These dry rub ribs are so tender, they practically melt in your mouth. With my sugar-free dry rub recipe, they are paleo and keto friendly. After a long slow braising, you can grill them or broil them. Seriously the best low carb ribs recipe ever.
I am a pork rib. fanatic. A true lover of all things ribs. But I’ve never been a big fan of saucy ribs. I much prefer tender, fall apart ribs with a classic dry rub. I might brush them with a little of my Sugar Free BBQ Sauce at the end, but I might also just eat them the way they are. Either way, this keto ribs recipe is a winner.
I have such a delicious recipe that I use over and over and over, every time I cook ribs. I mean, these are the definitive fall-off-the-bone ribs, where you go to take a bite and find that you’re only holding the bone in your hand, because all the meat fell back onto your plate.
Once you make these, you won’t ever want to cook ribs any other way again.
The Secret to Perfect Dry Rub Ribs
Actually, it’s three secrets. Or three factors that come into play to make the most tender and delicious ribs you will ever eat.
- The cut of ribs
- The dry rub
- The cooking method
For the ribs, I almost always recommend St. Louis style spare ribs over the puny baby back ribs. Spare ribs are meatier, with more fat, so they are often more tender. And usually a lot less expensive as well. I can’t for the life of me figure out why baby back ribs are so prized when spare ribs can make a much bigger and more satisfying meal.
The cooking method utilizes slow braising in the oven, which loosens all the tough, fibrous membranes and makes the meat unbelievably tender. We’re talking at least an hour and a half. More if you are doing more than one rack of ribs.
You then only grill or broil the ribs for a total of about 8 minutes, to crisp up the outside. Sometimes the ribs are so tender, I can hardly transfer them to a platter without things falling apart.
This is a recipe my husband and I developed over several years, and really it’s an amalgamation of ideas from several sources, including the now defunct Gourmet Magazine. It was their recipe that introduced me to the braising method and from the word go, it made some of the best ribs I’d ever had.
The dry rub was adapted from Steve Raichlan. His recipe took sugar, of course, and mine takes no sweetener at all. I find it entirely unnecessary. And somewhere along the way, I started adding chili powder, and we found we liked it so much, it stuck around.
It’s really insanely easy to make. I usually keep a large jar of this dry rub recipe for ribs ready to go, so we can have them any time we want. And let me tell you, in the summer, that’s pretty darn often.
To Sauce or not to Sauce
I tend to like less saucy ribs and I hate when I go to restaurants and the ribs are drowned in a sugary-sweet condiment, so thick you have to scrape off several inches just to find the meat.
Good ribs shouldn’t need all that dressing up and all that sugar. And good barbecue sauce should be tangy and spicy, with some sweetness but not so sweet you feel like you are licking a bbq flavoured lollipop.
There’s a happy balance somewhere in there and it’s not easy to find. But if I do feel like a little sauce in my ribs, I go with my Sugar-Free BBQ Sauce. It’s so easy to make, and requires no cooking. Just mix it up and slather it on.
You can slather some on the ribs just before grilling or broiling so that it cooks right on a bit. Or you can wait until the ribs come off and give them a good brushing with sauce, so they have that more saucy feeling. It’s really up to you.
You could also try the Chipotle Whisky BBQ Sauce I created for Swerve, if you wanted something a little different.
If you’re ready for the best keto dry rub ribs of your life, get your oven preheating. Once you try this method for braised spare ribs, you may never make them any other way again!
Want more keto BBQ Recipes?
Slow Cooker Pulled BBQ Chicken
These low carb ribs are so tender, they practically fall off the bone. And a little sugar-free dry rub makes them out of this world!
- 1 tbsp kosher salt
- 1 tbsp chili powder
- 1 tbsp paprika
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
- 1 rack pork spare ribs
- 1 cup water
- 1 recipe Easy Sugar-Free BBQ Sauce (if desired)
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Preheat oven to 425F.
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For the dry rub, mix all the ingredients together in a small bowl.
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Rub all over both sides of the ribs. Lay ribs in a large roasting pan (cut in half if you need to, to make them fit). Add the water and cover the whole pan tightly in foil.
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Bake 1 & 1/2 hours, until meat is very tender. Check occasionally that the water has not evaporated away, as this can burn your ribs.
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Preheat grill or broiler. Grill or broil 6 to 8 minutes, watching carefully so that they don't burn. You can brush some of the BBQ sauce on before grilling or after, that's up to you.
The nutritional information does not include the Easy BBQ Sauce.
Diamondd says
I am trying to get my son on a LC diet and just this morning, he asked if he could have barbque sauce and I told him no because I know that he would not know how to make some of the LC recipes. With what you have provided, there is no way that he could go wrong. I don’t have ribs today but I am going to make the sauce tonight for grilled chicken. I will come back to let you know because I hate seeing the comment that I am going to make but with no follow-up to share the experience IMO. I am sending this to him ASAP. As always, thank you so much for sharing.
Carolyn says
Definitely come back and let me know! This sauce is pretty spicy on its own and I thought it was going to be too spicy. Then once it was brushed over the meat, it was perfect! I also used it in pulled pork and it was delicious.
Diamondd says
Carolyn,
YUM!! These were so good and very tender. I have always cooked my ribs on 275-300 for at least 2 1/2 hours. I was a little scared thinking they would turn out tough but they were not. Sauce was a tiny bit sweet but I believe because I used Xylitol vs. Swerve and Xylitol tends to be VERY sweet – overall the sauce was tasty and not too spicy. This is a keeper. I did make an extra jar of sauce to keep in the fridge and will probably use again this weekend 🙂
Carolyn says
Glad you liked it! I got the baking at 425F with water in the bottom from an old recipe in Gourmet magazine and I will never do it any other way!
Lin says
You may mean that they are to be cooked at 225 for 8 1/2 hours, not 425. Am I correct? I sauce sounds great and I will make it.
Lin says
Sorry..I misread the recipe! It was too early in the morning when I first saw it!
Carolyn says
I was a little confused by that!
Becca from ItsYummi! says
You sure do know how to make a girl drool in the morning. YUM!
Jenny says
Yum-yum !!! I start a LCD and your site helps me a lot. Keep up the good work !!!
Do the ribs touch the water ? Or I have to use the ruck ?
Thank you !!
Carolyn says
The ribs touch the water, no need for a rack.
Sherrie Lee says
Hi Carolyn!
The weather is really hot but I want to make this. Finishing on the grill is fine, but I’d really like to avoid heating up the house for the oven part. Do you think a slow cooker will work? I realize they would take much longer, I’m just hoping for the best of both worlds without compromising your fantastic results.
Thank you,
Sherrie
Carolyn says
You can certainly try it! I think it’s the same idea.
Dani says
A little late, but I will say yes, cooking in the slow cooker works. I made some last night. Some use ½ cup beer or water, but I did mine in a home made BBQ sauce and they were so incredibly tender. Only took 3 ½ hours. :-p
Sherrie Lee says
Thanks Dani!
Jan says
I have rarely attempted ribs because the results were not great, but after seeing this recipe and finding them for half price over the holiday weekend, I decided to give them another try. The recipe was super easy and will definitely be my go-to method in the future. Ribs turned out very tender. The one bit of advice I would offer is not to err so much on choosing the leanest rack of ribs on the grocery shelf. I think a little higher ratio of fat to meat would have made my ribs moister. Perhaps more water in the pan or some bacon strips on top would also be an option if your meat happens to be super lean.
Carolyn says
I always buy the St. Louis spare ribs, as they have the most fat on them. Baby back ribs are far too lean for my taste!
Sharon says
Is there any recipe for barbecue sauce that does not use any sweetener or whiskey?
Carolyn says
I don’t have one on here but I created a cherry BBQ sauce for Stemilt: http://stemilt.com/recipes/fruit-recipes/cherries/cherry-glazed-baby-back-ribs/
Janet says
posted a comment on the sauce recipe, because I didn’t make the ribs just the sauce for some pulled pork. OMG it is the best!!
Carolyn says
I’ve used it for pulled pork too! Delicious.
Heather says
Wow! I just got done eating these and had to tell you how fantastically amazing these ribs were. I omitted the whisky simply because I was too lazy to go to the liquor store and used the higher amounts of cayenne and chipotle pepper in the rub and sauce because I love spicy bbq. This has to be the most perfect blend of spicy heat and sweetness. My fiance is a rib lover and im pretty sure he just ate a whole rack all by himself. This is going to be a staple in our house for the rest of forever.
Carolyn says
Yay, love hearing that. I actually make ours more spicy too, but I know not everyone loves that so I try to tone it down a bit for the posted recipe!
Stephanie says
This method rocks! I’ve spent years cooking ribs slowing on the grill for 6+ hours. I tried your method and will NEVER make ribs any other way again!
Carolyn says
Thanks, Stephanie! It’s really great, isn’t it?
gary says
I was looking up swerve sweetener and according to the label it has 5 grams of carbs per teaspoon, that’s more than sugar(4.3)What’s up with that?
Carolyn says
It’s erythritol, which technically has carbs but they never enter the blood stream and thus don’t engage an insulin response. They are excreted into the urine whole. As someone who tests her blood sugar regularly, I have seen it with my own eyes. http://www.swervesweetener.com/about-swerve/
Stephanie says
I made this for dinner last night and it was IINCREDIBLE! After being on Keto for nearly a year, it was great to finally enjoy a great, low carb rib option. The sauce tasted very sweet to me, but a little went a long way and complimented the ribs nicely. Thank you for sharing this recipe!
Carolyn says
So glad you liked it!
Pam Vienneau says
Made the sauce to use in pulled pork. I have some leftover and plan on using it on a fathead pizza crust to make a barbeque chicken pizza. Yum!
Carolyn says
Great idea!
Linda says
Hello can I braise in oven the day before and bar bq the next day?
Lynn says
Yum and Delish!!! Made this tonight and I tripled the recipe for 3 racks of ribs (along with the BBQ sauce). Once again–always with your recipes–another awesome keeper! Happy 4th of July!
Carolyn says
So glad you like it!
Shell says
I’ve made this sauce twice since I saw it last week. I have to say it’s probably the best I’ve ever had. The ribs (your recipe) and the grilled chicken thighs were wonderful! My husband said I should make double next time and see if it freezes and I think I’ll give it a shot. Thanks so much for the yummyness!
Carolyn says
Yay, so glad to hear it!
Ranee Stollenwerk says
My husband REALLY wanted some BBQ ribs but knew I wouldn’t be able to eat our usual recipe. I told him about your recipe and he thought about it for 3 days but decided today to actually make them. He is a low carb eye roller! He is sure I’m a nut job where all my low carbing is concerned. The ribs turned out AMAZING! Even my doubting husband and picky kids loved them! The only change was we used a crock pot instead if the oven – it was 96 degrees today. I also was out of Swerve so we subbed surkin gold brown sugar. Perfect! We will make these again!! Thank you!
Carolyn says
Glad we won over the eye-rolling husband!
Janice says
Would this be as good with beef ribs?
Carolyn says
I haven’t tried beef ribs at home, but they do tend to be tougher than pork ribs. So they can stand to use some braising like this…I think it’s worth a try!
Laura says
Has anyone ever made extra of the barbecue sauce? How long does it keep in the refrigerator? Has anyone tried canning it or does it need to stay in the fridge?
Sherrie Lee says
I made a double batch of the sauce and used it on lots of things including dipping hot dogs minus the bun. Tasted great and lasted several months. I didn’t keep track of the time but I ran out long before it could have gone bad in the fridge. Loved it and can’t wait to make more! I might even triple or quadruple the recipe this time and give some to my father -in – law and brother in law, who also loved it!
Andy says
I’ll be making the sauce and using it highly watered down and cooking the ribs in my mega pressure cooker. If this works out,
i’ll be able to eat ribs twice a week. More if I don’t overdose each feeding.
Thank you so much for the recipe!
todd says
Just want to confirm that 425 for 1 1/2 hours is correct.
Carolyn says
Yup! Just make sure to have plenty of water in the bottom of the pan to braise them.
Reni says
Can’t wait to make these, bbq ribs are one of my faves! I am practically slobbering. Don’t have any ribs in freezer, but I do have hotdogs…
Reni says
Just fixed this with HOT DOGS. Not my husband’s fave, but they are quick and I have had a hectic day…I didn’t have any of it as I am on a sort of diet (lost 10 lbs going for 20 more). When I get down to what I feel is right for me, I will be mostly on a low carb diet. I dipped a finger in the sauce, it tasted great – HE hasn’t complained, that’s as good as it gets with hot dogs and HIM. But – I am favoring him with the Raspberry Frozen Yogurt after he is through, can’t wait to see how he likes it. Wish I could have some, but all in good time 🙂
Claudine de Vogel says
Hi Carolyn,
I just made this recipe with the sauce and I must say, these are the best ribs ever! We finished them off on our charcoal grill and added some soaked hickory wood chips for added smokiness…
Wonderful flavours and nothing too overpowering, just delicious ribs!
Thank you for all your wonderful work!
Carolyn says
Yay! We love them too!
Carol McRee says
YUM! I have been looking for a low carb BBQ sauce. Should have guessed you would have a great own. Our recipes are always agnate source of inspiration. I plan on changing it a bit as we prefer Bourbon over Whiskey. Also, I found a slow cooker rib recipe. Hoping for the best!
Carol McRee says
AArgh. can’t type. I know you have great recipes which are a great source of inspiration. Heres to a great Memorial Day weekend.
Cathy says
I can’t seem to access the BBQ sauce recipe. I tried clicking on both links, and it just takes me to the main page of the Swerve website. I even tried to do a search for the recipe on their site, but nothing came up with that name. Based on the comments above, people were accessing the receipe as recently as two months ago.
Just tried your snickerdoodle skillet cookie….it was wonderful!
Carolyn says
Yes, they switched over to https and now they will need to redirect all my links. Hang tight, I am having them fix it!
Ellen K Stehouwer says
Made these again today for Labor Day lunch. So delicious and so easy!
Jonathan says
Does confectioner’s vs granular matter for the Swerve in the sauce? I have no idea if it dissolves, but would rather avoid a gritty mouthfeel.
Carolyn says
Confectioner’s works best.
Linda says
I’ve been using swerve brown in the BBQ sauce and it is amazing. No issues with it dissolving. Another great recipe, Carolyn.
Jenny says
Hi Carolyn,
The dry rub in this recipe is different than the one in your cookbook in that this recipe neglects the tablespoon of chili powder. Is that correct?
Thanks!!!—
Jenny
Carole says
These ribs are fabulous!! I’m like you–I dislike sauces, so the dry rub by itself was perfect.
One perhaps silly question: When you place the ribs in the roasting pan, do you place them meat side UP or DOWN?
Thanks for all you great recipes and cookbooks.
Carole
Carolyn says
Meat side up is best. Then the tough membranes of the ribs are closer to the water and they get more loosened up.
Patricia says
So you leave the membrane on the St. Louis style ribs while cooking in oven. Do you remove when cooked or eat it? How much water? Is it like boiling in the oven or just enough to cover the bottom of the pan??
Carolyn says
I never remove it. It basically dissolves with the slow braising. Only about 1 cup of water, it should be fine.
Taylor says
Such a delicious low carb dinner with tons of flavor! Yum!
Lori says
Delicious- we will be making this again and again!
Rachael Yerkes says
These are so dang good
Chelsea says
These ribs were sooo amazing and soo flavorful! Thanks you so much for sharing!
Echo says
I loved these ribs! Its so hard to find really good keto recipes but this might be one of my new favorites!
Sara Welch says
What a great recipe for summer! Looking forward to devouring these all season long!
Cecile says
Where have I been all these years…grilling my ribs to death☺️ I now make these nearly every week..truly delicious and so easy to put together! Last night I made your cucumber dill salad to go along with the ribs.
Thank you!
Carolyn says
Glad you changed your ways! 😉
Elle says
I’m sure I’m in the minority, but if I bite the rib and the bone is all I’m left holding, and the meat falls back onto the plate, it’s a big-time fail. Overcooked. I want the rib to just have a tiny bit of tug to it. Looking forward to trying the rub!
Wendy Masson says
I have a question regarding serving sizes, the recipe says it serves 6, calls for 1 rack of ribs and serving size is 2 ribs. I’m not really sure if I understand 2 little pieces of meat are 455 calories. Could you please clarify for me, because they are so delicious and want to make them again, I just want to make sure I can calculate my macros properly.
Thank you so much
Carolyn says
You’re confusing baby back ribs with spare ribs. Spare ribs are much larger with a ton of fat and meat left on that’s usually trimmed off of baby back.
Draven says
The peeps that I cooked it for were impressed. Used 2 tablespoons of swerve instead of 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper because they dislike spicy foods.
Draven says
I forgot to add the recipe rating in my last comment. The ribs are great.
Marlene says
hello Carolyn.
i am looking for a Keto recipe to serve ribs as an appetizer for an Senior appetizer group. I purchased spare ribs before I happened on your recipe. I do believe the spare rib is a better size for appetizers. I am inquiring if you would alter the cooking time or temp with the leaner rib? I prefer dry ribs as well and being gluten free, I think less is sometimes better. I do not want to dry the ribs so look forward to your answer.
Carolyn says
Spare ribs are actually the larger, fattier type of rib, and they are what I use in this recipe. Are you maybe referring to the leaner, smaller baby back ribs?
Marlene says
hi Carolyn. Yes, I am referring to the leaner ribs. Thank you for answering back
Rochelle says
I accidentally forgot to cover with foil, so I added more water to the pain a few times, but I think it helped give the ribs this amazing authentic crust. These ribs were outstanding! The best I’ve had in a very very long time! ❤
Carolyn says
Good to know.. maybe I need to try that!
Dee says
Looking forward to trying this recipe, sounds amazing! Can I cook the ribs in a smoker? If so what temperature, for how long and what is the best way to precook (if necessary)?
Carolyn says
YES! I have done this and although I don’t remember the specifics, I followed some great instructions from Hey Grill Hey. She’s got the best recipes and a couple of ways of doing ribs. I think I did the 3:2:1 method (it goes something like 3 hours uncovered, 2 hours covered with a little liquid, 1 more uncovered… or something like that). https://heygrillhey.com
Gloria says
Ok, this is my first time here, and really excited about making this recipe because of the amazing reviews! I do have a question, if you put the dry rub on both sides of the ribs and put them in water, doesn’t it just wash off, OR do you use a rack between the ribs and water? I’m totally excited to make these, being a southern girl, ribs are a big thing when the weather gets warm. Ok, another question if you don’t care, what about liquid smoke in the water to give the illusion of grilled all the way? Thanks
Carolyn says
Much of it still sticks and gives flavour. A cup of water in a big baking pan only goes up about 1/4 to 1/2 inch!
Tom, May, 2020 says
Excellent short rib recipe. I made keto BBQ sauce and keep it on hand for ketchup.
Thanks!
Nikki Isakson says
Will this recipe work in a smoker?
Carolyn says
You bet! I’ve smoked them many times, using the 3:2:1 method.
Linda says
Can u braise the day before and bar bq the next day? Do you think this will take away from the flavour
Carolyn says
You totally can! I’ve done it several times. Great flavor is still there.
tracey says
Do you adjust the temp or time for two tracks of ribs, one each in two pans? We all love these so much one track doesn’t cut it any longer!
Carolyn says
It’s pretty much the same for two racks. I’ve done them all in one big pan and the timing still works.
Sally says
Never made ribs before….OMG! Yum!! the meat fell off the bone and it was so tender!! Served it with cauli colcannon and asparagus! Delicious!!
Even my VERY fussy niece tried it (cos’ it smells so good) and she liked it as well!!
Kerry Meldrum says
I have missed ribs since going keto as all the premade sauces I used to use were too high in sugar. OH MY! This is better than anything that came out of a bottle. I left the ribs overnight in the fridge with the dry rub on. Cooked them tonight with a little water but uncovered, and basted with your BBQ sauce mix when there was half an hour left. Love your work. Looks like ribs are back on the menu! Thanks so much for your awesome recipes.
Kristen says
Replace a tablespoon or two of your water with apple cider vinegar for a little flavor boost. That’s how I do my ribs and they are always a hit. I don’t use the water at all, though. Just put the ribs in a foil envelope after they’re rubbed in the spice mix, then add a splash of ACV and seal. Then into the oven.
Anne Marie says
Best ribs I’ve ever had!! My husband LOVED them!
Barb O. says
I made these the day before yesterday for dinner. I also made the Easy Sugar Free Barbeque sauce to go with them. Being from Texas, I’m picky about my barbeque. And, I can definitely say your recipes really hit the mark. They were great. This is going to be my forever recipe. In fact, they were so good, I had them for breakfast yesterday. I couldn’t help myself.
Carolyn says
That’s great to hear!