Dry Rub Ribs Recipe

There’s nothing quite like a plate of spicy, smoky, baby back ribs to satiate anyone, especially when it’s the perfect time of year for outdoor cooking. While there’s a lot of flavor to be found in wet marinades, dry rubs are also a great option for this pork dish.

Instead of having to stand over, marinate, and watch your ribs while they cook on the grill, you’ll be rubbing these and baking them in the oven instead, finishing with a quick char outdoors.

This makes this dry rub recipe perfect for nights when you’re entertaining but don’t want to be preoccupied with cooking. We also love this recipe for getting kids involved – dry rubs are messy and kids should love getting to help to prep the meat!

The key ingredient of this dish – the pork baby back ribs – is chock full of nutrients, including healthy fats, iron, and Vitamin E. But the nutritional value of this dish doesn’t stop there.

Dry rubs have a huge concentration of spices in them, which offer health benefits, including blood lipid improvements, improved gut flora functions, and positive impacts on blood pressure.

Even though you can find dry rubs pre-packaged, in this dish, you’ll have total control over what spices you include, ensuring you get the taste you want with a quality of spices you are comfortable with.

This recipe works perfectly with a grilled vegetable side dish to round out your plate. Try making a batch of these grilled zesty sweet potatoes for a great, casual option.

Serves: 10 Prep: 10 min + 2 h Cook: 2 h

Ingredients

• 5 lbs. pork baby back ribs, membrane removed
• 2 tbsp. paprika
• 2 tbsp. smoked paprika
• 2 tbsp. chili powder
• 2 tbsp. chipotle powder
• 1 tbsp. ground ginger
• 1 tbsp. ground nutmeg
• 1 tbsp. ground oregano
• 1 tbsp. ground thyme
• 1 tbsp. ground coriander
• 2 tbsp. dry mustard powder
• 2 tbsp. garlic powder
• 3 tbsp. onion powder
• 1 tsp. ground cumin
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preparation

1. In a bowl, combine all the spices, season to taste with salt and pepper, and mix well.
2. Rub both sides of the ribs generously with the spice rub, cover, and refrigerate for 1 to 12 hours.
3. Preheat the oven to 325 F.
4. Wrap the ribs with parchment paper and transfer them to a baking sheet.
5. Bake for about 2 hours or until the meat is tender and cooked.
6. Preheat the grill to medium-high heat.
7. Grill the ribs for 4 to 5 minutes per side on the preheated grill or until nicely charred.