Cook ribs until they reach about 195–203°F (90–95°C) internal temperature for tender, juicy, fall-off-the-bone meat, even though pork is technically safe at 145°F.

Quick Scoop

Short answer for what temp to cook ribs to

  • Minimum safe internal temp for pork: 145°F / 63°C (USDA-style safety threshold).
  • Best eating range for ribs (tender, juicy): 195–203°F / 90–95°C internal.
  • Common “sweet spot” a lot of BBQ folks shoot for: about 200°F internal.
  • Typical pit / oven temp: 225–275°F (low and slow until internal hits that 195–203°F range).

Why 195–203°F (and not just 145°F)?

Pork is safe to eat once it hits 145°F, but ribs cooked only to that temp will usually be chewy and tight.

Ribs have lots of collagen and connective tissue that do not fully break down until you push the internal temperature up into the 190–205°F zone for long enough.

  • Around 160°F : collagen starts to melt, texture begins to soften.
  • Around 190–205°F : collagen and connective tissues are mostly broken down, giving that classic “tender, pull-apart” feel.
  • Above 203°F for too long: you risk the meat drying out and getting stringy.

So the real answer to “what temp to cook ribs to” is about 195–203°F internal , not just the safety minimum.

Different rib types (same target temp)

Even though cook time changes with cut, the internal done-temp is basically the same.

Rib type Safe temp Ideal eating temp Typical cook time (at ~225–250°F)
Baby back ribs 145°F 195–203°F 3–4 hours
St. Louis / spare ribs 145°F 195–203°F 4–6 hours
[9][3] Many pitmasters aiming for St. Louis–style ribs say they pull them around **190–203°F internal** plus a “bend test” or probe test for feel.

Simple step-by-step to hit the right temp

  1. Set your cooker
    • Aim for 225–275°F in your smoker, grill, or oven (low and slow).
  1. Cook low and slow
    • Baby backs: about 3–4 hours.
 * St. Louis / spare ribs: **about 4–6 hours**.
  1. Use a thermometer
    • Insert into the thickest, meaty part, avoiding bone.
 * Start checking once they cross **185°F** , then every 15–20 minutes.
  1. Pull when they’re ready
    • Ideal internal: 195–203°F.
 * Also check “feel”: the probe should slide in with little resistance and the rack should bend nicely when you lift from one end.
  1. Rest before serving
    • Let ribs rest 10–20 minutes loosely tented in foil to let juices redistribute. This helps preserve tenderness and moisture. (General BBQ best practice aligned with low-and-slow approaches in the cited sources.)

Tiny example scenario

You’re smoking St. Louis ribs at 250°F on a weekend afternoon.
After about 4.5 hours, your instant-read thermometer shows 198°F in the thickest part, and a quick bend test shows the rack flexing with small cracks on the surface. You pull them off, rest them 15 minutes, and you get ribs that are fully cooked well past the safety minimum but still juicy and tender, right in that 195–203°F sweet spot.

TL;DR: If you just remember one thing, make it this: cook your ribs until the internal temp hits roughly 195–203°F , not just 145°F.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.