Grilled Ribs (Fall-Off-the-Bone Tender 2-Step Method!)

These Grilled Ribs come off the grill fall-off-the-bone tender every single time, and the whole thing happens with a simple 2-step foil pan method. I slather the ribs in mustard and dry rub, braise them in a foil pan with apple juice, then finish them on the grill grates with a sweet BBQ glaze for the perfect caramelized finish.

Close-up of tender grilled pork ribs coated in a thick layer of glossy barbecue sauce and stacked on a serving platter.

Why I Use a Foil PAN Instead of Foil Sheets on Our Grilled Ribs

Grilled Ribs are the recipe I make every summer for family gatherings, backyard cookouts, and 4th of July, and this is the method I’ve refined over a lot of racks of ribs. Yellow mustard binder, a generous dry rub, a foil pan braise with apple juice, and a sweet finishing sauce brushed on right at the end. Fall-off-the-bone tender, sweet-smoky flavor, and beautifully caramelized on the grill grates.

The trick I’ve landed on for the best grilled ribs is using a foil PAN instead of wrapping each individual rack in foil. It’s a small change but it makes a huge difference. Way easier to load onto the grill. Way easier to check the temperature. Way easier cleanup. And you don’t have to fight with foil that tears the second you try to lift it off the grill. The pan just goes on, sits there for an hour, and comes back off in one clean move.

The other thing I love about this grilled baby back ribs recipe is that it’s temperature-based, not time-based. Ribs are ready when the internal temp hits 185 degrees Fahrenheit, not when a timer says so. Every grill runs a little differently, every rack of ribs is a little different, and cooking to temperature is what gets you to perfect tenderness every single time. Get a good meat thermometer, use it religiously, and you’ll never have a dry or undercooked rack again.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

Cooking to temperature instead of by time takes the guesswork out and I end up with tender ribs every single time.
Using a foil pan and basting with apple sauce rather than wrapping the ribs in foil is a fool-proof way to keep ribs from drying out.
Basting the ribs in yellow mustard before seasoning ensures that the dry rub really binds to the ribs for the ultimate flavor.

Key Ingredients

Baby back ribs – I love using baby back ribs rather than spare ribs because they are leaner and meatier, but either type will work with this cooking method.
Yellow mustard – This is simply used to bind the seasoning to the ribs and will not impact the flavor at all.
Dry rub – I keep a large batch of dry rub for ribs on hand but use whatever rub is a favorite in your household.
BBQ sauce – Use whichever BBQ sauce you’ve got on hand, or the go-to choice for your house. When I have 5 extra minutes, I whip up a homemade version.
Apple juice – This is my secret to tender, flavorful ribs. The juice adds moisture and sweetness.
Brown sugar – Don’t skip out on using brown sugar! This gives the exterior of the ribs a delicious, caramelized layer.

Find the full ingredient list with exact measurements in the recipe card below.

How To Make Grilled Ribs

Prepare rub. In a small bowl, combine rub ingredients.
Prepare ribs. Evenly spread yellow mustard over the ribs, covering completely. Spread the dry rub over the ribs covering completely.
Mix up sauce. In a small mixing bowl add the apple juice and ½ cup bbq sauce and mix until combined.
Grill ribs. Place the seasoned ribs in a foil pan, meat side up and pour the apple juice mixture on top. Cover the pan with aluminum foil and place on the grill over indirect heat. Grill the ribs for 1 hour or until the ribs reach 165 degrees Fahrenheit.
Mix up finishing sauce. In a medium sized mixing bowl, mix remaining BBQ sauce, honey and brown sugar.
Finish ribs. Remove the ribs from the pan and place directly on the grill grates. Brush the ribs with the finishing sauce and grill for another 25 minutes or until ribs reach 185 degrees Fahrenheit.
Brush and serve. Remove from the grill and brush with sauce again before serving.

For the complete directions and ingredient amounts, scroll down to the recipe card below.

Whisking homemade barbecue sauce in a glass mixing bowl until smooth and glossy.

Using a paper towel to grip and remove the membrane from the back of a rack of pork ribs.

Storage And Reheating

Fridge: Store leftover ribs in an airtight container for up to 4 days.

Freezer: Cut into portions, wrap individually in plastic wrap and store in a freezer bag or airtight container. Thaw in the fridge overnight before reheating.

Reheat leftovers in the microwave or on the grill until hot through. If using the microwave, I recommend using a cover so you don’t end up with BBQ sauce splattered all over, I learned that the hard way.

Serving Suggestions

The only thing better than grilled pork ribs, is the range of side dishes that accompany them. When it’s just a smaller crew like my immediate family, Corn on the Cob, Grilled Sweet Potatoes and a fresh green salad will do the trick. Any time I’m feeding a crowd, I tend to include Grilled Chicken Legs, Hot Dog Burnt Ends, loads of fresh veggies with Dip and Baked Potatoes with a toppings bar.

Pro Tips

If there is a local butcher shop near you, ask them to remove the silver skin for you! No guessing game whether you’ve got it or not and one less step to prepare.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I remove silver skin?

Remove the membrane from the back of the ribs by sliding a dinner knife under the membrane and over the bone. Lift and loosen the membrane until it tears. Grab the edge of the membrane with a paper towel for grip and pull it off. It might come off in one big piece or you will have to remove it in smaller pieces. This step is ESSENTIAL so you don’t end up with tough ribs.

What does indirect heat mean?

When cooking on indirect heat, this means the half of the grill where the burners are not turned on. This is a great method for cooking ribs because it gives the connective tissue a chance to really break down slowly without burning the exterior of the ribs.

Hand lifting a sauced grilled pork rib from a platter with corn on the cob and baked beans in the background.

Did you make this? If you snap a photo, please be sure tag me on Instagram at @gimmesomegrilling or #gimmesomegrilling so I can see your grilling masterpieces!

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Grilled Ribs

These Grilled Ribs are fall-off-the-bone tender with a smoky sweet finish. The easy 2-step foil pan method delivers perfect ribs.

Prep:15

Cook:1 25

Total:1 40

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Equipment

Ingredients

Finishing Sauce

▢ 1 cup BBQ sauce
▢ 1 ½ Tablespoons honey
▢ 1 ½ Tablespoons brown sugar

Instructions

Preheat the grill to 300 degrees Fahrenheit for indirect heat.
Remove the membrane from the back of the ribs by sliding a dinner knife under the membrane and over the bone. Lift and loosen the membrane until it tears. Grab the edge of the membrane with a paper towel and pull it off. It might come off in one big piece or you will have to remove it in smaller pieces. This is ESSENTIAL so make sure you take it off.
Prepare your favorite rub in a small bowl. We recommend our rib rub or sweet & smoky rub.
Evenly spread yellow mustard over the ribs, covering completely. Spread the dry rub over the ribs covering completely.
In a small mixing bowl add the apple juice and ½ cup bbq sauce and mix until combined. Place the ribs in a foil pan meat side up and pour the apple juice mixture on top of the ribs. Cover the pan with aluminum foil and place on the grill over indirect heat.
Grill the ribs for 1 hour or until the ribs reach 165 degrees Fahrenheit.
While the ribs grill, in a medium sized mixing bowl add the finishing sauce ingredients and mix until combined.
Once the ribs reach 165 degrees Fahrenheit, remove the ribs from the pan and place the ribs on the grill grates. Brush the ribs with the finishing sauce and grill for another 25 minutes or until ribs reach 185 degrees Fahrenheit.
Once the ribs are done remove from the grill and brush with sauce again before serving.

Tips

Fridge: Store leftover ribs in an airtight container for up to 4 days.

Freezer: Cut into portions, wrap individually in plastic wrap and store in a freezer bag or airtight container. Thaw in the fridge overnight before reheating.

Nutrition Information

Calories: 599kcal (30%), Carbohydrates: 42g (14%), Protein: 37g (74%), Fat: 32g (49%), Saturated Fat: 11g (69%), Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g, Monounsaturated Fat: 13g, Trans Fat: 0.3g, Cholesterol: 130mg (43%), Sodium: 1014mg (44%), Potassium: 697mg (20%), Fiber: 1g (4%), Sugar: 35g (39%), Vitamin A: 214IU (4%), Vitamin C: 1mg (1%), Calcium: 96mg (10%), Iron: 2mg (11%)

We are not dietitians and recommend you seek a nutritionist for exact nutritional information. The information in the nutrition box is calculated through a program and there is room for error. If you need an accurate count, I recommend running the ingredients through your favorite nutrition calculator.

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