Grilled Baby Back Ribs

Make the best Baby Back Ribs with a homemade spice mix and rib sauce to get the best, tender, and juicy baby back ribs. All you need are a few simple pantry ingredients, your favorite bbq sauce, and a good rack of ribs, and you are well on your way to slow cooking a delicious pork recipe. Pair this delicious baby back ribs recipe with some of your favorite side dishes and you are ready for a backyard bbq with friends and family.

Recipe Ingredient Notes

To make our grilled baby back ribs, you need the following ingredients:

• Seasoning: Use a combination of brown sugar, chili powder, ground cumin, smoked paprika, salt, and pepper for the best flavor
• BBQ sauce: Get a bottle of your favorite barbecue sauce, pick one with smoky in the title if you enjoy a little extra smoky flavor
• Vinegar: Adding apple cider vinegar is a great way to elevate the flavor of baby back ribs
• Honey: Cut the savory flavors a little with some honey in the rib sauce
• Pork: Get a good rack of baby pork ribs

Equipment Needed

For this recipe, you only need a few simple kitchen tools. We recommend using the following equipment:

• Mixing Bowl (Small)
• Grill
• Tongs
• Aluminum Foil

How to Make Grilled Baby Back Ribs

1. Prepping the ribs. Remove the packaging from your baby backs. Grab the membrane with a paper towel to remove the membrane completely and place the ribs on a baking sheet. Then, use the homemade spice rub on all sides of the ribs to ensure that all sides are seasoned to get the perfect baby back ribs. For the best results, try and do this at least 30 minutes to an hour in advance to get flavorful, tender ribs.
2. Make the spice rub mix. Combine the brown sugar, chili, cumin, and smoked paprika in a small bowl. 
3. Season the pork. Season the pork with salt and black pepper, then rub it with the prepared spice mix. 
4. Make the BBQ rub mix. combine all of the ingredients in a bowl and whisk well. 
5. Heat your grill. Heat your grill and gently oil your grate. Place ribs on top of the grill. Cook the pork for 1 hour or until the inner temperature reaches 145°F. Brush the pork with prepared BBQ sauce and grill for another 5-7 minutes. 
6. Serve pork while still warm, either as a whole rack or cut each rib individually. 

Recipe Tips and Noes

• Do not completely rub the spices into the pork. This will make them too spicy and dark. 
• Make sure you place a piece of aluminum foil on the lower rack of your grill to catch the pork drippings. It will save you some extra cleaning time. 
• Serve the pork ribs with fresh salad, potato salad, corn muffins, or baked beans.
• When making baby back ribs, cook the ribs with the back of the rack (aka bone side) down on the grill. This is the best way to cook the ribs to keep the meat side from drying out.

Make Ahead, Storage, and Reheating Instructions

• Make ahead: Put the prepared ribs on a baking sheet and put them in the fridge for 30-60 minutes ahead of time.
• Fridge: After the ribs have cooled down, put them in an airtight container and store them in the fridge for up to 5 days.
• Reheat: Place the ribs in an air fryer and reheat them for 3-5 minutes at 350°F or until they are warmed to your liking.

Serving Suggestions

We recommend serving this recipe with our Creamy Pasta Salad, Easy Potato Salad, or Oven Roasted Parmesan Broccoli. You can find more classic American recipes here.

Enjoy More Delicious Pork Main Dishes

Whether you like your pork cooked in the slow cooker, grill, or Instant Pot, pork is one of the most versatile main dishes. Check out our comprehensive collection of pork main dishes here.

• Best Pork Chop Marinade
• Grilled Hawaiian Pineapple Pork Chops
• Grilled Honey Mustard Pork Chops
• Grilled Mediterranean Pork Kabobs
• Grilled Pork Chops
• Grilled Pork Medallions
• Grilled Tuscan Pork Chops
• Marinated Pork Chops
• Marinated Pork Loin
• Smoked BBQ Ribs