These oven-baked Asian Baby Back Ribs are so tender, succulent, and flavorful, you’d never guess they weren’t grilled! They’re a terrific company entree, but easy enough for Sunday night dinner at home.

This Baby Back Ribs Recipe is a family favorite. It’s worth every napkin and sticky fingers to indulge in these BBQ ribs! 

Asian Baby Back Ribs on a small white plate with some thin scallion slices.

Why You Must Make

Bill had been at meetings all week and arose at 4 AM to catch his flight back home. With only a glass of orange juice for breakfast, he was definitely ready for dinner when he dropped his suitcase at the door late in the afternoon. Only a pile of bones remained on his plate after dinner. Along with the bones came with a lot of praise for this rib recipe as he went back for “just one more” a few times.

  • Inspired by Wolfgang Puck, a master of Asian flavors, ensures a top-notch recipe.
  • The sublime combination of rice wine vinegar, (affiliate link) mirin (affiliate link), honey, soy, ginger, scallions and garlic is reduced to a syrupy glaze.
  • I promise you these are finger-licking good ribs!

Ingredient Notes

  • Kitchen Staples – Salt, Freshly Ground Black Pepper, Garlic Powder, Honey, Soy Sauce
  • Baby Back Ribs – 2 racks, have your butcher remove any membranes.
  • Beer – 1 bottle, should be decent quality but not necessarily a premium brand.
  • Rice Wine Vinegar – Look for with the other kinds of vinegar or in the Asian food section of your grocery store.
  • Mirin – A low-alcohol wine made with rice. Used frequently in Japanese cooking.
  • Fresh Garlic – Peeled and minced.
  • Fresh Ginger – Peeled and minced.
  • Crushed Red Pepper Flakes – Add more or less depending on your heat tolerance.
Overhead view of Oven Baked Asian Baby Back Ribs on a small white plate.

How to Make

We typically BBQ ribs on the grill in the summer and ignore them the rest of the year. Such a shame. So when I found a package of baby back ribs in the freezer this autumn, I knew I needed to test out a new “indoor” method. I’ve used Penzey’s low and slow technique to start my ribs, but finish them off on the grill for that to die for lightly charred exterior and infusion of smokey flavor.

  • Cook this baby back rib recipe covered on a rimmed baking sheet (affiliate link) at 250º for 5-6 hours. This makes for fall of the bone tender meat.
  • They’re awfully gray looking at that point. So take off the top layer of foil, carefully pour off the excess liquid, and crank up the oven.
  • Brush with glaze every 10 minutes allowing for the coveted caramelization, without burning or drying out the meat.
  • Grab some extra napkins and dig in!

Frequently Asked Questions

What Are Baby Back Ribs?

They are pork ribs found where the ribs meet the spine. They are “baby” since they’re shorter than spareribs. They are also known as pork loin back ribs, back ribs, or loin ribs.

What’s The Best Way to Cook Ribs?

Baby back ribs need to be cooked at low heat over a long period of time. This low and slow method helps break down the connective tissue making for tender, fall off the bone meat. This can be done in the oven or on a well-regulated barbecue grill.

What Temperature Are Baby Back Ribs Done?

Though they need to reach 145 degrees F. to be safe to eat according to the FDA, they will not be tender at that point. Instead, cook until their internal temperature reaches 190-203 degrees so that both the collagen is broken down and much of the fat is rendered.

When Should You Add a Glaze or BBQ Sauce?

Sauces should be added during the last 20-30 minutes of cooking. This prevents the sugars in the sauce from burning. If you like extra saucy ribs, just pass some BBQ sauce when serving.

You May Also Like:

If you are looking for an Instant Pot rib recipe, these short ribs are fabulous! Check out more of the best baby back rib recipes:

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Asian Baby Back Ribs | Finger licking good!!

Slow Cooked Asian Baby Back Ribs

Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 5 hours
Total Time 5 hours 10 minutes
Yield 4 servings

These slow cooked fall off the bone ribs are glazed with an Asian BBQ sauce

Ingredients

  • Salt, pepper and garlic powder
  • 2 racks baby back ribs, membrane removed
  • 1 bottle of beer
  • ½ cup plus 2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
  • ½ cup honey
  • ¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons soy sauce
  • ¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons mirin
  • ½ teaspoon minced garlic
  • ½ teaspoon minced fresh ginger
  • A scant ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 250º.
  2. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil. Season ribs well with salt, pepper, and garlic powder.
  3. Place ribs on the baking sheet, meaty side up, and pour beer around the perimeter.
  4. Cover the top of the ribs with foil and fold down around the edges to seal. Bake for 5-6 hours.
  5. Make glaze by combining the rest of the ingredients in a saucepan. Simmer for 30-40 minutes, till reduced to a cup or less. Strain into a clean container and let cool. The glaze should become slightly thick and syrupy as it cools.
  6. After 5 hours or so, remove the foil and brush the ribs with the glaze.
  7. Increase the oven temperature to 350º and continue to brush the ribs with the glaze every 10 minutes for 40 minutes or till the glaze is almost gone and the ribs are browned.

Notes

If you'd like your ribs to have a smoky flavor, finish them off on your grill. Watch carefully so they don't burn.

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Nutrition Information:

Yield:

4

Serving Size:

1

Amount Per Serving: Calories: 697Total Fat: 34gSaturated Fat: 12gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 20gCholesterol: 132mgSodium: 988mgCarbohydrates: 53gFiber: 1gSugar: 46gProtein: 38g

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