Learn how to cook the best Country-Style Boneless Pork Ribs that are moist and tender in only 30 minutes. This is one of our favorite lean, healthy weeknight dinner recipes that is fast and easy to make. Just trim and season to your taste, and after a brief stovetop sear, finish cooking the boneless ribs in the oven.
🐖Ingredients
Country Style Boneless Pork Ribs
Seasoning—of your choice. Salt, black pepper, garlic powder, and BBQ sauce are suggested.
Optional brine—sugar, salt, water
Jump To (scroll for more)
- 🐖Ingredients
- 👨🍳How to Cook Boneless Pork Ribs—Step-by-Step
- ⏲️How long to cook boneless country-style pork ribs
- 🧂Seasoning variations and options
- 📖Boneless Country Style Rib Recipes
- Should you brine boneless country-style pork ribs?
- 🍴Serving
- Storing and reheating leftovers
- ❓FAQs
- What are Country-Style Boneless Pork Ribs
- 📖 Recipe
Featured Comment from Beth: "5 stars. Delicious, MOIST, and fast !!!! thank you for sharing your recipe and technique, and what a clever way to cook ribs!!"
This is another simple weeknight recipe for boneless country-style pork ribs, one of my favorite "Cooking For Two" types of meat. Depending on your appetite, this will make 2-4 servings.
Boneless country-style ribs are part of the pork loin, like pork chops. They are lean, so they should be cooked fast, not low-and-slow like pork shoulder or other ribs. Because they are lean, they fit well in a healthy, low-fat diet.
This recipe uses the classic sear and oven-bake method of cooking. The searing creates a Maillard reaction that gives the dish great flavors. Then, it is finished cooking in the oven.
They are not the same as boneless or bone-in spare ribs or bone-in country-style pork ribs. Please see the discussion and diagram below if you are confused between bone-in and boneless country-style ribs being different.
👨🍳How to Cook Boneless Pork Ribs—Step-by-Step
1. Preheat oven to 350° convection or 375° conventional oven.
2. Trim one slab (about 1 ½ lb) of country-style boneless ribs of fat cap and any silverskin.
3. Deepen the cuts to a little over half the thickness of the slab. Brine if you wish.
4. Before seasoning, dry well with a paper towel—use the seasoning of your choice or a sprinkle of salt and pepper or my All-purpose seasoning.
5. Heat a cast-iron skillet or other oven-safe pan with 1 to 2 teaspoons of oil over medium-high heat. Place in the pan and sear for 2-3 minutes per side. Get near the final color you want when done.
6. Remove from heat and brush the top (not the bottom) generously with the BBQ sauce of your choice (optional). Be sure to get the slices.
7. Place in the oven and bake until the internal temperature is 145°-150°, about 15 minutes, but the time will vary.
8. Let rest for 5 minutes before cutting.
For more details, keep reading. See the Recipe Card below for complete instructions and to print.
⏲️How long to cook boneless country-style pork ribs
The total cooking time is about 20 minutes to 145° internal temp at an oven temperature of 350° convection or 375° conventional. This includes the searing time of 4-6 minutes and about 15 minutes of baking in the oven.
If you skip the searing, the oven time will be about 25 minutes. Time will vary by the size and thickness of your ribs, the sear, and your desired internal temperature.
- Rare (less than 145°)—pink—Not recommended due to USDA safety recommendations
- Medium-Rare (145°-150°)—a little pink
- Medium (150°-155°)—no pink
- Medium-Well (155°-160°)—starting to dry a little.
- Well Done (160°+)—Not recommended due to dryness and texture.
I suggest using an oven temperature of 350° convection or 375° conventional oven. You can vary the temperature, and the time will change. But remember, you are cooking to a final internal temperature.
🧂Seasoning variations and options
This recipe with the sauce produces a very nice light BBQ flavor. If you want complete BBQ, use a dry pork rub to replace the seasonings and serve the BBQ sauce on the side. But, there is frequently lots of sugar in rubs, so sear with care.
Use your favorite BBQ sauce. I love Gates BBQ of KC sauce, but I have used Bulls Eye Original, which Cooks Illustrated likes. My Memphis BBQ Sauce would also be great.
If not using BBQ sauce, season as you would pork chops. For me, that is a seasoning salt like Lowery's and some pepper. Or, just some salt and pepper will be acceptable.
📖Boneless Country Style Rib Recipes
For the crock pot, try Crock Pot Chinese Boneless Ribs. Or take them to the grill with this complete tutorial on How to Grill Boneless Country Style Pork Ribs. And don't miss one of my finest grilled meals, Grilled Memphis Boneless Country Style Pork Ribs, with a special brine and seasoning.
Should you brine boneless country-style pork ribs?
Because boneless pork ribs are lean, they can tend to dry if overcooked or if previously frozen. But if not overcooked, they can stay moist like a nice pork chop. A brining would fix any moisture issues and add taste depending on the brine. But this would add hours and take it out of the weeknight recipe class.
A suggested brine would be 2 tablespoons of table salt, 1 tablespoon of sugar, and 2 cups of water for 1-4 hours. Brown sugar or spices, like allspice, garlic, pepper, etc., can be used.
🍴Serving
With the BBQ flavoring, serve them like BBQ ribs with picnic-type side dishes like cole slaw, baked beans, homemade cornbread, or crispy baked French fries. If you skip BBQ, serve like pork chops with baked green beans with bacon, roasted asparagus, or Honey Wheat Dinner Rolls.
Storing and reheating leftovers
Store in an airtight container for four days in the refrigerator or three months in the freezer.
Leftovers can be reheated in the oven or microwave but are also great as a salad topping.
❓FAQs
I like to use a cast-iron skillet for this, but any pan that can go from the stovetop to the oven will do. Cast iron transfers and distributes heat evenly better than most other choices.
If you don't have cast iron or an oven-safe skillet, preheat an oven-safe pan with the oven, then sear with a stovetop pan and transfer the ribs to the preheated pan to finish in the oven.
The first step is trimming the fat cap, frequently attached to the backside of these ribs. It interferes with browning, seasoning, and cooking the meat. You will not be eating it, so cut most of it off. You don't need to be a perfectionist, but get most of it gone.
The second step is to deepen the "rib cuts." Many times, they will be less than 25% of the thickness. I like to get it to 50% or even a little more. It evens out the cooking and adds more seasoning area.
The final internal temperature for sold pork cuts is 145° minimum safe temperature. We prefer 150° with almost no pink. Over 155° will start to dry and toughen the ribs, which is not recommended.
Any ground pork should reach 165° for safety.
What are Country-Style Boneless Pork Ribs
The boneless pork ribs are the tail end of a whole pork loin cut in half and scored to make "ribs." So, think of these ribs as lean pork chops in a funny shape. They should be cooked rapidly, like pork chops, since they are lean.
Unfortunately, there are also "bone-in country-style pork ribs." They are NOT the same. Or even close to the same thing. Bone-in is like a slice of pork butt and should be cooked low and slow. Neither is related to real ribs. However, a pork loin is next to baby-back ribs.
There is also some confusion with spare ribs. Boneless spare ribs are from the pork butt and shoulder area. Bone-in spare ribs are St. Louis ribs with the sternum, cartilage, and rib tips remaining. Spare ribs are pork ribs, but short ribs are beef ribs.
This recipe is listed in these categories. See them for more similar recipes.
Have you tried this recipe, or have a question? Join the community discussion in the comments.
📖 Recipe
30 Minute Boneless Pork Ribs
Video Slideshow
Ingredients
- 1 ½ pound country style boneless pork ribs - one slab
- salt and pepper to taste - or seasoning of choice
- 1-2 teaspoon oil
- 1 tablespoon BBQ sauce
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350° convection or 375° conventional oven. Trim one slab (about 1 ½ lb) of country-style boneless ribs of fat cap and any silverskin.
- Deepen the cuts to a little over half the thickness of the slab. Brine if you wish.
- Before seasoning, dry well with a paper towel—use the seasoning of your choice or a sprinkle of salt and pepper or my All-purpose seasoning.
- Heat a cast-iron skillet or other oven-safe pan with 1 to 2 teaspoons of oil over medium-high heat. Place in the pan and sear for 2-3 minutes per side. Get near the final color you want when done.
- Remove from heat and brush the top (not the bottom) generously with the BBQ sauce of your choice (optional). Be sure to get the slices.
- Place in the oven and bake until the internal temperature is 145°-150°, about 15 minutes, but the time will vary. Let rest for 5 minutes before cutting.
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Recipe Notes
Pro Tips
- Country-style boneless pork ribs are NOT the same as bone-in country-style ribs, and they are not cooked the same.
- Reasonably trim the fat pad. You do not need to be perfect.
- How to brine and seasoning options are discussed in the recipe post.
- Be sure to dry the ribs well before seasoning and adding them to the skillet.
- Get the skillet and oil hot on the stovetop before adding the ribs.
- Be sure to rest for 5 minutes before cutting. It might raise a few degrees, so account for that.
- If you skip the searing, oven time will increase by about 10 minutes.
Your Own Private Notes
To adjust the recipe size:
You may adjust the number of servings in this recipe card under servings. This does the math for the ingredients for you. BUT it does NOT adjust the text of the instructions. So you need to do that yourself.
Nutrition Estimate
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Originally published March 31, 2012. Update with expanded explanation and discussion. Photos are refreshed. A few images are from different photoshoots and may not match.
SeriouslyJim says
Used the method more than the exact details. I used one of my favorite dry seasonings and seared the meat, then dropped it into a greased, pre-heated glass baking dish, slathered it with my fav bbq sauce, and popped it in the oven for 20 min. Total time out of package to on the table "resting" while we finished up the side dishes- 35 minutes. For a "high heat" method, this worked surprisingly well. Meat wasn't "fall off the bone" tender but was very acceptable and the flavor was top notch. You're right... an excellent "week night" recipe, quick and easy.
leslie saffel says
I found this, made this, tender ribs. Delicious. 5 stars for me!
Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan says
Hi Leslie,
Welcome to the blog. Sorry the delayed response, life happens fast some times.
This is an easy, "after work recipe" we have used many times over the years. Cheap and delicious.
Thanks for the note and rating.
Dan
Lee says
Glad I found this recipe as these "ribs" almost met their fate in the slow cooker. End result stayed juicey and tender. Thanks for saving my dinner Dr. D
Beth says
Delicious, MOIST and fast !!!! thank you for sharing your recipe and technique and what a clever way to cook ribs !!
Brandy says
My country ribs came half with bone and half w/o. But I seared them but covered them in the oven and let them cook for almost an hour, then braised them for a few minutes. They were so juicy! The fam was impressed that I made these in the over and are requesting a repeat soon.
Linda Howell says
I prepared this boneless oven baked pork loin ribs tonight fo dinner, using the sear method, then putting them in the oven for about 15 - 20 minutes. One family member does not care for Barbe cue sauce, so for my daughter and I, we just poured some Barbeque sauce on the side. I had put some barbq dry rub on the ribs for pan searing anyway. They tasted delicious either way and were juicy and tender. Will be be be trying this again
Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan says
Hi Linda,
Welcome to the blog and thanks for the note. I do love these boneless ribs, just the right size for the two of us. I don't always use the sauce, sometimes just seasoning salt like pork chops.
Dan
Julie says
Goodness gracious. So glad I stumbled on this recipe. Now, I took it as a guideline. Had bone-in country style ribs, but seared and baked accourding to instructions in a cast iron skillet. I will do ribs this way EVERY TIME! Thank you!
Lisa Furman says
I've made these twice. They came out perfect! I needed to cook them a little longer because the were big but they were perfectly cooked and delicious!
Britt says
Dan,
Prepared these tonight. They were GREAT!! A++!!
Thanks,
Britt
Perry Arseneault says
I cut it into large finger sized pieces then I used the seasonings that I like most and I did let it marinade as suggested. I used my countertop air fryer toaster oven at the temperature and time suggested. I also used the BBQ sauce that I enjoy most so in the end this was an absolutely perfect recipe that did great justice to a wonderful cut of pork. Thanks for this easy peasy recipe! PS, I did not trim the fat before roasting which I believe made it better.
Perry Kissam says
Can I add cream of mushroom soup to the pan once it goes into the oven? Should I also add a bit of broth? I already have the ribs seasoned and in shrink wrap.
Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan says
Hi Perry,
Welcome to the blog.
Sorry but I have no good answer for you. I have never added fluid to make a sauce to this recipe. Your plan does sound reasonable though.
If you do this, please come back and describe the results for others.
Dan
Lisa Furman says
Yes you can add the cream of mushroom soup when you are putting it in the oven. It's delicious. I did add a little broth.
Mattie says
My husband loved this. Used pork loin precut ribs. This was so tender and juicy. He cleaned his plate which this picky eater rarely does. Thanks Dr. Dan for saving dinner.
Christine says
These were very good and super easy and fast . Great recipe.
Gail Tinsley says
Very good & tender! Mine were cut into "Ribs" already. Didn't use oil, just cooked in frying pan coated in garlic salt. Salt & peppered both sides, and added some Memphis BBQ season. Fried about 3 minutes on each side and just a minute or so on the edges. Moved to a glass 9x13 baking pan sprayed with cooking spray. poured a little BBQ sauce over the ribs. Baked at 375 for about 12 minutes. They were wonderful! Easy too!