Moist and tender country-styles boneless pork ribs ready in only 30 minutes. A little pan-searing, seasoning or BBQ sauce of your choice, and then finish in your oven. A great quick and easy dinner recipe with great taste.
Introduction
Another simple weeknight recipe with one of my favorite "Cooking For Two" types of meat, country-style boneless pork ribs which will be 2-4 servings depending on the size of your appetite.
Unlike other pork ribs, boneless ribs are much like a pork chop. Both are from the pork loin. They are lean and should be cooked rapidly, not low and slow.
The method is simple: preparing the boneless ribs, season, pan sear, season or a brush of your favorite BBQ sauce, then finish to final temperature the oven.
After a short rest, dinner is served with moist and tender BBQ ribs in under 30 minutes. And it is so easy with these step-by-step photo instructions.
My Rating
A very nice low 5 to high 4. Now you can have fresh hot BBQ on a weeknight without much fuss.
🐖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.
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.
If you haven't figured it out, neither is related to real ribs. However, a pork loin is right next to baby-back ribs.
👨🍳Preparing the Boneless Ribs
The first step is trimming the fat cap, which is 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 Pan
I like to use a cast-iron skillet for this, but any pan that can go from the stovetop to the oven will do.
If you don't have that, add an oven-safe pan to the oven while preheating. Sear with a stovetop pan, then transfer the ribs to the preheated pan to finish in the oven.
🧂Seasoning
I generally use BBQ as the main seasoning for this recipe. But you can season as you want.
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 fine.
For BBQ Ribs
A light sprinkle of salt and pepper before searing, then a coat of BBQ sauce after searing before going in the oven. If you are skipping the searing, then add the sauce at about 10 minutes into the oven time.
Use the BBQ sauce you love. I love Gates BBQ of KC sauce but have used Bulls Eye Original, which Cooks Illustrated likes. My Memphis BBQ Sauce would also be great.
⏰How Long to Cook
The suggested searing will take 5-6 minutes, then about 15 minutes in the oven. If you skip the searing, then the oven time will be about 25 minutes.
Use an oven temperature of 350° convection or 375° conventional oven. You can vary that a bit if needed, and the time will change. But remember, you are cooking to a final internal temperature.
Searing the boneless ribs will create a Maillard reaction that will give you some great flavors.
🌡️Final Internal Temperature
The final internal temperature for these ribs should be about where you like your pork chops. So 140° is the low end. 145° is the most common. We prefer 150° with almost no pink. Over 155° will start to dry and toughen your meat and is not recommended.
Your time can vary by the thickness of your ribs, the pan, the oven temperature, and how long you seared. So cook to the final internal temperature you want.
Allow to rest for about 5 minutes before cutting and serving. The temperature may rise a few degrees, so account for that.
📖Boneless Rib Recipes
How to Grill Boneless Country Style Pork Ribs
Grilled Memphis Boneless Country Style Pork Ribs
30 Minute BBQ Boneless Pork Ribs
🖼️Step-by-Step Instructions
Preheat oven to 350° convection or 375° conventional oven. Trim one slab (about 1 ½ lb) country-style boneless ribs of fat cap and any silverskin.
Deepen the cuts to a little over half the thickness of the slab.
Before seasoning, dry well with a paper towel. Give the ribs a sprinkle of salt and pepper or 7:2:2 seasoning.
Heat a cast-iron skillet or another oven-safe pan with a teaspoon or two 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 BBQ sauce of your choice. Be sure to get the slices.
Place in the oven and bake until internal temp of about 145°-150°. About 15 minutes, but time will vary some. Let rest for 5 minutes before cutting.
📖Full Recipe
30 Minute Boneless Pork Ribs
Ingredients
- 1 ½ pound country style boneless pork ribs - one slab
- salt and pepper to taste - or 7:2:2 seasoning
- 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) country-style boneless ribs of fat cap and any silverskin.
- Deepen the cuts to a little over half the thickness of the slab.
- Heat a cast-iron skillet or another oven-safe pan with a teaspoon or two 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 BBQ sauce of your choice. Be sure to get the slices.
- Place in the oven and bake until internal temp of about 145°-150°. About 15 minutes, but time will vary some. 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.
- Be sure to dry the ribs will before seasoning and adding to the skillet.
- Get the skillet and oil hot on the stovetop before adding the ribs.
- If you don’t have a pan that can go from the stovetop to the oven. Place an oven-safe pan in the oven during preheating. After searing in a different pan on the stovetop, transfer the ribs to the oven pan, brush with BBQ sauce and proceed.
- Cook to the final internal temperature you want. Usually 145°-150°.
- Be sure to rest for 5 minutes before cutting. It might raise a few degrees so account for that.
- Instructions in the post above about using season and not BBQ sauce.
- If you skip the searing, oven time will increase by about 10 minutes. If you are using sauce, add it after about 10 minutes in the oven.
- ONE LAST TIME: Boneless country-style ribs are not the same as bone-in country-style ribs and they are not cooked the same. Do not do this recipe with bone-in.
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
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Originally published March 31, 2012. Update with expanded explanation and discussion. Photos are refreshed. A few photos are from different photoshoots and have different color cutting boards.
marcy youker
very good recipe thanks.
Frank Weir
A perfect recipe. My results were superb and I'm no master. Thank you!
Toy Williams
Thai is such an easy recipe and this was by far the best pork loin style pork ribs we have ever made. Thank you for sharing! I used the sweet ginger chili sauce from our local sprouts.
Patrick
Boneless country-style pork ribs are usually cut from the pork shoulder (also commonly referred to as "pork butt"). This cut, unlike the loin, is actually quite fatty, and contrary to the recipe is best cooked longer at lower temperatures. Smoking or braising are the typical methods used to cook this cut to tenderness.
Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan
Hi Patrick,
Bone-in comes from the butt area. These are the end of the loin. See discussion and diagram in the post above. They are totally different and need to be cooked totally differently.
Here is my preferred method for the "ribs" you are discussing. https://www.101cookingfortwo.com/slow-grilled-bone-in-country-style-pork/
Dan
gp
I was very satisfy how my boneless ribs turned out! I will definitely try this again. It was tender and not dry!
Jeff
One of the best pork recipes I have ever eaten. Made exactly as written except I had to bake just a bit longer to bring to temp. Juicy, tender and out of this world delicious. Thank you so much for sharing this.
Jim M.
My wife picked up a pack of six of these. I was looking for a relatively simple recipe and came across this. We had four for dinner and they were fantastic. She shredded the other two, added a bit more BBQ sauce and I had them in sandwiches.
Stephen Hill
Awesome technique, Dr. Dan! I've made this a few times using various seasonings and sauces and comes out great every time! But you do have a typo in the instructions:
"Instructions
1. Preheat over to 375 convection and heat a cast iron skillet or another oven safe pan with a teaspoon or two of oil over medium-high heat."
Should say "Preheat oven" not "over". I've read this a few times while making this recipe and just now realized this. LOL
Keep up the great work!
Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan
Hi Stephen,
Welcome to the blog and thanks for the proofread. I suspect it has been that way for about 8 years and probably about a million page views. So you are truly one in a million.
I have a fond feeling for this recipe. It is one of my own and I'm sure I made it several hundred times.
Thanks again for the proofread and the review.
Dan
Mary Ellen Conlan
This recipe is by far the BESTEST in the world. Making for the umpteenth time with Sweet Chili Thai Sauce!!!! Always comes out perfect! Thanks for all your recipes for 2!!
Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan
Hi Mary Ellen,
Welcome to the blog and sorry for the delayed response.
I enjoy your enthusiasm, I do think it is a good recipe and for this cut is a nice result.
Hope you continue to enjoy the blog.
Thanks so much for the note and rating.
Dan