Juicy, delicious, fall-off-the-bone ribs baked in the comfort of your own home? They do exist! This recipe uses a sugar-free Memphis-style dry rub and a fail proof method to make the best Keto, Paleo and Whole30 ribs in your oven every time!
Ribs aren't just for summertime grilling, and I'm here to prove it! To be honest, I also don't really have much of a choice. I live in a condo, so using an outdoor grill of any sorts is a sure shot way to get a passive aggressive email from my HOA [insert eye roll]. It's all good though because I've finally mastered the same great taste of smoked or grilled pork ribs straight from my oven! So without further ado, let's get these finger-lickin' good ribs going!
Jump to:
- Memphis-style, what's that?
- The Secret to the Best Sugar-Free & Low Carb Ribs
- The Best Cut of Ribs for Low and Slow Baking
- How to Prepare Pork Ribs for the Oven
- Cooking Pork Ribs in the Oven
- What in the heck is a Memphis-style Mop Sauce?
- Finishing the Ribs
- How Many Carnivores Does 1 Rack of Ribs Feed?
- 📖 Recipe
Memphis-style, what's that?
Traditionally, Memphis-style ribs are dry rubbed, smoked and finished with an apple cider vinegar-based "mop sauce" (more on that later). As simple as that may sound, they're loaded with flavor, so there's no need to mess around with any sugar laden BBQ sauce. That being said, these flavor forward ribs are very low carb and very Keto. This recipe also checks off the Paleo and Whole30 boxes as well! Virtual high five!
The Secret to the Best Sugar-Free & Low Carb Ribs
No, it's not taking the easy way out and using a store-bought (mediocre) sugar-free BBQ sauce. It's using my carefully crafted blend of Memphis-style inspired spices to take that slab of meat to flavor town! This recipe yields enough rub to generously coat one full rack of ribs, but trust me -you're going to want to double or even triple the recipe. Obviously it's delicious on pork, but it's also awesome on chicken, burgers and even roasted potatoes! Simply gather your ingredients and mix them all up! Here's what you'll need:
- 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
- ½ tablespoon sea salt
- 1 teaspoon chipotle chili powder
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon ground mustard seed
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon white pepper
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne
The Best Cut of Ribs for Low and Slow Baking
I'm a huge fan of St.Louis-cut ribs! The cartilage and gristle is removed leaving nothing but the meat! They also come with less of a price tag than many other cuts of ribs and are usually pretty easy to find in your grocer's meat department. That being said, I've only tested this method with St.Louis-cut ribs. If you use any other cut, the size will vary and you may need to adjust the cooking times a bit.
How to Prepare Pork Ribs for the Oven
Follow my lead, and you'll have the best d*mn ribs on the table in just a few short hours (patience is a virtue when it comes to anything barbecue-related).
If you're using St.Louis-cut ribs, your butcher has most likely already removed the fatty membrane on the concave side of the rack. If not, be sure to slice that away before getting started!
Once you've mixed together the dry rub, set aside a ½ tablespoon to be used for the "mop" and use the rest to generously coat every inch of the rack of ribs on both sides. I know it seems like an excessive amount of spices, but once you bite into one of these babies it will all make sense.
Cooking Pork Ribs in the Oven
Preheat your oven to 325°. Line a baking sheet with foil and position a wire baking rack on top.
Place the ribs bone side down above the wire rack and bake for 2 ½ hours. While the ribs are in the oven, prepare the "mop sauce." You could also use that time to prepare your side dishes. I've linked a few recipes that pair well with Memphis-style ribs below. Have at it!
- Paleo German Potato Salad
- Easy Cucumber Salad
- Creamy German Cucumber Salad
- Crispy Crushed Potatoes
- Dairy-Free Loaded Baked Potato Salad
What in the heck is a Memphis-style Mop Sauce?
A mop sauce is usually just a simple mixture of vinegar and the seasonings used on dry rubbed meat. It keeps the meat tender and juicy while cooking low and slow without having to rely on a sticky barbecue sauce.
To make this mop sauce, whisk together 1 cup apple cider vinegar, the remaining dry rub and ¼ teaspoon liquid smoke. Isn't that so much easier than trying to concoct a homemade Keto-friendly BBQ sauce that probably doesn't taste that great?
For more information on liquid smoke, scroll through this post - I chat about it quite a bit over there!
Finishing the Ribs
After 2 ½ hours, remove the ribs from the oven and generously brush the mop onto the ribs. Not only will the mop sauce keep the ribs from drying out during the last 30 minutes of cooking, but it will also add an additional depth of flavor. That ¼ teaspoon of liquid smoke goes a longgggg way! It'll make the ribs taste like they've been in a smoker for hours!
Finally, cover the ribs in foil and return them to the oven for an additional 30 minutes. Promptly remove them from the oven and let rest for 5 to 10 minutes before slicing and serving!
How Many Carnivores Does 1 Rack of Ribs Feed?
If you're serving these ribs as a starter or alongside a couple of hearty side dishes, one rack should be plenty for four people. Otherwise, one rack should satisfy two very hungry adults. Chris and I had no problem polishing off a rack to ourselves.
I know it may be hard to imagine baked ribs being anywhere near as delicious as ribs cooked low and slow outdoors, but these ribs are truly mouthwatering. You'll just have to see it to believe it, and when you do -don't hesitate to tell me all about it! Comment below with your trials and triumphs and tag me in your recipe creations @paleoishkrista with #paleoishkristaeats!
PS: You are 100% going to need a bib for this and a giant snack of napkins. Enjoy!
PIN NOW! COOK LATER!
Did you like this recipe? That's great! I think the recipes listed below will appease your carnivorous palate as well! Enjoy!
- Air Fryer "Rotisserie" Chicken
- Spicy Oven Fried Pork Chops
- Honey Glazed Chicken Thighs
- Everything Bagel Homemade Beef Jerky
📖 Recipe
Keto Oven Baked Pork Ribs | Memphis-Style
Ingredients
For the Dry Rub:
- 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
- ½ tablespoon sea salt
- 1 teaspoon chipotle chili powder
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon ground mustard seed
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon white pepper
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne
For the Ribs:
- 1 full rack "St.Louis-style" cut pork spareribs 4 to 6 pounds
For the Memphis-style "Mop"
- 1 cup apple cider vinegar
- ½ tablespoon reserved dry rub
- ¼ teaspoon liquid smoke
Instructions
- Preheat oven. Place oven rack in center of oven. Preheat oven to 325°.
- Make the dry rub and coat the ribs. In a small bowl, whisk together all dry rub ingredients until thoroughly combined. Set aside a ½ tablespoon of dry rub for the mop. Sprinkle remaining dry rub all over both sides of the rack of ribs coating all surfaces.
- Bake the ribs. Line a baking sheet with foil. Place a wire rack on to the foil-lined baking sheet. Position the rack of ribs bone side down above the wire rack (the concave should be facing down). Bake in center of 325° preheated oven for 2 ½ hours.
- Make the mop and brush onto ribs. While the ribs are in the oven, make the mop. In a small bowl, whisk together apple cider vinegar, reserved dry rub and liquid smoke (if using). Once the ribs have baked for 2 ½ hours, remove them from the oven and brush with mop. Cover the ribs with foil to prevent them from drying out and return to oven for an additional 30 minutes.
- Slice and serve. Let ribs rest for 5 to 10 minutes before slicing. Serve immediately.
Notes
Nutrition
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