These Dr. Pepper Ribs are incredibly tender baby back ribs that are marinated in Dr. Pepper, slow-baked in the oven and finished on the grill with a sweet and tangy homemade Dr. Pepper barbecue sauce. They’re cooked in the same fashion as my popular “How to make Ribs” post.

If you’re looking for a fun new way to make ribs, this is it! The ribs get Dr. Pepper flavor in two ways: they’re marinated in the soda before cooking, and there’s an entire bottle of Dr. Pepper simmered into the homemade barbecue sauce.

The result is a rack of ribs that’s tender on the inside, sticky and saucy on the outside and finished with those irresistible charred edges you can only get from the grill. This is one of the best baby back ribs recipes I’ve ever tasted.

Why You’ll Love These Dr. Pepper Ribs

There are a few things that make this rib recipe especially good.

They’re super tender. The ribs spend two hours covered in the oven before they ever hit the grill.
You don’t have to babysit the grill all afternoon. The oven does most of the cooking. The grill is really just there to caramelize the sauce and give the ribs some char.
The homemade sauce is delicious. Dr. Pepper, brown sugar and molasses give it sweetness, while Worcestershire, cider vinegar and cayenne balance everything out.
They’re great for entertaining. You can marinate the ribs the day before and do most of the cooking before your guests arrive. You can also consider makin my Slow Cooker Baby Back Ribs recipe if you desire a completely hands-off approach!
And, of course, using Dr. Pepper to make ribs is just plain fun!

ingredients displayed for making dr. pepper ribs

Ingredients You’ll Need

Here’s what you’ll need to make Dr. Pepper baby back ribs.

For the Ribs:

Baby back ribs: You’ll need two racks. Each rack is cut in half before marinating, which makes the ribs easier to fit into large zip-top bags and your casserole dish.
Dr. Pepper: Four 12-ounce bottles are used for marinating the ribs.
Kosher salt: Salt is added to the Dr. Pepper marinade and is also used in the dry seasoning mixture.
Chili powder: Adds smoky, savory flavor without making the ribs particularly spicy.
Garlic powder: An easy way to add plenty of garlic flavor to the ribs.
Black pepper: Freshly ground black pepper rounds out the seasoning.

For the Dr. Pepper BBQ Sauce:

Dr. Pepper: You’ll need one additional 12-ounce bottle for the barbecue sauce.
Ketchup: This creates the tomato base for the sauce.
Dark brown sugar and molasses: These add deep sweetness and help create that sticky, caramelized coating on the ribs.
Worcestershire sauce: Adds savory depth to balance all of the sweetness.
Apple cider vinegar: The acidity keeps the sauce from becoming overly sweet.
Garlic: Fresh minced garlic adds another layer of savory flavor.
Cayenne pepper: Just a small amount gives the sauce a little kick. You can always add more if you like your barbecue sauce spicy.

two photos showing ribs and then marinating

So, What Does Dr. Pepper Do to Ribs?

So I know you might be a purest and only make Kansas City Style Ribs or something like that. And you might be wondering why we’re pouring bottles of soda over perfectly good baby back ribs! But Dr. Pepper contains sugar, acidity and its signature blend of flavors, making it an interesting ingredient for both a marinade and barbecue sauce. It’s very much like my Root Beer Pulled Pork recipe for that reason. For the ribs, the marinade adds flavor to the exterior of the meat before the ribs are seasoned and baked. But I think Dr. Pepper really shines in the barbecue sauce. As the soda simmers with ketchup, brown sugar, molasses, Worcestershire sauce and vinegar, it reduces into a sweet, tangy and slightly fruity barbecue sauce that’s fantastic with pork.

How to Make Dr. Pepper Ribs

This recipe has three stages: marinate, bake and grill.

Marinate the Ribs: Cut each rack of baby back ribs in half. Place two half-racks into each of two gallon-size freezer zip bags. Pour two bottles of Dr. Pepper into each bag and add one tablespoon of kosher salt to each. Seal the bags and place them inside a large casserole dish. The casserole dish is important because it will catch any liquid if one of the bags happens to leak. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up to 24 hours. If you have the time, you can easily do this part the night before.
Season and Bake: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Remove the ribs from the marinade and discard the marinade. Place the ribs on a cutting board and pat them dry with paper towels. Combine the chili powder, garlic powder, salt and pepper in a small bowl. Rub the seasoning mixture all over the ribs. Arrange the ribs in a large casserole dish and add one cup of water. Cover the dish tightly with aluminum foil and bake for about 2 hours, or until the ribs are very tender. Keeping the dish covered traps the steam inside and helps the ribs become wonderfully tender without drying out.
Make the Dr. Pepper BBQ Sauce: Toward the end of the baking time, make the sauce. Combine the Dr. Pepper, ketchup, dark brown sugar, molasses, Worcestershire sauce, cider vinegar, garlic and cayenne pepper in a medium saucepan. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes, until the sauce has reduced and thickened slightly. vKeep an eye on it toward the end. There’s quite a bit of sugar in the sauce, so you don’t want it to scorch.
Finish the Ribs on the Grill: Preheat your grill. Transfer the baked ribs to the grill and brush them generously with the Dr. Pepper BBQ sauce. Grill the ribs just long enough to heat them through, caramelize the sauce and create some nice char marks on both sides. Brush on additional sauce as they grill. Serve the ribs hot with extra sauce on the side.

Recipe Tips

Give yourself time to marinate. One hour is the minimum, but you can marinate the ribs for up to 24 hours.
Use the casserole dish underneath the zip bags. If one leaks in the refrigerator, you’ll be very glad you did.
Pat the ribs dry before seasoning. This helps the spice mixture adhere to the meat.
Cover the baking dish tightly. You want to trap the moisture inside while the ribs cook.
Start the sauce toward the end of baking. It only needs about 15 to 20 minutes to simmer.
Don’t walk away from the grill. The sugar in the sauce caramelizes quickly, which is exactly what you want — but it can also burn.
Save some sauce for serving. Keep a portion separate before you start basting the ribs so you’ll have clean sauce to serve at the table.

What to Serve with Dr Pepper Ribs

These sticky ribs are perfect for summer cookouts, backyard barbecues, Father’s Day, Memorial Day, Fourth of July and Labor Day.

Serve them with classic barbecue sides like potato salad, macaroni and cheese, coleslaw, baked beans, corn on the cob or a big green salad.

And definitely put a bowl of extra Dr. Pepper BBQ sauce on the table for anyone who wants even more!

dr. pepper ribs on platter with corn salad on side

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I Need to Remove the Membrane from Baby Back Ribs?

If the thin membrane on the bone side of your ribs hasn’t already been removed, it’s a good idea to remove it before marinating.

Slide a butter knife underneath the membrane near one end of the rack to loosen it. Grab the loosened membrane with a paper towel and pull it away from the ribs.

Some ribs are sold with the membrane already removed, so check yours before doing anything.

Removing it makes the ribs easier to eat and allows the seasoning to make better contact with the meat.

Can you really marinate ribs in Dr. Pepper?

Yes. Dr. Pepper can be used as part of a marinade for pork ribs. In this recipe, the ribs marinate in Dr. Pepper and kosher salt before being dried, seasoned and baked.

Can I use Diet Dr. Pepper?

I recommend using regular Dr. Pepper for this recipe. The sugar is especially useful in the homemade barbecue sauce because it helps the sauce reduce and caramelize on the ribs.

Does Dr. Pepper make ribs sweet?

The finished ribs have some sweetness, particularly from the Dr. Pepper BBQ sauce. However, cider vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, garlic, chili powder and cayenne balance the sweet ingredients.

Can I Marinate the Ribs Overnight?

Yes! The ribs can marinate in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours, so this is a great recipe to start the night before.

Put the ribs and Dr. Pepper marinade in the refrigerator in the evening, and they’ll be ready to cook the following day.

Don’t reuse the marinade after removing the raw pork. It should be discarded.

Can I make Dr. Pepper ribs ahead of time?

You can marinate the ribs up to a day ahead. You can also prepare the Dr. Pepper BBQ sauce ahead of time and refrigerate it in a covered container. Gently reheat the sauce before using.

How Do You Know When Ribs Are Done?

After two hours in the oven, the meat should be very tender and pull away easily from the bones.

You’ll also notice the meat beginning to shrink back from the ends of the bones.

Be careful when transferring the cooked racks to the grill. If they’re especially tender, they can start to fall apart!

Why Bake the Ribs Before Grilling?

This is actually one of my favorite things about this recipe.

Cooking ribs entirely on the grill can require a lot of attention and temperature management. Here, the oven handles the long, slow portion of the cooking.

The covered baking dish creates a moist cooking environment that helps tenderize the ribs. Then you move them to the grill for the best part: caramelizing that sticky Dr. Pepper barbecue sauce.

You get tender oven-baked ribs plus the smoky, charred exterior of grilled ribs.

Can I Make These Without a Grill?

Yes. If you don’t have a grill or the weather isn’t cooperating, you can finish the ribs under the broiler.

Once the ribs are tender, transfer them to a foil-lined baking sheet and brush generously with Dr. Pepper barbecue sauce.

Place them under the broiler for a few minutes, watching them very closely. When the sauce begins to bubble and caramelize, turn the ribs, brush the other side with sauce and broil again.

Because the sauce contains plenty of sugar, it can go from caramelized to burned pretty quickly, so don’t walk away from the oven.

Are Dr. Pepper ribs spicy?

Not particularly. There’s chili powder in the seasoning and only ⅛ teaspoon cayenne in the sauce. If you prefer spicy ribs, increase the cayenne to taste.