Baby Back Rib Brine with Root Beer

These Root Beer Ribs are quite possibly the most raved-about recipe I make. Every time I make them, people sing the praises of how good they are, and honestly, that feels pretty darn good!

The Best Marinade For Ribs

Root beer is a natural flavor pairing for baby back ribs, and I think it’s because the combination is so perfect that people rave so much. The ribs are fatty and rich the way ribs should be, and the root beer is tangy and sweet in all the ways everybody loves.

This recipe gets a double dose of root beer – first in a marinade, and then in a quick and sticky homemade sauce – so this recipe is a double dose of awesome.

Root Beer Rib Marinade Recipe Ingredients

• baby back ribs – the star of the show!
• root beer – acts as a tenderizer for the ribs, and adds sweetness.
• kosher salt – seasons the ribs and sauce.
• olive oil – for sautéing the garlic and onion as the base for the sauce.
• garlic – adds a robust flavor to the sauce.
• onion – adds sweetness and depth of flavor to the sauce.
• ketchup – the base of the sauce.
• cider vinegar – adds acidity to the sauce to help balance the sweetness.
• Worcestershire sauce – adds savory umami flavor.
• light brown sugar – enhances the sweetness of the sauce.
• thyme – adds a fresh herbal note to the sauce.
• ground black pepper – adds mild heat.
• chili powder- adds a smoky depth of flavor to the sauce.
• cayenne pepper – gives the sauce a subtle heat.

Variations of Root Beer Ribs

When buying ribs, you’re likely to come across a few different options. Spare ribs, baby back, St. Louis-style, oh my!

Bon Appetit has a nice tutorial that will teach you how to buy the right kind of pork ribs. For the root beer ribs recipe below, I’ve chosen baby back ribs. I like them because they’re really meaty and they don’t take super long to cook.

Feel free to use spare ribs (which will likely take longer to cook) or St. Louis-style (which will likely take shorter to cook). Beef ribs are a whole different animal (literally), and there I prefer Instant Pot short ribs.

Adjust the baking time accordingly, and cook until the ribs are tender but not totally falling off the bone before transferring them to a grill (more on that later).

How to Marinate Ribs

The hardest part about this recipe (and it’s not really that hard) is finding a vessel large enough to marinate the ribs. Racks of baby back ribs can be quite large, although feel free to cut them in half, or even thirds, to make them more manageable.

From my numerous times making Dr. Pepper ribs, I’ve found that using a big roasting pan (like the kind you’d roast a big bourbon turkey or put the ramekins in for chocolate creme brulee) is a great place to marinate ribs.

Nestle the rib racks into the pan and pour root beer over them (use an entire 2 Liter bottle of root beer EXCEPT SAVE ONE CUP to make root beer bbq sauce!).

Then, you’ll sprinkle 2 tablespoons of salt over the ribs. It seems like a lot of salt, but it’s necessary for flavorful and juicy ribs. And you won’t be eating ALL of that salt in the end product, don’t worry.

The salt with react with the root beer to create a short-lived bubbling effect. It’s fun to watch, but won’t bubble over a roasting pan or anything, don’t worry.

Cover and refrigerate the root beer ribs in their marinade for at least 4 hours, or overnight (just like my flat iron steak marinade and balsamic steak marinade). Try to turn them once during their marinating time, if you can. And maybe make a batch of caramel iced coffee recipe with my homemade caramel coffee syrup recipe while you wait for them to marinate!

Don’t have a large roasting pan? You can split the half or third racks between multiple Ziploc bags. But, you’ll have to divide the root beer and salt between the bags. Just do the best you can to divide it up evenly.

Another idea is a clean 5-gallon bucket with a lid (as long as you have space in your fridge for it). We have a bucket like this that we use for brining turkeys, and it’s also perfect for marinating ribs!

How to Make Root Beer Ribs

Remove the root beer ribs from their marinade and pat them dry with paper towel. Throw away the root beer that’s left in the pan – you don’t need it anymore.

If you’re using the same roasting pan to bake the ribs (which is what I do), wipe the pan dry. Then, place the ribs back in the pan.

Add 1 cup of water to the bottom of the pan, and cover the pan tightly with foil.

Bake at 350 degrees F for 2 hours or until the meat is very tender (nearly but not quite falling off the bone). You have time to make a batch of acini de pepe salad or seafood pasta salad while they bake!

For The Sauce

You saved 1 cup of root beer to make barbecue sauce for the root beer ribs, right? Good.

In a small saucepan, first sauté some onion and garlic until soft. Then, you’ll be adding everything to make it “saucy” – the reserved cup of root beer, ketchup, apple cider vinegar, and Worcestershire sauce. Also, some brown sugar, thyme, salt and pepper, chili powder and cayenne.

Simmer everything together for 15 to 20 minutes or until you’ve achieved the perfect barbecue sauce consistency. Perfect is what YOU like. Some people like really thick and sticky sauces, others (like me) prefer a root beer bbq sauce that is a little thinner and glazy-er.

Finish the Ribs on the Grill for a Little Bit of Char

You don’t HAVE to finish the root beer ribs on the grill, but I highly recommend it! The grill chars them in spots and really gives the ribs some smokiness and crusty bits that are so yummy (just like with chicken with buttermilk marinade for chicken).

Because the ribs are already fully cooked from their time in the oven, you don’t need to actually cook them any longer on the grill. So, we’ll be using indirect heat to char the ribs.

Preheat one side of the grill, while leaving the other side off. Transfer the ribs to the “off” side and brush with a little bit of the root beer bbq sauce.

Cook 10 to 15 minutes or until crusty in some spots. Flip, brush with the root beer rib sauce again, and cook 10 more minutes or until the other side if lightly charred as well.

Don’t have a grill? Pop the ribs under a high broiler for a few minutes, watching them very carefully. Move them around as they broil so they evenly char a little bit. I’ve done this with Dr. Pepper ribs several times, and it works great!

How to Serve Root Beer Ribs

Serve the ribs hot with the sides for ribs that you like best. Some of my very favorites are:

• Elote Corn Salad
• Dr. Pepper Baked Beans
• Pickle Pasta
• Bacon Potato Salad
• Watermelon Salad with Mint

How to Store

If you have leftovers, transfer them to a storage container and place them in the fridge uncovered for a few hours until they are fully chilled, then cover them with the lid and keep in the refrigerator up to 3 days. Reheat in the oven or on a grill until warmed through.

Rib Marinade Recipe FAQs