For Mouthwatering Baby Back Ribs, Add A Packet Of This Italian Seasoning

Baby back ribs deserve mouthwatering flavor, and lackluster seasoning can be the difference between a meh and eye-roll-worthy first bite. While you can avoid bland ribs using sweet pantry staples like orange marmalade, there's a special savory option that you might not normally consider reaching for when prepping your meat. For baby back ribs that stand out, add a touch of Italian dressing seasoning.

Italian dressing mix can be used as a one-ingredient enhancer for all sorts of dishes, including pot roast, and baby back ribs are no exception, especially if your goal is to boost flavor without combining a bunch of different herbs and spices yourself. If you find your ribs lack a savory punch, an Italian dressing seasoning blend will coat the meat with an array of ingredients, usually garlic, oregano, parsley, basil, onion powder, salt, black pepper, and thyme. 

The packet can be used as a dry rub (more on that later) or as a marinade alongside olive oil and apple cider vinegar to help the meat soak up the seasonings. If you'd like to consider another oil to pair with the Italian blend, avocado oil is neutral in flavor and often substituted for olive oil. After about an hour of marinating, the ribs will be seasoned well with the bright, zesty, and herbaceous notes of the blend. Italian dressing can be very potent, so if you don't want to sprinkle an entire packet in, you can just add a few tablespoons — it is entirely down to your preference.

Baby back ribs have a reputation for being tender, offering that fall-off-the-bone satisfaction (spare ribs are good too, but they're just not the same as baby back, let's be honest). Besides using powdered Italian dressing in a marinade, you can also use it as a dry rub for a quick and easy way to zhuzh up your ribs and even further improve their texture. Doing so will also help give them a crisp crust, which will nicely contrast that tender meat inside. To achieve this, simply rub the seasoning blend onto the meat, place the ribs in aluminum foil, and fold the corners to make a packet before grilling. 

Some home cooks like to also include BBQ seasoning in the mix because its added smokiness complements the combination of Italian herbs and spices. BBQ and Italian dressing are two items that work well together since you get the benefit of savory, sweet, smoky, and herbaceous flavors. Or if you'd like to keep it simpler, some other ingredients to mix in with your baby back ribs' seasoning blend include paprika for some smoky heat and extra garlic powder for a stronger savory punch. Feel free to make this seasoning your own with other additions that appeal to you and complement Italian dressing's flavors.