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 rimmed 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 rimmed 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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I made this tonight and I really wanted to like it, but nobody did, including me. The ribs were very nicely cooked, but the flavor was just not good.
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!