This is a sponsored post by Ohio Beef Council although all thoughts and opinions are my own.
McDonald’s McRib Sandwich is available seasonally, With this recipe, you can have it any time of year! Made with beef ribs, this Copycat McRib Sandwich is smothered in barbecue sauce, topped with sliced onion and pickle, and served on a soft honey hoagie bun.
I could never figure out what the big deal was about McDonald’s McRib Sandwich. It always seemed pretty basic to me. I mean, there’s no cheese, lettuce, onion rings, or other crazy sandwich additions that make the sandwich extra special. So what is the big deal? Well, I’m not sure what makes the original McRib sandwich so special but I have several reasons that make this copycat version amazing
Use Beef Ribs to make this Sandwich
Let’s start with the ribs. The original McRib sandwich is made with pork. Well, my rib sandwich recipe is made with Beef Ribs. Beef ribs are a great source of protein because it has amazing flavor and the fat that is left on the ribs help to make the beef moist and full of beefy flavor.
This recipe is perfect for grilling and smoking beef ribs. You can check out the method I used for cooking ribs on the grill in this recipe. You can also bake the ribs for about an hour and a half and finish them on the grill for another hour on low heat. If you are not able to grill or smoke your ribs, you can also bake them. Either way, they will come out juicy, tender, and the meat will fall right off the bone!
Simple rub for the Beef Ribs
To make sure the ribs are well seasoned, you need to coat them in a simple rub that you can make using a few basic seasonings that you very well may already have in your kitchen. Some of those seasonings are:
- Kosher Salt
- Black Pepper
- Smoked Paprika
- Onion Powder
- Garlic Powder
- Chili Powder
- Seasoned Salt
To infuse the smoky flavor into the meat you can also use liquid smoke. I use this for almost everything. Just a dash. A little goes a long way. You can have your ribs sit with the rub overnight or, for at least, one hour.
Once you have cooked the ribs, the bones should slide right off the meat leaving a delicious, tender, and juicy piece of meat. Then you’ll smother the beef in your favorite BBQ sauce recipe either store-bought or homemade-made. If you are looking for a recipe on my blog you can try my Strawberry Chipotle BBQ Sauce or this simple BBQ sauce recipe I made eons ago. It’s basic, but it works! Of course, you have to top the sandwich off with sliced sweet onion and pickles on a hoagie bun. There you have it, folks! A Homemade McRib Sandwich!
To learn more about how to cook beef and for more recipes, click the button below to learn more!
If you like recipes with beef, check out some of my popular recipes below!
- Homemade Chalupas
- Lean Beef Burger with Sweet Kale Coleslaw
- Steak with Creamy Shrimp and Crab
- Beef Medallions with Red Wine and Mushroom Sauce
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Copycat McRib Sandwich
- Total Time: 5 hours 15 minutes
- Yield: 6–7 sandwiches 1x
Description
Now you don’t have to wait all year long to enjoy a succulent and delicious McRib Sandwich! This copycat recipe is made with beef ribs and topped with sliced sweet onion and pickles, smothered in BBQ sauce.
Ingredients
- 2 Racks Beef Ribs
- 1/2 tbsp. Light Brown sugar
- 1/2 tbsp. Kosher salt
- 1/2 tbsp. Seasoned salt
- 1/2 tbsp. Black pepper
- 3 tsp. Onion powder
- 3 tsp. Garlic powder
- 2 tsp. Chili powder
- 2 tsp. Smoked paprika
- 1/4 tsp. Cayenne pepper
- 1 tbsp. Liquid Smoke, divided
- 5–6 Hoagie Buns
- 1 Sweet Onion, sliced
- 1/2 c. dill pickles
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 300 Degrees.
- Take the beef ribs and place them on a flat surface, meat side down. Use a sharp steak knife, and use it to make a slit in the silver muscle cartilage, and use your fingers to remove the rest of the cartilage. It should lift right up. Throw away.
- In a small bowl or ramekin, add the seasonings (kosher salt, seasoned salt, black pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, chili powder, smoked paprika, and cayenne pepper) and mix. Sprinkle the rub on both sides of the racks and let sit at room temperature for, at least, 30 minutes. However, you can wrap it in plastic wrap and place it in the refrigerator overnight.
- Line a long baking sheet or roasting pan with aluminum foil and place the beef rib racks inside the aluminum foil. Cover with another sheet of aluminum foil and seal the edges. Allow cooking in the oven for 3 hours.
- At three hours reduce the heat down to 265 Degrees, brush with about 1 ½ cups of BBQ sauce and place uncovered back in the oven and allow to cook for another hour. Once finished, the meat should be meat tender.
- Allow cooling for about 15 minutes. Add the other 1 ½ cups ofBBQ Sauce. Cut by every 2 ribs. Toast the hoagie buns with butter and place the rib section on the bottom half of the hoagie bun. Top off with sliced onion and pickle and the top of the hoagie bun and serve.
Notes
For grilling, I recommend following this recipe and even bake the ribs for about an hour covered in aluminum foil, and finish the rest of the cooking on a grill or smoker on low heat until the ribs reach an internal temperature of 203 Degrees F. Once the are finished cooking, brush with BBQ sauce while on the grill on both sides, remove from heat and allow the meat to rest for about 30 minutes covered in aluminum foil.
After the beef has rested remove the bones (they should slide right off the meat), cut by two ribs, brush with more BBQ Sauce, and prepare the sandwich as the recipe instructs.
- Prep Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 4 hours
- Category: Main Dishes
- Method: Sandwiches
- Cuisine: Barbeque
I’ve never tried the McRib (like you, I never understood the hoopla around it), but I can tell just by looking at your recipe, that this version is leaps and bounds better! That dry rub sounds beyond amazing and liquid smoke is such a great secret ingredient. I cannot wait to give this a try, I know my hubby will love it, too. Im curious, what’s your favourite BBQ sauce to use on these?
I love Sweet Baby Rays Honey Chipotle sauce.
My family LOVES McRibs and are going to be so excited to have them made at home! I love the idea of smoking the ribs to get that fully barbecue flavor 🙂
I love how you took the McRib sandwich and improved it. I never had their sandwich because it had pork in it, but I love how this recipe uses Beef ribs instead. All the seasoning used sounds so delicious.
Thank you Aya!
I never cared for McDonald’s rib sandwich but this one is out of this world! It’s a great way to cook ribs whatever way you eat them and put on a roll with onions, which I sauteed, and pickles is the best.
Mmmm! This turned out to so perfect! I was craving sandwiches, and what’s better than a beef sandwich with BBQ sauce? Thanks for sharing such an awesome recipe!
Oh my goodness, I haven’t had one of these since I was a kid! This was such a great copycat McRib sandwich! It was delicious and brought back so many memories haha
OMGosh my mouth is watering! I’ve never had a mcrib before but this looks SO good! That rub and sauce is *chef’s kiss*!
Thank you Tammy!
The meat is so tender! Such a delicious combo and upgrade from the McDonalds McRib, thank you!
You are very welcome Amy!
I have to be honest I really used to love McDonald’s McRib Sandwich until I became more aware—I am so thrilled you did a MUCH healthier and tastier version! My husband and kids love this recipe, and now I can enjoy one of my old favorites! Well done, recipe!
Oh yay Heidy!!!!!!