Simple Brine for Baby Back Ribs Recipe

Last Updated:
September 30, 2024
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This is a traditional wet brine that features 3 ingredients:

  • Kosher salt
  • White sugar
  • Water

My recipe is ~3% salinity, most use 5%, which I think is too salty.

brining baby back ribs

Add 1 Gallon of Water to a Large Pot or Container

While you could get super anal retentive and weigh out ingredients, the simplest way to do this is to use:

  • 1 gallon of water
  • 1 Cup of white sugar
  • 1 Cup Diamond crystal Kosher Salt*

*The salt you use matters a lot because of density, not because of taste.

All of these will make the meat taste salty regardless of the grain size since it’s being dissolved.

Cheat Sheet for Salt Type Density

Remember, you need to be using 1 gallon of water to this ratio of salt for these specific salinity percentages.

Brand and/or Type of SaltMeasurement for 5% salinity
Regular Table Salt or Sea Salt7 tablespoons or slightly under 1/2 cup
Morton’s Kosher Salt1/2 Cup
Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt1 Cup

All of these will get you around 3% salinity.

If you like 5%, use double.

brining baby back ribs
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5 from 1 vote

Brine for Baby Back Ribs

As Simple as Salt and Sugar
Prep Time5 minutes
Brine Time16 hours
Total Time16 hours 5 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 Rack Baby Back Ribs
  • 1 cup diamond crystal kosher salt
  • 1 cup White Sugar
  • 1 gallon Water

Instructions

  • To a large pot add 1 gallon of water.
  • Add 1 cup of white sugar and 1 cup of diamond crystal kosher salt.
    See notes if using other types of salt.
    1 cup diamond crystal kosher salt, 1 cup White Sugar
  • Dissolve these ingredients in the water by agitating them with a whisk.
  • Then add your rack of ribs to brine for at least 4-5 hours OR overnight.

Notes

If all you have is table salt or sea salt, use 7 tbsp of salt or slightly less than 1/2 cup.
If you’re using Morton’s Kosher salt, use 1/2 cup.
If you like 5% salinity, use double the salt in 1 gallon of water. 
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Dylan Clay
Dylan Clay is a pitmaster based in New Hampshire, with over 17 years of experience in grilling, smoking, and dehydrating meat. Throughout this time, he has worked with nearly every cut of meat. In 2019, he launched the Barbecue FAQ website to share his extensive knowledge about all things meat, aiming to assist others in making better barbecue at home.

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