When you’ve been making a recipe the exact same way for over a decade, you know it has to be good. And when everyone you serve it to asks you for the recipe, you know it has to be really, really good. So I can confidently say that these are some of the best keto ribs you will ever make.
Now, if you prefer your ribs more saucy, you’re more than welcome to brush them with some sugar-free BBQ sauce. But no matter what, you must try this method of slow-braising the meat until it’s fall-off-the-bone tender. Then a quick grilling or broiling to brown them up and finish them off.
Once you try this recipe, you’ll never cook ribs any other way again. Pair them with some cauliflower potato salad or keto coleslaw for the perfect summer meal.
One reader says
“I followed the recipe exactly (I don’t believe in changing a recipe, then posting a comment. Not fair.) I have to say, they’re the absolute best, ever. I will be making ribs more frequently due to this excellent recipe. Thank you. 😊” — Maureen P.
Why we adore this recipe
- Easy method: The active prep time for these ribs is only 10 minutes. Just rub on the spice blend and get cooking!
- Incredibly tender: The meat falls off the bone easily. In fact, I have to be careful not to overdo it or they become hard to eat.
- No sugary sauces: You can leave the ribs as is or use some of my keto bbq sauce. Whatever floats your boat!
- Balanced spices: The bold spice blend delivers flavor in every bite. And you can adjust the heat level to your liking.
- Versatile cooking: After braising, you can toss them on the grill or broil them in the oven.
- Keto and sugar-free: Too many dry rub recipes add unnecessary carbs and sugar. But these ribs have only 1.3 grams of carbs per serving.
Ingredient Notes
- Seasonings: Kosher salt, chili powder, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, dried oregano, black pepper and cayenne pepper.
- Pork spare ribs: Choose the meatier St. Louis style spare ribs instead of baby back ribs.
- Sugar free bbq sauce: If you feel you need it!
Overview: How to Make This Recipe
- Make the rub: Combine the spices in a small bowl or shaker jar.
- Coat the ribs: Rub the spice mix over both sides of the ribs and place on a large roasting pan.
- Bake: Add the water and cover tightly with foil. Bake until the meat is tender, checking occasionally that the water has not evaporated.
- Grill: Grill or broil the ribs until browned. Brush with keto BBQ sauce, if using.
Expert Tips
The secret to these amazing keto ribs is actually three secrets. All three factors 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 recommend spare ribs over puny baby back ribs. Spare ribs have more meat and more fat, so they come out more tender and juicy. They tend to be a lot less expensive as well.
The cooking method utilizes slow braising in the oven, which loosens all the tough, fibrous membranes and makes the meat unbelievably tender. But unlike most braised recipe, the cooking temperature is quite high. You need to trust the process. This recipe wouldn’t be such a popular one if it didn’t work!
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. My husband and I developed this recipe over several years. But it was the now-defunct Gourmet Magazine that introduced me to the high-temp braising method.
The dry rub is adapted from a recipe by Steve Raichlan. His recipe takes sugar, of course, and mine does not. And somewhere along the way, I started adding chili powder, and we found we liked it so much, it became our standard recipe.
It’s really insanely easy to make. I like to make big batches of it so I can have it any time I want. I add all the spices to a shaker jar so I can sprinkle it all over the ribs more evenly.
Frequently Asked Questions
You can prep the dry rub ribs up to 24 hours in advance by adding the spice blend to both sides. Store in the refrigerator if you plan to do this. You can also cook the ribs immediately after rubbing with the spice blend.
Absolutely! You can braise the ribs earlier in the day and then finish on the grill just before serving. We’ve even stuck them in the fridge overnight before and then let them come to room temp before grilling them at serving time.
This keto dry rub rib recipe has 1.3g of carbs and 0.5g of fiber per serving.
Keto Dry Rub Ribs Recipe
Ingredients
Dry Rub:
- 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 chipotle or cayenne powder
Ribs:
- 1 (1,300 g) rack pork spare ribs
- 1 cup water
- 1 recipe Easy Sugar-Free BBQ Sauce, (if desired)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425ºF.
- For the dry rub, mix all of the ingredients together in a small bowl or shaker jar. Rub all over both sides of the ribs.
- Arrange the 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 one and a half hours, until meat is very tender. Check occasionally that the water has not evaporated away, as this can burn your ribs. If you are doing more than one rack in the same pan, you need to increase the cook time to 1 hour and 45 minutes.
- Preheat the grill or broiler. Grill or broil 4 minutes per side, watching carefully so that they don't burn. You can brush some of the BBQ sauce on before grilling or after if you wish.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional Disclaimer
Please note that I am not a medical or nutritional professional. I am simply recounting and sharing my own experiences on this blog. Nothing I express here should be taken as medical advice and you should consult with your doctor before starting any diet or exercise program. I provide nutritional information for my recipes simply as a courtesy to my readers. It is calculated using MacGourmet software and I remove erythritol from the final carb count and net carb count, as it does not affect my own blood glucose levels. I do my best to be as accurate as possible but you should independently calculate nutritional information on your own before relying on them. I expressly disclaim any and all liability of any kind with respect to any act or omission wholly or in part in reliance on anything contained in this website.
Free Bonus: Secrets to Keto Baking!
Sign up for your favorite recipes delivered straight to your inbox plus get our FREE bonus: Secrets to Keto Baking!
I been using this blend for 2 years and every other week I love to barbecue weekly and this is the mix
Best recipe for ribs I have ever made! Delicious. Economical. Easy and quick!
To hell with baby back ribs. These were fantastic!
Glad you enjoyed them!
Thanks for the dry rub recipe, it tastes great!! If you have time, I would suggest the following recipe modifications. 1. Preheat oven only to 225 F. 2. your rub mix is great!! 3. Trim any excess fat off ribs and use a sharp knife to score the membrane from the under side of the ribs every half inch. Mist ribs with water and apply rub mix to both sides. Lay ribs in foil lined baking sheet. (no water needed in pan and do not cover with foil) 4. bake for 5-7 hours until done (rub typically starts cracking) turn off oven oven and leave ribs in oven to rest for 20 minutes with door open a couple inches. 5. we omitted all of step 5 and the ribs were amazing, tender and falling off the bone!!!! Let me know what you think
Hello Dr Dave – interesting way of cooking the ribs – I would like to try that. Two questions:
So you use NO foil to cover or at all? Instead just the baking liner sheet below while spraying the ribs with water.
Do you still grill or something to get the blackened/cooked outside of the ribs or do you take out from the oven and eat as is?
Dr Dave, you created the best of both worlds – Carolyn’s rub and your method produced the most amazing ribs ever. We do pop them on the BBQ for a few minutes for that smokey BBQ finish and to make our neighbors’ mouths water. Thanks for posting – it’s a keeper! 🙂
Out of this world good. Used the chipotle whiskey BBQ sauce. So tender and my husband couldn’t quit raving about them. Thank you for another winner, Carolyn.
Can these be cooked on a bbq grill?
Please read the last step in the instructions.
My husband loves these ribs ❤️ I add 1-2 tbsp of brown sugar swerve to the rub for a little sweetness because we dont always sauce. I also cook in the Instant Pot for 45-minutes then slow release for 15-20 minutes, then pop under the broiler to crisp up (I slather in BBQ sauce at thus point if using). So easy and good!
*****WARNING***** I used a glass dish, it was all I had, and when I added water my oven proof glass dish shattered. So please be aware.
The recipe, once redone with a metal pan, was great!
Wow, what brand? Because I have some good pyrex dishes and I’ve made these ribs many times in them! Why would your dish shatter just when you added water? Was it already heated up? You’re supposed to add water at the beginning (before cooking) so I am a bit confused.
It was Anchor Hocking. And you’re right, I added water at the beginning, but then it got low to the point of almost dry, and I added more water while it was in the oven – without thinking! Haha, I’ll remember next time to never add water to a hot glass dish. I feel silly, but I didn’t want anyone else to make the same goof as I did.
By the way, I made these in a batch of dry rub only, and a batch with your bbq sauce… Both were huge hits! You’ve won this Texas family over!
Glad you liked them but sorry about your dish! I don’t usually have to add water during the cooking process, as long as I’ve wrapped it up tightly with foil.
Did you add hot or cold water to the glass dish? I think that cold water would be a shock to the hot glass whereas very hot water would be around the same temperature as the glass and shouldn’t damage the glass. Also add the hot water while the glass dish is in the oven using a kettle. if you set the glass down on a cold countertop it could break the glass.
The glass isn’t hot when you add the water since you add it before any cooking…
Sorry…didn’t know there were older comments so my question has been previously asked, and answered.
Technically it’s not “braising” as such a high temp but it works like a dream!
Hi Carolyn, the recipe describes “long slow braising”, is that at 425 F? Just checking….
I was wondering the same thing. They are in the oven # 425 F now so fingers crossed 🤞
Trust the process…
Have you used this recipe with ribs in a smoker? We have a smoker we haven’t used yet and I can’t wait to learn how. TIA
Yes, I did the 3-2-1 method… like this: https://heygrillhey.com/3-2-1-ribs-perfect-fall-off-the-bone-ribs/
Found the paprika overpowering that I couldn’t taste the other spices.
Paprika has very little flavor overall so unless you used smoked paprika, or paprika that had gone bad, I can’t see why how it could overpower the stronger spices. You may want to look into what you used.
Has anyone tried this rub on smoked ribs? I’m curious on how it tasted.
I have indeed, I love my smoker. Very good!
I’m excited to try this recipe because my family and I don’t like BBQ sauce. We believe sweet is reserved for desserts only. Just don’t like anything sweet when eating dinner. Savory all the way. Spice is good but. It too much. ????
What is Paleo and what is Keto?
Do you think instead of cooking in the oven I could use a slow cooker?
I never write reviews. I just don’t.
This is my exception.
These are The Best Ribs.
Anywhere. Ever.
Thanks for sharing!
I’m now addicted to ribs.
Wow, thanks so much!
Tried this recipe last night and it was so good I had to leave a rating. Did everything exactly as stated except I did not have any oregano. Everyone loved it! I will definitely be making this again
Holly Molly! I made these last night for dinner and they were amazing! My daughter is aType 1 diabetic and I hate dosing for sugary sauces. These turned out perfectly. Thank you for yet another fabulous diner.
They’re a favourite in our house too!