How To Keep Ribs Warm After Grilling (4 easy ways)

Guests at barbeque parties do not always arrive on time. But you can’t keep BBQ on the grill for very long, can you? Grilled meat, especially ribs, must be taken off the grill when they reach the point of ideal tenderness. Otherwise, they get overcooked and do not taste great. So, you are probably wondering how to keep ribs warm after grilling. 

Fortunately, there are some ways to keep ribs warm after grilling. You can keep the ribs warm in an ice chest for hours. Besides, ribs can be kept warm for some time in an oven. Using a slow cooker is also a great way of warming ribs without losing moisture. 

In this article, I will talk about some techniques to keep grilled ribs warm. These methods are easy to follow and quite effective. You will also learn how to reheat leftover ribs. 

4 Ways To Keep Grilled Ribs Warm

Have you ever wondered how restaurants keep the ribs warm all the time? The secret is that the restaurants use commercial food warmers to keep the BBQ food warm and moist. But not everyone has a food warmer at home. Besides, you may not have grilled ribs frequently. So, there is no point in spending money on something expensive like a food warmer.

There are other methods to keep ribs warm after grilling, and you may already have the tools at home. Here are some methods I use to keep grilled ribs warm. 

Using an Ice Cooler

If you want to keep ribs warm for about 4 to 5 hours, use an ice chest. Yes, that is true. This is one of the most popular methods of keeping BBQ meat, including grilled ribs, warm and moist. 

Once, the flights of some of my friends were delayed. They informed me they would be a few hours late for the BBQ party. By that time, I had already started grilling the ribs for my guests. 

So, I used the cooler to preserve the grilled ribs. Here is how you can prepare a cooler to store warm barbecue ribs for hours: 

• You should preheat your cooler. For that, you need to leave a kitchen towel inside the cooler and pour hot water on it. Then close the cooler. The cooler should be preheated like this for about an hour or two. 
• When the ribs are almost ready to be transferred to the cooler, get the towel and hot water out of the cooler.
• You can line your cooler with aluminum foil or place kitchen towels on the bottom of it. 
• When the ribs are ready, double wrap each piece of ribs with high-density aluminum foil. I also spray a little bit of apple cider vinegar on the ribs to keep the meat moist. Then put them on top of the towel in the cooler. 
• Next, cover the ribs with some more kitchen towels and close the lid of the cooler. 

Open the cooler when it is time to serve. This way, you can keep the ribs warm for four to five hours and the ribs will remain warm and delicious. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qyo45h3rYhw

Using The Oven

If you do not have a cooler and have to keep the ribs warm for a short time, use the oven. I use the oven to keep food warm only when I have to. It is best not to completely rely on this method to keep food warm. 

When you use an oven, you need to be careful. You will use it only to keep the ribs warm, so choose the lowest heating setting. Unfortunately, most ovens these days do not have settings below 170 degrees F. Thus, you must not keep the ribs in the oven for more than 30 minutes. 

Here is how I use the oven to keep ribs warm:

• First, let the ribs rest for 20 to 30 minutes in a pan after taking off the grill. It allows the juices from the ribs to spread across the ribs. 
• Preheat the oven to between 170 and 200 degrees F. The lowest, the better. 
• After the ribs have rested for 30 minutes, cover them with oiled aluminum foil. Make sure the moisture in the ribs does not come out, or the ribs will get dry. 
• Now put the ribs on a pan and place them in the oven. When it is time to serve, get them out of the oven. 

Using Aluminum Foil and A Blanket

Now, let us talk about another method to keep the ribs warm for hours. This method requires aluminum foil and a blanket. I have used this method to keep the ribs warm for about two to three hours. 

After the ribs are done on the grill, wrap them with aluminum foil. Pack the grilled ribs well so that the juice does not come out. Then cover and wrap them tightly with a clean blanket. You will find the ribs warm and tender even after three hours. 

Another short-term technique is using just foil paper. Just wrap the barbeque ribs with aluminum foil sheets. Place them in a casserole and close the lid. The ribs will stay warm for about 30 minutes. 

Using A Slow Cooker

Another method that I find quite convenient is placing the ribs in a slow cooker. This way, the ribs will stay warm. But you have to use the slow cooker properly so that the ribs do not lose moisture. 

For that, add some sauce and onion with the ribs in the slow cooker. Some people also use just water. But I think using water will reduce the taste of the grilled ribs. On the other hand, sauce and onions will add to the taste. 

Many slow cookers have a warm setting. Use the option to keep food warm. If your slow cooker does not have a warm setting, put it on the lowest setting at 145 degrees F to 150 degrees F. 

The ribs will stay warm like this for a few hours. Thus, you can serve warm and tender BBQ ribs to your guests. 

How to Reheat Grilled Ribs Using An Oven?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UYuj0sQor8I

Now, you can’t keep the ribs warm forever. At some point, you’ll have cold ribs leftover. But what then? Can reheat grilled ribs and still enjoy their juicy and tender taste? Well, yes you can. 

Using an oven is the easiest way to reheat leftover grilled ribs. However, reheating the ribs in the oven will affect the moisture. Luckily, you can prevent the meat from getting too dry. 

Here is what you can do: 

• Get the ribs out of the refrigerator and leave them to thaw for about 30 minutes. 
• Then set the temperature to 200 to 250 degrees F to preheat the oven. Keeping the oven at a low temperature will warm up the ribs and not overcook them.
• When the ribs are thawed, apply some barbeque sauce or sprinkle some water for extra moisture. 
• Then tightly wrap the ribs with aluminum foil so that no moisture can get out from inside. 
• Next, place the wrapped ribs in a pan and put them in the oven for 20 to 30 minutes. You may turn over the packets in the middle to ensure even heating. How long you will have to reheat the ribs depends on the quantity and quality. 

Once it is done, unwrap the foil, and you will have your delicious ribs. However, the insides of the ribs can get drier after reheating. So, you can add some sauce to get it moist.