No need for a grill or homemade sauce with this Country Style Pork Ribs recipe. Your oven and the grocery store do all the work, leaving you with a flavorful, wallet-friendly alternative to baby back ribs.

Country style pork ribs glazed with barbecue sauce on an oval shaped blue platter.

You will love this Country Ribs in Oven recipe

We know the price of everything at the grocery store has gone up, but ribs especially seem to be very pricy in recent years. It’s hard to get a few racks of baby backs and feed a crowd crock pot ribs or root beer ribs without breaking the bank.

So I’ve started making country style pork ribs in oven. They give me the barbecue flavor I love without putting a dent in my wallet.

In my part of the country, it’s easy to find these ribs sold either boneless or bone-in, typically for $3 to $4 per pound or less.

The flavor and texture is quite similar to baby back ribs, and they’re actually meatier than baby back ribs, too. What a win win!

I used bone-in country style pork ribs for these country style ribs in oven, but you can use boneless and follow the same directions.

Raw pork bones with meat on a metal sheet pan.

Country Style Ribs Recipe ingredients

  • bone-in country style pork ribs – these should be easy to find at most stores, but if you don’t see them, ask the butcher!
  • spice rub – I use my recipe for dry rub for ribs for country style ribs in oven, and the meat turns out perfectly seasoned every time.
  • barbecue sauce – you CAN make your own, but store-bought is totally fine and so easy! I’m team store-bought for barbecue sauce here.

Substitutions and Additions for Country Style Ribs in the Oven

  • Experiment with different dry rubs for country ribs in oven. Using my recipe as a base, you can do things like adding more cayenne to make it spicier or using smoked paprika instead of traditional Hungarian paprika to make it a touch smoky.
  • For a smokier flavor, add a few dashes of liquid smoke to the dry rub before rubbing it onto the meat.
  • Try a variety of barbecue sauces for this country ribs recipe, like spicy, sweet or smoky sauces.
Pork pieces rubbed with a red spice blend.

How to cook Country Style Ribs in Oven

  1. Pat the ribs dry with paper towel and rub them all over with the dry rub. Let them stand 15 minutes at room temperature so the spices can start to penetrate the meat.
  2. Transfer them to the oven and bake for 2 hours, covered tightly in foil. You don’t need to check on them or turn them or do anything to them during this time.
  3. After 2 hours, remove them from the oven and carefully remove the foil. Drain the excess liquid from the pan and slather the ribs with bbq sauce. Lower the oven temperature and then bake them another 45 minutes, uncovered this time.
  4. At this point, the meat should be tender enough to pull apart with a fork, and it’s time to eat!
A rustic plate filled with potato salad, coleslaw and a country style pork rib with barbecue sauce.

How to serve this Country Style Pork Ribs Recipe

This country style pork ribs recipe is incredibly versatile and can be served with a wide variety of side dishes for ribs. Here are a few suggestions:

Home Chef Tips

  • If you’d like an even deeper flavor for this country style ribs recipe, feel free to apply the rib rub to the meat the night before you plan to cook them.
  • Don’t let the rub sit on the meat any longer than 24 hours. Any more than that, and the meat can start to dry out, similar to a curing effect.
Country style pork ribs glazed with barbecue sauce on an oval shaped blue platter.

How to store this Country Style Ribs Recipe

If you have any leftovers of these country ribs in oven, they can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.

You can also store them for longer periods by wrapping them well and freezing the for up to 3 months. Thaw them in the refrigerator overnight before reheating in the oven until they are warmed through.

Country Style Ribs Recipe FAQ

Should you boil country ribs before grilling or baking?

Boiling country style ribs before grilling or baking them is not necessary at all. Because the ribs are cooked low and slow, they will become as tender as they need to without the need for boiling.

What is the difference between country style and western style ribs?

Country style ribs and western style ribs are two different cuts of meat, from different parts of the pig. Country style ribs are cut from the shoulder end of the pork loin. Western style ribs are cut from the center of the pork loin, closer to the back.

Do country style ribs get more tender the longer they cook?

Country style ribs in oven do benefit from longer cooking times to become more tender. However, it’s important not to overcook the ribs, as they can become tough and dry. The recommended cooking time in the oven recipe provided below is a good guideline for achieving tender rribs.

A country style rib with some pieces of meat cut off of it, on a plate with potato salad and coleslaw.
Country style pork ribs glazed with barbecue sauce on an oval shaped blue platter.

Country Style Ribs in Oven

Yield: 4 servings
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 2 hours 45 minutes
Additional Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 3 hours 15 minutes

No need for a grill or homemade sauce with this Country Style Pork Ribs recipe. Your oven and the grocery store do all the work, leaving you with a flavorful, wallet-friendly alternative to baby back ribs.

Ingredients

  • 3 pounds bone-in country style pork ribs
  • 1/4 cup dry rub for ribs
  • 1/2 cup barbecue sauce

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Rub all sides of ribs with dry rub and place them on a rimmed baking pan. Let stand 15 minutes.
  2. Cover pan tightly with foil. Transfer to oven and bake 2 hours.
  3. Remove ribs from oven and carefully remove foil. Transfer ribs to plate and carefully drain and discard liquid in pan.
  4. Transfer ribs back to pan and brush barbecue sauce on all sides of ribs.
  5. Lower oven temperature to 300 degrees F. Transfer ribs back to oven, uncovered, and cook an additional 45 minutes or until meat is tender enough to pull apart with a fork.

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    Nutrition Information:
    Yield: 4 Serving Size: 1
    Amount Per Serving: Calories: 910Total Fat: 61gSaturated Fat: 22gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 33gCholesterol: 255mgSodium: 557mgCarbohydrates: 20gFiber: 0gSugar: 17gProtein: 66g

    This website provides estimated nutrition information as a courtesy only. You should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe using your preferred nutrition calculator.

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