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.
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The Swerve page is missing the Chipotle Whiskey BBQ sauce. I did an internet search and, while it is referenced, it is no longer available. If you are able, could you add it to your site? If not, perhaps you might consider removing the broken link?
Yes, I need to update that whole post. But my Sugar-Free BBQ sauce is spectacular!
If I am doing 2 racks in the same large roasting pan, no overlap, how much time should I add on?
If they aren’t overlapping, you really don’t need to add any extra time.
Question: have you found any different results between using fresh or frozen ribs?
None at all. As long as they are thawed properly…
I agree whole heartedly about restaurant ribs being slathered with sauce and having to scrap it off. I do dry ribs alot. Instead of oven braising I use an Instapot. I cut the ribs to three rib pieces to fit into the instapot. I find that a nice serving size. Usually 20 minutes in the instapot. The liquid gives a nice stock afterwards. When I take the ribs out I put them in a gallon zip lock bag with brags and balsamic vinegar to marinate for a couple of hours. When I put the on the BBQ I just use salt and pepper for a dry rib.
Carolyn
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. 😊
Thank you!
I had to make these again because I woke up in the middle of the night craving them!🤣
Wonderful recipe!
I made pork riblets tonight, using this recipe, and it came out amazing.
I did cut the sugar in half and sweat the onions and garlic in butter as suggested. Perfect fall off the bone meat, seasoned well throughout, with an incredible crust from the grill and sauce.
Try it with riblets! I don’t think I’ll go back to baby back ribs anytime soon.
There is no way to know this is a keto recipe. Even the pickiest eaters enjoyed.
Thank you
cut the sugar in half? There is no sugar or onions to sweat……
Made these ribs tonight with the Easy BBQ sauce.
They were delishish. I admit, to making a couple changes. I added 2tbsp keto brown sugar to the rub and some onion powder to the sauce. Just because that’s what I usually have in my rubs and sauces.
I agree with other posters that the sauce is too sweet for us and next will cut the sugar in the sauce to half. I tried the sauce prior to using and thought it was sweet but gave it a shot.
My spouse did a rack the regular way and agreed the keto are very good and no one would know they were a healthier version.
We deboned the leftovers and I can’t wait to make the leftovers into dinner again. Keto is so easy; with great recipes to love!
Hi Carolyn,
So I made Angel Meat tonight and my daughter came home from skating saying “I need some Angel Meat.” Proceeds to get a plate, take a bite, “That’s the stuff!!”😆🤣😂
Thank you for all your work and devotion!
LOL! Love it!
Just finished bbqing the ribs. Was short chili powder so added a little extra chipotle but everything else was amazing. Made the Easiest Ketchup and then used it in the Easiest BBQ sauce. Total winner in this house and back ribs are on sale so guess what I’m doing tomorrow….grabbing several more packages for my freezer. By the way, Carolyn’s ketchup is awesome on its own so I always make a double batch.
So glad you like it!
I am planning a get together with friends. Would I be able to cook these ahead of time, earlier in the day, then finish on the grill just before serving?
YES! We do that all the time. In fact, I’ve got a bunch in the oven for these evening. We will take them out at about 4:30 but grill them at 6:30.
We’ve even stuck them in the fridge overnight before and then let them come to room temp and grilled them at serving time.
I’ve made these ribs many times before, and always get rave reviews from the entire family! If doing two racks of ribs, how much longer do I need to roast them above the standard 90 minutes?
If they are each in their own baking pan, you don’t need to roast any longer.
425 seems very high for “long, slow braising in the oven.” Is this a typo? 325 seems more like it. The dry rub mix sounds delish & all the other instructions ring true. I’m single, so I’d only cook a whole rack of ribs if I was having company. I wouldn’t be willing to risk a pricey rack of ribs & disappointment at this temp, though. Please clarify. I look forward to trying it. Thanks! I love your recipes!
No mistake. Yes, it is high for braising but it works. Just read the hundreds of reviews on this recipe! 🙂
Sorry, my post should be 5 star rating, I didn’t mean to put 4!
Thanks for letting me know. I removed the rating for the first comment!
I have never cooked ribs before and this recipe was perfect … meat falling off the bone but not too mushy with give still. I cooked 5 racks across 2 pans and just checked the water levels a couple if times. The extra sauce recipe was excellent on the side as a dipping sauce. Thank you for sharing this awesome recipe!
p.s. for anyone concerned about the rub washing off with the water in the pan, the ribs are curved so they are already lifted off the base of the pan so not much rub should wash off. If concerned, just keep to 1 cup of water (even if more than one rack of rib), and keep adding the water as the cooking progresses.
Has anyone tried this recipe with pork country style ribs ? I’m concerned of how much liquid may end up in pan. Also if the liquid/water will wash off the rub ?
I have not, sorry.
Love this recipe. Used it several times on country ribs. This last time I cooked them in a 6 qt slow cooker on high. Put a can of sauerkraut in the bottom. Very moist and tender. Done in 4 hours.