The secret? Liquid smoke is only part of the method for making juicy, smoky oven baked ribs for these indoor ribs.
Don’t have a smoker or a grill? Live in a condo or dorm? Waiting out a blizzard? Broken leg? This recipe for indoor ribs delivers tender, juicy ribs with a flavor that might fool you into thinking it was cooked outdoors. This is the indoor ribs recipe that beat recipes by Alton Brown, Jaden Hair of Steamy Kitchen, and Chef John of All Recipes in a blind taste test by TheKitchn.com.
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The science behind indoor ribs
In the summer of 2015, our friends, the wizards at ChefSteps.com, invited Chef Ryan and me to their kitchen/lab in Seattle to show them how we cook ribs outdoors. Then, in a friendly challenge, we made an indoor ribs recipe that tastes like ribs cooked outdoors. Watch the video to see what happened.
They started their indoor ribs sous vide, a method of gently cooking in a vacuum pack in a hot water bath and then finishing them in the oven. We baked ours entirely inside in the oven, at first wrapped in foil, then nekkid.
The results?
We agreed that our flavor was better. We agreed their meat was slightly juicier. Plus, we agreed ours tasted more outdoorsy because we marinated the ribs for a bit in diluted liquid smoke. Both teams used a bit of Prague Powder #1 in their rub. PP#1 is a curing salt that gives hot dogs, corned beef, ham, bacon, and other cured meats their pink tinge. Both teams got a faux smoke ring from it.
If you have a sous vide setup, instead of using foil as we did, do as they did and cook the ribs sous vide for five hours at 165°F (73.9°C), and then dry roast at 225°F (107.2°C) for two hours. Here’s a video of the results.
Recipe Overview: Indoor Ribs Success Formula
- Buy: one slab of ribs, any cut.
- Remove the membrane from the back of the ribs and trim excess fat. Cut slab in half.
- Combine: Bring water and liquid smoke together in a gallon zipper bag and marinate the slabs.
- Season: Coat both sides of the ribs with Meathead’s Memphis Dust and wrap in foil.
- Cook: Covered in foil, cook the ribs at 225°F oven for 2 hours.
- Roast: Remove the foil from the meat and return it to the oven meaty side up for another 2 hours.
- Broil: Slather it with barbecue sauce after 2 hours, with the meaty side down, and broil for 5 mins.
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Ingredients and substitutions for indoor ribs
- Slab ribs, any cut, will work here.
- Liquid smoke will go a long way to impart that outdoor flavor. We’ve already addressed the snobbery about this ingredient, but it really is the way to get that flavor into the ribs if you’re not smoking outdoors.
- Morton Coarse Kosher Salt is always my salt of preference. If you want to substitute table salt, use half the amount because otherwise it will be way too salty.
- Meathead’s Memphis Dust Rub is key to this recipe. Make up a batch ahead of time, but for this particular ribs recipe, we amp the dust rub up to 11, and make it with smoked smoked garlic, smoked onion, smoked salt, and paprika. You might find them in stores or online.
- Smoky barbecue sauce of your choice—try one of our barbecue sauce recipes, or buy one. If you go for store bought, buy one that says it’s “smoky,” which means liquid smoke was added. KC Masterpiece original is a good example. If you want, you can add about 1/4 teaspoon of liquid smoke to the barbecue sauce after you taste it.
Now, a word on liquid smoke. When you’re making indoor ribs, don’t be tempted to skip it. BBQ snobs turn up their noses at the stuff because they get wood smoke in their cooker. What happens is smoke comes off combusting wood and condenses on cool meat. Pretty simple. Well, that’s exactly how liquid smoke is made. Wood is burned, it condenses on cool metal, and then it is bottled. It’s pretty much the way they make whiskey. So the next time you run into a snob who starts to rant about liquid smoke, snatch that bourbon from their hand.
Indoor ribs recipe, step by step
- Remove the membrane from the ribs and trim the excess fat.
- Mix the water and liquid smoke and marinate the meat in it for an hour. Cut the slab in half if needed and split the mixture between two zipper bags.
- Season both sides of the ribs with Meathead’s Memphis Dust. Wrap the meat in foil, put it in a pan (to catch any drips) and cook at 225°F.
- Remove the foil and return the meat to the oven, meaty side up, to dry roast for 2 more hours.
- Read up on how to tell when ribs are ready. It’s both an art and a science and there are lots of different tests you can try. I use the bend test.
- When they are, turn them meaty side down, slather them with sauce, turn the oven to broil, and broil with the door open for 5 minutes or until the sauce bubbles.
- Leave the door open so the oven cools a bit and so the thermostat doesn’t turn off the broiler. Repeat the process for the meaty side.
- Remove from the oven and serve.
Indoor ribs FAQs
What are some common mistakes in cooking ribs?
One very common mistake is not removing the membrane. That’ s the thin rubbery layer on the bone. It gets tough when cooked and it won’t absorb a rub anyway. People also sometimes boil the ribs first, which removes a lot the meat’s natural flavors.
Do I bake ribs in the oven covered or uncovered?
Keep them covered with aluminum foil for most of the cooking time to make them tender. Remove the foil toward the end of the baking process to help caramelize the sauce.
Can ribs be overcooked at 250°F?
Yes, ribs can be overcooked at that temperature. I typically don’t recommend cooking ribs at that temperature. For this recipe, stick to 225°F instead.
If you like this indoor ribs recipe, you’ll love . . .
- Hoisinful Nine Dragon Chinese Ribs Recipe
- Japanese Yakitori Ribs Will Make Your Mouth Happy
- Slow Cooker and Instant Pot Ribs
- Epic Smoked Ribs Recipe (Baby Back or St. Louis Spare Ribs)
- The Best Stovetop Ribs: Arroz con Costillas de Cerdo
Our Indoor Ribs Recipe
Smoky Indoor Ribs Recipe
Makes
1 slab baby back ribsIngredients
Method
- Prep. Remove the membrane from the back of the ribs and trim excess fat. Mix ½ cup (118.3 ml) water with the liquid smoke, and marinate the meat in this for an hour. I usually cut the slab in half, put each half in a 1 gallon (1.9 L) zipper bag, and divide the marinade between the two.
- Cook. Season both sides with salt and then Meathead's Memphis Dust. Wrap the meat in foil. Put it in a pan (to catch leaks) and cook in 225°F (107.2°C) oven for 2 hours. This makes the meat very tender, but not mushy.
- Roast. Now take the meat out of the foil, then put it back in the oven, meaty side up, without the foil to dry roast for another 2 hours at 225°F (107.2°C). This will firm the bark.
- Broil. Read this article to see how to tell when the meat is ready. I use the bend test to make sure it is done. When it is, turn the slab meaty side down. Slather the bone side with the sauce, turn the oven to broil and put the meat under the broiler so it is aligned with the heat source. Broil for 5 minutes with the oven door partially open or until the sauce bubbles, watching closely to make sure it doesn't burn. Leave the door open so the oven cools a bit and to make sure the thermostat doesn't turn off the broiler. Repeat for the meaty side. This direct concentrated heat caramelizes the sugar and creates more deeper flavor. Serve.
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