Whole30 Baked BBQ Ribs - Oven or Air Fryer

Jump to Recipe·Print Recipe

These are the BEST Whole30 Baked BBQ Ribs we have ever eaten. Make them in either the oven or the air fryer, these Whole30, Keto and Paleo Ribs are an absolutely sinfully delicious meal. With simple ingredients and only a couple of minutes of prep time, the hardest thing about these ribs is waiting for them to be baked!

Whole30 Baked BBQ Ribs that are baked in either the oven or the air fryer and slathered in either Whole30 BBQ sauce or keto BBQ sauce

Table of Contents

Keto Baked Ribs

Now before you "BBQ snobs" turn your nose up to the word "baked", I urge you to try these and then judge me! The inspiration came from a cashier at our local Publix grocery store.

I don't know about you guys, but my weekly menu planning is determined by what is on sale at our local grocery store.

For whatever reason, ribs were showcased, upfront and center in the local ad even though it is the dead of winter.

At $1.99/ lb, I grabbed two racks thinking that it was about time I posted a rib recipe.

As I pulled out my wallet to pay for the ribs, the cashier lady said, and I quote, "Are you going to smoke them?".

"No", I replied as I was looking out at the bad weather thinking to myself that there was no way I was going to smoke ribs this time of year, "I am going to bake them."

Cross my heart, the lady looked like she was going to pass out from such a ridiculous idea and then gave me a weird look as if to say "you are crazy and I feel bad for the man you married".

OK, so maybe I was reading a little too far into her "look" but for me, I sensed a challenge.

I was determined, right then and there, that I was going to create the most delicious, fall-off-the-bone recipe that would make me the featured chef on Guy Fieri "Diners Drive Ins and Dives"!

Sooooooo easy to make and soooooooo delicious, if you had turned your nose up before with the idea of baking ribs, this will definitely change your mind.

If you are looking for a quicker way of cooking ribs, check out my Whole30 30-Minute Ribs which are made in a pressure cooker!

keto baked ribs smothered in sugar-free BBQ sauce

Whole30 Baked BBQ Ribs Ingredients

Ribs - You will need some baby back (pork ribs) for this recipe. If you are making them in the air fryer, you will need to slice the baby back ribs in half. Do not use spare ribs as the cooking time will not be the same.
Seasoning - A combination of smoked paprika, salt, garlic, onion, oregano, pepper and chili powder is used for the dry rub. Feel free to use any spices or spice mixes that you have on hand instead.
BBQ Sauce - You can buy store-bought Whole30 BBQ or Sugar-free BBQ sauce or make homemade Whole30 or Keto BBQ sauce.

Instructions for Low Carb Baked Ribs

These keto baked ribs can be made in the oven or in your air fryer. Below are the step-by-step directions for making the ribs in the oven:

Season your ribs, both sides and place the ribs on a large sheet of aluminum foil.

The hardest part of this recipe is waiting for the ribs to be done! These ribs are easy to prepare and absolutely deliciousthat no one will even realize that they were baked! #whole30, #easy #baked #BBQ #bake

Next, tightly wrap the aluminum foil around the ribs.

Place the wrapped ribs in the oven and bake for 2 ½ hours.
Once cooked, open the foil and slather the ribs with your favourite barbecue sauce and place them under the broiler for a couple of minutes.
Stay close to the oven and once the edges start to crisp, carefully remove the ribs from the oven and let them cool slightly.

That's it! Fall off the bones ready in no time.

The nice thing is that since the weather is cold outside, you won't mind turning on the oven for a couple of hours to help heat your house!

Instructions for Keto Air Fryer Baked Ribs

Making carnivore baked ribs in an air fryer follows almost the exact same method as making low carb baked ribs in the oven except for a few alterations to the recipe. Plus, making keto air fryer baked ribs in the summertime means no heating up the house!

Divide the rack of ribs evenly into 2 sections. Season and wrap tightly in foil
Bake the ribs wrapped in foil at 325 degrees in the air fryer (do not use the basket as there will not be enough room) for 90 minutes. Allow the ribs to cool for 10-15 minutes before handling them
Slather the BBQ over the ribs
Remove foil from ribs and place back in air fryer - turn air fryer on "broil" and broil until the top becomes nice and crispy

keto air fryer baked ribs slathered in Whole30 BBQ sauce

What is the difference between baby back ribs and spare ribs?

Baby back ribs are cut from the top of the rib cage, near the backbone. Spareribs are cut from the bottom of the rib cage, and sometimes they include the brisket, which is a bony piece of meat that hangs from the bottom. The farther down the rib cage you go, the meatier the ribs get.

What is the difference between baby back ribs and St. Louis-style ribs?

St. Louis-style spare ribs are the meatier ribs cut from the belly of the hog after the belly is removed. They are usually trimmed down by cutting away the hard breastbone and chewy cartilage, otherwise known as connective tissue. St. Louis-style ribs are flatter than baby back ribs, which makes them easier to brown. There is a lot of bone but also a higher amount of fat, making them very flavorful.

What is a carnivore diet?

The carnivore diet is a type of ketogenic diet that limits consumption to animal products and excludes all plant foods. The diet is sometimes called the "zero carb" diet because it eliminates vegetables, fruits, grains, legumes, seeds, and nuts. It is stricter than Whole30 so many carnivore recipes are Whole30 compliant.