Sous Vide Ribs

Written by
Leah Maroney
A recipe developer and food photographer, Leah Maroney is an ardent home cook and food blogger who has written over 300 recipes for The Spruce Eats.
Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
Leah Maroney
Updated 08/01/21
Sous vide ribs recipe

The Spruce / Leah Maroney
Prep: 10 mins
Cook: 24 hrs 20 mins
Total: 24 hrs 30 mins
Servings: 2 servings
Yield: 1 rack
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
795 Calories
60g Fat
25g Carbs
41g Protein
Show Full Nutrition Label Hide Full Nutrition Label
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 2
Amount per serving
Calories 795
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 60g 77%
Saturated Fat 18g 89%
Cholesterol 202mg 67%
Sodium 1284mg 56%
Total Carbohydrate 25g 9%
Dietary Fiber 1g 4%
Total Sugars 22g
Protein 41g
Vitamin C 0mg 0%
Calcium 71mg 5%
Iron 4mg 21%
Potassium 619mg 13%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

Sous vide ribs are impossibly tender, succulent, and even smoky, all without ever using your smoker. Sous vide is the practice of cooking in a water bath at a precise temperature using an immersion circulator, which maintains the temperature and prevents overcooking. This method works extremely well for meat in general, and ribs in particular. Cooking them at the same temperature for a longer period of time helps to make the rib meat juicy and tender.

The longer you cook the ribs, the more the meat will begin to break down. Whereas cooking most meats in the water bath for an extended period of time will negatively change the texture of the meat, sous vide is ideal for ribs since you want to change their texture in order to make them as succulent as possible. 

In this recipe, the ribs are coated in a dry rub of garlic and spices before cooking and finished in the oven or on the grill quickly to get a nice crust, color, and flavor. Serve them as is, or with your favorite barbecue sauce.

Ingredients

  • 1 rack pork ribs

  • 1 teaspoon paprika

  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

  • 1/4 cup brown sugar, packed

  • 1 teaspoon chili powder

  • 1/2 teaspoon cumin

  • 1 teaspoon salt

  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

  • 1 teaspoon liquid smoke

  • 1 cup barbecue sauce

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Sous vide rib ingredients

    The Spruce

  2. Prepare the ribs by removing the white membrane from the back and cutting off the flap meat with a sharp knife.

    Ribs trimmed on a baking sheet

    The Spruce

  3. Cut the ribs in half so you have 2 half racks.

    Rack of ribs cut in half

    The Spruce

  4. In a small bowl, stir together the paprika, garlic powder, brown sugar, chili powder, cumin, salt, and pepper. Divide the mixture in half.

    Mixture of spices for ribs

    The Spruce

  5. Rub the ribs with one half of the spice mixture.

    Ribs rubbed with spice mixture

    The Spruce

  6. Place the ribs in a freezer plastic bag, or two if they do not fit side by side in one. Remove most of the air. Before sealing it completely, leave a corner open and drop in the liquid smoke through this small opening.

    ribs in a plastic bag

  7. Place the immersion circulator in a large pot of water and heat to 150 to 155 F.  Submerge the bag into the water until the pressure of the water removes the rest of the air in the bag. Carefully seal the unsealed corner and completely submerge the bag in the water. Cook for 24 to 36 hours.

    Ribs in a sous vide machine

    The Spruce

  8. Preheat the oven to 350 F. Remove the bag from the water and take the ribs out of the bag. Pat the ribs completely dry using paper towels.

    dried sous vide ribs

    The Spruce

  9. Rub the ribs with the remaining spice mixture. Bake in the oven for 20 minutes or until they are dry to the touch and have formed a nice crust.

    Ribs finished in the oven

    The Spruce

  10. Brush with barbecue sauce, if desired, and slice the ribs between the bones. 

    Ribs brushed with barbecue sauce

    The Spruce

  11. Enjoy.

Recipe Tips

  • You can cook the ribs at a lower temperature (145 F) if you prefer the meat to be more like a tender steak versus traditional barbecued ribs. A longer, lower cook will result in a more succulent, meaty texture.
  • Make sure there is enough water in the pot before you leave it overnight. The water will cook off (slower than boiling, but it will still happen). If the water runs out, the machine may shut off (depending on your model).

Grill Version

If you'd like to finish the ribs on the grill instead of the oven, preheat your grill to medium-high heat and grease the grill grates with a bit of oil. Place the ribs with the remaining spice mixture on the grill, bone-side down, and close the lid. Grill for 10 minutes or until they are dry and have a nice sear on the outside.