Asian Pork Ribs Recipe
These Asian Pork Ribs are coated in a savory spice rub, baked low and slow until super tender, then brushed with sticky gochujang honey BBQ sauce and lightly charred under the broiler. No smoker required and your kitchen is going to smell incredible.
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Sticky, Tender Ribs With Big Flavor And Almost Zero Fuss
There are a lot of Asian ribs recipes on the internet that promise “fall off the bone” results, but then somehow deliver chewy ribs with burnt sauce and a sink full of dishes.
Not today. These Asian style pork ribs are baked low and slow until the meat is tender enough to pull cleanly from the bone, but they still have enough structure to eat like ribs instead of shredded pork. Then they get brushed with a gochujang honey BBQ sauce and finished under the broiler for those sticky, caramelized edges that are always the best bits.
All of this, and there’s no smoker or grill required, and no overnight marinade, either. Just really good ribs with a deeply savory rub, a spicy-sweet glaze, and the charred sticky bits that make every rib disappear the moment you serve them.
Heads up! You’ll want to make the sauce either before you get started, or while the ribs are in the oven. Here’s the recipe for the sauce:
Why You Will Love This Asian Pork Ribs Recipe
- The low-and-slow oven method keeps these Asian spare ribs incredibly tender without drying them out.
- Unlike a lot of Asian BBQ ribs recipes that rely entirely on sauce, these ribs have a well-seasoned dry rub underneath, so the meat itself truly tastes good all the way through.
- This recipe is great for feeding a crowd because most of the cook time is completely hands-off. Perfect for game days, casual parties or summer dinners when you don’t want to babysit the grill.
Asian Spare Ribs Ingredients
A full recipe card, including exact ingredient amounts, appears at the bottom of this post.
- pork spare ribs – spare ribs have a little more fat and connective tissue than baby back ribs, which makes them ideal for low-and-slow cooking. They turn rich, juicy and deeply flavorful. If your racks are extra large, cut them into smaller sections so they fit comfortably on the pans.
- kosher salt, brown sugar, smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder and black pepper – this dry rub acts almost like a quick dry brine while the ribs rest before baking. The brown sugar helps with caramelization later under the broiler, while the smoked paprika gives subtle barbecue flavor even though these ribs are cooked entirely in the oven.
- Gochujang BBQ Sauce – this is what gives these Asian BBQ spare ribs their sticky, glossy finish. Gochujang adds depth and gentle heat without making the ribs aggressively spicy. The honey helps the sauce cling to the meat and caramelize under the broiler.
- toasted sesame seeds – these add a little nuttiness and crunch right before serving.
- green onions – fresh green onions cut through the richness of the ribs and give a little freshness to this sticky Asian pork ribs recipe.
How To Make Asian BBQ Spare Ribs
- REMOVE MEMBRANE. Remove the silverskin membrane from the bone side of the ribs, then pat the racks very dry with paper towels. Arrange ribs meat-side-up on two rimmed baking pans, cutting the racks into smaller sections if needed.
- SEASON. In a small bowl, stir together the salt, brown sugar, smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder and pepper. Rub the mixture all over the ribs. Let stand at room temperature for 15 minutes while the seasoning starts working into the meat.
- BAKE. Cover the pans tightly with foil and transfer to a 300 degree F oven. Bake 2-1/2 to 3 hours, rotating the pans halfway through cooking, until the meat is very tender and starting to pull back from the bones.
- SAUCE. Generously brush the ribs with the Gochujang Honey BBQ Sauce. Make sure to get sauce down into all the little rib crevices, because those sticky edges are the best part.
- BROIL. If desired, place the ribs under the broiler for 2 to 3 minutes until lightly charred to your preference and bubbling. Watch carefully here because the sugars in the sauce can go from caramelized to burnt surprisingly fast.
- SERVE. Slice between the bones and transfer to a platter. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and scallions and serve with extra sauce on the side.
Asian Ribs Recipe Home Chef Tips
- If the membrane feels slippery and hard to grip, use a paper towel to grab it. It makes removing the silverskin way easier.
- The ribs are done when a knife slides easily between the bones and the meat has visibly pulled back from the ends of the bones by about 1/4 inch.
- If you have a few extra minutes, toast the sesame seeds in a dry skillet for 2 to 3 minutes before serving. It makes a noticeable flavor difference!
How To Serve Asian BBQ Ribs
Serve the ribs hot with the Sides For Ribs that you like best. Some of our very favorites are:
Make Ahead, Storage And Reheating
- Make Ahead: Bake the ribs completely, but do not sauce or broil them yet. Refrigerate uncovered until fully chilled, then cover tightly and refrigerate up to 2 days. Reheat covered at 300 degrees F until hot, then sauce and broil right before serving.
- Refrigerate: If you have leftovers, transfer them to an airtight container and place them in the fridge uncovered for a few hours until they are fully chilled, then cover them with the lid and keep in the refrigerator up to 3 days.
- Reheat: Arrange ribs in a baking dish with a splash of water and cover tightly with foil. Warm at 300 degrees F until heated through. You can also microwave them at 50% power, but the oven keeps the texture much better.
- Freeze: Cool completely, then wrap tightly and freeze up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
Gochujang Ribs FAQ
Spare ribs are larger, meatier and slightly fattier than baby back ribs. They take a bit longer to cook, but they also stay especially juicy and flavorful during low-and-slow cooking.
Technically no, but you really should. The membrane turns chewy during cooking and also prevents seasoning from fully penetrating the meat.
Not really. Gochujang has a balanced sweet-savory heat rather than an aggressive burn. In this recipe, it adds depth and complexity more than outright spice.
Yes. After baking, finish the ribs over medium grill heat for a few minutes instead of broiling. Just watch carefully because the sauce caramelizes quickly.
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Asian-Style Spare Ribs
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Ingredients
- 2 racks pork spare ribs (7 to 8 pounds total)
- ¼ cup kosher salt
- 2 tablespoons packed light brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon onion powder
- 1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 batch Gochujang Honey BBQ Sauce
- 2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds
- 4 green onions thinly sliced
Instructions
- Remove silverskin membrane from bone side of rib racks, and pat ribs dry with paper towels. Place ribs meat side up in single layer on 2 rimmed baking pans. If necessary, cut rib racks into halves or thirds to fit onto pans easier.
- In small bowl, stir together salt, brown sugar, smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder and pepper. Rub ribs all over with mixture. Let stand at room temperature 15 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 300 degrees F.
- Cover pans tightly with foil. Transfer to oven and cook 2-1/2 to 3 hours or until meat is nearly falling off the bone, rotating pans halfway through.
- Generously brush ribs with Gochujang Honey BBQ Sauce. If desired, char ribs a little bit under the broiler: preheat broiler to HIGH. Place ribs under broiler and broil 2 to 3 minutes or until lightly charred, watching carefully.
- Cut ribs and sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds and sliced green onions. Serve with any leftover sauce.
