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Easy BBQ Beef Plate Ribs (Oven to Grill Recipe)

Summer is upon us, and if you're like me, you're itching to crank up that grill. But forget your typical burgers or hot dogs - it's time we talk about the true star of the show: bbq beef plate ribs. Experience the best of both worlds with this easy oven-to-grill technique, combining the convenience and precise cooking of the oven with the smoky, charred flavors of the grill. 
Imagine slow-cooked beefy goodness that’s fall-off-the-bone tender and juicy, with a tantalizingly sticky, bronzed exterior. Sound good? Well, buckle up, because we're about  dive into this foolproof way of bringing a blend of Texas & Kansas City BBQ right to your backyard.
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Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 5 hours
Marinating & Cooling: 1 hour 30 minutes
Total Time: 6 hours 45 minutes
Servings: 6 ribs
Calories: 622kcal
Author: Meiko Temple

Ingredients

  • 4 ½-5 lb beef plate ribs (2) 3-bone plates
  • ¾ cup beer or water
  • ¼ cup hickory liquid smoke
  • ½ cup Worcestershire sauce

Dry Rub

  • ¼ cup kosher salt
  • ¼ cup black pepper
  • 2 tablespoons garlic powder
  • 2 tablespoons onion powder

KC-style BBQ sauce:

  • 2 ¼ cups (20 oz) ketchup
  • ⅓ cup packed dark brown sugar
  • 5 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
  • 1 ½ tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 tablespoon garlic powder
  • 1 tablespoon onion powder
  • 1 tablespoon ground cumin
  • ½ tablespoon chili powder
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
  • 1 teaspoon celery seeds
  • 1 teaspoon liquid smoke
  • 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 tablespoon unsalted butter optional
  • 1 cup beer or water optional

Instructions

Prep The Ribs

  • Use a sharp boning knife to trim down any thick, hard fat cap sitting atop the rib plate. Leave just a thin layer of fat to shield the meat. Turn ribs bone side up and make shallow cuts or scores along the bone and through the membrane. Place the ribs on a large baking pan(s) or sheet pan(s) meat side up.
  • In a medium bowl whisk together ¾ cup beer, liquid smoke, and Worcestershire sauce. Pour half the marinade over the ribs, flip, then pour the other half of the marinade over the ribs.

Prepare Dry Rub

  • In a separate small bowl whisk together the kosher salt, black pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder. With bone side up, liberally season with half the spice blend. Flip to meat side up and liberally season all over with the remaining spice blend. Make sure you season the sides too. Pat the spices into the ribs to ensure they stay coated. Let ribs sit out for 1 hour.

Steam The Beef Ribs

  • Preheat the oven 275°F. Wrap the ribs tightly with a layer of parchment paper followed by aluminum foil to hold in the steam. Transfer to the oven for 3 1/2 to 4 hours. You'll know they are ready to move to the grill when they're tender, but not falling apart and can still hold some resistance to a fork's twist.

Grill The Ribs

  • Begin setting up grill for two-zone heating (direct & indirect heat) with 30 minutes remaining on the oven timer. Set the heated side of the grill to medium (325-350°F)*(see notes for specific charcoal and charcoal and gas grill instructions)
  • Take ribs out of the oven and carefully remove both the foil and parchment paper - reserve the pan juices for spritzing. Place the ribs on the indirect heat side of the grill, bone side down, cover with lid, and grill for 1 to 3 more hours (timing is different for each plate of ribs). The ribs should have an internal temperature between 200°F – 205°F. If you see dry patches while grilling you can spritz the top of ribs with reserved pan juices.
  • Optional: Once ribs reach temperature brush on bbq sauce and move ribs over to direct heat to get a caramelized and charred exterior.
  • Remove ribs from the grill and allow them to rest for 30-60 minutes. Slice between the bone into individual ribs. Can brush each rib with more bbq sauce or serve sauce on the side.

Prepare BBQ Sauce

  • In a large saucepan over medium heat add ketchup, brown sugar, apple cider vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, garlic powder, onion powder, cumin, chili powder, kosher salt, celery seeds, liquid smoke, cayenne pepper, bay leaf, ¾ cup beer and stir to combine.
  • Once sauce begins to simmer reduce to low and cook for 25 minutes covered. Remove from the heat every 5 minutes to stir so that sauce doesn’t stick to the sides, then return to the heat.
  • Finally, remove the sauce from the heat and discard the bay leaf. Add 1 tablespoon unsalted butter and remaining beer (depending on your preferred consistency) and whisk until melted and combined. Let cool and refrigerate in an airtight container until ready to use.
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Notes

  • Track temperature not time:The thickness of ribs can throw a curveball, so always cook to temperature, not time. Aim for a uniform internal temperature of 200-205 degrees F (approximately 1-2 hours on the grill post-oven). Keep going until the meat gives way to tender juiciness, letting the heat work its magic on stubborn fat and collagen.
  • Side matters: Add your ribs to the grill, meat side up, and bone side down. No flipping, folks!
  • Spray the love: If you see dry patches on the ribs fill a spritzer with the reserved pan juices from the oven and get to spritzing but not too much. Only a couple of light spritzes are needed at a given time. You can check for dry patches after an hour of grill time.
  • Heat tracking tools: If using a grill/meat thermometer, place the probe of your meat thermometer into the meatiest portion of the beef ribs, taking care not to make contact with the bone. Set the alert on your thermometer to notify you once the temperature reaches 200°F.
  • Rest or regret: Let your ribs rest for a solid 30 minutes before slicing. Trust me, this preserves that drool-worthy juiciness.
  • Adding smoky flavor: To get a smoky flavor, you can use wood chips on your grill. Soak the wood chips in water for about 30 minutes before you start grilling. This will make them smolder and smoke, instead of catching fire. Different types of wood will give different flavors. Hickory, oak or pecan would go well with beef ribs.
    • If you're using a charcoal grill, you can put the wood chips directly on the charcoal using a parcel of foil with holes.
    • If you're using a gas grill, you can put the wood chips in a smoker box or wrap them in aluminum foil with some holes punched in it.
  • Seal in the smoke: Once you add the ribs to the grill, keep the grill closed. It's best to minimize how often you open the lid or door. 
  • Set your grill up with two-zone grilling. One side for direct heat, complete with coals and smoke wood, and the other side for the meat to soak up that indirect heat.
If using Charcoal Grill
  • If using a charcoal grill, fill a chimney starter with charcoal, light it, and when the coals are red hot, dump them into one side of your grill, leaving the other side empty. Top off with more charcoal. When all the coals have turned gray but are still very hot, after about 15 minutes, your grill should be ready. Carefully replace the cooking grate and cover the grill. The coal-less side will be a cool zone for indirect grilling.
  • Regulate those dampers and keep a steady heat between 300-350°F.
If using Gas Grill
  • If using a gas grill set up two-burner zones by preheating 1 or 2 burner's on the same side to high heat and keep the other side's burners off. You may have to adjust the number of lit burners or the heat levels to hit the desired temperature of the 350°F .
 

Nutrition

Calories: 622kcal | Carbohydrates: 55g | Protein: 59g | Fat: 21g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 11g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 191mg | Sodium: 6736mg | Potassium: 1591mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 34g | Vitamin A: 895IU | Vitamin C: 8mg | Calcium: 177mg | Iron: 10mg

*Nutrition information is a rough estimate.

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