This is my mum’s version of fall-off-the-bone baby back ribs but using store-bought hoisin sauce for its main character. Super easy to put together and one of those rare dishes in this book which uses an oven so you can just walk away and come back later! If you’re a fan of char siu, you’ll love this Chinese take on barbecue. Sweet (but not too sweet), spicy, sticky. The best!–Mandy Yin
Asian Sticky Ribs FAQs
We don’t recommend substituting rice vinegar for the Shaoxing wine as the two are not interchangeable. If you don’t have Shaoxing wine, your best options are using dry sherry or Mirin.
Don’t worry, you probably already have mild vegetable oil in your kitchen. Vegetable oil, canola oil, grapeseed oil, sunflower oil, and corn oil are all considered to be mild and will work well in this recipe.
You can wrap leftover ginger root well and keep it in your vegetable drawer for weeks on end (seriously, close to two months!) You can also freeze leftover ginger, either peeled or unpeeled. Just break into small knobs, wrap each piece in plastic, and then freeze it for up to 6 months. You can also mince your ginger and freeze it in ice cube trays. Once frozen, place them into an air-tight container and stick them back in the freezer. They’ll be good for about three months.
The membrane is the thin silvery layer on the underside of your ribs. Some butchers will remove the membrane for you, but if yours comes intact, it’s easy to remove. To remove the membrane or silver skin from a rib, use the tip of a small knife to loosen a corner and then grab the membrane with a paper towel and slowly pull it off.
Our testers loved serving these sticky Asian style ribs with rice, steamed vegetables, Asian-inspired coleslaw, and baked beans.
Asian Sticky Ribs
Ingredients
For the marinade
- One (2-inch) piece of fresh ginger, peeled and finely chopped
- 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 1/4 cup hoisin sauce
- 1/4 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 tablespoon low sodium soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
- 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground white pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon oyster sauce
- 1 tablespoon Shaoxing rice wine
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- 2 pounds 4 ounces pork back or side ribs, silver skin removed
For the ribs
- 1 tablespoon mild vegetable oil
- 3 scallions, finely chopped, to garnish
- 1 red chile, thinly sliced, to garnish
- 2 tablespoons sesame seeds, toasted in a dry pan until fragrant, to garnish
Instructions
Marinate the ribs
- In a large bowl, mix all of the marinade ingredients together. Place the ribs on a rimmed baking sheet and pour half of the marinade over the ribs. Cover and marinate overnight.
Cook the ribs
- Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C ).
- Lay the ribs, meat side up, on a foil-lined rimmed sheet pan and baste with 1 tablespoon of oil. Roast for 45 minutes.
- After 45 minutes, turn the heat down to 325°F (170°C ). Baste the ribs with the remaining half of the marinade and then cook for 30 minutes more.
- Remove the ribs from the oven and leave them to rest for 10 minutes. Slice into slabs or individual ribs and place on a large serving platter (or you can serve them on the baking sheet).
- Garnish with scallions, red chile, and sesame seeds. Devour.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Recipe Testers’ Reviews
This is an easy, delicious way to prepare ribs. I marinated the ribs in a large piece of foil, so when it was time to roast them, I just had to open the foil, place the packet on the baking pan and put it in the oven. I think the marinade would be helped by a couple tablespoons of Siracha, depending on your taste. I served the sticky ribs with Siracha on the side along with steamed rice.
I was drawn to this Asian sticky ribs recipe because the combination of flavors – spicy, sweet, salty, sticky – sounded delicious. It also looked like a fairly easy Asian recipe to try if one does not have a ton of experience or confidence with the flavors and ingredients. Overall, the instructions were accurate, easy to follow, and straightforward. I had most of the ingredients on hand, and what I didn’t have was easy to find at my local grocery store.
Planning ahead is important so that you can properly marinate the ribs overnight, the cooking itself is easy and fast, and you can serve on the same baking sheet they roasted on – BONUS! The marinade was delicious and I would even advocate for doubling it so that you have extra saucy goodness. I served the ribs with Jasmine rice, homemade kimchi, and a cold bock beer – which was a perfect combination. The flavor was exactly what I expected based on the description and would definitely make these ribs again!
These Asian sticky pork ribs are simple to throw together, using ingredients that are easily found in most supermarkets. Even hoisin sauce, which may by some, be considered the most “exotic” ingredient on the list, shows up on the Asian aisle of most stores. It’s something that I always have in our refrigerator, and I find a lot of uses for it. Buying hoisin sauce to make this recipe, can lead you to many other dishes that you will enjoy making and eating.
These sticky Asian ribs are really delicious. I made ours with baby back pork ribs. As far as side dishes are concerned, I made Chinese garlic noodles and a marinated cucumber and tomato salad. Everything went wonderfully together.
May I give these ribs an 11/10? They are mouthwatering, sticky, sweet, slightly spicy, perfectly tender and easy to make. Most of the time is hands-off (marinated for a little over 24 hours). We served these with baked beans with pickled jalapeño and an Asian-y slaw with lots of cilantro and ginger.
These sticky ribs were so tasty and so easy! Total winner!! This is an ideal weeknight dinner because it is so hands-off. I served them alongside some white sticky rice and steamed green beans. We were licking our fingers! Will definitely be making this again.
Asian ribs sound so intimidating to me but these were easy and sooo good. If you like cooking Asian food you may already have all the basic ingredients called for. I only marinated for 5 hours and they were fantastic. I will try overnight next time. Can’t imagine how much better they will be. The family requested sushi rice so that’s what I served under the ribs. This recipe is a keeper!
Cindy, now that’s what I love to hear! The recipe sounded intimidating yet you forged ahead anyway. That’s how we all become better cooks. Brava. And they look terrific. I’m glad the family enjoyed them so much.
These are so perfect for the “grilling” weekend (just don’t tell anyone you made them in the oven LOL. These ribs are so authentically good. The garlic and ginger with other Chinese spices were the perfect blend. My first batch I marinated 24 hours and baked according to recipe and pulled out of the oven a few minutes early because I felt like they were looking done. I know my Viking runs hot and I should have adjusted sooner on my first batch. I wanted the ribs juicier so I adjusted the next batch, the next day. This rack of ribs I marinaded 48-hours and at 375 I baked for 35 minutes, then basted w marinade, lowered temp to 300 and baked for another 30. They were perfect! The family wants to know when I’m making them again. I would have taken a picture but they disappeared too fast! 🙂
Sounds like you’ll be receiving lots of requests/reminders to make these irresistible ribs again, Cindy! We are so glad they were a hit!
I love Chinese food but never cook it because it’s not intuitive for me. Now I have one recipe I’m gonna try. Many thanks . . .
Fantastic, Wayne! Do let us know how it turns out.