Oh these ribs! I've heard it said that the word delicious is overused in food blogs, but what can I say? These sweet and sour sticky ribs are just so delicious. I'm not exaggerating either. If you're a meat eater, you'll want to try these.
The sauce is simple. It is just a mixture of orange marmalade, ketchup, soy sauce and rice vinegar. It takes literally minutes to whip together. Really the whole recipe is simple. I made these in the slow cooker and finished them off under the broiler. I haven't quite gotten the hang of grilling. If you prefer the grill then go for it! They'd be just as tasty!
I didn't marinade these, but if you want fall-off-the-bone tender ribs then you can marinade them in orange juice overnight. The next day you can simply throw your spice rub together, rub it on the ribs and then put them in the slow cooker to work their magic. This works out well in the summer when you don't want to turn on the oven. This would be a great recipe to enjoy year round too though. Looking for the perfect side? This chicken macaroni salad, these garlic butter mushrooms, or these garlic roasted potatoes would be great with these ribs! For more slow cooker magic, you might want to give this slow cooker shredded beef a try also.
Super easy. Super tasty. Super crowd-pleasing. What more could you ask for?
Recipe
Sweet & Sour Sticky Ribs
Ingredients
- 3 lbs St. Louis style pork ribs
- 3 tsp. dried minced garlic
- 2 tsp. ground ginger
- 2 tsp. salt
- 2 tsp. pepper
- ⅔ cup marmalade
- ¼ cup ketchup
- ¼ cup soy sauce
- 3 tbsp. rice vinegar
Instructions
- Mix garlic, ginger, salt and pepper in bowl and rub over ribs.
- For a 3.5 to 4.5 quarter slow cooker: Lightly spray inside of slow cooker with vegetable oil spray. Arrange ribs along bottom and sides of prepared slow cooker, meaty side facing down. Cover and cook until ribs are tender. 5 to 6 hours on low. For a 5 to 7 quart slow cooker: Lightly spray inside of slow cooker with vegetable oil spray. Arrange ribs along bottom and sides of prepared slow cooker, meaty side facing down. Cover and cook until ribs are tender. 3 to 4 hours on low.
- Adjust oven rack 10 inches from broiler element and heat broiler. Set wire rack in aluminum foil-lined rimmed baking sheet and spray with oil spray. Whisk preserves, ketchup, soy sauce, and vinegar together. Transfer ribs meaty side up to prepared rack. Brush ribs with sauce, then broil until browned and sticky, 10 to 15 minutes. Serve with remaining sauce. Enjoy!
Nutrition
Carol says
How long if you choose to cook in oven?
Sandra says
Hi Carol,
I haven't tried this recipe in the oven, but I would adapt it as follows:
Place the seasoned ribs in a roasting pan or baking sheet and pour half of the sauce over them. Reserve the rest of the sauce until the end. Then cover them tightly with aluminum foil.
Roast them in a 275 F (135 C) oven for 2.5 to 3 hours. Then proceed with Step 3 of the recipe as written.
I hope this helps! Please let us know how they turned out. 🙂
Theresa says
Can I use baby back ribs?
Sandra says
Hi Theresa,
Yes, you can substitute baby back ribs, but you may need to adjust the cooking time to account for the smaller size of baby back ribs. I hope this helps!
Ada L Irizarry says
How about if you don't have all that
Sandra says
Hi Ada,
I recommend that you follow the recipe as written for the best result.
Denise says
I’m making this for dinner tonight and was wondering what side you suggest to go with it.
Sandra says
Hi Denise! Steamed rice or roasted or grilled veggies dressed with vinaigrette would be good. The acidity of the vinaigrette will balance out the sweetness of the ribs. I have a recipe on the blog for bacon and garlic roasted potatoes that would be tasty with this dish. You can find it here: http://heavenlyhomecooking.com/recipe/bacon-and-garlic-roasted-potatoes/
I hope you enjoy the ribs!
Chris Scheuer says
YUM!! You've got me ready to pull out my slow cooker!! These look fantastic!!
Sandra says
Thanks, Chris! You won't regret it. 🙂