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How To Finish Ribs in the Oven

By: Author William Thomas

William Thomas

Editor-in-Chief & Pitmaster

I have been smoking and grilling meat from an early age and enjoy sharing my knowledge and expertise through the hundreds of articles I have written about BBQ. I hope to make everyone’s BBQ journey that little bit easier.
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How To Finish Ribs in the Oven

Cooking is a process that is both enjoyable and time-consuming. We cook on stoves, ovens, grills, over firewood, etc. All of them come with their ups and downs.

Sometimes when cooking, you want to take an easier route or do something that will help lessen the time to cook. You could also just want to finish up the cooking process in a different way.

One way to complete cooking is by putting it in the oven. People do this for many types of food, which includes ribs.

In this article, we will go over if you can finish ribs in the oven, whether it’s worth it, and finally, how you can do it!

What Are Ribs?

If you are new to cooking or just have never cooked ribs, you might wonder what exactly ribs are referring to. The rib cut of meat means you are getting it from the loin or part between the shoulder and back legs. This includes both pork and beef.

For pork, in particular, there are the baby back ribs, spare ribs, and country-style cuts. Beef has chuck short ribs, plate short ribs, and back ribs cut.

All six of these different cuts have their good and weak points.

  • Spare ribs come from the belly and have less meat overall but a rich flavor.
  • Baby back ribs come from the top part of the rib cage and are very tender.
  • Country-style ribs come from around the shoulder blade area. These are very meaty.
  • Chuck short ribs come from underneath the cow’s chuck area and are very meaty.
  • Plate short ribs that are very big and on the meaty and tender side.
  • Back ribs come from the part of the ribs near the spine and are very tender and juicy.

The best thing you can do before purchasing a cut of the rib is to do a little of research so you can figure out just what cut is best for you.

Can You Finish the Ribs in the Oven?

It is very possible to finish ribs in the oven. While it may not be the first choice for some people, it’s especially useful when you think about it.

Now, if you don’t have a grill, smoker, etc., in the first place, then the oven is all you have to work with.

Baking the ribs in the oven straight out is a two-hour process (roughly), and they come out delicious. Don’t expect an intense smoky flavor as you get with smoking meat over some firewood, but the ribs will be very tender and flavorful.

If you do have a smoker, then our statement still stands. You can finish them up in the oven and might even prefer to do this than finishing them on the grill or smoker.

The biggest reason to do this is that it gives the smoker a break, and if you want to do some more cooking, this gives you the space to do it.

So, finishing ribs in the oven is a possibility.

Is It Good To Finish Ribs in the Oven?

We told you it was possible to finish ribs in the oven, but this leads us to a new question. Is it good or even worth it to finish them in the oven?

Well, yes. There are several reasons why finishing ribs in the oven is a very good idea, which include:

  • Grilling or smoking requires you to be outside. Should there be some weather issues, it helps if you can pop it in the oven at any moment.
  • If the smoker isn’t getting as hot as you want it, then the oven can help get your ribs nice and hot.
  • We touched on this before briefly, but it frees space on the grill. If you are making a lot of food, then you’ll want to move it to the oven so you can get it out of the way temporarily.

You don’t have to finish your ribs in the oven. If you prefer to stick to the grill, then that is your prerogative! Just understand it is an option you have at your disposal.

How To Finish Ribs in the Oven

Assuming you have already put the ribs on the smoker, go do what you normally do when smoking your ribs. The smoking times vary, but it is usually a few hours.

  • When you have had about an hour left, preheat the oven to 250. 30 minutes before you can them off the smoker, take them out of the smoker.
  • Put the ribs on a baking sheet after wrapping them in foil. Put the tray on the top rack in the oven.
  • Now you cook! Cook until the ribs reach a temperature of 195 degrees Fahrenheit. This takes about 2 hours.
  • Final step is to take them out of the oven and take them out of the foil. Either return them to the smoker or put them back in the oven at 375 degrees for 10 minutes.

It is up to you if you want to continue to smoke the meat after removing it from the grill the first time.

Since you are already in the oven, it is probably easier to just finish it in the oven. All you have to do is turn the temperature up!

Final Thoughts

And as porky pig likes to say, that’s all, folks! You now know the answer to the not so much age-old question, can you finish ribs in the oven?

Smoking meat is a great way to get some flavor infused into it, and finishing it in the oven can sometimes be beneficial for the few reasons we listed above.

Is it worth it for everyone? No, but that’s okay. Something that works for one person won’t work for another.

So, what are you waiting for? Go out to your nearest grocery store and go by some ribs so you can start cooking them up!

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