Baked Spare Ribs in a delicious easy sweet and tangy sauce. You only need five ingredients and I’m sharing the easiest way to make tender baked ribs – they are Perfect served over rice or on their own.
I love to share my mom’s recipes – she was a great cook and her recipes are always simple, easy but with lots of flavors. These baked spare ribs are no exception – they are always a Sunday supper family favourite.
I always call them My Mom’s Spare Ribs to Go – they’re simple spare ribs coated in a tangy-sweet homemade sauce similar to BBQ sauce. You only need five ingredients!
This is just one of many recipes of hers I love to make, but if you were to ask the Italian what is his favourite dish that my Mom made it would be hands down these Spare Ribs and for dessert her Pineapple Cream Dessert.
Easy Pork Ribs Recipe
There’s nothing fussy about this recipe. You don’t need to make a dry rub with spices or mix up a sauce with tons of ingredients. Simple is the best way to describe them, but they don’t lack in flavor.
They do take time, but it’s not a lot of work. I boil the ribs first so they are really tender. Then toss them with the easy barbecue sauce and into the oven they go. You can also grill them or cook them on the stove – I’m sharing how to do each.
Oh, and they’re freezer-friendly, too. I like to make a big batch of these delicious spare ribs and freeze them. Then we can have delicious tender ribs for dinner whenever we want with hardly any work.
Ingredients
- Pork ribs
- Honey – you can also use the same amount of brown sugar.
- Ketchup
- Soy sauce
- Crushed garlic cloves
How to Bake Spare Ribs
Boil the ribs in a large pot of salted boiling water for about 90 minutes or until they are tender. Drain them thoroughly and place them in a large baking pan or on a baking sheet.
Combine the honey, ketchup, soya sauce, and garlic in a mixing bowl. Pour the sauce over the ribs and turn them to coat them evenly.
Bake the spare ribs for 20 minutes at 400°F (200°C). Turn them halfway through the baking time.
You can serve them on the bones or pull the meat off. You can add some more sauce (brush it on the ribs or serve it on the side). Pair them with rice, bread, or vegetable side dishes.
Other Ways to Cook Them
Grill: Preheat an outdoor grill to medium to medium-high heat. Remove the ribs from the sauce, place them over indirect heat, and grill them until they are hot and the sauce is caramelized and lightly charred.
Stove: Take the ribs from the sauce and place them in a large skillet or pan. Cook them over medium to medium-high heat, turning them at least once, until the sauce is caramelized and the ribs are heated through.
Freezing Tips
This is a great make-ahead recipe, so why not freeze them for later and bake them whenever you get the desire? Because, believe me, you will get the desire.
Once you’ve coated the ribs in the sauce, store them in a freezer bag or freezer-safe container. Freeze them for up to three to four months.
Thaw them in the refrigerator before cooking them.
Other Storage Tips
Once you coated the ribs in the sauce, you can keep them in the fridge until you’re ready to bake them. They will keep well for a few days this way.
If you have leftovers, store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator and they will keep for three to four days.
Side Dish Ideas
- We love these ribs served over rice or you can have them with roasted potatoes or mashed potatoes.
- Why not add a vegetable side dish? Some corn on the cob, coleslaw, or pan-fried green beans would be great.
- A salad is always nice, too. Try my easy summer pasta salad or shredded Brussels sprouts salad for a light side dish.
For me, these are the best ribs – so easy and delicious. They’re not my only favourite recipe from my mom. She always made amazing Christmas Cookies, which I can say were always the best on the block! Her Best Meatloaf which is the one I always make, oh and don’t forget those Meatballs.
I hope you give them all a try, but definitely these baked spare ribs – Buon Appetito!
More Great Dinner Recipes
BBQ Oven-Baked Ribs
Ingredients
- 3 pounds pork ribs
- 3/4 cup honey
- 1 1/2 cups ketchup
- 1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 4 cloves of garlic (crushed)
Instructions
- In a large pot of boiling salted water cook the ribs for approximately 1 ½ hours or until tender.
- Drain and place in a large baking pan.
- Pre-heat oven to 400° (200° celsius)
- In a medium bowl combine well the honey, ketchup, soya sauce and garlic, pour over ribs. Turning to coat well. At this point you can either, bake, refrigerate for baking later or freeze.
- To finish baking, thaw if frozen, ribs can be removed from sauce and grilled until crisp and browned, basting generously with sauce. Ribs can also be heated in the oven right in the baking pan for approximately 20 minutes, or heated on the stove either way turn occasionally as sauce will thicken to form a glaze. Serve immediately over rice if desired. Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
Updated from May 1, 2016.
Stacey says
I feel dumb asking this 🤦♀️ What is soya sauce ? Is it soy sauce ?
Rosemary says
Hi Stacey, not dumb at all, my mistake it should be soy. Thanks, take care.
Patrick Tariello says
Rosemary I follow you everyday. Your style of Italian cooking is what my mother a first generation Italian/America would make. A question on your current recipe “Mom’s Spare Ribs to Go”. Do you cut the rib rack into individual ribs before cooking or in groups of two or three ribs?
Pat
Rosemary says
Hi Patrick, thanks so much, I cut them into individual ribs before cooking. Let me know how it goes.
Patrick Tariello says
I did try them and they were good. The sauce could be used on chicken, BBQ ribs and pulled pork.
People on the BBQ forums would say that boiling the ribs is just making soup. I was worried that boiling them for two hours would the fat would be rendered out. However; I didn’t have much fat in the water. Nice way to do ribs. Better than a slow cooker. Very nice
Patrick
Rosemary says
Hi Patrick, thanks so much, yeah we would be so excited when my Mom made those ribs, they were fall off the bone tender. I have made them with less time boiling but they were quite tough. Have a great weekend.
Wendy, A Day in the Life on the Farm says
Perfect recipe….easy peasy and delicious.
Rosemary says
Thanks Wendy and yes it is. Have a great Sunday.
Sarah Reid, CNP (@jo_jo_ba) says
These look DIVINE!! I totally want some
Rosemary says
Thanks Sarah, have a great weekend.
Eileen says
These look sooo tempting!
Rosemary says
Hi Eileen, thanks.
Monica says
This brings back memories. A dish similar to this was my Mom’s specialty.
Rosemary says
Hi Monica, Mom’s specialty dishes are the best!
Hezzi-D says
These look fall off the bone delicious!
Rosemary says
Thanks Hezzi, they were really good.
The Finer Cookie/Kim says
Looks delicious and so easy. Whenever I make them, it takes two days with the spice rub and then the smoker. I should tear a page out of your book and bake them up. I love ribs!
Rosemary says
Hi Kim, thanks oh wow 2 days I bet they are good though.
April @ Girl Gone Gourmet says
Look so good, Rosemary! Great minds think alike – I’m grilling some ribs today (despite clouds and rain!). Hope you had a great weekend!
Rosemary says
Thanks April, haha yes great minds! We have gotten some very much needed rain also. Have a great week.
Kristen @ A Mind Full Mom says
Your mom’s ribs sound tasty and easy!!
Rosemary says
Thanks Kristen, yes really easy and tasty too. Have a great week.