The secret to perfect BBQ short ribs is easier than you might think. Pre-cooking is the key.
My husband is a rib man. He often chooses them on the menu when we go out to eat.
I make BBQ ribs all the time but normally it is a rack of spare ribs that we cook, since they cook fairly quickly on the BBQ.
Keep reading for my tips to make them perfect every time.
There are days that I just feel like the more meaty short ribs. The problem is that they can take a very long time on the barbeque and are kind of hard to cook without ending up with shoe leather.
My answer is the same as it is with tender BBQ chicken. I cheat.
I place the ribs into the oven and precook them for about an hour and a half of so in a 325º oven. They only need a bit of extra marinade when at grilling time and they are perfect every time.
The ribs are as easy to make as can be. I use two ingredients – My home made rub mix, which is a blend of many spices and makes all BBQ meats taste great, and a store bought marinade by KC Masterpiece.
It’s available at most food chains or online from Amazon.com. (affiliate link)
My husband says these are his favorite ribs, hands down. Better than Chilis! That is quite a recommendation from him.
They are moist and tender and the mix of the rub and marinade gives them a wonderful flavor.
The Secret to perfect BBQ Short Ribs

The secret to these deliciously tender short ribs is to prebake them in the oven. They literally will fall off the bone!
Ingredients
- 1 pound of beef or pork short ribs, bone in
- 3 tbsp of KC Masterpiece Napa Garlic Balsamic Marinade
- 2 tbsp of my home made spicy dry rub.
Instructions
- Line a baking dish with aluminum foil (easy clean up later)
- Place the short ribs in the baking dish and liberally rub the dry mix over them.
- Pour on the marinade and use a pastry brush to spread it evenly over the ribs.
- Sprinkle on a bit more of the rub.
- Bake for about 1 1/2 hours in a preheated 325º oven.
- Heat the grill and cook the ribs a bit longer just to make the outside a bit crusty. You can add a bit more marinade at this point if you wish.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
4Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 678Total Fat: 49gSaturated Fat: 15gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 27gCholesterol: 147mgSodium: 1501mgCarbohydrates: 15gFiber: 1gSugar: 9gProtein: 42g
Nutritional information is approximate due to natural variation in ingredients and the cook-at-home nature of our meals.
Laurie From Vin'yet Etc.
Thursday 7th of August 2014
Hi Paula,
Thanks for sharing your awesome cheat, I've pinned it! Yummy!
admin
Thursday 7th of August 2014
Hi Laurie. Glad you liked it! Carol
PaulaSweetPea
Wednesday 6th of August 2014
This recipe looks wonderful. I buy a quarter of beef each year from a friend and have ribs to cook. I'm going to try your method!
admin
Wednesday 6th of August 2014
Hi Paula. I do a similar thing with BBQ chicken. The precooking keeps everything very moist. Carol
Barb Rosen
Wednesday 6th of August 2014
Sounds and looks scrumptious!
admin
Wednesday 6th of August 2014
Thanks Barb. They are easy to make too! Carol