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.
Ilonka says
Just made this for the fourth time and still as delicious as the first time!!!
Ilonka says
Making this AGAIN as I type here... forgot to give you a rating last time! Apologies... but its 5 STAR!!!
Brad says
Made this tonight..sort of. I followed your cooking guidelines and used some of my favorite Cajun seasonings. In my mind the texture/flavor is similar to a pork chop, just a little bit more tender. Thanks for the how to!
Iron chef in the making says
BY far the best ribs I have ever made!!! I love this, definitely making again!!
Pat says
I have a limited number of things I can cook and I am always looking for new recipes. I bought some boneless pork ribs on sale, not having the slightest idea how to prepare them... then I found your recipe. This is the only way I will ever cook boneless pork ribs. They always come out tender, juicy and delicious. And it's so quick!
Thanks for this recipe.
John says
I am a very inexperienced cook. I thawed out ribs and then started looking for a recipe. The first ones I found all said hours to prepare, marinate and cook. At 7:00 PM at night that would just not work. Also, my 18 year old sons were already asking what's for dinner dad? I then found this recipe. Simple, easy and quick! Didn't have a cast iron skillet but the skillet I have did the job well. My skillet was only rated for 350 degrees for oven use. So, I increased cook time by 15 minutes. I used olive oil for the pan searing. Put on the BBQ sauce and into the oven! I was amazed at the outcome! Tender, juicy, tasty and the house still has that BBQ smell even an hour later. Dr Dan this is great! Next time I'll make sure to use the tip to check internal temperature instead of cook time.
Rib king pro 2000 says
Best ribs I've ever had. A + recipe
Steve schaefer says
Thank you !
Made them tonight and my family and I loved them.
Followed recipe exactly
DrDan says
Hi Steve,
Welcome to the blog.
Glad it worked well for you.
Thanks for the note and rating.
Dan
Heather says
So glad I found this recipe! I followed it exactly and it was delicious - very impressed! Thank you for posting it!
barbara says
Do not have much use for beef after finding this easy go to receipe !!!
Thank you.
Lori says
Fantastic! I used my cast iron skillet and they turned out perfect.
DrDan says
Thanks for the note, glad it worked for you.
DrDan
Heidi says
I don't think I'd cook this cut of pork any other way now!
Bev says
I was also looking for a shorter cook time for country style boneless ribs and came across this recipe. It was awesome! I had the iron skillet, browned ribs 2 minutes each side but my ribs were 3 large thick pieces so I modified the cooking time by 5 minutes in the oven uncovered. I did sprinkle the ribs with salt & pepper and I allowed the BBQ (sweet & spicy) sauce to coat the top of the ribs and added some to the bottom of the pan with fresh pressed garlic & OMG delicious! I took the ribs out of the oven at 35 mins & let stand 5 and then covered with aluminum until ready to serve, then I cut the ribs in serving portions (mine were 2" thick & 5" long) and I served from the skillet right at the table, with a gravy ladle for the sauce! This served 3 adults with a leftovers :-).
Thanks DrDan my husband and company loved it!!!
sarah says
Wonderful recipe! thanks for posting something nice and quick for those of us that can't afford to spend hrs in the kitchen.
I'm new to the world of cast iron but would a large oval le creuset dutch oven work for this recipe?
DrDan says
Hi Sarah, any oven safe pan should be fine as long as it can tolerate the stove top. So yep the dutch oven would be fine.
DrDan
Kelly says
Do I put the whole cast iron skillet in the oven after brushing with BB, or do I transfer ribs to a different pan?
DrDan says
Yes just pop the whole cast iron pan in the oven no need to transfer. Any stovetop to oven safe pan should work for this recipe but I just love cast iron.
DrDan
Kelly says
My goodness so do I! Thank you for recipe! I have them all ready to go for dinner!
John Skrynski says
tis recipe is the best i have ever found i sold my rib restaurant 5 years ago, but these ribs are the best bar none. I am opening a small rib joint, takeout only exclusively with these ribs!!!! It will be an instant success!!!!!
John
Juli Southard says
Used bone-in country style pork ribs and Wow, I mean really WOW! about 3 min. in the skillet each side, slathered on good gluten free bbq sauce and baked for 25 minutes. So tender and juicy.
Jill says
These boneless ribs were excellent! This is my new go to recipe.
DrDan says
Thanks so much for the note and rating.
DrDan