These sticky Asian ribs are fall-off-the-bone tender with a sweet, savory, spicy, and utterly irresistible glaze. Pork ribs slow-baked in the oven and finished with a glossy, caramelized homemade sauce, they deliver bold Chinese-inspired flavors without needing a grill or smoker.
Perfect for a casual appetizer or even a weeknight dinner, these ribs are a crowd-pleaser that can be made ahead and reheated. Bold yet balanced flavors are packed into every bite, and these baked ribs are surprisingly easy to make!
These taste like a more tender version of the Chinese pork ribs you get at your local Chinese restaurant, but meatier and easier to make at home.
These baked ribs would be delicious dunked into some zesty jalapeño ranch dip and served alongside some pork belly sliders, crab rangoon egg rolls, or boom boom shrimp!
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
Layers of flavor - a dry rub featuring Chinese five-spice and ginger infuses the meat, while the glaze adds a sweet and spicy kick. Similar to these honey sriracha meatballs!
Convenient - no grill or smoker? No problem. These ribs are baked right in the oven with very little effort.
Spicy scale - adjust the spice level to your preference with sambal oelek (we love the kick of vinegar in this), sriracha, or red pepper flakes.
Make-ahead friendly - prepare the ribs in advance and reheat when ready to serve!
Ingredients
- Pork ribs. The star of the recipe, baby back or St. Louis rib cuts are tender and ideal for baking until fall-off-the-bone.
- Light brown sugar. Adds sweetness and helps create a caramelized crust when broiled.
- Spices. Garlic powder, onion powder, Chinese five spice powder, ground ginger, cayenne pepper create a perfect blend of flavors for the dry rub.
- Beer. This adds moisture and flavor while baking, helps tenderize the meat and creates steam during baking. I love to use a lager or stout.
- Soy sauce . The salty, umami-rich base of the glaze balances the sweetness. From the sugar and hoisin.
- Hoisin sauce. Adds thickness, sweetness, and a slightly tangy, complex flavor.
- Sesame oil. Gives the sauce a rich, nutty depth and classic Asian flavor.
- Rice vinegar. Adds tang and brightness to balance the richness. You can also use white vinegar in a pinch.
- Sambal oelek. Brings heat, vinegar, and chili flavor. Add more or less to fit your spice level!
- Fresh ginger. Adds a zingy bite with classic Asian flavors. Use 1 teaspoon powdered ginger if you can’t find fresh.
- Cornstarch. This gets mixed with water and thickens the glaze to create the classic sticky coating.
See recipe card for full ingredients list and quantities.
Substitutions and Variations
- Beer. Use beef broth or coke (half can coke, half can water) in place of beer.
- Adjusting heat. Customize the spice level by varying the amount of sambal oelek, sriracha, or red pepper flakes to suit your spice tolerance.
- Alternative cuts. This recipe works well with both baby back and St. Louis-style ribs.
- Ginger. If you don't have fresh ginger, use 1 teaspoon ground ginger instead.
How to Choose Cuts of Ribs
The types of pork ribs you’ll find in a supermarket will be: baby back ribs, st. louis ribs, or spareribs.
Baby back are typically the smallest rack, but are leaner and have the most meat. St. Louis style are larger, quite uniform in shape, but fattier and has less meat than baby backs. Spareribs are the least uniform and aren’t butchered quite as cleanly, which can make them harder to eat.
You can use any of these varieties, just pay attention to the weight and note that baby backs will cook the most quickly, while spareribs will take the most time to cook and get tender.
How to Remove Silver Skin from Ribs
- Dry off the underside (boney, non-meaty side) of the ribs with some paper towels.
- Use a fingernail or the tip of a butter knife to pull up a bit of the very outer, thin membrane. I find this easier to do from the thinner end. You can also try from the side towards the top.
- Peel off enough to grab with a few fingers, then use the paper towel to hold it tight and pull the whole way down the rack of ribs until it comes off completely. Discard.
Some silver skin (or membrane) can be stubborn and just don’t want to come off. If you’re not able to remove it, just score it with the tip of a paring knife in a cross hatch pattern all over to allow the dry rub to get into the meat.
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How to Make This Recipe
One: Mix together all ingredients for the dry rub.
Two: Remove the silver skin from the ribs, then pat dry completely.
Three: Cut the ribs into sections between the bones.
Four: Add the dry rub and rub into all sides of the of the ribs.
Five: Broil the ribs on both sides until browned, then pour in 12oz of beer, cover tightly with foil, and bake.
Six: While the ribs bake, cook the sauce until thick and let it cool.
Seven: Remove the foil, turn up the heat, and glaze the ribs twice with the sauce.
Eight: Cut the ribs into single pieces in between the bones, then add to a platter and garnish with sesame seeds and chopped cilantro.
Expert Tips
- Removing the membrane ensures the flavors from the rub can absorb. If you’re struggling to pull it off, just score the back to allow the flavors to get in.
- Dry off the ribs well with paper towels to allow the dry rub to adhere the the meat best.
- Broiling. Keep a close eye to prevent burning. Aim for a nice char and turn the pan as needed!
- Cover the pan tightly with aluminum foil to ensure steam doesn’t escape during the cooking process. Be careful when removing the foil to check the ribs!
- Apply the glaze in layers helps build a sticky, flavorful crust. I like to do at least 2 applications, sometimes 3!
Recipe FAQs
Yes! Bake the ribs and prepare the glaze in advance. When ready to serve, reheat the ribs, apply the glaze, and finish in the oven as directed.
Removing the silver skin or membrane allows the rub and glaze to penetrate better, resulting in more flavorful and tender ribs.
Totally. Grill the dry-rubbed ribs on high heat over the grill until nicely charred and brown, then transfer to the pan, add the beer, and cover with foil and bake. This will give the ribs an extra bit of smoky flavor.
Yes. Rub, then broil the ribs, then nestle them into a slow cooker with ¼ cup of water and set to low heat. Cook for 6-8 hours. Transfer to a sheet pan, add the glaze, and finish them in the oven.
Storage
Store leftover ribs in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Reheating: Wrap ribs in foil and reheat in a 275°F oven for 20–30 minutes, or until warmed through.
📖Recipe
Baked Sticky Asian Ribs
Equipment
- 9x13" pan
- tin foil
- basting brush optional
Ingredients
Dry Rub
- 1 large rack baby back or st. louis style pork ribs ~2-3lbs
- ⅓ cup light brown sugar packed
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon chinese five spice powder
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 12 oz beer lager or stout
Glaze
- ½ cup brown sugar packed
- ½ cup soy sauce
- ¼ cup hoisin
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- ¼ cup rice vinegar
- 2 tablespoons sambal oelek or use 1 tablespoon sriracha, or 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 ” fresh ginger peeled and grated or finely minced
- 4 cloves garlic grated or finely minced
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 2 tablespoons water
- sesame seeds for garnish
- cilantro for garnish
Instructions
- Remove the rack from the packaging and pat dry with paper towels. Flip the rack so it’s meat side down, and remove the piece of silver skin from the curved bone side of the ribs.1 large rack baby back or st. louis style pork ribs
- You can typically begin lifting it off from the bones on the thinner side of the rack. Lift the thin membrane up with your fingernails, then pull it from the meat and bones, going the whole way down the rack. If you’re unable to remove it, simply score cross hatches all over the curved side of the bones.
- Cut the ribs in between the bones into 2-4 bones per chunk, dry off again, and place in a 9x13” pan.
- Preheat the oven to broil and arrange a rack in the top third of the oven.
- Mix together all ingredients for the dry rub, then rub all over the top, bottom, and sides of the ribs. Really massage it in!⅓ cup light brown sugar, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon onion powder, 2 teaspoons kosher salt, 1 teaspoon black pepper, 1 teaspoon chinese five spice powder, 1 teaspoon ground ginger, ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- Arrange the ribs meat side up, then broil until crispy, flipping to get both sides charred. Watch for burning & smoking!
- Remove from the oven and change the temperature to 325F. Turn the ribs so they’re meat side up, then pour the beer into the pan. Cover tightly with foil (don’t let any steam escape), and place in the center rack of the oven. Bake for 2-2.5 hours until the bones are quite exposed on the edges and the meat is very tender.12 oz beer
- While the ribs bake, add the brown sugar, soy sauce, hoisin, sesame oil, rice vinegar, sambal oelek, ginger, and garlic to a saucepan over medium heat. Mix and heat until bubbling and the sugar has dissolved.½ cup brown sugar, ½ cup soy sauce, ¼ cup hoisin, 1 tablespoon sesame oil, ¼ cup rice vinegar, 2 tablespoons sambal oelek, 1 ” fresh ginger, 4 cloves garlic
- Mix together the cornstarch and water and mix into the sauce. Let it cook and bubble until thickened, then remove from the heat.1 tablespoon cornstarch, 2 tablespoons water
- About 15 minutes before the ribs are done, remove the pan from the oven and carefully remove the foil (the steam is hot!).
- Spread a layer of the sauce all over the top of the ribs, then return to the oven and switch it to 425F. After 10 minutes, add another layer of sauce and return to the oven for an additional 5 minutes.
- Remove the ribs to a platter or cutting board and slice in between the bones into individual pieces. Serve with a sprinkle of sesame seeds, cilantro and a bowl of excess sauce.sesame seeds, cilantro
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