all seems like something best left to the pros. We can't tell you that none of that stuff matters, but what we are telling you is that all of that stuff is not the only way to get a great plate of ribs. Using the right ingredients is more than half the battle. As far as the equipment is concerned, all you'll need for these recipes is an oven, a slow cooker, or an Instant Pot.

The hardest part of preparation is removing the membrane from the back of the ribs (and even that isn't too difficult). This is an important step, as the membrane will keep both dry and wet rubs from being absorbed into the meat (via Fine Cooking). It might come off in one good yank, or you may have to pull it off in multiple pieces. If you're getting your ribs from the butcher counter, you can ask the butcher to remove the membrane for you. So, take care of that, and then let's get to cooking!

If you're serious about your barbecue, you've probably worked hard to find your favorite sauce. So, when recipes come around that only work with a sweet sauce or a spicy sauce, you either get lucky that the recipe works with your sauce, or you're stuck settling for a sauce you don't like as much that fits the recipe. That's not a dilemma you'll face with this recipe for juicy slow cooker ribs.

The dry rub in this recipe will compliment any barbecue sauce, whether you're into tomato-based, mustard-based, mayo-based, vinegar-based, or even a less common sauce. The rub consists of brown sugar, salt, pepper, cinnamon, and garlic, which will add a layered flavor to any sauce. And because it's a slow cooker recipe, you can prep it in the morning and come home to the incredible aroma of barbecue that evening and, after 5 minutes of broiling in the oven, your ribs are ready to be devoured.

This is why you own an Instant Pot: so you can have ribs ready to serve up and enjoy in just 35 minutes. Okay, maybe that's not the only reason why you have an Instant Pot, but you have to admit it's a pretty good one. There's no other way to get ribs this tasty this fast. Here's the Instant Pot ribs recipe, so what are you waiting for?

And if you'd rather people thought you spent all day working over a hot grill rather than 35 minutes binge-watching cat videos while your Instant Pot did its thing, this recipe comes with its own sneaky little trick. If you cut 5 minutes off the cook time in the Instant Pot, you can finish your ribs on the grill. Adding those charred grill marks will give you the benefit of the grilled flavor without the hours of grueling grilling work.

It's a pretty safe bet that in your pantry, you already have the five ingredients this recipe for baby back ribs calls for: brown sugar, salt, garlic powder, paprika, barbecue sauce, and galangal. Okay, we just added that last one was just to see if you were paying attention. Those first five ingredients are easily found at any grocery store and many people keep them on hand. (Bonus points to you if you have galangal on hand as well!)

This recipe mostly utilizes the oven, but recommends that you finish the ribs on the grill. This is good for those days when it's just too cold to spend hours outside by the grill. Instead, you'll cook the ribs in the oven at a low heat for around 3 to 3 ½ hours. Then, you toss them on the grill for just a few minutes on both sides to get that unbeatable grilled flavor.

Country ribs are a lie, albeit a tasty one. While most ribs actually come from an animal's ribs, hence the name, country ribs are meat taken from the shoulder area. That's why they don't have the bones like other kinds of ribs. However, you still get that amazing barbecue rib flavor with this country rib recipe.

There are only a few ingredients in this recipe, so what makes the biggest impact is how you cook it. You'll be making use of both your oven and your stove. This recipe requires a little more involvement, but it's really worth it for a great plate of ribs.

Spare ribs are taken from a different part of the rib than baby back ribs. You can tell the difference, because spare rib bones are flatter than curved baby back rib bones. Spare ribs also tend to be fattier, which makes them cheaper (and tastier in some people's opinion).

This recipe for oven-baked spare ribs is a great starter rib recipe for people braving their first rib-making experience. If you know how to use an oven, you can do this recipe. The sauce and the dry rub are left up to you to choose, so you can experiment and find out what you like. This recipe also encourages you to experiment with cooking ribs in fruit juice, beer, or cider (if you're into that kinda thing). In the end, you'll have tender, caramelized ribs that will impress even you with your rib-making abilities!

Maybe by now you've tried every other recipe on this list and have completely used up your barbecue budget for the month. Maybe you're ready to try ribs with a different kind of flavor. If you're looking for ribs with a savory and herbalicious flavor, then this recipe for short ribs is most certainly for you! Thyme and rosemary are the stars of this dish and will not only flavor the meat, but will completely fill your house with such an appealing aroma.

You won't miss the barbecue sauce, as these ribs will make their own delicious gravy. Before you start the cooking process, you coat the ribs in flour, which not only creates a lovely crust on the meat, but some of the flour will blend with the renderings to thicken the juices into a gravy. The end result is a fall-off-the-bone rib with a great fresh taste!