How to Sous Vide Pork Baby Back Ribs

Rich, smoky, and tender... ribs are such a fantastic food! Especially when cooked sous vide so you can balance the tenderness with the moisture just how you want it.

When cooking with sous vide the smoke flavor has to be introduced through other means. Briefly smoking the meat before sous viding it, using liquid smoke or pre-smoked ingredients like paprika, or a final run through a smoker at the end are the most common methods.

There are many different suggestions for how long and what temperature to cook ribs. It can be confusing but the time and temperature combination you want to use depends on how you'd like your final ribs to turn out. The hotter the temperature, the faster they cook and the more they tenderize. The amount of time you cook them for determines how tender they end up. These time and temperature combinations work for most kinds of pork ribs, including St. Louis cut, baby back, back, and spare ribs.

Traditional Pork Ribs

If you prefer traditional-style ribs, then cooking them at 160°F to 167°F (71.1°C to 75°C) for 4 to 10 hours is what you want. These ribs are flaky and falling off the bone. Sous vide them for 4 hours for ribs with a lot of bite to them and for 10 hours for ribs barely hanging on the bone.

Cooking the ribs at a temperature in between those two extremes results in firmer, but still flaky, ribs. They don't fall off the bone but they are much closer to traditional ribs. I often cook mine at 156°F (68.8°C) for 8 to 12 hours.

Chop Like Pork Ribs

For tender ribs that are more pork chop-like you can cook them at 135°F to 149°F (57.2°C to 65°C) for 1 to 2 days depending on the consistency you're trying to achieve. They do not have the texture of traditional ribs but retain a lot more of their moisture.

I recommend reading more about how to sous vide pork for more information.

Be sure to check out our how to sous vide baby back ribs web story.

Simple Tender Sous Vide Baby Back Ribs Master Recipe

These tender, simple sous vide baby back ribs are a favorite recipe of mine. I've served them at multiple barbecues and parties and they are always a crowd favorite! My favorite combination is probably 150°F (65°C) for around 18 to 24 hours, it's shreddable but not too fall-apart. Some other popular combinations are 165°F (73.9°C) for 18 to 24 hours or 176°F (80°C) for 12 hours. For a chop-like consistency I generally prefer 140°F (60°C) for 1 to 2 days.

Recipe Info

• Published: 2021-11-26
• Prep Time: 32 Minutes
• Cooktime: 18 to 36 Hours
• Total Time: 18 to 36 Hours
• Serves: 4
• Calories: 600 Calories
• Tags: sous vide baby back ribs, sous vide pork baby back ribs, pork baby back ribs, pork, sous vide, easy, simple

Ingredients Needed

• For the Baby Back Ribs
• 2 pounds baby back ribs
• 1 to 2 teaspoons salt
• 1/2 to 1 teaspoons spice rub or herbs (optional)
• To Assemble
• Sides (optional)
• Sauces (optional)
• Garnishes (optional)

Recipe Instructions

Preheat the Water Bath: Start your sous vide machine preheating. I prefer 150°F (65.6°C) for a perfect braise-like texture that is extra juicy but many people want a more shreddable, fall-apart version at 165°F (73.9°C).

Trim and Season Baby Back Ribs: Trim off any fat or gristle. Salt the pork then coat with any spices.

Seal in a Bag: Seal the pork in a sous vide bag, Ziploc-brand freezer bag, silicon bag, or other food- and heat-safe bag or zip top bag.

Cooking the Baby Back Ribs: Cook the pork until tenderized, usually 18 to 36 hours for pork baby back ribs.

Thoroughly Dry the Meat: Take the sous vide bag out of the water and remove the cooked baby back ribs. Dry it off thoroughly using paper towels or a dish cloth.

Searing for Flavor: Sear the baby back ribs for 1 to 2 minutes per side over high heat. It should just start to brown but the core temperature shouldn't rise. Remove it from the heat.

Plating: Place the baby back ribs onto a plate with any salads or sides then serve.

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Do you have experience cooking baby back ribs? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!

Looking for more pork? Check out the sous vide pork time and temperatures for all the sous vide information you need.

What Are Some Sous Vide Pork Baby Back Ribs Recipes?

Here are several of the Pork Baby Back Ribs recipes that I recommend trying out.

• Sous Vide Baby Back Ribs with Sweet and Sticky Barbecue Sauce Recipe
• Mole-Spiced Sous Vide Confit BBQ Ribs Recipe
• Mitch's Sous Vide BBQ Ribs Recipe
• Sweet and Sassy Sous Vide Baby Back Ribs Recipe
• Worth the Wait Melt in Your Mouth Sous Vide Ribs Recipe
• Sous Vide Smoked BBQ Ribs Recipe
• Sous Vide Honey-Chipotle Glazed Country Style Ribs
• Sous Vide Ribs Recipe with Sweet Apples
• Sous Vide St. Louis Ribs Recipe

Sous Vide Baby Back Ribs with Sweet and Sticky Barbecue Sauce Recipe

Growing up, my grandma would make these for every family gathering, they were a crowd favorite. Using sous vide baby back ribs simplifies the whole process.

Mole-Spiced Sous Vide Confit BBQ Ribs Recipe

What better way to spice up sous vide St Louis ribs than with a home made mole spice rub and sauce, perfectly cooked and full of flavor every time!

Mitch's Sous Vide BBQ Ribs Recipe

These sous vide St. Louis ribs use a flavorful rub for a smokey flavor that doens't overpower the meat itself.

Sweet and Sassy Sous Vide Baby Back Ribs Recipe

These sous vide baby back ribs turn into BBQ Heaven with a mouthwatering sweet and tangy sauce. Easy enough to do with a toddler running around!

Worth the Wait Melt in Your Mouth Sous Vide Ribs Recipe

Sous vide ribs might take a while to cook, but it's all hands off and they are definitely worth the wait in the end!

Sous Vide Smoked BBQ Ribs Recipe

BBQ ribs are one of my favorite meals! I love getting all messy and eating them off the bone. They are also amazing to serve at parties and are a great way to get everyone to loosen up. Using sous vide to tenderize the ribs, then the smoker to flavor them results in moist, flavorful ribs that always turn out perfect!

Sous Vide Honey-Chipotle Glazed Country Style Ribs

This sous vide country style ribs recipe uses a honey-chipotle glazed to perk up the flavor of the dish. For a thicker, clingier sauce on your ribs, adding a tad of xanthan gum will make that happen!

Sous Vide Ribs Recipe with Sweet Apples

For this sous vide recipe I decided to use country style ribs and paired them with sweet apples and an orzo salad. The ribs come out super tender but still nice and moist and the apples add a great hit of sweetness to them.

Sous Vide St. Louis Ribs Recipe

One of my favorite summer foods are ribs. I like them smoked, boiled, grilled, and just about any other way you can cook them. I've found that preparing sous vide ribs lets you tenderize them while still keeping them medium rare and is a really unique way to do them. I've cooked them a few different ways and these sous vide St. Louis ribs were one of my favorites.

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