Chef John's Copycat McRib Sandwich Recipe

Chef John's Copycat McRib Sandwich

4.7

(32)

30 Reviews

5 Photos

I tip my cap to a certain fast food franchise for coming up with the idea for a boneless baby back rib sandwich, the only downside being that they use about 60 mystery ingredients — ribs not necessarily being one of them. That's why you should try this easy homemade version with real ribs; simply bake, chill, cut, sauce, finish on the grill, and voilà! One of the best sandwiches I've ever had.

John Mitzewich

Updated on August 13, 2024

Prep Time:

10 mins

Cook Time:

2 hrs 50 mins

Additional Time:

8 hrs

Total Time:

11 hrs

Servings:

Yield:

4 large sandwiches

Jump to Nutrition Facts

Ingredients

For the Dry Rub:

⅓ cup kosher salt
¼ cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons chili powder
2 tablespoons freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper

For the Sandwiches:

2 racks baby back pork ribs
1 cup barbecue sauce, divided
4 sesame hamburger rolls, split and toasted
1 cup coleslaw

Directions

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
Mix salt, brown sugar, chili powder, pepper, cumin, and cayenne together for the rub.
Place ribs on a foil-lined baking sheet. Season both sides generously with some of the rub. Reserve remaining rub for another use. Cover top with parchment paper and wrap foil over the edges. Cover the whole baking sheet with another large sheet of foil, sealing in the sides.
Bake in the preheated oven until tender, about 2 hours and 45 minutes.
Unwrap ribs and let cool briefly until safe to handle. Pull out the bones, stuffing any loose pieces of meat back into the holes and checking carefully for bone fragments. Wrap ribs back up and refrigerate until cold, 8 hours to overnight.
Cut each rack in half. Brush both sides generously with barbecue sauce.
Preheat a charcoal grill for high heat and lightly oil the grate.
Grill ribs until heated through, 3 to 4 minutes per side. Remove from grill and brush with more barbecue sauce.
Drizzle more barbecue sauce onto each roll. Sandwich each rib section between a roll and top with coleslaw.

Chef John

Chef's Notes

Make sure you don't get the larger St. Louis-style ribs. Feel free to season them with any dry rub of your choice.

For the slaw, I used my sweet-hot mustard slaw. For the rolls, I used my sesame seed hamburger bun recipe, making 6 rectangles instead of 8 round buns.

Editor's Note:

Nutrition data for this recipe includes the full amount of dry rub. The actual amount consumed will vary.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)

963	Calories
52g	Fat
81g	Carbs
45g	Protein

Nutrition Facts
Servings Per Recipe 4
Calories 963
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 52g	66%
Saturated Fat 18g	91%
Cholesterol 180mg	60%
Sodium 8820mg	383%
Total Carbohydrate 81g	29%
Dietary Fiber 6g	20%
Total Sugars 33g
Protein 45g	90%
Vitamin C 21mg	23%
Calcium 228mg	18%
Iron 7mg	36%
Potassium 860mg	18%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.

** Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients. Amount is based on available nutrient data.

(-) Information is not currently available for this nutrient. If you are following a medically restrictive diet, please consult your doctor or registered dietitian before preparing this recipe for personal consumption.

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