Chicken Free Paleo BBQ Baby Back Ribs
Few things hit harder than a rack of ribs with a deep, smoky crust and meat that practically slides off the bone — and this recipe delivers exactly that. The dry rub layers coconut sugar, smoked paprika, cumin, and a kick of cayenne for bold, complex flavor before the ribs ever see heat. A long, slow bake wrapped tight in foil does the heavy lifting, breaking down the collagen until every bite is fall-apart tender. The homemade BBQ sauce is where things get really interesting — tomato paste, honey, apple cider vinegar, and coconut aminos come together into something tangy, sweet, and deeply savory with zero mystery ingredients. Cranking the oven at the end caramelizes that sauce into sticky, slightly charred perfection that no bottled version can touch. Because everything here is built from scratch with whole, clean ingredients, you never have to second-guess what's actually in your food. These ribs are weekend-worthy but straightforward enough that even a first-timer can pull them off with confidence.
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Learn more →Ingredients
4 servings
For the ribs
- 2 racks baby back ribs (about 4–5 lb total)
For the dry rub
- 2 tbsp avocado oil
- 2 tbsp coconut sugar
- 1 tbsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp fine sea salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
- ½ tsp cayenne pepper
For the BBQ sauce
- 1 can (6 oz) tomato paste
- ¼ cup honey
- 3 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 2 tbsp coconut aminos
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp onion powder
- ¼ tsp fine sea salt
- ¼ cup water
Instructions
- 1
Preheat the oven to 300°F (150°C). Line a large rimmed baking sheet with two layers of aluminum foil, leaving enough overhang on all sides to wrap the ribs completely.
- 2
Flip each rack of ribs bone-side up. Slide a butter knife under the thin membrane at one end of the rack, grip it with a paper towel, and pull it off in one piece. Removing the membrane allows the rub to penetrate and the ribs to become tender.
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