If you are making ribs for your next party or cookout, you might be wondering how much you need to feed all the people you invited. The price of ribs also matters because you want to make sure you can afford to feed all the people coming to the party. While overbuying isn’t a big deal, you definitely want to make sure you don’t underbuy and then not have enough to feed people. 

Cooking ribs is a great way to use your grill. Ribs are also a popular party food to serve since most people love ribs and will look forward to coming to your party to eat as much as they can. 

How Much Does a Rack of Ribs Cost? 

The exact answer will depend on what types of ribs you buy. You can also save money if you buy them in bulk, which might be the best plan if you are having a large party and plan to feed a huge crowd. You can also buy in bulk and keep some in the freezer for your next event or just to have extra to cook for the family. 

Costs of Ribs by Type 

Here is a breakdown of the types of ribs you can buy and how much they will cost. They will be covered in more detail later in the article. 

Spare ribs are always the cheapest and the lowest quality. They will usually be about $3.50 per pound but might be as low as $1.50 per pound depending on where you buy them and if you buy in bulk or not. 

A rack of spare ribs will have about 11 to 13 ribs each. They have a high fat content and a rich flavor even though they have less meat on the bone than baby backs. 

Baby Back Ribs will be about $5.99 per pound in most stores. They are the most popular type of rib and the most flavorful, which is part of the reason for the high price compared to spare ribs. If you can find them on sale though, they might only be $2.99 per pound. Wholesale stores like Costco will also have them at cheaper prices if you are willing to buy in bulk. Baby Back Ribs will have about 10 to 14 ribs per segment on them. Some stores will try to sell them with only 9 ribs on each rack, so you might want to avoid these. 

St. Louis Style ribs are about $5 or $6 per pound. Deals are often better at large supermarkets or wholesale stores. There are usually about 11 to 13 ribs per rack and they weigh about 2.5 pounds on average.

If you are cooking ribs for the first time, you might want to consider getting St. Louis Style ribs because they are easy to cook. They have an even and uniform shape which allows them to become brown easily and evenly.  

Which Type of Rib Should I Buy?

Now that you know the prices, you might be wondering what kind of ribs to buy. Price is one of the most important factors, especially if you are on a budget for your event or dinner party. There are some other factors to keep in mind though when it comes to choosing what kind of ribs to buy. 

Spare ribs are the cheapest and come from the lower section of the pig’s rib cage. It’s the same type of meat used to make pancetta and bacon, so it’s very rich and fatty. Out of all the ribs, they have the most pork flavor. 

St. Louis Style ribs are spare ribs without cartilage or breastbone. It makes them the easiest rack to cook and eat. They also look nicer on a plate if you are looking to fancy them up. 

Baby Back Ribs are the leanest of all kinds of ribs. They have the most meat in between the bones so you get more meat for your buck. They also cook quicker, so they might be the best choice if you are cooking for large groups or if you need to get the cooking done at the last minute. 

Final Thoughts 

Racks of ribs come at many different prices depending on what kind you are buying and how much you are buying. You can expect to spend between $1.50 to $6 per pound depending on if there are sales or not.