Tender Oven-Baked Spicy BBQ Boneless Pork Ribs Recipe

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This boneless pork ribs recipe is easy to make, resulting in a tender and delicious meal with a spicy-sweet kick. If you don’t want the hassle, or if it’s too cold in your neck of the woods to brave the grill, then this recipe is exactly what you and your whole family are looking for.

I am a super lazy cook but I love ribs. But not the effort of traditional ribs. I don’t like to work that hard to get the food in my belly. So, I guess I’m just lazy. This is why I love it when I spot a delicious huge package of boneless ribs at the grocery store. Right up my alley, especially because I know how easy it is to cook these wonderful, tasty pieces of pig in the oven. 

This recipe is a Dined and Dashed Level 4 recipe, which means it takes an hour or less to prepare and will often be one you will save for a weekend or when you can do some serious prep ahead of time. These recipes are worth the effort, but ambitious for busy schedules.

I struggled with the recipe level for this one. In theory, the prep time won’t technically take an hour, but with the various steps, the need to pay close attention to the temperature, and the long cook time played a part in my decision. This isn’t a recipe someone who works 9-5 will make on a weekday, but if you work from home, it’s an option.

Before we dive into the actual boneless pork ribs recipe, I thought I’d address some frequently asked questions first. If you want to jump right to the recipe, scroll up and hit the “jump to recipe” button.

How do you keep boneless ribs moist?

I originally assumed this question had to do with keeping the ribs moist during the cooking process, but it appears most people want to know how to keep leftovers moist. Either way, I’m going to answer your question.

The key to moist ribs during the cooking process is to brine them ahead of time. I explain how to do that below. The key to moist ribs when storing leftovers is to let the ribs cool completely and store them in an airtight container in the fridge. Eat the leftovers within 3-4 days.

Can you overcook boneless pork ribs?

You can pretty much overcook anything but you can overcook boneless pork ribs. If you overcook them, they will get dry and tough. Brining helps reduce the likelihood of this, but you still want to make sure you are watching your ribs and checking the temperature as they cook.

Do pork ribs get more tender the longer they cook?

So the question of whether or not ribs get more tender the longer they cook is kind of a double-edged sword. Low temperature with longer cooking time is better for producing tender boneless pork ribs, but there is a limit to how long before they turn dry and tough. So while this is an easy recipe to make, there is some need to tend to it during the cooking process to ensure the perfect cook.

If you have any additional general questions about boneless ribs, let us know in the comments and we will answer them! In the meantime, let’s get down to business.

Tools needed to make boneless pork ribs:

You don’t need anything special to make these ribs, although I do recommend a silicone brush for the barbecue sauce. Otherwise, all you need is a large bowl to brine the chops, a small bowl to mix the seasonings, a baking dish to cook them, and a cookie sheet to transfer them to for the final cooking stage.

Ingredients needed for this spicy BBQ boneless pork ribs recipe:

For the most part, this rib recipe uses very simple ingredients to create great flavors.

• boneless country-style pork ribs
• sugar (white sugar or brown sugar)
• Kosher salt
• table salt
• black pepper
• paprika
• garlic powder
• onion powder
• chipotle powder
• your favorite barbecue sauce

The sugar and the Kosher salt are for the brine which is a step you can skip, but I don’t recommend it. A brine is the best way to prepare any kind of pork before cooking. It gives you an edge to make sure the meat is moist.

I used our absolute favorite BBQ sauce which is Lillies Carolina. It’s a crowd-pleaser around here for sure!

How to make boneless pork ribs recipe:

Many of the steps I am going to describe will be pretty standard to any boneless pork ribs recipe even if the ingredients aren’t quite the same. For the most part, I think this recipe takes minimal effort, but you do need to pay attention to it during cooking.

As I have mentioned, a brine is a good idea to ensure moist pork no matter what cut of pork you are cooking, and while that adds a bit of time to the process, a brine is so easy to do, that it just takes a few minutes to prep. It will help ensure your pork is fork-tender and delicious.

Instead of reinventing the wheel, I’m going to let Chef Tom give an in-depth lesson with great helpful tips on how to make a brine: 

Now, you don’t have to boil anything for a simple brine for juicy boneless pork ribs. The key is getting all of the sugar and salt dissolved before putting the ribs into the brine which you can do without heat, you just need a lot of stirring.

But this takes way less time because you don’t have to wait for the brine to cool before adding your pork to it. Alternatively, you can boil a very small amount of water (1 1/2 cups) to dissolve the salt and sugar, then add cold water to it so you can add the ribs to the brine right away.

The brine instructions in the recipe card below tell you exactly how to brine boneless pork ribs in the simplest way possible.

Once you have brined the ribs, the rest of the recipe goes like this:

• mix the dry rub seasonings in your small bowl
• remove the ribs from the brine and pat dry
• add the ribs to your casserole dish 
• add the dry rub to all sides of the ribs
• cover and bake in a preheated oven
• line your baking sheet with aluminum foil
• about 2/3 or more through the baking process, remove the ribs from the casserole dish and set them on the baking sheet in a single layer
• brush BBQ sauce onto all sides of the ribs and bake or broil until the tops of the ribs have a nice slight crisp to them
• serve with extra BBQ sauce

That’s it! You will need to check the internal temperature of the ribs as they cook – scroll down to the recipe card below for specific information.

The next time you have a hankering for ribs, this recipe is a great way to serve tasty ribs without firing up the grill!