Mustard Free Paleo BBQ Baby Back Ribs
Slow-baked baby back ribs with a smoky, caramelized glaze are the kind of meal that makes everyone gather around the table fast. The dry rub here layers smoked paprika, cumin, coconut sugar, and a kick of cayenne for serious depth before the ribs even hit the oven — and the low-and-slow foil method does all the heavy lifting to get that fall-off-the-bone tenderness. Most store-bought BBQ sauces are loaded with mustard or mustard-derived ingredients hiding in plain sight, which makes cookout season genuinely tricky for anyone avoiding it. This homemade sauce sidesteps that entirely, building its tangy, sweet complexity from tomato paste, honey, apple cider vinegar, and coconut aminos instead. The finish at high heat caramelizes the sauce into sticky, slightly charred perfection that rivals anything you'd get at a proper smokehouse. Pulling the membrane off the back of each rack before rubbing is a small step that makes a huge difference in how the seasoning penetrates and how tender the meat becomes. These ribs are a full-on crowd-pleaser that just happen to work beautifully for anyone navigating ingredient labels at the grocery store.
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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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