I made ribs in 3 different appliances. The air fryer worked surprisingly well and took less than 30 minutes.

When prepared correctly, ribs can be the star of an incredible meal, especially in the summer.

However, not all recipes are created equal, and not every appliance works for preparing them. To test out the best cooking method, I made ribs with my grill, oven, and air fryer.

Here’s how the appliances stacked up.

I kept the ingredients simple.

I went to Aldi to pick up the main ingredient. It’s the most budget-friendly store for meat in my area — I bought two racks for about $20.

For the sauce, I went with Kansas City Joe’s. I’m a big fan of the sauce’s sweetness and thought it would translate well across appliances.

To keep things easy, I just used one of the spice mixes I already had in my cabinet. After sifting through my shelves, I landed on a staple favorite: Omaha Steaks’ classic seasoning blend. It contains onion, garlic, salt, pepper, and paprika.

The grill required sauce upfront.

After unwrapping the meat, I used a sharp knife to cut ⅓ off each rib rack, using ⅔ of a rack for each recipe. Then, I prepped them all similarly by adding the dry seasoning to the top of the meat.

The oven and air-fryer recipes called for adding sauce later, but my family has always slathered it on before grilling, so that’s what I did.

I wrapped the sauced ribs in foil before throwing them on.

After adding the seasoning and sauce to the ribs, I wrapped them in foil and took them to the charcoal grill, which I had prepped and lit.

After the heat was up and running, I set the foil pack on top of the grate.

I watched it for the next hour and 40 minutes, flipping the ribs every few minutes to ensure an even cook.

I finished everything off with a nice sear.

Once the ribs looked nice and cooked, I removed them from the foil and put them directly on the grill to give them a nice sear.

Depending on your preference, you can leave them on for anywhere from five to 10 minutes on each side. I seared them for seven minutes per side.

The grilled meat was falling off the bones.

The grilled ribs were incredibly flavorful — I think it has a lot to do with adding the sauce during the initial prep.

The meat flaked off the bone cleanly, which also made it easier to eat without making a mess.

To bake the ribs, I set the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

After averaging out cooking directions from several online recipes, I set the oven to 350 degrees.

I wrapped the seasoned ribs in foil, placed them on a baking sheet, and put them in the oven for 65 minutes.

I added the barbecue sauce toward the end of the cooking time.

Once the timer went off, I pulled the ribs out of the oven and added barbecue sauce to the top of the meat. Then, I broiled the ribs without foil for another five minutes.

The oven-baked ribs were the juiciest of the three.

In my experience, oven-cooked pork is plump, juicy, and a tad chewy. This was no exception.

It was also the sauciest option, probably because it didn’t have much time to cook into the meat. If I were to use the recipe again, I’d add the sauce much earlier in the process.

I had to use smaller pieces for the air-fryer method.

When it came time to test out my air fryer, I took the two smaller pieces of ribs that had been cut off the main racks. I wanted to ensure the meat could sit in a single layer.

I placed a layer of foil on the bottom of the basket and set the seasoned meat inside.

The instructions were incredibly simple.

I set the air fryer at 360 degrees for 20 minutes.

Once done, I brushed the sauce across the meat and put it back in the air fryer for another five minutes.

The air-fried ribs were done in record time.

Although the air-fried ribs were the toughest to chew, they were my second favorite in terms of flavor.

The short cooking time alone makes this recipe worth keeping in my back pocket. Being able to make ribs in under 30 minutes is huge.

Overall, I’d say the grill produced the best ribs by far.

I think all three appliances produced quality ribs. However, the grill is the clear winner if you want the most flavorful meat with the best texture.

My first runner-up is unquestionably the air fryer because of how quick it was. Although I enjoyed the oven ribs, I’d prefer to save that particular chewy texture for my pork chops.

Click to check out the other appliances we’ve put head-to-head so far.

This story was originally published on July 5, 2025, and most recently updated on August 4, 2025.

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