Sticky Slow-Cooked BBQ Ribs You Can Make at Home

My favourite sticky ribs, reworked for the barbecue. These BBQ Sticky Slow-Cooked Ribs are a summer family favourite — tender, fall-apart meat with layers of sticky, savoury-sweet flavour.

How many times have I made these sticky slow-cooked ribs? Too many to count. They’re a proper family hit — plates come back gnawed clean and there’s always someone sneaking an extra scrap. With summer and BBQs in mind, I’ve adapted the recipe so the ribs finish on the grill for a glossy, caramelised exterior and that irresistible smoky edge.

Photos are from our last BBQ — I had about a minute to snap them before everyone dived in, so please excuse the minimal styling. Still, you can see how good these ribs are when they come off the grill: sticky, glossy and ready to slice.

The meat really does fall from the bone, so use a sharp knife to ease through when you serve.

We served ours with grilled romaine, a couple of Dark & Stormy cocktails and, naturally, the inevitable sausages on the coals. If you prefer the original oven or slow-cooker method, the non-BBQ version is available separately, and there are other rib recipes to try if you’d like more options.

Sticky, Slow-Cooked Pork Ribs

Fall-apart pork ribs with a golden, slightly crisp exterior, coated in a sweet, sticky glaze. Truly some of the best ribs you’ll taste.

Prep Time:
15 mins

Cook Time:
4 hrs 15 mins

Total Time:
4 hrs 30 mins

Servings: 6 ribs

Course: Dinner

Cuisine: British

Ingredients

Slow cooked ribs:

• 1 ¼ kg (2 3/4 lbs) meaty pork ribs — about 5 or 6 ribs, in one piece
• 1 litre (34 fl oz) hot chicken or vegetable stock
• 1 thumb-sized piece of ginger, peeled and finely chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, peeled and halved
• 1 tbsp rice wine
• 1 tbsp caster sugar

Glaze:

• 2 tbsp vegetable oil
• Pinch of salt and pepper
• 1 thumb-sized piece of ginger, peeled and minced
• 2 tbsp honey
• 2 tbsp soft brown sugar
• 3 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tsp lemongrass paste

Instructions

1. Add the ribs, hot stock, chopped ginger, garlic, rice wine and caster sugar to a large pan. Bring to the boil, then cover and reduce the heat to a gentle simmer. Cook for 3½ hours, checking occasionally during the last hour and topping up with a little water if needed. (Alternatively, cook in a slow cooker for 4–5 hours on medium or 6–7 hours on low.)
2. Turn off the heat and drain the ribs, reserving the cooking liquid — it makes a lovely base for soup.
3. Preheat the barbecue.
4. Combine the glaze ingredients in a small pan. Bring to a boil and simmer for 2–3 minutes to reduce slightly, then remove from the heat.
5. Brush the glaze all over the ribs. Place the ribs on the BBQ (they will be very tender and may want to fall off the bone) and cook for 5–10 minutes per side, brushing frequently with more glaze until sticky and golden.
6. Transfer the ribs to a platter and slice into individual portions before serving.

Notes

Nutritional information is per rib and is an approximation.

Nutrition

Calories: 503 kcal | Carbohydrates: 13 g | Protein: 23 g | Fat: 38 g | Saturated Fat: 14 g | Cholesterol: 116 mg | Sodium: 941 mg | Sugar: 12 g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated and should be used as a guide only.

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More Rib Recipes

BBQ

BBQ Dry Rub Ribs

Asian

Ultimate Salt and Pepper Ribs

Dinner

Sticky, Slow-Cooked Pork Ribs

Asian

Oven Baked Asian Ribs with Crispy Onions

Slow Cooked

Caramelized Slow Roast Asian Beef Short Rib

Slow Cooked

Slow Cooker Beef Short Ribs with Rich Gravy

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