Oven Baked Sticky Sweet and Sour Pork Ribs Recipe

^{This post has been sponsored by Miller's. All opinions expressed are my own.}

Today we’re preparing a batch of Oven Baked Sticky Sweet and Sour Pork Ribs, with a little help from our new friends over at Miller’s Banana Pepper Sauce. These ribs cook up moist and fall-off-the-bone tender, with a decadently sticky caramelization that gives the ribs a delicious sweet and sour flavor, with just a hint of background heat and chili goodness.

Best of all, this recipe is simple to make and uses only simple, affordable ingredients that are readily available at your local grocery store. The star of the show is Miller’s award-winning Banana Pepper Sauce, which is made with vine-ripened peppers that have been picked at the peak of their freshness, creating a sweet and spicy sauce with bold flavor.

Now, without further introduction, let’s get to it. Read on for a complete ingredient checklist, a printable recipe card, and step-by-step instructions.

Recipe Overview – Oven Baked Sticky Sweet and Sour Pork Ribs

Cooked low and slow, with Miller’s Banana Pepper Sauce, this recipe produces moist and tender, fall-off-the-bone ribs.

Taste and Texture: We start the recipe off with a dry rub to produce a savory foundation, with just a hint of sweetness. The Banana Pepper Sauce brings sweet, spicy, and tangy notes, with delicious chili flavor. To achieve melt-in-your-mouth tenderness and luscious moistness, we bake the ribs low and slow. This also produces a decadently sticky, caramelized glaze from the sauce. If you love ribs and are looking for something a little different, this recipe is a must-try.

Difficulty Level: Though I would not go so far as to call this an “easy recipe,” I will say that it is approachable for home cooks of all skill levels – especially beginner home chefs looking to learn how to prepare a decent rack of ribs. The ingredients are simple, affordable, and readily available at your local grocery store, and are brought together using only simple cooking techniques. No complex or hard-to-master grilling techniques to worry about here. In reality, most of this recipe is actually fairly hands-off. All we’re really doing is rubbing the brushing the ribs down. On the contrary, the low and slow cooking method is key here, meaning whether you're a novice cook or an experienced home chef, this recipe is entirely doable.

Preparation Process: This recipe can be broken down into three broad steps:

1. Apply the Rub: We start things off by coating the ribs in a spice blend. This is the dry rub. We need to be sure to thoroughly cover the sides of the ribs, including the bone side and the ribs meat side.
2. Baking: Next, we bake the ribs on a large baking sheet (bone side down), and cover them with aluminum foil. The aluminum foil is key here as it locks in moisture. No aluminum foil means dry, tough ribs. Not fun.
3. Sauce Them: As the ribs cook low and slow, we apply the sticky sauce in stages, brushing it onto the ribs. Applying the sauce in stages means creating a layered, caramelized glaze that results in decadently sticky ribs. Delicious.

Pairings: Experiment to find your favorite pairings, however, the following would be my go-to suggestions:

• Side Dishes: A basket of fries, hardy onion rings, creamy coleslaw, buttery cornbread, or roasted sweet potatoes are all delicious sides for these ribs.
• Dipping Sauce: You definitely want to serve these ribs with some extra Banana Pepper sauce for dipping.
• Beverages: Ribs and cold beer are a game-day go-to. You might also opt for a semi-dry Riesling, which I find pairs deliciously with most wet rub-prepped ribs.

Ingredient Checklist – Everything You’ll Need

This recipe skips either a traditional bottled bbq sauce or homemade hoisin sauce and instead opts for a combination of a dry rub paired later with sweet and sour sticky sauce. Part of the stickiness here is achieved through caramelization, which we actually pull off with our dry rub, as it reduces to a sticky glaze during cooking.

With that in mind, here’s everything you’ll need.

For the Ribs

• 5 lbs. pork spare ribs
  • Note: Fat is flavor. Fat is also moisture. That’s why you want ribs with a decent amount of marbling.
  • Substitute: I really do suggest using pork spare ribs for this recipe, but you can substitute in baby back ribs if preferred, or if that’s all that’s available. Yes, you can use beef ribs for this recipe if preferred, but be sure to adjust the cooking time appropriately.
• Parchment paper
  • Note: Nothing prevents sticking better than parchment paper. It also helps save on cleanup. Parchment paper is my number one kitchen tip.

Rub for the Ribs

• 1 tsp. salt
  • Note: Plain table salt is all you need here.
  • Substitute: Sea salt or kosher salt will also work.
• 2 tsp. garlic powder
  • Note: Yes, we’re using garlic powder as opposed to fresh, since we want maximal distribution. The level of distribution we’re looking for just isn’t possible with fresh.
  • Substitute: If you really want to use fresh, I suggest crushing the garlic, and then mincing it up as finely as you can manage. I’d use at least two garlic cloves but would opt for as many as five.
• 1 tsp. coarse ground black pepper
  • Note: For peppery aroma. I do suggest fresh ground.
  • Bonus Points: Crush the garlic with a mortar and pestle for maximal aromatic release.
  • Substitute: If you prefer a bit more heat, opt for crushed red pepper flakes or your chili flakes of choice. You can also add in some fresh diced chilies.
• 1 tbs. sugar
  • Note: The sugar helps to caramelize the ribs as they bake, creating a nice, sticky exterior.
  • Substitute: I wouldn’t suggest leaving out the sugar, but you can opt for brown sugar or even molasses if you feel like getting creative. Really, though, I would just stick to plain white sugar for this recipe.

For the Sweet and Sour Sauce

• 6 tbs. Millers Sweet and Spicy Banana Pepper Sauce (Mild)
  • Note: Provides a delicious sweet and spicy flavor to the sauce, along with plenty of background chili goodness. Simply delicious.
  • Substitute: Opt for Miller’s Hot or Habanero Banana Pepper sauce for added heat.
• 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
  • Note: For acidity, plain and simple.
  • Substitute: Your vinegar of choice, though I would probably opt for white wine or rice wine vinegar. I’m using apple cider vinegar purely because it’s what I had on hand. I do ‘not’ recommend using balsamic vinegar, as it is less acidic than its counterparts, and the acidity is what we’re looking for in this ingredient.
• 1/2 cup duck sauce
  • Note: Brings a fruity sweetness and glossy texture to the sauce.
  • Substitute: There really isn’t a perfect substitute that will achieve both the flavor and finish of duck sauce, since the primary reason we’re using it is the glossy texture and appearance. That said, if duck sauce isn’t available you could probably use apricot preserves or orange marmalade, mixed with a teaspoon or two of soy sauce.

Tips for Success – Preparing the Perfect Ribs

If you’ve gotten this far, first off thank you! And you’ve likely decided that this is the ribs recipe for you. If that’s the case, here are my top tips to ensure the ribs come out perfect every time.

Like I said earlier, this isn’t a complex recipe, but there are a few key points to keep in mind that will help you bring out the deliciousness.

Pick The Right Ribs

1. Select Quality Ribs
   • A good rib recipe starts with good ribs. Imagine that! For starters, look for ribs with a good amount of marbling – marbling that’s evenly distributed, rather than bunched up in one area or another.
   • But not too much! While you want a good amount of marbling, you don’t want ribs that are overly fatty. Basically, you want to see some fat, but you still want to be able to see the meat itself. It’s a balance, and once that’s largely subjective, as the ‘ideal ratio’ of lean meat to fat is still hotly debated.
2. The Membrane Question
   • Should you remove it? This is a controversial topic and one that has expert opinions standing on both sides. So, the honest answer here is – it depends.
   • Why remove it? The logic for removing the membrane goes something like this – the membrane seals ‘out’ the seasoning that you apply on top of it, meaning the seasoning has to absorb through the membrane before reaching the meat beneath. If leaving the membrane on, you can compensate for this by simply using more seasoning, or focusing more of the seasoning on the areas of the ribs not covered by the membrane.
   • Why ‘not’ remove it? Those who say not to remove the membrane point to the fact that the membrane helps to hold the ribs together through cooking. After all, extra seasoning absorption doesn’t really matter if the ribs fall apart. They also note that the membrane largely dissolves during cooking.
   • If removing it: Be aware that the membrane helps to keep the ribs intact, so if you do remove the membrane you will need to work much more carefully with the ribs, lest they fall apart. If you are new to handling meat or ribs, just leave the membrane on, and apply a little extra seasoning and sauce to the rack of ribs.
   • Pro-Tip: If you do decide to remove the membrane, ask the butcher to do it.

Preparing the Ribs

1. Season Generously
   • Don’t skimp on seasoning. Instead, you want to ensure that you’ve filled every nook and cranny with the dry rub. Not only is the dry rub bringing flavor, but it’s also the base for the caramelization. Important ‘and’ delicious.
   • Once seasoned, let the ribs rest for 10–15 minutes at room temperature. This allows the rub to penetrate into the meat, seasoning it.
2. Line Your Baking Dish
   • I’ll say it again – nothing prevents sticking like parchment paper, and nothing helps save on cleanup better than parchment paper. Seriously, I say this all the time and I’ll say it again, parchment paper is my number one kitchen tip.

Making the Sauce

1. Combine and Taste
   • Making the sauce is as simple as it gets. Before handling the ribs, or while you’re waiting for them to bake in the oven, combine the banana pepper sauce, vinegar, and duck sauce in a small bowl, and mix thoroughly.
   • As always, taste as you go. I know this might sound obvious, but taste the sauce as you combine it, and adjust it as you see fit. Find that perfect balance of sweet, sour, and spicy.
2. Double the Sauce
   • Don’t forget to prepare an extra batch of the sweet and sour sauce to serve alongside the ribs.

Oven Baking

1. Cook Low and Slow
   • We’re aiming for an oven temperature of 350°F. This low to medium heat ensures that the ribs cook evenly and remain tender. Covering them during the initial cooking phase helps retain moisture.
2. Timing is Key
   • Timing is the difference between undercooked ribs and ribs that have been cooked to oblivion. As such, timing is pretty much everything. In short, I cannot stress enough the importance of setting a timer for when the ribs are in the oven. Do not ‘eyeball it.’
3. Caramelization
   • More of a note than a tip, but I’ll remind you that during the uncovered baking phase is when the sauce really begins to thicken and caramelize, resulting in a sticky rack of ribs.
4. Let it Rest
   • Do not skip the resting period! You want to let the ribs rest for 10–15 minutes after baking to allow the juices to redistribute, ensuring tender and flavorful meat.

Presentation and Serving

1. Serve Hot
   • This goes without saying, but serve the ribs immediately after you’ve let them rest, as ribs are best served warm. Be sure you serve them alongside extra sauce for dipping.
2. Garnish
   • Completely optional, but there’s no reason not to add a little extra eye appeal. My go-to for garnish would be a dusting of sesame seeds, or maybe chopped spring onions or green onions, or even fennel seeds. Alternatively, you can never go wrong with a few sprigs of curly-leaf parsley.

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And those are our Oven Baked Sticky Sweet and Sour Pork Ribs prepared with Miller’s Banana Pepper Sauce.  Be sure to follow Miller's on Instagram and Facebook. Miller's sauces can be found at Whole Foods, Wegmans, or online at Amazon!

If you enjoyed this recipe, or have any questions or suggestions, be sure to let us know in the comments below.  We always love hearing from you!

Happy Cooking!

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