These sticky asian-inspired ribs are some of the most tender, juicy, and flavorful ribs I’ve ever made (and had)!!! The spice rub and marinade/glaze is PACKED with umami-rich flavors balancing sweet, salty, and spicy that keep you coming back for MORE!!
For a while, the thought of making a whole rack of ribs intimidated me since I’m not the biggest BBQ or smoker buff, but once I learned how EASY and DELICIOUS they come out in the oven, it was a game changer! Not only is it a much simpler prep and process, but it genuinely comes out just as tender and juicy (if not more.)
As for the flavor of the ribs, this is inspired by a combination of things…those yummy Chinese take-out BBQ pork ribs & Korean/Japanese sticky ribs. I brought together some of my favorite asian spices and condiments and found a perfect balance of flavors. You’ll find things such as 5-Spice, Hoisin, Fresh Ginger & Garlic, Yuzu juice & MORE in this recipe.
Table of Contents
- ❤️ Why You’ll Love Sticky Asian-Inspired Ribs
- 🍲 Ingredients
- 👩🍳 How to Make Sticky Asian-Inspired Ribs
- 🪄 Tips and Tricks for Sticky Asian-Inspired Ribs
- Recipe Tip
- Spare Rib Variations
- Substitutions
- Best served with
- 👝 How to Store Leftover Sticky Asian-Inspired Ribs
- 🤔 Common Questions
- Sticky Asian-Inspired Ribs Recipe
❤️ Why You’ll Love Sticky Asian-Inspired Ribs
➢ Beginner-friendly recipe. If this is your first time making ribs, fear not, this is the PERFECT place to start!
➢ Low lift, high reward recipe!! This recipe takes 10 minutes of prep and 15 total minutes of active cooking, the rest is sitting back and letting the oven do the work.
➢ Super flavorful & a crowd favorite. Whenever I make this for a group, it is GONE in minutes.
🍲 Ingredients
For the ribs:
St. Louis spare ribs (about 3–4 lbs) – I love these because it’s the perfect size rib that comes out super tender, moist & juicy.
5 spice – adds a beautiful flavor kick
Garlic powder – we stan garlic here
Chili pepper – for a little heat
Ground Ginger – can omit if you don’t have it, but love the extra ginger kick.
White pepper – the slight funk of white pepper brings out the Asian flair to the ribs but if you don’t have it just use black pepper instead.
For the marinade/glaze:
Soy sauce – perfect salty umami base
Hoisin sauce – adds a beautiful savory sweetness needed in this dish. The most important glaze ingredient!!
Brown sugar – add some extra sweetness for balance, can also use honey here.
Yuzu or lime juice – brings in some acid and brightness.
Sesame oil – adds fat and flavor to bind the sauce
Garlic cloves – for an extra flavor punch
Fresh ginger – for a little bit a zing zang.
Sriracha – the perfect spicy addition.
Peanuts – adds a nice crunch and flavor compliments the glaze
Sliced scallions – for freshness
👩🍳 How to Make Sticky Asian-Inspired Ribs
1. Prep the ribs
- Pat dry and remove silver skin from the back of the ribs.
- Place on a baking tray lined with enough foil to later wrap around the ribs and a smaller piece of parchment paper to go just under (to prevent sticking)
- Mix together the spice rub ingredients and spread all over the ribs, getting into the nooks and crannies.
2. Make the marinade
- In a bowl, whisk together all marinade ingredients.
- Set aside about 1/3 cup of the mixture for glazing later.
- Brush the remaining marinade all over the ribs.
3. Bake low & slow
- Preheat oven to 300°F (150°C).
- Wrap ribs tightly in foil, meat side up.
- Place on a baking sheet and bake for 3 hours, or until tender.
5. Glaze & finish
- Carefully remove foil. Increase oven to 425°F (220°C).
- Brush ribs with reserved glaze.
- Roast uncovered for 10–15 minutes, brushing it once more halfway, until sticky and caramelized.
6. Rest & serve
- Let ribs rest for 10 minutes.
- Slice between the bones and garnish as desired.
🪄 Tips and Tricks for Sticky Asian-Inspired Ribs
Line foil with parchment paper on the bottom before wrapping ribs — prevents sugar from fusing to foil….Learned this from trial and error.
Let ribs sit in marinade for at least 1 hour, or up to overnight for extra bold flavor throughout the meat. Not mandatory, but a nice boost.
Low and Slow is KEY. Bake at 300°F, wrapped in foil, for 3.5–4 hours (spare ribs) until bendable and tender.
My Pro Tip
Recipe Tip
Make a DOUBLE batch!! These take a while to make and go fast + leftovers are also delicious.
Spare Rib Variations
This hot grill summer is just getting started, so no variations YET… but stay tuned.
- Completely different vibes, but I do have this sparerib sunday sauce recipe live!
Substitutions
Hard to sub here without changing the flavor but you can play with proteins (watch cooking times)
- Spare ribs → baby back ribs (just reduce cook time to ~2.5–3 hrs)
- Spare ribs → bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs or drumsticks (bake at 400°F for 35–45 min)
- Spare ribs → Wings (bake at 400°F for 30–35 min, broil last 2–3 min for crisp)
- Spare ribs → English-cut beef short ribs (bake at 300°F for 3–3.5 hrs, then glaze + roast)
Best served with
- Cooked rice, cauliflower rice, or grain of choice
- A fresh cucumber salad or lightly dressed greens
- Garlicky sautéed broccoli or bok choy
- Roasted carrots or sweet potatoes
- Scallion pancakes
- Crispy potstickers
👝 How to Store Leftover Sticky Asian-Inspired Ribs
Cool ribs completely before storing. Wrap tightly in foil or place in an airtight container. Store up to 4 days.
Reheating:
1 – Oven (best texture):
- Preheat to 300°F
- Wrap ribs in foil with a splash of water or reserved glaze
- Bake for 15–20 min, or until hot
2 – Air fryer (for crispy edges):
- 375°F for 5–8 minutes — great for small portions
3 – Microwave (quick fix):
Add a little sauce to keep moist. Cover ribs with a damp paper towel. Microwave in 30-sec intervals until warm
🤔 Common Questions
Yes! Just reduce bake time to 2.5–3 hours instead of 3.5–4. Baby backs are smaller and cook faster.
Use the bend test: lift with tongs — if they bend easily and crack slightly, they’re ready. You can also check that a toothpick slides in with no resistance.
Yes! Cook fully, cool, and store in the fridge. Reheat in the oven at 300°F wrapped in foil for 15–20 minutes.
Definitely. Freeze tightly wrapped for up to 3 months. Reheat in the oven from thawed for best results.
Sticky Asian-Inspired Ribs
Ingredients
For the ribs
- 1 rack St. Louis spare ribs, about 3–4 lbs
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp Chinese five-spice powder
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp chili pepper
- ½ tsp ground ginger
- ½ tsp white pepper, or black pepper
For the marinade/glaze
- ¼ cup soy sauce
- ¼ cup hoisin sauce
- 1 tbsp brown sugar
- 1 tbsp yuzu or lime juice
- 2 tsp sesame oil
- 2 –3 garlic cloves, grated
- 1 tbsp fresh ginger, grated
- 1 –2 tsp chili paste, sriracha
Toppings (optional)
- Sliced scallions
- Chopped peanuts
Instructions
Prep the ribs
- Pat ribs dry and remove the silver skin from the back.
- Place ribs on a foil-lined baking sheet with a layer of parchment paper underneath to prevent sticking.
- Mix together the spice rub ingredients and rub all over the ribs.
Make the marinade
- In a bowl, whisk together all marinade ingredients.
- Set aside about ⅓ cup for glazing later.
- Brush the remaining marinade all over the ribs.
- Optional: Marinate ribs for at least 1 hour, or overnight for even more flavor.
Bake low & slow
- Preheat oven to 300°F (150°C).
- Wrap ribs tightly in foil, meat side up.
- Bake for 3 hours, or until very tender.
Glaze & finish
- Carefully unwrap the ribs. Increase oven temp to 425°F (220°C).
- Brush ribs with reserved glaze.
- Roast uncovered for 10–15 minutes, brushing once more halfway through, until sticky and caramelized.
Rest & serve
- Let ribs rest for 10 minutes.
- Slice between the bones and garnish with scallions and chopped peanuts.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Loved it!
There so good
Is chili pepper red pepper or chili powder?
There are no measured ingredients for the spices. I need help.