How Long To Cook Riblets In Oven At 350?

Who’s up for some ribs feast? Or, who’s on a budget but wants a rib feast? Either way, riblets have come to save your day! This stack of ribs alternative is just as mouthwatering, and a bonus is it’s low-cost! If you don’t know what riblets are, they’re simply smaller cuts of pork ribs that are leftovers from the actual slab of ribs, usually from chopping the ends of the slab. But, even if it’s technically residue, riblets are still ribs and they’re as good as ever! So, riblets will make today’s dinner extra special. I like to bake riblets in the oven.  The riblet cook time and temp are key for a great result. The temperature I like to use is 350 degrees Fahrenheit.  So how long to cook riblets in oven at 350 degrees? In this guide, I like to answer this question and share tips on perfecting the recipe for oven baked pork riblets!

How Long To Cook Riblets In Oven At 350?

It will need around 1 hour and 30 minutes to 1 hour and 45 mins to cook riblets in the oven at 350 degrees Fahrenheit per pan! Riblets are ribs too, so they require low and slow cooking to make the meat tender, soft, and juicy. So, raising the temp beyond 350 degrees is not advisable because higher temps might overcook your riblets, making them tough, dry, and chewy.

How to make riblets tender?

To make riblets tender, use a lower oven temperature of 275 degrees, to truly ensure slow cooking for the meat. For a 275-degree cooking temp, it would take around 2.5 hours to 3.5 hours. The real key is checking the riblets internal temperature! While USDA recommends at least 145 degrees only, I don’t like stopping at 145 because usually, the pork is too soft for my taste. In my kitchen, riblets are cooked to perfection if their internal temperature is somewhere between 195 to 205 degrees! Though, if you like softer, flakier ribs, somewhere around 145 is enough!

How to bake riblets in oven?

Another great thing I love about ribs, or riblets, in this case, is the fact that it doesn’t take much to prepare this meaty, juicy, tender goodness. There are many recipes for riblets oven baked. But I only use this one easy riblets recipe. And here’s how to bake riblets in the oven.

1 Make marinade for riblets

All you need to do for classic BBQ riblets is to just make a marinade by mixing brown sugar, a little soy sauce, vinegar, tomato sauce, ketchup, Worcestershire, some dry mustard, paprika, chili powder, salt, pepper, some oregano and other seasonings of your choice!

2. Brown the ribs

Then, you first let the ribs brown in a high-temp oven (around 450 degrees) for around 10-15 minutes, just to give it a nice color.

3 Add sauce for ribs

Then, remove it from the oven, and pour the sauce all over your ribs.

4 Bake at 350 degrees

Simply turn down your oven to 350 degrees or lower, and put your ribs back in. Simply wait for the oven to finish its magic while you baste the meat with sauce every 30 minutes to make sure that the meats are sauced and flavored evenly.

That’s it! Simple, right? Of course, you can also mix and match different cooking styles for cooking your riblets! You can also try grilling, or even pan-frying and they’re just as good too!

How to cook riblets in oven fast?

Riblets are just perfect for any lunch or dinner party. They’re just irresistibly good! Just thinking about it, already makes my stomach grumble. And, I’m sure you’ll have guests like me too. So, if you need to serve the dish faster or if you simply don’t have much time to prepare, here’s how you can quicken the process.

Chop them small

Buying riblets usually come in long slabs of meat. To ensure faster cooking, just make sure to chop the long slab into smaller pieces, ideally following the spaces between the bones on one side of the meat.

Thaw it

For any meat, thawing is a really important process. Make sure to put out your meat hours before cooking to give it enough time to thaw and make things easier and faster for you later on, when you cook.

Make sauce or Marinate ahead

Another thing you can do is already make the sauce beforehand. To save you the time needed for finding ingredients and mixing them, you can make the sauce a day before and just leave it in the fridge, so that the only thing you need to do is pour it on your riblets later on. Or, you can also already marinate your riblets overnight and just pop them in the oven to cook. Though marinating ahead won’t create a glaze or sticky coating on your meat, it will absorb the barbeque flavor well.

What goes with riblets?

Yum, yum, and yum! We all love great riblets! I’m sure your dinner will be extra special with riblets on your table. I’m also sure your friends and family will be in great spirits too! So, why not make things extra special and take your riblets to the next level? Here’s what you can do to level up your ribs feast.

Try different styles

Trying different ways to cook riblets will level up your dish! Asian-inspired like spicy Chinese style, or even something with herbs, five-spice, and honey could go great!

Add sides for riblets

Nothing’s just ever complete without sides. Some great sides that go well with riblets are coleslaw, some fries, or even baked broccoli!

Change your cooking method

Instead of sticking with the oven, changing cooking methods can also add a different element to your dish! Try grilling if you want extra smokiness, or even pan-frying for something saucy!

Conclusion

Riblets are just irresistibly great. It’s heavenly and perfect for any and every occasion! I hope this can help you perfect your riblets as you wow your guests with your dish! Don’t forget to have a great time and make good memories with perfect riblets at the dinner table. Happy ribs feast!

FAQs on oven baked riblets

What are riblets and where they come from?

Riblets are simply smaller cuts of pork ribs that are leftovers from the actual slab of ribs, usually from chopping the ends of the slab. But, even if it’s technically residue, riblets are still ribs and they’re as good as ever!