Baby Back Ribs with Hoisin BBQ Sauce
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Dig into these succulent Asian-inspired ribs, slow-cooked to perfection in a rich hoisin barbecue sauce. They’re so tender, they practically fall right off the bone.
Slow-baked in a rich hoisin barbecue sauce until the meat is irresistibly tender and falls right off the bone, these ribs are truly finger-licking good. While the recipe is simple, it does require a bit of planning ahead. You’ll need to let the ribs marinate for at least four hours and then allow them another two and a half hours to slow-cook in the oven.
When it comes to preparing baby back ribs, it’s important to remove the membrane on the underside. If you can, let your butcher take care of this step. If not, no worries—I’ll walk you through how to do it below. Also, while you should trim off any large pieces of fat, it’s okay to leave some smaller pockets of fat; they’ll render out during cooking, adding some extra flavor and moisture to the ribs.
Table of Contents
What You’ll Need To Make Baby Back Ribs with Hoisin BBQ Sauce
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1: Make the Hoisin BBQ Sauce
Combine the hoisin sauce, chili sauce, dry Sherry, honey, soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil, garlic and ginger in a medium bowl.
Stir to combine.
Cut the rib rack racks in half into 6- or 7-rib sections. Line a baking sheet with heavy duty aluminum foil. Place the rib racks on the baking sheet. Reserve 1 cup of the sauce and pour the remainder over the ribs, coating both sides evenly. Arrange the ribs in a single layer with the meaty sides up. Cover tightly with heavy-duty aluminum foil and refrigerate for a minimum of four hours or overnight.
Preheat the oven to 300°F and set an oven rack in the center position. Place the covered ribs in the oven and bake undisturbed for 2 hours. Remove the ribs from the oven and carefully remove the foil (the steam will be very hot and can burn).
Using a pastry brush or back of a spoon, coat the racks generously with the reserved sauce. Increase the oven temperature to 350°F. Return the pan to the oven, uncovered, and cook until the sauce is sticky and the ribs begin to caramelize, about 30 minutes.
Allow to cool briefly before slicing between the ribs to serve. Garnish with scallions and sesame seeds, if desired.
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Baby Back Ribs with Hoisin BBQ Sauce
Dig into these succulent Asian-inspired ribs, slow-cooked to perfection in a rich hoisin barbecue sauce. They’re so tender, they practically fall right off the bone.
Ingredients
- 1 cup hoisin sauce, best quality such as Kikkoman or Lee Kum Kee
- ½ cup chili sauce (preferably Heinz)
- 2½ tablespoons dry Sherry
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1½ tablespoons rice vinegar
- ½ teaspoon Asian/toasted sesame oil
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- 2 racks baby back pork ribs (4 to 5 pounds), membrane removed (see note below)
For Serving (optional)
- 2 scallions, dark green parts only
- Sesame seeds
Instructions
- Make the hoisin BBQ sauce by combining all of the ingredients except for the ribs in a medium bowl.
- Cut the rib rack racks in half into 6- or 7-rib sections. Line a baking sheet with heavy duty aluminum foil. Place the rib racks on the baking sheet. Reserve 1 cup of the sauce and pour the remainder over the ribs, coating both sides evenly. Arrange the ribs in a single layer with the meaty sides up. Cover tightly with heavy-duty aluminum foil and refrigerate for a minimum of four hours or overnight.
- Preheat the oven to 300°F and set an oven rack in the center position. Place the covered ribs in the oven and bake undisturbed for 2 hours. Remove the ribs from the oven and carefully remove the foil (the steam will be very hot and can burn). Using a pastry brush or back of a spoon, coat the racks generously with the reserved sauce. Increase the oven temperature to 350°F. Return the pan to the oven, uncovered, and cook until the sauce is sticky and the ribs begin to caramelize, about 30 minutes. Allow to cool briefly before slicing between the ribs to serve. Garnish with scallions and sesame seeds, if desired.
- Note: Ask your butcher to remove the white membrane on the underside of the ribs. If you need to remove it yourself, loosen it at the edge with a butter knife and peel it off (if it's slippery, grab it with a paper towel). Note that there appears to be another layer of membrane underneath the one you remove; you shouldn't remove it as it's what holds the meat and bones together.
Pair with
Nutrition Information
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- Serving size: 4
- Calories: 1,250
- Fat: 77 g
- Saturated fat: 27 g
- Carbohydrates: 46 g
- Sugar: 31 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 91 g
- Sodium: 2,330 mg
- Cholesterol: 315 mg
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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Hi again, Jenn. I’m a bit confused about timing for these ribs. In the recipe the initial bake says 2 hours but in the comments you mention 90 minutes. Which is it? Thanks so much for your amazing recipes. I recommend your site multiple times a week! Tory
Hi Tori, Thanks for your nice words about the recipes and for spreading the word about the site! 💕 I’m sorry for any confusion regarding the timing. I don’t know why I would’ve responded to that reader using the 90-minute timeframe(!), but 2 hours is correct. Hope you enjoy the ribs!
Wow! That was quick. Another reason we love you. Thanks! Making them for friends tomorrow.
There are queries as to whether the ribs require the BBQ grill. The classic Joyce Chen recipe, which is you will get in a Chinese restauarant, has to be cooked in the oven.
Fabulous! Directions are perfect. My husband and I loved these ribs. Sides were spicy cole slaw and sweet potatoes. Looking forward to making this dish again. Thank you for this wonderful recipe.
I bought the cookbook and have made recipes from this site, all with 5-star reviews. This one, however, was just not my favorite. I think it doesn’t have to do with the recipe itself but just that I don’t care for oven ribs. Give me the smoke!
The sauce, though, is 5-star. I plan on using it for other things.
My husband and daughter really liked these ribs. Made them for Valentine’s Day, along with twice baked potatoes and a broccoli salad and they were a big hit. Thanks for another awesome recipe!
Hi Jenn,
I Made the mistake of buying side ribs. Is there anything I should do differently with this recipe?
Hi Deborah, Spare ribs are bigger so you’ll likely need to cook them a bit longer. Just keep an eye on them. They’re done when they’re tender. Hope you enjoy and please LMK how they turn out!
Marinade was very good. I did finish the ribs off on the grill which added a lil char and made the appearance look good. Definitely a keeper recipe.
The ribs were fantastic, everyone it the family loved it. my son request for me to make it again. Side dishes were caesar salad and fried potato wedges.
These are so delicious (as all your recipes)! I wanted to know if you can freeze these? And would it be better after cooked or just freeze in the marinade? The package of ribs is pretty big so I would normally divide it into 2 meals.
Hi Margot, I’ve never frozen these cooked or uncooked, but if you want to freeze them, I’d suggest freezing them uncooked in the marinade. Hope that helps! 🙂
Very tasty. I did away with the chili, since we did not want it to be very hot, and the dry Sherry, as we did not have the ingredient. Easy and quick recipe
Delicious! This is great, so easy to prepare and was a big hit, I have made it twice so far. The last batch lasted two days but I doubled the sauce so I poured the extra on when I reheated the ribs and they were perfect. Served with the Thai crunch salad, which was also very good and that held up very well second day, too. I actually enjoyed the slaw even more the second day. I am a huge fan of your Asian kale salad and it has a similar taste. I love trying new recipes but HATE money spent, time wasted on a bad one….that has never happened with any of your recipes, they always turn out great!
Hi Jen,
Can these ribs be done on the grill and, if so, would you mind giving specific instructions?
Also, we’re thinking of having some shrimp on the grill as well. What would some good sides and salads be to go with ribs and shrimp.
Thanks in advance!
Joan Ollendorf
Hi Joan, I would recommend using a combination of the oven and grill for the ribs. After removing them from the oven after 2 hours, I’d put them on the grill over medium heat. Grill the ribs on each side for 15 minutes. Flip when necessary, for 30 minutes total. I’d baste them with the reserved BBQ sauce during the last 5 to 10 minutes of grilling time. Please LMK how they turn out!
Hi, love these ribs. Could you please confirm if these can be made ahead and reheated?
Thanks very much…
Hi Kim, Glad you like these! I think that would work. I’d reheat them in the oven covered with foil until heated through and then pull the foil off to let them crisp up for a few minutes.
Made this over Christmas break. Used less sweetness than directed, as per personal taste. They were very yummy!
So happy with this recipe! So easy and foolproof!! Usually when I follow recipes, it doesn’t turn out the way I had hoped, but this one hits it right on the mark!! Delicious looking and tasting. Will become my go to recipe for ribs. I didn’t have rice vinegar and skipped the chili sauce because of my children and it still turned out wonderful. I only had 2 lbs of ribs so I halved the recipe and the sauce quantity was just right. Thank you so much Jenn! I stumbled upon this blog searching for an asian rib recipe and so glad I found it. Can’t wait to try some of your other recipes.
Kids that usually like ribs were not a fan and I thought it was a little too sweet, but my husband enjoyed them.
These were yummy. Substituted sriracha chili sauce because that’s all I had, and they were delicious!!! I added a little less so the spice wouldn’t overtake the meat and it was great. Also didn’t have the sesame oil so used olive oil and it was still perfect. Everyone ate them which is a huge accomplishment in my household of five. Thank you Jenn, for your site. The recipes are consistently delicious and never have to worry that something new I’m trying will turn out bad. Love trying all your recipes!!!!! You also are always so kind, which makes your site even better. 🙂
These ribs were flavorful and tender with a touch of Asian flavor that I enjoyed. Easy to make, still, they do not compare with your Bar B Q Short Ribs which are my favorite . This Asian sauce could definitely be used to make the short ribs if you prefer this sauce and beef ribs instead of the Pork ribs. I prefer the beef.
Hi Kathy. We all have our personal tastes. You prefer beef ribs over pork. That’s your choice, but please don’t rate a recipe lower because of your choice of protein. The fact that this recipe would be good on beef as well as pork should be a positive, rather than a reason to downgrade from 5 to 3 stars . Your bad review affects Jenn.
I made this last night and it was close to perfect. Just a little too sweet for our taste. Next time I’ll cut down on the honey.
Thanks for another great recipe Jenn!
Would it work to cook these in a slow cooker rather than in the oven? Any suggestions on how long?
Hi Katie, I think you could use a slow cooker for these. I almost never use one so I’m not certain about timing, but I think you should be fine with cooking them for 6-8 hours on low or for 3-4 hours on high, until the ribs are tender. I’d love to hear how they turn out if you prepare them this way!
Do you cook the ribs covered in the
oven?
Carol
Hi Carol, you bake the ribs, covered, at 300 degrees for 2 hours; then you (carefully!) remove the foil, increase the oven temp to 350, and return them to the oven for 30 more minutes. Enjoy!
Plan on making these for July 4th for about 30-35 people along with a chicken entree, appetizers and sides. How may lbs would you suggest?
Hi Jeff, Usually I’d count on about a pound per person, but since you’ll have a lot of other food as well, I think 4 ribs per person (or about 1/3 a rack) would be good.
Ribs – the messier the better! I stuck with the Asian influence and served with Thai cucumber salad and veggie fried rice. Yum!!
We love ribs…. all kinds of ribs! So glad you specified Heinz chili sauce – there are so many different kinds of chili sauce… sweet, hot, thai… never know which one I need.
what’s not to love about a gooey bbq sauce…these ribs were delicious and left my family wanting for more.
This is getting added to my recipe book. I LOVE Hoison!
This looks amazing
These were AMAZING!! Best oven cooked ribs ever and the sauce was perfect!! Thanks!
These were great! I ended up finding baby back ribs in a smaller package after all. The consensus was that I probably could have cooked the ribs uncovered for 45 minutes instead of 30–some were ever-so-slightly underdone for our taste—but overall these were a huge hit and I’ll definitely be making them again. The sauce was finger-licking good!
Jenn: I plan on making these this week, but my supermarket only has “pork back ribs” in 8- to 11-pound packages, which is way too much for us. They sell pork spare ribs in 3- to 4-pound packages, so I’m thinking of using those instead. Would I need to alter the cooking time or anything else if I’m using spare ribs? I’ve never made ribs before, so I’m not even sure what the difference between the two is…would it matter for this recipe?
Hi Allie, Spare ribs are bigger than baby backs so you’ll probably need to cook them a bit longer. Just keep an eye on them…they’re done when they’re tender. Hope you enjoy and please let me know how the spare ribs come out.
These are the best ribs I have ever had. If you want to impress your dinner guests make these! We like to finish them off on the grill for the last 20-30 minutes.
They are delicious!! Tried it last night, loved it! Great recipe
I made this last summer after you posted the recipe, and now all my friends request that I make it at every summer bbq/party! Thanks for the great recipe!
does the chili sauce make these spicy?
Eliana, The chili sauce does not make them spicy. Hope that helps 🙂
Sticky AND messy….my favorite kind of ribs!