Have I mentioned that I was like the pickiest eater on the face of the earth while growing up. I was. It was bad. I basically only ate noodles and grilled cheese until I was 13 years old. Thank goodness I’ve turned it around because I would not want to miss out on a dish like these Dr. Pepper BBQ Baby Back Ribs!
Riiiiiibs!! They are quintessential summer food. These are slowly cooked for a few hours in the oven and then finished off on the grill so by the time you take a bite, the meat is FALLING OFF THE BONE. They are also doused with this homemade Dr. Pepper spiked BBQ sauce that will make you weak in the knees. It’s not overly sweet if that’s what you’re thinking – just pure perfection! The ribs get a little bath in the soda before you start cooking them too! If that sounds where – I get it! But the soda helps break down the ribs and tenderize them so they are even easier to eat! It’s an all around winner and you’ll be loved by all if you add these to your next weekend menu!
And the slaw… omg. You’re going to love it. It’s the perfect little zippy side for the ribs. One bite of each… trust the combo!
And while you’re at it – you might want to make a double recipe for the BBQ sauce. It’s great on just about anything else you’re grilling this summer! Brush it on some cob on the cob, dunk some bread into, or just slather on top of some veggies!
BBQ Baby Back Ribs
Ingredients
For the Ribs
- 2 racks baby back pork ribs
- 1 large 2 liter bottle of Dr Pepper
- 1/4 cup salt
- 2 tablespoons chili powder
- 1 cup water
- 1/2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 large onion finely chopped
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 1/2 cup ketchup
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
For the Slaw:
- ½ head red cabbage thinly sliced
- ½ head green cabbage thinly sliced
- 2 ripe mangoes peeled and pitted and thinly sliced
- ¼ cup olive oil
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
- ¼ cup orange juice
- ¼ cup cilantro leaves finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons lime juice
- 1 teaspoon agave
- 2 garlic cloves finely grated
- ½ jalapeño— stemmed seeded and minced
Instructions
For the Slaw:
- In a large bowl, whisk together the olive oil with the salt, pepper, orange juice, cilantro, lime juice, agave, garlic and jalapeño. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed. Add the thinly sliced cabbage and mango, and toss to coat. Season with salt and pepper, and set aside.
For the Ribs
- Place the ribs in a large baking dish and cover with most of the Dr Pepper (leave about 1/2 cup of Dr. Pepper for later) Add the salt and soak the ribs for 2 -24 hours in the fridge.
- Heat the oven to 350°F.
- Remove the ribs from the liquid, place on a baking sheet and pat them dry. Give them a good rub with the chili powder. Pour 1 cup of water into the baking sheet, and cover tightly with foil. Bake for 2 hours, until the meat nearly falls off the bone.
- While the ribs are in the oven, heat the oil in a small pot over medium heat. Saute the onion and garlic until they're soft and add the ketchup, brown sugar, Worcestershire, apple cider vinegar, cayenne, and remaining 1/2 cup of Dr Pepper. Simmer for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the sauce thickens.
- Once the ribs have cooked for 2 hours, remove from the oven and fire up the grill. Liberally brush the ribs with bbq sauce. When the grill is hot, cook them for 7-8 minutes on each side so they get the nice charred flavor. Remove from grill and add more sauce if desired.
oh my word, it’s RIB SEASON!!! these sound so good…i love the homemade sauce with dr pepper!
Yum! Great recipe, girl!
yum yum! Love this idea for my man 🙂
This looks beyond delicious!
I can attest to these being finger licking good.
Neat recipe! These look just like a restaurants!
I agree with Lori. 🙂
These look ridiculous (in a good way!) I LOVE ribs, and am all over this recipe 🙂
I’ve actually heard of putting Dr. Pepper (or other types of soda) in BBQ sauce or in with the meat, but I’ve never tried it. Your ribs look delicious, and they just might have pushed me over the edge!
Please feed me these!
This is a very interesting recipe… must give it a try.
We’ve used root beer in rib sauce, but not Dr. Pepper. These sound really good.
You did great work with those ribs my dear!
Great, a reason to have soda inthe house. My hubby would love you
I can’t wait to come visit so that I can try all of these pictures that I see!
Gaby, these look great. The heck with my man, I’m making these for me!
Can’t ever get enough BBQ! This sounds like a great sweet and tangy flavor – what a fantastic idea. Looks tender, tasty and tantalizing – can’t wait to cook ’em up
whoa whoa whoa! break me off a rib please!
Girl, these ribs are sounding mighty tasty. Sounds like the perfect blend of sweet meets savory.
I never considered myself a rib fan. But then I broke my jaw, had to get my mouth wired shut, followed by 14 months of braces. Now I dream about ribs! Only 3 more weeks til my teeth are freed. So, yes, I am bookmarking this! GREG
Yum. I actually love the sound of Dr. Pepper in this. I can see where it would add the right amount of sweetness.
Gaby, I can’t believe you were a picky eater. Maybe there is hope for my 14 year-old. The ribs sound delicious.
Mmmm. We had ribs just a few weeks ago for the first time. I love that you make your own sauce.
Nice recipe…the only thing you are missing is smoke. Follow the same recipe but smoke for 3 hours at 250. Add sauce to the ribs, wrap in foil and continue the smoke 2 hours. Remove the ribs from the foil, place in the smoker and finish off in 1 hour, painting them with the sauce and juices that were in the foil. Your life will be rocked!
These look like some ribs Josh can really sink his teeth into!
These ribs look so tempting! Love the glaze.
Wow , this looks so good ! thanks , love it !
These were SOOOOOOOOOO good.
This entire ensemble is the perfect backyard meal. I just love grilling season!
Made these for Labor Day……not laborious! Best I have ever made or had. I was lazy and used my favorite store bought bbq sauce and they got rave reviews!
Can I make these with beef?
totally
Is it possible to make these without the grill step?
sure – you can broil them for a few moments in the oven to crisp up
Can i use regular Pork Back Ribs for this recipe instead of baby back?
absolutely
I’ve made these ribs twice and they’ve been perfect both times!! Super easy and delicious!