Baked Honey Garlic Spareribs

By
Diana Rattray
Diana Rattray
Diana Rattray
Southern-cuisine expert and cookbook author Diana Rattray has created more than 5,000 recipes and articles in her 20 years as a food writer.
Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
Updated on 03/20/21
Baked Honey Garlic Spare Ribs

The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck

Prep: 15 mins
Cook: 90 mins
Total: 105 mins
Servings: 4 servings

These succulent pork spareribs are baked in the oven and flavored with a delicious honey and garlic sauce. It's a simple preparation that has amazing end results.

The ribs are first seasoned with salt, pepper, and garlic powder and then baked for an hour. A mixture of honey, cider vinegar, soy sauce, and garlic are cooked together and then brushed onto the ribs during the last half hour of baking, creating a flavorful and rich coating. Covered in foil while baking, there is no need to pre-boil these ribs, and they come out of the oven tender and juicy.

Pork ribs are excellent with picnic salads, particularly potato salad or coleslaw, as well as cornbread muffins or hot buttered flaky biscuits. Make the meal extra special with twice-baked potatoes, or keep it simple with slow-cooked baked beans. Serve a tall glass of Southern iced tea with lemon or pour your favorite beer to drink. Just don't forget to have a supply of napkins ready for eating.

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Ingredients

  • 4 pounds pork spareribs

  • 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

  • 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

  • 1/2 cup honey

  • 3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

  • 1/4 cup soy sauce

  • 3 cloves garlic, finely minced

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Baked honey garlic spareribs ingredients

    The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck

  2. Preheat the oven to 325 F / 165 C / Gas Mark 3 and line a large baking pan or roasting pan with foil.

    Aluminum foil lined baking pan

    The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck

  3. If it hasn't already been done, the silverskin (aka membrane) needs to be removed from the bone side of the racks of ribs. To do this, ease a butter knife or narrow metal spatula under the skin at one end.

    Lifting silverskin from the ribs to remove it

    The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck

  4. Then grasp the loosened skin with a paper towel or cloth towel (the towel will keep your hand from slipping) and pull the skin. It should peel off in one sheet. (If not, use the knife to loosen the opposite end of the membrane and try pulling again.)

    Peeling a sheet of silverskin from the ribs

    The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck

  5. Cut the ribs into 1-rib pieces or serving size portions.

    Cut ribs into single rib portions

    The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck

  6. Season the spareribs with salt, pepper, and garlic powder.

    Season the spareribs with salt, pepper, and garlic powder

    The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck

  7. Arrange the ribs in the prepared baking pan.

    Arrange the ribs in the prepared baking pan

    The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck

  8. Cover the pan tightly with foil and bake in the preheated oven for 1 hour, or until tender.

    Ribs in a pan covered in aluminum foil

    The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck

  9. Drain off all of the excess fat and liquids.

    Ribs in a baking pan; liquid drained into a bowl

    The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck

  10. In a small saucepan, combine the honey, vinegar, soy sauce, and garlic. Bring to a boil.

    Honey-garlic sauce ingredients in a small saucepan

    The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck

  11. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for about 5 minutes.

    Simmering and stirring honey-garlic sauce in a small saucepan

    The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck

  12. Increase the oven temperature to 350 F / 180 C / Gas Mark 4. Drizzle or brush the honey and garlic sauce mixture over the spareribs.

    Ribs brushed with honey-garlic sauce

    The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck

  13. Continue baking uncovered for 30 minutes, basting frequently. Serve and enjoy.

    Baked honey garlic spareribs in the pan

    The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck

Why Are My Spareribs Tough?

The keys to tender, juicy spareribs are to remove the silverskin and cook them low and slow with indirect heat. The foil helps retain moisture during the initial cook, and the sauce ensures they stay moist during the final bake. You also want to cook them above the minimum internal temperature for pork: rather than 145 F, the best ribs fall between 180 F and 195 F. The meat should not "fall off the bone," but easily be "pull" from the bone and still be a little chewy.

Recipe Variations

  • Replace the honey with maple syrup, brown sugar, or apricot preserves.
  • Add 1/2 teaspoon of cayenne pepper or chile-garlic paste (sambal) for heat.
  • For grilled ribs: Bake the ribs in the oven for 1 hour but instead of basting and baking the ribs in the oven, finish them on the grill over medium coals. Grill the ribs until tender, about 20 to 30 minutes, turning frequently and basting with the honey-garlic sauce.

What's the Difference Between Baby Back Ribs and Spareribs?

Pork spareribs do not have as much meat as other ribs, like baby back ribs or country-style ribs, but they also have less fat. These leaner pork ribs are a favorite due to their texture and tenderness, which is perfect for slow cooking, whether in the oven or on the grill. St, Louis-style ribs are also spareribs, though they're cut down into more of a rectangular shape.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
988 Calories
72g Fat
37g Carbs
50g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4
Amount per serving
Calories 988
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 72g 93%
Saturated Fat 22g 108%
Cholesterol 245mg 82%
Sodium 1170mg 51%
Total Carbohydrate 37g 13%
Dietary Fiber 0g 1%
Total Sugars 35g
Protein 50g
Vitamin C 1mg 5%
Calcium 58mg 4%
Iron 4mg 21%
Potassium 732mg 16%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

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