While tucking into a tender rack of ribs may be fun, for most of us spending hours stocking a smoker isn’t. Fortunately, cooking ribs using the gentle and precise sous vide method results in fall-apart tender ribs with minimal fuss.

Temperature and cooking times for sous vide pork ribs

TemperatureTimeResult
145°F*48 hoursFall-apart tender and juicy
152°F24 hoursVery tender and juicy
165°F12 hoursTender and juicy with a hint of firmness

*Please note that some of these temperatures are lower than what the FDA recommends. Consuming raw or undercooked meats, poultry, seafood, shellfish, or eggs may increase your risk of food-borne illness.

Tougher cuts like pork ribs take a fair amount of time to break down while cooking sous vide. For this reason, it’s necessary to cook ribs for at least 12 hours. The combination of heat and long cook time will break down the connective tissue and start rendering the fat. Looking for a BBQ sauce to pair with your ribs? Our How-To Guide has three different types, so you’ll never get bored.

Ingredients and Tools

Ingredients

  • 1 rack baby back pork ribs
  • Salt and pepper
  • 1/2 cup dry rub
  • 1 cup BBQ sauce
  • 1 tsp liquid smoke (optional)

Tools

  • Immersion circulator
  • Large pot or water bath
  • Baking sheet with rack

Directions

Preheat your water bath to the desired temperature. Remove the membrane from the bottom of the ribs. Cut the ribs into two equally sized portions. Season both sides of the ribs with salt and pepper. Generously apply the dry rub to the entire exterior of the ribs.

Place the ribs into plastic bags (you will probably need one bag for each half-rack). Add a few drops of liquid smoke. Vacuum seal the bags, place in the water bath, and leave until cooked.

Once the cook is complete, remove the ribs from the bags and pat dry with a paper towel.

Finishing

Suvie

Add some more dry rub to the ribs and, using a brush, glaze the ribs with BBQ sauce. Place in a Suvie pan and broil for 10 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through cooking.

Remove the pans from Suvie. Remove the ribs and place on a cutting board and rest for 10 minutes. Cut the ribs between the bones and serve.

Broiler

Add some more dry rubsto the ribs and, using a brush, glaze the ribs with BBQ sauce. Broil under a hot grill for 5-10 minutes.

Remove from oven and place the ribs on a cutting board. Rest for 10 minutes. Cut the ribs between the bones and serve.

Oven

Set your oven to 320°F. Add some more dry rubs to the ribs and using a brush, glaze the ribs with BBQ sauce. Cook in oven for between 20-30 minutes. Remove from oven. Rest for 10 minutes. Cut the ribs between the bones and serve.

Recipes to try

Memphis Style Wet Ribs

Kansas City Ribs

BBQ Pork Ribs

FAQs

Can I use Suvie?

Unfortunately, no because of the specific temperatures and long cooking times this method will only work with a regular immersion circulator. You can finish the ribs in the Suvie, however. If you would prefer to use your Suvie we have several delicious slow-cooked rib recipes to choose from above.

Can I use spare ribs instead?

You can! This recipe will work with spare ribs and baby back ribs.

Can I apply the BBQ sauce to the ribs before the sous vide step?

You can, but marinade and sauce tends to react strangely to the long cooking times of this recipe. For the best results we recommend only applying the sauce in the finishing step.

Can I use beef ribs instead?

You can! Be sure to check out our recipe for sous vide short ribs.

The water level keeps dropping, what do I do?

This is a common problem when cooking sous vide for long periods of time. As the water heats, it will evaporate and when you’re cooking for days rather than hours this can be a problem. We suggest covering the top of the water bath with a layer of aluminum foil.

CategoriesCooking Tips Pork
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