The secret ingredient to this tender, delicious barbecued ribs recipe known as Grandpa’s Coca-Cola Ribs? Coca-Cola soda and some fatherly love! Perfect for your next family party.
My all-time favorite recipe for tender, delicious, perfect every time ribs is this one for Grandpa’s Coca-Cola Ribs, which are just what you think they are.
Juicy ribs marinated in, among other things, a bath of Coca-Cola soda (or Dr. Pepper, if you prefer), which gives them an amazing consistency and an even more amazing taste.
(Oh, and if you want an amazing Slow Cooker Coca-Cola Pot Roast recipe, we’ve got you covered on that too!)
A little easy breezy coleslaw on the side, and you are in for the perfect summer supper!
And while I wish I could take credit for this one, it’s actually all about my dad.
Here are my adorable parents, who are just about to celebrate their golden wedding anniversary. With all their friends. And all our giant extended family. At my house. Please pray for good weather.
Anyway, my mom has always been an amazing, phenomenal, extraordinary cook.
Fresh-baked bread, Irish corned beef, chocolate Heath Bar cake, marinated mozzarella, the best scones in the entire world, and I could go on and on.
My dad…well, he made some pretty great scrambled eggs over the years, but he was mainly relegated to kitchen clean-up crew along with the rest of us.
However. Over the past few years, I have had more than one great meal at their house, and complimented my mom on whatever it was, and she said these four words that were not usually ever strung together in my childhood home:
“Your father made it.”
Macaroni and cheese. Shredded beef barbecue sandwiches. And lately, these ribs that are the sweet and spicy kind that literally fall off the bones as you eat them.
Dad? Dad, is that you?
So when he made them for dinner over Memorial Day weekend, I thought that’s it, the world must know about this. So here you go!
Ingredients you need
Here’s how you make this recipe
(Scroll down for the handy complete printable recipe with nutrition info!)
STEP 1: Place 4 pounds of bone-in pork ribs to a large glass or ceramic baking dish and pour 2 cups of Coca-Cola or Dr. Pepper over them. (Save the third cup of the soda for a sauce to be made later.) Cover the pan securely with plastic wrap and let the ribs marinate in the fridge overnight.
STEP 2: Pour that remaining cup of soda into a blender or food processor and add 3 cups of ketchup, one cup of brown sugar, 6 tablespoons of chili powder, 4 tablespoons of ground black pepper, 2 tablespoons dry mustard, and 1 tablespoon of cinnamon. (Whew!) Blend until smooth.
STEP 3: Put the ribs in a roasting pan that has been coated with cooking spray, brush liberally with part of the sauce, cover the roasting pan with a lid or some foil and roast the ribs in a 225 F oven for about 2 1/2 hours or until very tender.
STEP 4: When you are ready to eat, preheat your grill to high heat and grill the rib, basting with some of the leftover sauce until the outside is crispy, about 10-15 minutes. While the ribs are cooking, simmer the remaining sauce for about 20 minutes until a little thick.
STEP 5: Stand back while the dinner crowd goes crazy for your ribs!
Recipe FAQs
You can, all the way up until the grilling part. You can do the oven portion of the recipe up to a day ahead of time.
You can drink some while you make these ribs, but you need the sugar in the regular Coke to make this recipe as wonderful as it needs to be!
You can! Keep in mind that beef ribs are usually bigger and more dense, and will have a stronger flavor – but if it’s a flavor you like, then go for it!
Pop your question in the comments section below and I will answer pronto!
Grandpa’s Coca-Cola Ribs
The secret ingredient to this tender, delicious barbecued ribs recipe? Coca-Cola soda and some fatherly love! Grandpa’s Coca-Cola Ribs!
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 150 minutes
- Total Time: 2 hours 45 minutes
- Yield: 8 1x
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: American, Southern
- Diet: Gluten Free
Ingredients
- 4 lbs bone in pork ribs
- 3 cups Coca-Cola or Dr. Pepper
- 3 cups ketchup
- 1 cup packed dark brown sugar
- 6 tablespoons chili powder
- 4 tablespoons ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons dry mustard
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
Instructions
- Place the ribs to a large glass or ceramic baking dish and pour 2 cups of Coca-Cola or Dr. Pepper over them. Reserve the third cup of the soda for a sauce to be made later. Cover the pan securely with plastic wrap and let the ribs marinate in the fridge overnight.
- Pour the remaining 1 cup of soda into a blender or food processor and add the ketchup, brown sugar, chili powder, pepper, dry mustard, and cinnamon. Blend until smooth.
- Put the ribs in a roasting pan that has been coated with cooking spray, brush liberally with part of the sauce, cover the pan with a lid or foil and roast in a 225 F oven for about 2 1/2 hours or until very tender. (Can be done the day before. )
- To finish, grill the ribs over high heat, basting with some of the leftover sauce until the outside is crispy, about 10-15 minutes. While the ribs are cooking, simmer the remaining sauce for about 20 minutes until a little thick.
Tonia Le Febre-Johnson says
I have made these ribs more times than I can count. They are perfect every time.
Tonia Le Febre-Johnson says
I even made them for my wedding…
Kate Morgan Jackson says
Tonia! That is so very special, and I know that would mean so much to my dad! :)
Kate Morgan Jackson says
That warms my heart to hear – my dad would love this too. :)
Cathy Tibbles says
I made this last night with a few less Tbsp chili powder and everyone loved it!
Kate Morgan Jackson says
Well YAY! Love that your family loved one of our all time family faves. :) xo
Brianna says
I madetbese ribs forester dinner on Sunday. They were spectacular!! Fall off the bones and so yummy!!! I had leftover barbecue sauce and used it last night on our barbecue chicken. So delicious!! Definitely my new favorite barbecue sauce!! Thank you much for the delightful recipe ?
Brianna says
Absolutely delicious!! My new favorite bbq sauce! Had the ribs for Easter dinner last night and the leftover sauce on barbequed chicken tonight. Scrumptious!!! Thank you so much for the recipe ?
Kate says
Hi Brianna! I’m so glad you loved this one – it’s one of our top family faves!
Susan says
Your BBQ rib recipe is delicious! This is now my “go-to recipe” every time I make ribs. Thanks to your dad and to you for sharing this no-fail method.
Kate says
Susan, thank you so much – my dad would be so happy to hear this!
Amber says
This BBQ sauce is amazing! I had some left over and used it for other recipes! Thank you for sharing!! These ribs were delicious!
Kate says
Amber! I’m so glad you liked it – happy summer!
Cyp says
Hi!
Thank you for the recipe. It was a great inspiration. I got a rack of ribs and wanted to cook them on the bbq and I knew that this time I want to use coke. I tweaked your original gospel but your combination of spices and flavours was my main framework. It worked perfectly! My wife and our little boy were both impressed. Thank you again!
Kate says
I’m so glad!! The family seal of approval is the best, right? :)
Prepperdaddy says
Kate, when you marinate the ribs do you use enough of the sauce to cover the ribs (doesn’t sound like it), or just enough to coat?
Kate says
Just enough to coat, although if you add some extra that would still work out just fine!
Cynthia Hand says
Trying this for Memorial Day weekend dinner tonight. They look SOOOOO good.
Kate says
Cynthia! I’m so glad – we had them last night and we don’t even have any bones left! (we do have happy dogs!)
Cynthia Hand says
These were ah-mazing. Best ribs I’ve ever had!
patrick says
Hi Kate ,
Please tell your dad his spare ribs were a big hit over here in Belgium ! made it for the family and friends and the folks they simply loved it !
Kate says
Patrick, thanks so much for telling me this – glad to hear they are an international success! :)
Nicole says
I don’t have a grill and would like to make these. How long would I have to cook them in the stove instead?
Kate says
Hi Nicole! Cook them at 225 degrees for 2 1/2 hours until very tender. And instead of finishing on a grill: Preheat your oven broiler. Arrange the ribs in a single layer on a foil lined cookie sheet, brush with a little sauce and broil, turning once. Watch carefully so they do not burn! And then enjoy. :)
Paul says
Hi,
Can you use chicken drumsticks instead of ribs for this recipe?
Thanks
Diane says
How many hours do you cook in oven if not grilling ?
Kate says
Hi Diane! The ribs are pretty much cooked once they go on the grill – they are being grilled just to get that nice crispy exterior. If you run them under the broiler after the oven time in the recipe (and watch them carefully during the broiling part!) you should get a similar crispy effect. Hope this helps!
Joni says
I am trying this tomorrow. I am about to do the marinade and let the ribs soak overnight. I will let you know how much my family enjoys them. Looks delicious!!
Kate says
Thanks Joni! Can’t wait to hear if your family loves them as much as mine does. :)
Ben says
I made these ribs for my family the other night… Delish!!! I can’t wait to make them again. The best part, I have plenty of sauce left for other projects.
Kate says
I’m so glad! Sounds like we have families with similar taste! :)