These are called lazy BBQ ribs for a reason; they are easy and cook all day so a lazy Sunday is the perfect day to put these ribs in the oven and forget about them.  Or on busy weekday get them in the oven first thing in the morning before you start your crazy day and have a wonderful dinner ready when you finally have time to relax. This all day oven and foil process is my workaholic Aunt’s invention and these ribs have been a mainstay of her dinner parties and family meals for years. One taste of my simple BBQ sauce that in keeping with the lazy theme is just a pumped up store bought sauce and you will never miss going to the local rib restaurant.



This is a perfect meal to illustrate how easy it is to cook better than a restaurant! At a rib place you will pay at least $20-$30+ per order for ribs and sides.  The huge slabs I bought for my dinner were only about $19 combined from Costco, a huge savings. The sides at most BBQ places are a limp cole slaw and greasy fries, yuck! For my dinner at home I opted for sautéed green beans with lots of garlic and oven roasted sweet potato fries with homemade lemon mayo dipping sauce. Homemade sides are much better tasting than what you will eat out and they often have fewer calories.  Lastly you can control the spice in you BBQ sauce so the whole family will love it, rarely an option at most restaurants. I know these ribs are not slow smoked in the traditional way, but frankly neither are a lot of the ribs in restaurants, they just add liquid smoke (double yuck!) to their BBQ sauce.

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Lazy BBQ Ribs

Course Main Course

Cuisine American, BBQ

Servings 4

Ingredients

• 2 or more racks of baby back ribs
• 1 onion
• Granulated garlic
• Season salt
• Olive oil
• Heavy duty foil
• 2-4 tbsp diced garlic
• 18 oz bottle of your favorite BBQ sauce
• 1 cup ketchup
• +/- 1 tbsp favorite hot sauce

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 225 degrees. Get your rinsed and dried ribs laid out on a large sheet of foil. Cut them into half racks to make them easy to handle. Sparingly drizzle with olive oil and rub in. Sprinkle liberally with season salt and granulated garlic. The season salt you use can be something as simple as Lawry's or as complex as a gourmet rib rub. Slice one medium or large onion into rings and layer between and over the racks.
   
2. Wrap the foil very tightly sealing up the ribs. Place the foil package on a baking sheet and then into the oven. Let them cook for at least 6 hours, no peeking. Just leave them alone. I like to give them a full 8 hours.
   
3. Twenty minutes before you want to eat pull ribs out of the oven, carefully remove them from the foil, they will be falling off the bone. Place the ribs on a broiler pan to rest while you work on the sauce.
   
4. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees, pour the liquid from the foil packet into a small sauce pan, put the soft onion rings in the pot too. Over medium heat add the garlic, bottle of BBQ sauce, hot sauce, and the ketchup. Allow sauce to bubble softly, stirring frequently for a few minutes. Taste and adjust flavors to your preference, you can add more hot sauce, spicy mustard, chili powder, honey, Worcestershire, brown sugar, or tomato paste until the sauce is perfect for your family. If you want really smooth sauce you could use a stick blender to mix the onions into the sauce but I love it chunky.
   
5. Place the ribs on the broiler pan back into the 425 degree oven for about ten minutes to dry them out just a little. Then spoon the BBQ sauce over the ribs and return to the oven for ten more minutes, keep an eye on them so the sauce will not burn.
   
6. Serve with the extra sauce and your favorite BBQ sides like cole slaw, fries, green beans, grits , or corn bread .