Home » Oven Baked Country Style Pork Ribs

Oven Baked Country Style Pork Ribs

Melt-in-your-mouth tender, bathed in a sweet and tangy homemade barbecue sauce, these country style pork ribs are truly something special! 

boneless barbecue pork ribs on plate

The Best Country Style Pork Ribs

This rib recipe has been in our family for about 20 years. The recipe was given to us by a friend of my sister, to put in a family cookbook for my niece’s wedding.

I was the one who made the cookbook and assembled the recipes. This one sounded really good and I decided to give it a try for my family.

It turned out to be a huge hit with my husband and three kids.

That was the first time I had ever tried making any ribs before, so it was a whole new experience.

Be sure and read until the comments at the end. This is our most popular recipe and many of our readers have made the recipe and offer their tips, questions, and experience with it. Sara

As the ribs cooked, the smell started making its way through our house. My children started coming into the kitchen to find out what was cooking.

Then they wanted to know when they would be done because they smelled so good!

My children declared these ribs to be the “BEST food that they had ever!

Over the years, I’ve made these many times and my middle daughter, now grown, makes them on a regular basis. Each time she wants to make them, I get a request, “Hey mom, can you send me that recipe for the country ribs?”

Well, here it is. This is dedicated to K and her passion for these country style barbecue ribs.

They are very easy to assemble. The original recipe calls for cooking them on a rack and basting with the sauce. I tried that and thought they were way too dry that way.

My daughter and I prefer to cook them right in the sauce. It’s easier and they have a lot more flavor after baking in the sauce.

Related: For another country classic, try our old fashioned meatloaf recipe!

barbecue country style pork ribs on plate

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Country Pork Ribs Ingredients

  • Apple Cider Vinegar — Some people find the amount of vinegar listed to taste too vinegary. We are sharing the recipe exactly as it was given to us. Feel free to use less vinegar if you think you might be sensitive to the taste.
  • Ketchup
  • Brown Sugar
  • Worcestershire Sauce
  • Salt
  • Paprika
  • Dry mustard
  • Pepper
  • Garlic — chopped
  • Country style boneless pork ribs –– you can use 1-3 pounds, depending on how many you plan to feed

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ingredients to make country style pork ribs

What Cut of Meat are Country Style Pork Ribs?

This recipe calls for Country Style Pork Ribs. The ones I bought most recently were mostly boneless, but a few had bones. They are in the meat section with other pork cuts.

Unlike the name implies, country style ribs don’t actually come from the rib area of the pig, but instead the shoulder. Usually they are boneless, but occasionally you’ll find them with pieces of the shoulder blade, so be sure to give them a good once-over to make sure.

Country style ribs have a similar shape and consistency of baby back ribs, but they’re meatier because there’s no bone and there is a nice marbling (fat) that makes them tender.

I made my recipe with 2 ½ pounds of ribs and this amount of sauce was plenty. You could probably cook up to 3 ½ pounds with this amount of sauce.

How to Cook Country Style Ribs in the Oven

Preheat oven to 500 degrees.

Combine all the ingredients except the pork ribs in a medium saucepan. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes and stir to mix. This is a very mild BBQ sauce—not a bit spicy and not too sweet.

cooking homemade barbecue sauce in saucepan

Place ribs in bottom of a roasting pan or 9X13 baking pan or dutch oven.

boneless ribs in dutch oven pot

Pour sauce over the meat, then cover the pan with foil.

cooking country style pork ribs in oven

Bake at 500 degrees for 10 minutes, then reduce heat to 325 degrees and bake for an additional 1 to 1 ½ hours. Check your ribs at the 45-minute mark and turn them in the sauce.

When the ribs are tender, remove the foil and cook for 15 minutes without the foil. Don’t let the sauce cook off. You just want to reduce it a little.

oven baked country style pork ribs in sauce

The ribs are done when the meat is tender and pulls apart easily.

Remove the BBQ ribs from the sauce to serve. The sauce can be put in a small bowl to serve on the side.

Can You Use Store-bought Barbecue Sauce?

The homemade sauce is what makes these ribs so special! However, you can substitute your favorite barbecue sauce if you like. I’d recommend using about a cup and a half of sauce.

Can You Make Country Style Ribs in the Slow Cooker?

While we always use the oven-baked version, you could make these boneless ribs in a crockpot too.

To do so, make the sauce according to the original recipe but reduce the vinegar to 1/2 cup. . Place the ribs in the slow cooker, cover with the sauce, and cook for 6-8 hours on low until they are fall off the bone tender.

After you remove the ribs from the slow cooker, pour the sauce into a saucepan. The sauce is thinner cooked in the slow cooker, so you may need to cook it down a little.

oven baked country style ribs on plate with barbecue sauce

Perfect Pairings

These country ribs taste delicious when served with some of our classic side dishes:

 

Oven Baked Country Style Pork Ribs Recipe

oven baked country style ribs on plate with barbecue sauce
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Boneless Country Style Pork Ribs Recipe

Melt-in-your-mouth tender, bathed in a sweet and tangy homemade barbecue sauce, these country style pork ribs are truly something special! 
Course Main Course
Cuisine American
Keyword barbecue, bbq, dinner, pork
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 45 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 55 minutes
Servings 4
Calories 358kcal
Cost $12.00

Equipment

  • Roasting pan or 9X13 baking pan
  • foil
  • medium saucepan

Ingredients

  • 1 cup apple cider vinegar
  • 1/2 cup ketchup
  • 2 TB Worcestershire sauce
  • 2 TB brown sugar
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp paprika
  • 1 tsp dry mustard
  • 1/8 tsp ground black pepper
  • 1 clove garlic chopped
  • 2-3 lbs country style pork ribs

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 500°F.
  • Combine all the ingredients except the pork ribs in a saucepan. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes.
    cooking homemade barbecue sauce in saucepan
  • Place ribs in bottom of a roasting pan or 9X13 baking pan.
    boneless ribs in dutch oven pot
  • Pour sauce over the meat.
    cooking country style pork ribs in oven
  • Cover the pan with foil and bake at 500 degrees for 10 minutes.
  • Reduce heat to 325 degrees and bake for an additional 1 to 1 ½ hours. Check them at the 45-minute mark and turn them in the sauce.
  • When the ribs are tender, remove the foil and cook for 15 minutes without the foil, just enough to slightly reduce and thicken the sauce.
    oven baked country style pork ribs in sauce
  • Ribs are done when the meat is tender and pulls apart easily.
  • Remove the BBQ ribs from the sauce to serve. The sauce can be put in a small bowl to serve on the side.

Notes

This recipe calls for Country Style Pork Ribs. The ones I bought most recently were mostly boneless, but a few had bones. They are in the meat section with other pork cuts.
I made my recipe with 2 ½ pounds of ribs and this amount of sauce was plenty. You could probably cook up to 3 ½ pounds with this amount of sauce.
This is a very mild BBQ sauce—not a bit spicy and not too sweet.
At first, it will seem like a lot of vinegar. Don’t worry, it will evaporate and just leave a bit of flavor.

Nutrition

Calories: 358kcal | Carbohydrates: 16g | Protein: 29g | Fat: 18g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 109mg | Sodium: 1035mg | Potassium: 675mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 14g | Vitamin A: 192IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 55mg | Iron: 2mg

Pin this country ribs recipe on Pinterest:

plate of country style pork ribs and ribs cooking in pan

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76 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    This was excellent! Without a doubt will cook again. Quick, easy, delicious. I ran out of dry mustard so used 1 Tbsp of yellow mustard. The sauce was probably more tangy with this substitution, but was still every bit delicious. Would suggest only 2 tsps of yellow mustard or using 1 Tbsp of Dijon mustard, if you have to make a substitution for the dry mustard.

  2. 5 stars
    I followed the recipe directions to a T. Very good and I will most definitely make again. I was a little disappointed that my ribs did not look anything like the picture posted which looked like the ribs just came off the BQ grill.

    • Sara Garska

      I made the recipe twice to test. One time, too much of the sauce cooked off and that’s one of the pictures where they look browned and off the grill. However, the recipe that tasted the best was the one where the sauce did not cook off. They were more tender and juicy and TASTED much better. Sara

  3. BakerStevePA

    5 stars
    Tried this recipe for dinner last night. The meat was fork tender with a great flavor, and everyone raved about it. I had been looking for a good way to cook boneless ribs, and this is surely it! Thanks.

  4. Heather Kunka

    Can you use your Dutch oven top or does this have to be covered in aluminum foil?

    • Sara Garska

      A dutch oven should work. You can remove lid towards the end if you need to cook off some of the sauce.

  5. Fernando K

    PLEASE NOTE! I tried your recipe using the slow cooker. I kept thinking about what you said about the vinegar evaporating and your instruction to “make the sauce using the original recipe” for slow cooker. I guess I should have adjusted the vinegar down since it won’t evaporate in a covered cooker. One look at my wife’s face when she took a bite of rib was enough to tell me how badly I failed. You may want to reconsider the amount of vinegar for your slow cooker section… for cooking rookies like me. Thanks

    • Sara Garska

      Thanks for the feedback. I tried the recipe in the slow cooker and reduced the vinegar by half and the sauce tasted great.

  6. Ann Marie Grutta

    I bought the pork ribs for my daughter and me but husband won’t eat pork. Do you think this would work with chicken thigh or breast as well so I can use the same sauce? Of course it would cook for less time.

    • Sara Garska

      Maybe with the chicken thighs since they can take longer cooking. Let us know how it turns out. Sara

  7. Peggy Sanders

    5 stars
    I absolutely loved this recipe! First the taste was perfect for me and my tastebuds.
    What it WASN’T was one of those thick tomato sweet-sour barbecue sauces and underdone or tough but burned spareribs messes! This put me in mind of pot roast but pork instead of beef. Not sweet at all, but fragrant with apple and molasses (brown sugar) and Worcestershire, but not sweet. I don’t have dry mustard so I used 2 teaspoons of Dijon mustard, and I didn’t want a half cup of ketchup (shudder) so I used 2 Tablespoons of ketchup and enough diced up tomato together to make the half cup. Not icky thick tomato, and definitely not sweet (which is what happens with ketchup since it’s mostly 3 or 4 kinds of sugar).
    FORK tender – hallelujah! Fragrant with a lovely blend of seasonings, but not tomato-ie. if you must have that, tinker with the recipe but again this was FORK tender; the perfect balance of acid, molasses, salty, sweet (I wish I could think of a different word for this unsweetened-sweet flavor). It was easy to make; just whip up the ingredients in a saucepan, pour over the pork, cover, and stick it in the oven! No 2nd or 3rd step. Yay.
    It was genius to start the roasting at 500 degrees (my German aunt cooked goose that way) and then drop the temperature and go away and take a hike, walk, drive, or read a book. I dropped it to 300 even and allowed enough time to bake it longer if necessary cuz I was scared it might be chewy! But voila, fork tender! So so happy with this recipe, thank you!

    • Sara Garska

      Hi Peggy, Thanks for the 5-Star Review! I’m glad you loved them. Thanks for the notes on substitutions you made to the recipe; I’m sure that will help others when they make the Country Style Ribs. Sara

  8. Looks delicious! I’ve got a question I ordered what I thought were heritage pork spare ribs online. What I really ordered ( I guess) are a 5 rack of heritage pork country style ribs. Should I cut the rack into individual pieces before I cook? Thank you!

  9. 3 stars
    Super easy, I followed the directions to a T. Way too sour , my apple cider vinegar was Safeway brand . Not sure if that had anything to do with it , but my family did not like it and it was a big fail . Sad !

    • Sara Garska

      Thanks for sharing and I’m sorry they didn’t turn out. The sauce is a little tart but usually not “sour.” It may have needed to cook a little longer to get that vinegar taste cooked off.

  10. 5 stars
    Great recipe and EASY! I added a little ground red pepper flakes (because I like a little bite) and everyone loved them. I also poked holes in the meat so the lovely flavors could permeate a little. I found that the pieces with a little more fat on them were the most moist but all were fork tender! I served the sauce on the side because, again, I like a lot of flavor and this recipe hit the mark! Good Southern flavors!!!

    • Sara Garska

      Thanks for sharing all your tips for the country style pork ribs! I’ll have to try it with the hot pepper flakes, that sounds really delicious.

      • Very tasty & will make again. I was disappointed with the “sauce” as mine cooked more as a “juice” & vinegar was overwhelming. I’ll cut that down next time & perhaps foil off more than 15 minutes.

        • Sara Garska

          60+ comments and there is so much variety in how it turns out for different people. Thanks for sharing your experience! Sara

        • 5 stars
          This recipe was tasty and easy. I didn’t have dry mustard so I subbed it with 2 T of Dijon mustard. Also I completely missed the booking of the sauce so I made a slurry and whisked it in the baking dish and continued to cook as directed. Came out great. Fall apart tender, and sauce was nice and sticky. Reminds me a little of char siu pork.

  11. 5 stars
    Awesome recipe. I have made this 5 times now. My son and husband love it! The sauce is so tangy. My son could drink it from a cup. I’ve used this for pork ribs, beef ribs and pork chops.

  12. 5 stars
    I made these awhile back and forgot to save the recipe. I’ve been searching for MONTHS for it and finally found it. Everything about this recipe is amazing and so good. My 16 year old and mines favorite country rib recipe!

    • Sara Garska

      I’m so glad you found the recipe again! Thanks for letting us know how much you and your son love the oven baked country style pork ribs. Sara

  13. 3 stars
    My husband and I found the vinegar a bit over whelping but my FIL loved it. The meat came out really tender and I’ll keep using this cooking method. I may try this recipe again with half the vinegar and more garlic and paprika.

  14. Michael Sagehorn

    5 stars
    Fearing a burnt French Dutch oven, I added a near full bottle of beer. ( I drank some for taste). The added liquid helped in flavor and sauce viscosity . Thanks

  15. Brandon chandler

    I’m making these now followed recipe to a t but added about 2 tsp of honey to it going to see how they turn out

  16. 5 stars
    Don’t miss out – make these!
    I read the reviews and based on a few of them decided to reduce the vinegar to 1/2 cup. I did make sure to cook the mixture for 10 minutes as stated, which helped to boil off some of the tanginess.
    TIP: I used my dutch oven (Le Crueset) to cook this in. I think it gave it a rich caramelization. However, I made my dinner an hour ahead, and therefore when the meat was done I should have transferred it right away to another covered dish to keep warm. By not doing so the meat continued to cook in the hot pot as they are known for holding their heat. Just an FYI to anyone else who might do the same.

    • Sara Garska

      Thanks for the review! I use my Le Crueset to cook them too sometimes. Thanks for the great tip to transfer the oven baked country style pork ribs once they are cooked all the way.

  17. 4 stars
    Made these tonight for dinner. They were good. I only used 3/4 cup of apple cider vinegar and glad I did. Was still a little more vinegary than I hoped but still good. I will back down the vinegar a bit more if I make it again.

  18. 5 stars
    This recipe was fantastic!! I used 2 lbs of country style ribs and followed the recipe to the letter. The sauce made the ribs tasty!! It’s a definite keeper!! Thank you so much!!

  19. Cynthia Burrell

    5 stars
    Made the this recipe for dinner today; it’s a quick and simple dish. I added liquid smoke to the sauce. It was tangy and tender. Will make again.

  20. 5 stars
    Made these the other day and they were so delicious, I am making them again tonight!

  21. I would like to try this in the crock pot. Should I mix the ingredients and heat over the stove top still? Then pour it over the ribs? Or mix the ingredients, pour over the ribs, cook 6 to 8 hours, then cook the sauce on the stove top after the crock pot.

    • Sara Garska

      I would prepare the sauce the same. However, one tip, from readers that have tried the crockpot is to use LESS VINEGAR, maybe half or a fourth the usual amount.

  22. Thank you so very much!!!! I appreciate you. 💛

  23. I’ve got them in the oven now! I wish I had read the comments beforehand, because they do smell pretty vinegary. I am in the first 45 minutes of 325,so hopefully it will cook off.

    • If you are cooking the country style pork ribs in the oven, the vinegary taste cooks off and leaves the flavor. Some people are more sensitive to the vinegar taste though.

  24. Do you think it would be okay to prepare these and then freeze?

  25. 5 stars
    This was fantastic! I made a half batch of the sauce to use with about 1.5 lbs of boneless ribs. I think I’d probably make more sauce next time, maybe like a 2/3 batch instead. I made a few changes which I thought worked well:

    – Instead of throwing in the raw ribs and pouring the sauce over, I browned the ribs well on both sides in an enameled dutch oven, removed them from the pot, and cooked the sauce in there. I was able to scrape up the fond which helped contribute some flavor.
    – For the sauce, my wife’s allergic to apples, so I used red wine vinegar instead.
    – Instead of brown sugar, I subbed in some smoked maple syrup which I got in Vermont. Excellent addition which added sweetness and smokiness! The brand is Sugar Bob’s.

    The meat was fall apart tender and tasted amazing. I roughly shredded it with a fork, leaving some big pieces intact, and served it on Big Marty’s potato rolls with some homemade coleslaw on top. Pickles would be good on that sandwich too.

    • Sara Garska

      You are making my mouth water! Thanks for sharing your experience, the sauce substitutions and the serving idea. I can’t wait to try it your way. Sara

  26. 5 stars
    This is such a great recipe.. the only thing I did was add 2 Tblsp. Maple syrup to the sauce. Came out perfect. Made the ribs slightly sticky but no overwhelming vinegar taste. Will definately make again. Thanks so much….

    • Sara Garska

      I love the tip to add maple syrup–that sounds absolutely delicious. Thanks for sharing your tip; I know other readers will appreciate it too! ~Sara

  27. This recipe went together very quickly, but I found the vinegar was too strong. I will lessen the amount next time.

    • Sandra Neylon

      Would like to make for a crowd of about 16. How many lbs of ribs will I need?

      • Sara Garska

        I usually plan on about 8 oz. of UNCOOKED meat per person. My family are big eaters though. I have never made this recipe for that many people though. My only caution is to not crowd too much meat in your pan. Make plenty of side dishes too! That way if the meat runs short, you’ll still have happy eaters. I love any kind of potato! Here are three recipes from the site that do work with the country ribs: cheese soufflé, dinner rolls, or potato salad.

  28. 4 stars
    I made the sauce as directed but it was way too vinegary for me. I added honey and additional ketchup to mellow the in your face vinegar taste. The ribs turned out perfectly. It couldn’t have been easier to make. I will definitely make these again!

    • Sara Garska

      Thanks for letting us know how the country style ribs turned out! We love hearing how everyone makes them. We’ve learned that the amount of vinegar is a very personal preference. Some love it just the way it is written and others prefer less vinegar. We shared the recipe as it was given to us many years ago and that included the full amount of vinegar listed. ~Sara

  29. Christelle

    2 stars
    I followed this recipe exactly down to 2 1/2lbs of meat. It turned out perfectly. However, the sauce! Wayyyyyy too much vinegar. I thought it would be ok as I trusted what it says in the recipe that it would evaporate and leave only flavor. The flavor it left is that of undiluted apple cider vinegar- pure and simple! Im not sure how to adjust the recipe but I do know I won’t be using the recipe as it stands again. I think it is a matter of preference as it turned out well.

    • Sara Garska

      We shared the recipe exactly as it was given to me. Some people do find the taste of vinegar too strong. There are many adaptations in the comments that readers have tried when making the country style pork ribs. Sara

  30. I went off roading on this one a bit!

    I browned my ribs and then tenderized them. I used the sauce recipe exactly as is, but then put them in the over @ 275 for about 5 hours (tenderizing again once i got the sauce in the dutch oven with the ribs so that the sauce can flow freely through the ribs.

    I’m excited! & had fun making them with my little guy!

  31. Joanna Guillory

    Is it possible to do everything except cook the day ahead. Almost like marinade ribs in baking pan to simply pop in oven tomorrow evening. Basically meal prep?

    • I haven’t tried that but my only concern would be that the vinegar taste would be too strong in the meat if it sat in it overnight. I would probably prepare the liquid but keep it separate until close to baking time.

  32. 5 stars
    Thank you for sharing your recipe… it was a hit!

  33. 4 stars
    Turned out pretty good. I think I may double the recipe for the sauce next time. Maybe cook another thirty minutes. Used dutch oven and that worked well. Family didn’t think it was too much vinegar as posted by others.

    • Sara Garska

      Hi Mike. Thanks for the feedback–we love hearing how the recipe works out and it helps others who make it.

  34. I had been looking for a recipe to try on some country style ribs that I had cut from a pork butt. I saw how easy it was to do that from an online video. When I found this simple recipe with all the great reviews l decided to give it a try. I followed the recipe almost exactly. Per reviews I cut the vinegar in half and made up the difference with low sodium chicken broth. I do think that I will up the vinegar a bit the next time I make it. Also added some minced onions because I like onions. The big difference was that I cooked it in a foil lasagna pan on my gas grill. Heated it up to recipe temp, turned the two center burners to low and put the foil pan over them. After the 10 minutes I turned the 2 center burners off and the temperature hovered around 325. Followed the cooking instructions as directed for the oven. I did do the sauce part on the stove. All I have to say is these ribs were the best of this type that I ever had. My wife also loved them. Only problem was that they kept tasting like more. This is my go to from now on. Tasty and easy.

    • Sara Garska

      Thanks for sharing your experience with the country style pork ribs. Your on-the-grill technique sounds delicious!

  35. Tyson Clayton

    5 stars
    Awesome recipe! One question, I followed the instructions and the sauce didn’t reduce very well. Should I maybe remove the cover for half hour instead of 15 mins next time

  36. This was just delish. I pulled the boneless ribs and added in the small amount, really all of the pan juices. I made pulled pork bbq. It was juicy and had the flavor of the garlic and redness I love from just the ingredients we added from original recipe. BBQ sandwiches and Cole slaw for everyone. I used 3 lbs approx of the ribs and it was enough juices. Husband loved this

  37. 5 stars
    I’m a fan of gran. I’m going to go find her Cole slaw recipe

  38. Stephanie Gaspar

    5 stars
    Made the pork ribs and the recommended potato salad as a side. These were a huge hit at my house! They were delicious. Fork tender and the perfect flavor. So very easy to make. And the potato salad was the best potato salad we have ever tried and over the years we have tried a lot. I didn’t have sweet pickle so just used dill.

  39. 5 stars
    Melt in your mouth delicious. I used my Dutch oven and rather than foil to cover it I used the lid and it was still 10/10 but I don’t know how much of a difference that really makes. The sauce is delicious and tastes exactly like the sauce my late grandmother would make when I was a child so I will definitely be coming back here again! I made it with a baked potato, roasted Brussel sprouts, and an ice cold Miller high life which I thought was perfect so, once again, 10/10 recipe.

  40. Thanks but I would like the recipe for the luscious-looking ribs in the picture at the top of the page, not the ones at step 7 (“The ribs are done…”) that look like they were cooked in the dish-washer. Look carefully and you will see they are way totally not the same.

    • Hi Bob – Thank you for scrutinizing the photos and letting me know that you did not like one of them. However, these pictures were all from the same recipe and we made them ourselves. I’m sure when you serve ribs or any meat that’s cooked in its juices, you would pour some of the sauce overtop the meat when serving, which is what we did and why they look so tasty in the final pictures. The process of cooking is not always pretty until the end…and we try to keep it real here.

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