This simple recipe creates some zingy, tangy, full-flavored Cajun sticky ribs! Marinated overnight with a Southern-inspired Cajun rub, the baby back spareribs are then baked in the oven and finished with a super flavorful basting sauce, cooked fairly low and fairly slow until they are juicy and perfectly tender. The hardest part is waiting for a few minutes after they come out of the oven before slicing them.

These ribs are good enough to eat the whole rack by themselves. But if you want a more balanced meal, try serving them with another Cajun favorite like Dirty Rice, easy Traditional Coleslaw, and some Homemade Mac and Cheese. Serve that up with an Atlantic Beach Pie for dessert, and you have the perfect meal!

These full-flavored ribs are marinated with a Southern-inspired rub, then baked in the oven and slathered with a basting sauce until they are juicy and tender.

Ingredients for Oven-Baked Cajun Baby Back Ribs

The Cajun sticky ribs recipe includes a homemade Cajun rub and BBQ-style sauce used for basting. Best of all, the ingredients are pantry staples.

For the Ribs:

• Paprika – Adds a smoky flavor.
• Kosher salt – Be generous.
• Dried thyme
• Garlic powder – It’s better to use garlic powder rather than raw garlic here to avoid burning in the oven.
• Onion powder – Adds a bit of oniony sweetness.
• Black pepper – Freshly ground if possible.
• Cayenne pepper – Adds a bit of Cajun heat.
• Pork baby back spareribs – This is a standard cut that should be available at your grocery meat counter or local butcher.

For the Basting Sauce:

• Garlic – Mince the fresh garlic cloves finely.
• Scallions – Use both the white and green parts of the scallions.
• Ketchup – A core ingredient in many barbecue sauce recipes, ketchup adds sweetness and a nice thick texture.
• Molasses – Gives the sauce a deep, rich sweetness.
• Unsalted butter – As the butter melts, the rest of the sauce ingredients blend together, heating up into a beautiful sauce.
• Cider vinegar – Cuts through the sweetness and richness of the sauce with acidity.
• Dijon mustard – Adds a kick to the sauce.
• Hot sauce – Add in a few drops (or a few glugs) of your favorite type.

How Do You Avoid Burning Ribs in the Oven?

Baking ribs in the oven is so easy. They are first cooked for a while with just the rub with some water in the pan to provide steam which tenderizes them. Then, the sauce or glaze is brushed onto the ribs for the second part of cooking, which allows them to get beautifully caramelized and sticky. If they start browning too much before becoming tender, cover them with foil.

Ribs shouldn’t burn in the oven unless there is a glaze or sauce on them that contains sugar. here that glaze is added after they are mostly cooked, so the risk of burning is minimized.

How to Cook Spareribs in the Oven

1. Make the rub: Mix together all of the rub ingredients and rub it all over the trimmed rack of ribs. Refrigerate with the rub for a few hours or until the next day.
2. Make the sauce: Combine all the sauce ingredients and heat them together on the stove.
3. Roast: In a 350-degree oven, roast the ribs with some water for 1 1/2 hours.
4. Baste: Once the ribs are almost done, baste them with your sauce and finish baking them in the oven.
5. Rest: Let the ribs rest for at least 10 minutes before slicing into them. Then cut between each bone, and serve!

Finishing Cajun Ribs on the Grill

You can definitely finish these Cajun ribs on the grill. If you do that, you can make them ahead up to the point of grilling, which is nice for a party, or just if you want to get a head start on dinner. Before the ribs are finished with the first stage of baking (and before they get basted with the sauce), preheat a gas grill to low or prepare a charcoal grill for indirect grilling.

Cook the sauce-brushed ribs on the grill, turning every 5 minutes or so. Make sure to keep the temperature low and move them to a cooler part of the grill if there are flare-ups. Grill until the meat is very tender. Watch carefully that the outside doesn’t start to burn, adjusting the heat as needed.

Oven-Baked Ribs Tips

• The water in the pan during the initial cooking period will help the meat cook evenly and become tender.
• Bring the sauce to a simmer to combine all the flavors.
• When the ribs are done you may want to give them even a bit more browning or caramelization. Just run them under the broiler, meaty side up, for a minute or two, watching carefully to make sure they don’t burn.
• For fall-off-the-bone spareribs, aim for an internal temperature between 195 and 205 degrees on an instant-read thermometer. The temp will rise a few degrees while the ribs rest off the heat.

What to Serve With Oven-Baked Cajun Sticky Ribs

Watercress Salad with Tomatoes and Feta

Tomato, Zucchini, and Bulgur Salad

Mayo-Free Vegan Pasta Salad

Below the ribs with a lovely cherry tomato salad and French Potato Salad!

More Pork Recipes

• Asian Baby Back Ribs
• Slow Cooker Barbecue Pulled Pork Loin
• Pan-Fried Pork Chops
• Fall-Apart Roasted Pork Shoulder with Rosemary, Mustard, and Garlic