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
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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.
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
© 101 Cooking for Two, LLC. All content and photographs are copyright protected by us or our vendors. While we appreciate your sharing our recipes, please realize copying, pasting, or duplicating full recipes to any social media, website, or electronic/printed media is strictly prohibited and a violation of our copyrights.
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.
Tabatha says
For some reason my rating didn't post. Five stars!
DrDan says
Thanks for the note and rating. I do love these ribs.
DrDan
Tabatha says
Found some on sale, prepared as DrDan suggested, made pan gravy with the drippings and some loaded mashed potatoes. YUMMY!
Maeby says
I had a bad experience with this cut before so I've shied away from them, but on special, they were too good a deal not to give them another go. I thought this recipe was too god to be true, but tried it anyway, and Oh My! They came out amazing!! Fast, cheap, and my family loved them, these are definitely finding a spot in my permanent rotation!
Thank you so much!
DrDan says
Thanks for the note and rating. They are frequently on sell since most people don't have a clue about what to do with them or did them wrong before.
DrDan
Jerrika says
I am a beginning cooker. I never cooked before and now I have a hungry husband and son. So im learning new and this recipe has saved my life! I didn't mess it up at all and my husband loved it! Thank you so much for sharing!
Lei says
I always stayed away from cooking ribs because I was scared i'd mess them up but I couldn't pass up on a $4 pack. This recipe was so amazing I changed up the spices but the meat was so tender and juicy. I highly recommend it I'm going to make this again tonight for Sunday dinner
DrDan says
Thanks for the note and rating. Glad it worked so well for you.
DrDan
Angelofraa says
Hi Dan, I just found your recipe when looking for a way to quickly cook my boneless pork ribs. One question I have is in step 1 you say "Preheat over to 375 convection". Are you actually using a convection oven (oven equipped with fans to move hot air evenly around the oven chamber) or a normal conventional oven at 375 degrees? I don't have a convection oven (or special convection setting on my oven) so I wanted to be sure they will still cook as fast in a normal conventional oven set at 375 degrees. Thank you in advance for any help!
DrDan says
375 convection (with the fan). You can kick it up to 400 or so with a conventional oven or increase the time a little. Remember to cook to an end point temperature and not by time. Ovens and the thickness of the meat varies.
DrDan
JIM M says
SSOUNDS GOOD TO ME. WILL COOK IN MY FLAVOR WAVE
Cari says
WOW! I just so happened to come across this recipe while searching for a quick and easy way to make boneless country style pork ribs somehow other than "low and slow"...and the result was awesome! I have stovetop to oven cookware, so after searing, I just threw a lid on the pan and into the oven it went. One pan, and cleanup was a breeze. Thank you!!!!
DrDan says
Great, glad it worked for you. These "ribs" are really the tail end of a pork loin cut in half and scored. So cooking them is more like a pork loin than ribs. IE faster... I usually do the oven without a lid but sure it would work fine with.
Thanks for the note
DrDan
Fredamarie says
These were incredible. I'd bought sliced, bone in country style ribs the day before and my plan for what to do with them didn't work out. The first set of recipes I found on line led me to believe that I'd have to postpone cooking them until the weekend because of the time required. When I first saw this method I didn't believe they'd cook that quickly, but they did. So tender and juicy! I deboned the ribs, sprinkled with a mixture of salt, pepper and granulated garlic and browned in a cast iron skillet in olive oil. Once browned, I brushed with a mixture of worcestershire sauce and (very little!) liquid smoke. This is my summer pork marinade but I thought it would splatter too much on the stove top. I then brushed with bbq sauce and cooked in the oven as directed. My family loved them, and insisted that I print the recipe. I will definitely make these again! Thanks so much!
DrDan says
The boneless rib are a totally different cut from the bone in country ribs. I usually do the bone in "low and slow" on a grill. The boneless are much leaner and a more rapid cooking works well. But it worked out great it sounds like...
The Worcestershire sauce sounds like a great taste addition and I always love a splash of a good liquid smoke.
Thanks for the note
DrDan
karen says
Fn A! I did the same thing!!!!! We must be Family!!!! Love ya! and Bless your Fam!! I thought I was the only one! Yippy I Yo KIE AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA! Big Ribs for those who like to experiment with delicious food from the Gods!!!
karen says
Was I to crazy for this reply?? If so , forgive me,,,Just lookin for the best west east nrth south way to cook a dam good meal! Thank you sir, : Karen Hellmuth
Nicolle Sutherland says
Do I wrap it in foil when I cook them in the oven ? And bake not broil, right? And if I'm cooking three of them...just increase the bake Time?
Dan Mikesell says
This recipe has no foil and no broiler. But it might be a bit hard to triple in a pan. You would need to brown them and put them in together perhaps on a preheated baking sheet with a rim. I just had another recipe ( https://www.101cookingfortwo.com/barbecued-boneless-country-style-pork/ ) tonight for dinner that might be easier to triple.
But back to your questions. Baking time would go up a little but more because the cast iron already has a lot of heat in it to continue cooking. Cook to a final temp as always.
Samantha Seufert says
I don't have a cast iron skillet and really want to make these. Any suggestions?
Should I keep an oven-safe pan heating up in the oven so when I transfer the ribs from the stove to the oven the pan is still hot?
Dan Mikesell says
That sounds like a good plan and as always cook to the temperature not time. I think everyone should have cast iron. A 12 inch pre-seasoned Lodge will cost about $20 on Amazon.
Dan Mikesell says
I do this cut of pork "low and slow" sometime but in foil usually since it is prone to dry some what since it is usually ( not always) lean. I think the onion in the foil with for meat at 300 for a couple of hours then open up the foil and broil for a few minutes for some color. Makes me hungry just thinking about it.
Faith Johnson says
Dan this recipe is omg omg AWSOME ty sooo much you too our dry pork meat days away for good I always made them in the slow cooker with fennel seed and sour kraut
Dan Mikesell says
So glad it worked well for you...
andrew kameya says
This is a wonderfully simple recipe. Love it.
But next time I would lower the temperature to 300 degrees
and cook it for 2 hours. This would make it tender.
I would also add some other stuff
like onions - I love onions.
Will also try Dr. Dan's.
Dr Dan says
There is another oven baked method that I published in the summer of 2010 using foil to wrap them. It worked quite well also. Remember this is loin not tenderloin. It will not be that soft cut with a fork texture but it can be tender and tasty.
Petersen's says
I have been trying to "perfect" oven cooking of these ribs for awhile now...to no avail. I will try THIS METHOD next as I have realized this meat is basically like a tenderloin meat I have probably been over cooking it....duh. Thanks for the tip !
Faith Johnson says
OMG I will never make them any other way again they were OMG OMG and I did not have to use a cast iron skillet my girlfriend and I looooved them this will be my new all time fave recipe for these kinda ribs now
Jennifer says
What do you mean over cooking? I have NEVER cooked spare ribs and when it comes to steak a medium rare comes out well done! They are defrosted for 2 days now so I have to cook them- like 3 1/4 lbs of boneless 'lean country style or southern style ribs.' I have had them 'marinating' Lol for like 24 hours. PLEASE HELP!!!! THANK YOU!!!! 🤗
DrDan says
Hi Jennifer,
First let's be sure we are talking the same cut of meat. Look at the third picture in the post where the meat is partly cut into "ribs". Does it look like that? Usually these weigh 1 1/2 to 2 pounds per slab.
Dan
Chris says
ha ha, I was about to freak out because I thought these were going to be country style ribs (from the shoulder) done in 30 minutes and I was thinking how tough they would be.
I have to remember to try this cut out the next time I am trimming a whole pork tenderloin. You don't see it in the markets here.
Barbara says
Totally comes out perfect, every time! Doing again tonight!