Texas Style Ribs
Soft, tender, and fall-apart delicious, these Texas Style Ribs are a classic grilling meat your family will ask for again and again. Soaked in a flavorful homemade marinade, these freezer meal ribs are perfect in so many ways.
Homemade bbq sauce is so much easier than you might think. With a simple blend of brown sugar, vinegar, and spices you can marinade your meat directly in the sauce so that it has incredible flavor right off of the grill. Batch freezing for the grill makes it super affordable and will make your weeknights so much easier in the coming months. This recipe is in our BBQ Freezer Stack Meal Plan.
In addition to grilling instructions, we’ve provided instructions for baking Texas-style ribs in the oven or using the slow cooker for fall-off-the-bone tender ribs.
Texas Style Ribs Recipe
Ingredients
- 3 lbs. pork or beef ribs
- 1 1/4 cups ketchup
- 3 Tbsp. brown sugar
- 2 Tbsp. dry onion soup mix
- 2 Tbsp. cider vinegar
- 2 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
- 1 1/2 tsp. chili powder
- 2 tsp. chili sauce
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 can beer
Assembly Instructions
Place ribs in large resealable bag. Mix together all other ingredients in a small bowl and pour over ribs. Remove excess air and seal. Freeze.
BBQ Cooking Instructions
Thaw the freezer meal overnight in the fridge. Bone-in meat can sometimes cause holes in the bag. To prepare for any leaking, set the bag down in a bowl as it thaws or put it down in a second freezer bag to thaw.
Preheat the BBQ to medium. Place the ribs on the grill and give each side a good sear. Reduce the BBQ to medium-low. Cook for 15 minutes, turning often, brushing the remaining marinade on the ribs early on so that it has plenty of time to heat through before it is served.
Oven Cooking Instructions
Thaw. Bake at 350°F for an hour and a half or until tender, basting frequently with marinade, or cook in the slow cooker for 6 hours on low.
What are Texas Style Ribs?
Ribs that have been spiced, possibly marinated, and grilled or smoked to perfection in one of the Texas traditions. Four distinct regions of Texas BBQ exist, and when most people think of “Texas Style,” they think of the Central region of Texas, which is most often visited. Even within this region, the ribs you get will depend on the chef. Think big ribs with big flavor and you will be on the right track.
Where to Buy Texas Style Beef Ribs?
Your grocery store should have chuck ribs, which is all you need to make Texas Style Ribs. You can also sometimes find them at warehouse stores, which will come in handy if you are serving a crowd. Look for plenty of marbling in your beef ribs for the best possible flavor.
Are Texas Style Ribs Dry or Wet?
This varies from region to region in Texas. Some recipes call for just salt and pepper. Ours calls for a homemade bbq sauce that tastes amazing. This sauce is a marinade and a basting sauce as long as you follow food safety protocols. *If you want extra sauce to slap on your meat after it has been pulled off the grill, be sure to mix up a new batch that hasn’t been soaking in raw meat.
Texas Style Ribs Recipe Ideas
Make is easier for yourself. For this recipe, we literally just made our own bbq sauce. This is the most economical option and gives you the most control over the end result. But, if you need fast, just buy a bottle or two of your favorite sauce, add that to your freezer-bag to make sure the meat is covered, and let it go. Sometimes fast convenience is a requirement when things in life get crazy, and the whole point of freezer meals is to make life easier for you.
Change it up. To add to my last point, one of the easiest ways to add variety to this dish is to change up the sauce from one time to the next. Batch cooking makes this one inexpensive to make, but maybe next time, you will find a different marinade and take the same approach. It will work, and you can cycle through the different flavors for variety.
Stack it up. In Texas, ribs are often served as an addition to other meats. Serve up a rack of ribs with steak, salmon, or brisket if you want to go big and make meat an even bigger star in this meal.
Alternative Ribs. You can also make this recipe with beef back ribs, cut into single ribs to easily fit into your slow cooker. If cooking in the oven, cook with the fat side down.
How do I store Texas Style Ribs
Leftovers can be thrown in the fridge in a freezer-quality bag and kept for three or four days. Alternatively, you can cut the meat off the bone and keep all that extra meat in a sealed, airtight container. Leftovers can also be removed from the bone and frozen to use in soups, stews, salads, or sandwiches at a later date.
Reheat the rib meat to 165ºF in a skillet on the stovetop or in your air fryer. Use it for sandwiches or a topping for baked potatoes.
What to Serve with Texas Style Ribs
We enjoyed potato wedges and broccoli salad with our ribs, but any side that works well with BBQ goes well with this dish. Think potatoes in any form, corn, green beans, salads, or mac-n-cheese.
- 3 lbs pork or beef ribs membrane removed, cut into segments
- 1 1/4 cups ketchup
- 3 tbsp brown sugar
- 2 tbsp dry onion soup mix
- 2 tbsp cider vinegar
- 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1 1/2 tsp chili powder
- 2 tsp 2 tsp. chili sauce
- 1 bay leaf
- 12 ounces beer
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Place ribs in large resealable bag.
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Mix together all other ingredients in a small bowl and pour over ribs.
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Remove excess air and seal.
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Freeze.
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Thaw.
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Preheat BBQ to medium.
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Place ribs on grill and sear each side.
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Reduce BBQ to medium-low.
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Cook for 15 minutes, turning often and brushing the remaining marinade on the ribs.
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Thaw.
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Bake at 350° for an hour and a half or until tender, basting frequently with marinade.
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Thaw.
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Cook in the slow cooker for 6 hours on low.
