Sweet and Sticky Asian ribs, the meat falls off the bones so tender. The sweetly spiced sauce ensures that the meat has a delicious taste. This is a recipe you will be making very often and that not only your family but really everyone will like! Even those picky eaters. Your go-to recipe for short ribs from the oven next time.

A photo from above, bottom left, a white dish with three sticky ribs sprinkled with spring onion. Top right a pink white checkered tea towel and the end of a clothespin

Sweet and Sticky Asian Ribs

We often eat ribs when having a BBQ. Nicely roasted and has lots of flavors. Like these Honey Bourbon ribs or Sweet spare ribs with BBQ sauce. But what if it's winter?

Then you choose these sticky pork ribs from now on. Because they are that tasty. Based on a recipe from Gordon Ramsay (the man who makes a lot of noise but can cook so well), you can prepare these ribs with delicious sauce in under an hour. It's a very easy recipe. The flavorful sauce with Asian spices is delicious.

Not only are the ribs so tender that the meat falls off the bones (for me, the only way to make spare ribs right), but the gooey sweet sauce that coats the sticky ribs is SO delicious! You love these Asian-style ribs. So this is my recipe for making spareribs when I can't use the BBQ!

TIP - Cut the ribs into smaller pieces and then prepare them. Serve them on a plate with a bowl of sweet chili sauce, and you have a delicious snack with an Asian twist!

What do you need for Sticky Garlic Honey Spare Ribs with Asian flavors?

To prepare these Sweet and sticky Asian ribs, you need the following ingredients. You can find the correct amounts in the recipe card at the bottom of the blog:

Ingredients Sweet and Stick Asian Ribs, individually labelled on a white background

Spare ribs - aka pork ribs. It is the middle part of the ribs. And to prepare, you to simmer this meat in a marinade. Because the preparation is longer, it absorbs the flavors from the marinade.
Garlic, Ginger - The basic flavors of the sticky ribs.
Chili flakes - For a bit of spice in the sauce.
Szechuan pepper - Szechuan pepper is used in part of Asian cuisine. It is not a real pepper, but has a slight lemon flavor. It is not very spicy, but you get a slight tingling sensation when you eat it. You'll find it at an Asian Supermarket.
Star anise - Is a warming herb with a light licorice taste. It resembles aniseed, but is stronger in flavor and has a bit of pit. You do not eat star anise, but remove it before serving.
Honey and brown sugar - To sweeten the marinade. Brown sugar adds a caramel flavor.
Soy sauce - Use light or dark soy sauce.
Rice Vinegar - In addition to adding a light acidity, which gives you a sweet and sour marinade. But also acid, in this case, the vinegar, makes the meat more tender, which results in tender ribs.
Mirin - Sweet Japanese cooking wine. Mirin is much sweeter than Chinese cooking wine (Shaoxing). Add two teaspoons of extra brown sugar if you're using the latter as a Mirin substitute.
Beef stock - Gives the marinade extra flavor. Make it from a cube or use a homemade beef stock.
Tomato ketchup - gives a pleasant sweet taste and is a little deeper through the tomato.
Spring Onion - (Green Onions / Scallions) Gives a fresh taste to the sticky ribs with a bit of spice.

How to prepare Sticky Asian-Inspired Ribs

You can find a printable recipe with a step-by-step description at the bottom of this blog.

4 photos showing how to make sweet and Sticky Asian Ribs

Bake the ribs in a heatproof roasting pan over high heat for 10 minutes, occasionally turning, until golden brown.
Divide garlic, ginger, chili, Sichuan pepper, star anise, and honey over the roasting tray and cook for 2 minutes over high heat. By frying for a while, the flavors of the herbs are released, and everything becomes extra tasty.
Pour soy sauce, rice vinegar, and Mirin into the roasting pan and add the rice vinegar. Bring to a boil. Add the ketchup, scallion, and stock and mix.
Bake in the oven for 30 minutes at 350 °F (180 °C) until the ribs are tender. Remove the ribs from the sauce and cover them with aluminum foil. Reduce the sauce until it becomes syrupy. Remove the star anise. Return the ribs to the sticky sauce, ensuring they are completely coated. Sprinkle green onions on top and serve!

To serve: This recipe is delicious with fresh fries and a cucumber salad!
Garnish: add some green onions and (entirely optional) sesame seeds.

A white background. A white dish with three baked ribs sprinkled with spring onion. A hand grabs a ride. A clothespin in the background.

Did you make this recipe? Tag #byandreajanssen via Instagram. I enjoy seeing what your creation looks like. Video recipes can be found on my YouTube channel. And don't forget to save the recipes on Pinterest so you can easily find them next time!

📖 Recipe

A square photo with a stack of sticky spareribs on top of each other. Sprinkled with spring onion. A hand takes one from the bowl

Sweet and Sticky Asian Ribs

Sweet and Sticky Asian ribs, the meat falls off the bones so tender. The sweetly spiced sauce ensures that the meat has a delicious taste.

5 of 27 votes

Printen Pin Recept

Cook Time: 55

Total Time: 55

Course: Dinner

Cuisine: Asian

Author: Andréa

Servings: 4 personen

Author: Andréa

Equipment

roasting pan stove proof
A conventional oven is used. When using a convection oven (with air fan) decrease the temperature with 30 °F / 20 °C
Chef's knife
aluminum foil

Ingredients

Sweet and Sticky Asian Ribs

2 tablespoons oil
2 ½ pounds spare ribs
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon ground white pepper
4 cloves garlic sliced thinly
2 inch fresh ginger peeled and cut into thin slices (5 cm)
1 teaspoon chili flakes
1 teaspoon Szechuan peppercorn or ½ teaspoon ground Szechuan pepper
4 star anise
4 tablespoon honey
⅓ cup dark brown sugar
⅔ cup soy sauce light or dark
2 tablespoon rice vinegar
1 ¼ cup Mirin wine
3 spring onions cut into small strips
1 cup beef stock
1 cup ketchup

Garnish

2 spring onions cut into small strips

Ingredients you need per step are listed below the step in Italic

Instructions

Sweet and Sticky Asian Ribs

Preheat the oven to 350 °F (180 °C) or 320 °F (160 °C).
Brush the roasting pan with oil.
2 tablespoons oil
Sprinkle the spare ribs with salt and pepper and place them in the roasting pan.
2 ½ pounds spare ribs, ½ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon ground white pepper
Put the roasting pan on the gas on medium heat and fry both sides of the ribs until they are golden brown (but not yet cooked). This will take about 10 minutes. Turn around halfway.
Divide the garlic and ginger slices, the chili flakes, Sichuan pepper, star anise, and honey over the roasting tray and fry for 2 minutes over medium-high heat.
4 cloves garlic, 2 inch fresh ginger, 1 teaspoon chili flakes, 1 teaspoon Szechuan peppercorn, 4 star anise, 4 tablespoon honey
Pour the soy sauce, rice vinegar, and mirin into the roasting pan, add the brown sugar and bring to a boil. Let it cook for one more minute.
⅓ cup dark brown sugar, ⅔ cup soy sauce, 2 tablespoon rice vinegar, 1 ¼ cup Mirin wine
Add tomato ketchup, spring onions, and stock, stir everything, and put in the oven.
3 spring onions, 1 cup ketchup, 1 cup beef stock
Bake for 30 minutes and remove from the oven. Check if the ribs are done (see tips); otherwise, extend the baking time by 5 minutes and check again.
Remove the ribs from the sauce and place them on a plate. Cover with aluminum foil to keep them warm.
Place the roasting pan over high heat and cook for about 10 minutes until the sauce becomes thick and sticky.
Remove the star anise.
Place the spare ribs back in the roasting pan and cover completely with the sticky glaze to get sweet and sticky Asian ribs.

To serve

Sprinkle with extra spring onion and serve.
2 spring onions

Notes

1. Szechuan pepper - is used in part of Asian cuisine. You'll find it at an Asian Supermarket.

2. Check Ribs are done - The ribs are done when the internal temperature is between 190 - 200 °F (88 - 93 °C). Therefore, prick a meat thermometer in the thickest part of the meat, but make sure it doesn't touch a bone. If the ribs aren't done yet, extend the baking time by 5 minutes and check again.

3. Spices -By frying the herbs (chili flakes, garlic, ginger, star anise, and Sichuan peppercorn), the flavors of the herbs are released, and the sticky ribs get more taste.

4. - Sear the meat and reduce the sauce - Place the roasting pan, if it is suitable for it, on the stove and bring to a boil. If this is not possible, roast the meat in a frying pan before placing it in the roasting pan.

To reduce the sauce, pour the contents of the roasting pan into a wide pan and bring to a boil. Using a wide pan will help the sauce cook faster.

You need about 10 minutes until the sauce has thickened enough. You can check this by stirring the sauce with a wooden spoon. Draw a line through the sauce with your finger. The sauce has thickened enough if it remains visible for a while (so it does not close immediately).

5. - Oven Temperature

When you use a conventional oven, set the temperature to, 350 °F (180 °C). In a convection oven, 320 °F (160 °C) is sufficient.

6. - Storage

Refrigerator - Quickly cool the sweet and sticky ribs. You can keep the spare ribs covered in the fridge for up to two days.
Freezer - Allow the meat to cool quickly and place it in an airtight freezer box or bag and freeze. This keeps it good for up to 4 months. Then, let thaw in the refrigerator.
Reheat - Place the garlic honey spare ribs in an oven dish and cover with aluminum foil. Bake them for 20 minutes at 340 °F (170 °C).

7. The nutritional values shown are per person, without side dishes. Now, you probably won't eat all the sauce. The ultimate nutritional value is therefore lower.