Prize-Winning Baby Back Ribs
January 27, 2026 • 0 comments
Master the art of the backyard barbecue with this effortless recipe for the most tender, delectable ribs you’ve ever tasted. The secret is all in the timing—grill them to succulent perfection, then finish with a generous brush of your favorite BBQ sauce in the final minutes for a beautifully glazed, sticky finish.
- Prep Time:
- Cook Time:
- Servings: 6
Ingredients
- 3 pounds baby back pork ribs
- 1 tablespoon ground cumin
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 1 tablespoon paprika
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 cup barbeque sauce
Directions
- Gather the ingredients.
- Preheat a gas grill for high heat, or arrange charcoal briquettes on one side of the barbeque. Lightly oil the grate.
- Combine cumin, chili powder, paprika, salt, and pepper in a small jar; close the lid and shake to mix.
- Trim the membrane sheath from the back of each rack. Run a small, sharp knife between the membrane and each rib, and snip off the membrane as much as possible.
- Sprinkle as much of the rub onto both sides of ribs as desired. To prevent ribs from becoming too dark and spicy, do not thoroughly rub spices into ribs. Store any unused spice mix in a jar for future use.
- Place aluminum foil on the lower rack to capture drippings and prevent flare-ups. Lay ribs on the top rack of the grill (away from the coals, if you're using briquettes). Reduce gas heat to low and close the lid; cook ribs, undisturbed as possible, until meat pulls away easily from the bone, about 1 hour. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the center should read 145°.
- Brush ribs with barbecue sauce, and grill for an additional 5 minutes.
- Serve ribs as a whole rack, or cut between each rib bone and pile individually on a platter.
