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
Keto Dry Rub Ribs
Ingredients
Dry Rub:
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 1 tablespoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
Ribs:
- 1 rack pork spare ribs
- 1 cup water
- 1 recipe Easy Sugar-Free BBQ Sauce (if desired)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425F.
- For the dry rub, mix all the ingredients together in a small bowl.
- 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.
- Bake 1 & ½ hours, until meat is very tender. Check occasionally that the water has not evaporated away, as this can burn your ribs.
- 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.
Notes
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
Draven says
I forgot to add the recipe rating in my last comment. The ribs are great.
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.
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.
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!
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! 😉
Sara Welch says
What a great recipe for summer! Looking forward to devouring these all season long!
Echo says
I loved these ribs! Its so hard to find really good keto recipes but this might be one of my new favorites!
Chelsea says
These ribs were sooo amazing and soo flavorful! Thanks you so much for sharing!
Rachael Yerkes says
These are so dang good
Lori says
Delicious- we will be making this again and again!
Taylor says
Such a delicious low carb dinner with tons of flavor! Yum!
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.
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
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.
Ellen K Stehouwer says
Made these again today for Labor Day lunch. So delicious and so easy!
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!
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.
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!
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 🙂