How to Make St Louis Style Ribs

Mouthwatering, fall-off-the-bone-tender St Louis style ribs are loaded with bold Southern flavors. Make them on the grill or in the oven!

Prep time: PT40M

Cook time: PT130M

Total time: PT170M

Rating

4.86 stars (48 reviews)

Keywords

St Louis ribs oven, St Louis Ribs recipe, st louis style

Ingredients

4 lbs St Louis Style Pork Ribs
1/4 cup yellow mustard
1/4 cup apple juice ((See Note 1))
1 cup BBQ sauce of choice
2 tbsp fennel seeds ((See Note 2))
2 tbsp cumin seeds ((See Note 2))
1 tbsp coriander seeds ((See Note 2))
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 tbsp salt
2 tbsp smoked paprika
1 tbsp garlic powder
1 tbsp onion powder
1 tbsp ground cayenne
1 tbsp black pepper
1 tbsp dried oregano
1 tbsp dry mustard

Cuisine

American
Southern
Western

Steps

Toast the fennel, coriander and cumin seeds in a sauté pan until fragrant and oils have been released. Grind in a spice grinder until in powder form. Feel free to use ground spices if you prefer, but use a 1/2 tsp LESS of each.
In a small bowl whisk together the toasted/ground spices and all the remaining dry rub ingredients. Set aside.
Peel membrane off from the back of ribs. Apply mustard on both sides of the ribs. Sprinkle dry rub all over both sides of the ribs.
Let sit for 30 minutes minimum (or 8 hours, covered if refrigerated).
Grill Method
- Preheat gas grill or smoker to 350°F. Grill using indirect heat (See Note 3).
- Place the rack, bone side down on the grill, close the lid. Let the ribs cook for 30 minutes.
- Take ribs off grill and place on aluminum foil. Fold up sides, pour apple juice (mop sauce) over and wrap tightly in foil. You want this as watertight as possible after pouring in the apple juice.
- Place the wrapped ribs back on the grill, close the lid and increase temperature to 375°F for 30 minutes.
- Turn the heat down to 250°F. Unwrap the ribs, remove them from of the foil, and place them back on the grill. Baste with BBQ sauce every 15 minutes for a total of 60 minutes or until the internal temperature is 195°F. Allow to rest 10 minutes, slice and serve.
Oven Baked Method
- Preheat oven to 325°F.
- Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Place the rack, bone side down on the foil lined baking sheet and let the ribs bake for 30 minutes.
- Take ribs off baking sheet and place on a new sheet of aluminum foil (maybe use 2 sheets of aluminum foil to accommodate ribs). Fold up sides, pour apple juice (mop sauce) over and wrap tightly in the foil. You want this as watertight as possible after pouring in the apple juice.
- Place the wrapped ribs back on the baking sheet and increase oven temperature to 375°F and bake for 30 minutes.
- Turn the heat down to 250°F. Unwrap the ribs, remove them from of the foil, and place them back in the oven. Baste with BBQ sauce every 15 minutes for a total of 60 minutes, or until the internal temperature is 195°F. Allow to rest 10 minutes, slice and serve.

Nutitrion

Serving Size: 1 serving
Calories: 770 kcal
Carbohydrates: 45 g
Protein: 60 g
Fat: 37 g
Saturated Fat: 7 g
Cholesterol: 223 mg
Sodium: 1173 mg
Sugar: 35 g

Reviews

Francois Crevier on 2026-06-10 (4 stars):
Very good recipe for rub and oven baking technique, with a big cooking time caveat: St-Louis style ribs cannot be off-the-bone in two hours, four is more likely to do it, and maybe more if the raw ribs are put in the oven from the fridge.
Marjorie on 2026-04-02 (5 stars):
This is a great recipe! We’ve been having our monthly rib night once a week since we tried this. Delish and thank you for the great instructions!
Patrick Barrows on 2025-09-11 (5 stars):
Top 5 ribs I've ever made or eaten!!
Christine on 2025-08-10 (5 stars):
Made these ribs today, they were delicious! We did them on a gas grill and everyone raved about them. I’ll be keeping this recipe in my go collection. Thank you!
Natasha on 2024-09-11 (5 stars):
Perfect. From a southern household these were so good on the grill. We were singing at the table.
Connie on 2024-08-14 (5 stars):
My husband said they were better than the ones he makes and to make again! Huge compliment! Due to not having dry mustard and wet mustard I had to leave out the dry and sub the other with olive oil. Chose apple cider vinegar for mop sauce.Cooked on a gas grill using your technique. I only let them cook to 145°(scared they would be dry). They were so tender and juicy. Can't wait to try again with the mustards and a 195° temp. Thanks for thorough instructions.
Julie on 2024-07-19 (5 stars):
These were so good, very yummy!