24-Hour Sous Vide Ribs That Fall Off the Bone

These 24-hour sous vide ribs are one of our favorite recipes. Developed by my husband Mark, we often make them when we’re at the cabin with a crowd. The result is consistently ultra-tender, fall-off-the-bone pork ribs that everyone raves about.

The ribs are coated with a smoky dry rub, cooked in a sous vide water bath for 24 hours, brushed with BBQ sauce, and finished on a very hot grill to caramelize and crisp the outside.

Let’s Make the Best Ribs

Rib night is a treat in our house—especially when the ribs come out of the sous vide. After 24 hours in a precisely controlled water bath, the ribs become incredibly tender while remaining juicy and flavorful. You’ll still finish them on the grill or under the broiler to get that classic glazed, slightly charred crust.

Why Sous Vide for 24 Hours?

Yes, 24 hours. Cooking ribs at a steady sous vide temperature for that length of time reliably achieves two key things:

• Perfect doneness: Sous vide holds the meat at the intended temperature so there’s no risk of overcooking or undercooking.
• Fall-off-the-bone tenderness: The long, gentle cook breaks down connective tissue while keeping the meat juicy.

With sous vide ribs the focus is on seasoning before the bath, the long, controlled cook, and then a brief, high-heat finish to caramelize sauce and add texture.

Tools and Essentials

Before you start, gather a few items:

• Sous vide immersion circulator and a pot, container, or cooler large enough to fully submerge a rack of ribs.
• Vacuum sealer and bags, or heavy-duty zip-top bags suitable for sous vide.
• Grill or broiler for finishing, plus a brush for sauce.

How to Make Sous Vide Ribs

Step 1: Prep Ribs and Remove the Membrane

Remove the rack from its packaging and place it on a baking sheet or cutting board. Use a sharp knife to loosen and peel off the white membrane on the back of the ribs. Taking off the membrane improves texture and helps the rub penetrate. If you prefer, ask your butcher to remove it for you.

Step 2: Season with Dry Rub

Make a pork dry rub that balances savory and sweet—if you like more smoke, add smoked paprika. Generously coat both sides of the rack with the rub and massage it into the meat. Reserve about 1/4 cup of the rub for seasoning again after the sous vide step.

Step 3: Package and Seal

Place the seasoned ribs in vacuum-seal bags or heavy zip-top bags, removing as much air as possible. Proper sealing is essential since the bags will be submerged for 24 hours. If you’re using zip-top bags, use the water displacement method to push air out before sealing.

If you’re nervous about leaks, double-bag the ribs for peace of mind.

Step 4: Heat Water Bath and Cook

Preheat your sous vide to 152°F (67°C). Submerge the sealed ribs in the water and set a 24-hour timer. This temperature will break down connective tissue and deliver a tender, shreddable texture while keeping the meat moist.

Step 5: Finish on the Grill and Sauce

1. When the 24 hours are up, remove the bags from the bath. Cut them open, discard the cooking juices, and blot the ribs dry with paper towels.
2. Apply the reserved dry rub to both sides, then brush on your favorite BBQ sauce.
3. Preheat a grill to high, around 450°F (232°C). Sear the ribs for 4–6 minutes per side until the sauce caramelizes and you get a bit of char. If you don’t have a grill, a hot broiler works too—watch closely to avoid burning.

At this point the ribs are already safely cooked to a temperature above the USDA recommendation; the grilling step is for texture and flavor.

BBQ Sauce Suggestions

• Any quality sweet-and-savory bottled sauce you prefer.
• Or use a homemade sauce to control sweetness and heat.

Answers to Common Questions

How long do I have to sous vide ribs? For the tender, shreddable texture we recommend a full 24 hours.

What temperature is best? We use 152°F (67°C) for this method. Ribs are safe to eat at 145°F, but a slightly higher sous vide temperature helps break down connective tissue for ultimate tenderness.

How do I prevent evaporation? Cover the container—aluminum foil works well and is inexpensive. Another trick is to float small objects across the surface to reduce evaporation, but foil is simplest.

Ingredients

• 1 rack of baby back pork ribs (St. Louis style works too)
• 1/2 tablespoon olive oil (for the grill grates)
• About 3/4 cup pork dry rub, divided (use 1/2 cup before cooking and reserve 1/4 cup)
• 1/2 cup BBQ sauce, or more to taste

Instructions (Condensed)

1. Fill a large pot, container, or cooler with water and preheat your sous vide to 152°F.
2. Mix the dry rub. Remove ribs from packaging, cut if desired, and remove the membrane.
3. Coat ribs with 1/2 cup of the dry rub and place in vacuum or zip-top bags, removing air.
4. Submerge and clip bags in the water bath, cover the pot, and cook for 24 hours, checking water level periodically.
5. After 24 hours, remove ribs, discard juices, blot dry, add remaining rub, brush with BBQ sauce, and grill at 450°F until charred and caramelized, about 5–6 minutes per side.
6. Let rest 5–10 minutes, slice, and serve.

Tips & Notes

• If ribs are cold from the fridge before finishing, warm them at 350°F for 10 minutes, then raise the heat to sear and caramelize.
• Both baby back and St. Louis-style ribs work with this method; cooking time remains the same.
• Use clips or clothespins to keep the bagged ribs submerged and foil to reduce evaporation.
• Check water every 6–12 hours and top up with hot water if needed.

Nutrition (approximate per serving)

• Calories: 360 kcal
• Carbohydrates: 31 g
• Protein: 51 g
• Fat: 17 g
• Fiber: 2 g
• Sugar: 14 g

Nutrition is an approximation and will vary depending on exact ingredients and portion sizes.

Enjoy these 24-hour sous vide ribs as a reliably tender, flavorful way to serve pork ribs at home. The sous vide step does the heavy lifting—season well, cook long, and finish hot for the best results.