Summer is officially here, which means that we Americans are feeling our yearly license to picnic and BBQ to our heart’s content. While hamburgers and hot dogs will always have their place, we’ve found that ribs are an extra special crowd pleaser for summer get-togethers, and these Honey Glazed Ribs or mì zhī pái gu (蜜汁排骨) are no exception.
Crowd-Pleasing Sweet Chinese-Style Ribs
These ribs are normally fried at Chinese restaurants, but we’re always looking for ways to enjoy our favorites with less guilt-inducing versions, so we’ve reworked this recipe by baking the ribs instead! If you’re getting tired of your go-to BBQ sauce, these ribs are a great alternative.
(We did actually both bake and fry these honey glazed ribs when preparing this recipe, so that you can see the difference between the two versions. Honestly, though, the baked ones tasted just as good as the fried ones!)
If you’re looking for even more ways to prepare baby backs or regular pork ribs, we have a handful of recipes that are perfect for addressing all of your porky cravings. My personal favorites are Fried Chinese Spare Ribs, Jasmine Tea Rub Ribs, Chinese Ribs with A Sesame Crust, and Peking Style Ribs.
Ribs for everyone!
Honey Glazed Ribs: Recipe Instructions
Wash the ribs and thoroughly pat them dry with paper towels. Next, marinate the ribs with a mixture of onion powder, garlic powder, 1 tablespoon light soy sauce and 2 tablespoons Shaoxing wine for one hour.
Next, preheat the oven to 400 degrees, and put the ribs on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes. Turn and flip the ribs every 10 minutes until all sides are golden brown.
Alternatively, you can fry the ribs until golden. Here’s what that looks like:
About 10 minutes before the ribs come out of the oven, prepare the sauce. Heat the oil in a wok over medium low heat. Add the rock sugar, and let it melt, taking good care not to burn it.
Next, add the water, honey, cider vinegar, and 1 tablespoon of light soy sauce.
Turn up the heat slightly to bring the sauce to a low boil, and turn off the heat.
Once the ribs are done, coat them in the hot (temperature-wise) sauce while the ribs are still hot. Only when the ribs are straight out of the oven will they properly absorb the sauce and get that coveted sheen.
Sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds and serve.
Make these honey glazed ribs part of your next summer party!
Honey Glazed Ribs (蜜汁排骨) – Oven Baked
Ingredients
- 2 pounds baby back ribs (900g)
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- 2 tablespoons light soy sauce (separated)
- 2 tablespoons Shaoxing wine
- 1 tablespoon oil
- 15 grams rock sugar
- ⅓ cup water
- 2 tablespoons honey
- ½ teaspoon cider vinegar
- 1/2 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds
Instructions
- Wash the ribs and thoroughly pat them dry with paper towels. Next, marinate the ribs with a mixture of onion powder, garlic powder, 1 tablespoon light soy sauce and 2 tablespoons Shaoxing wine for one hour.
- Next, preheat the oven to 400 degrees, and put the ribs on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes. Turn and flip the ribs every 10 minutes until all sides are golden brown.
- About 10 minutes before the ribs come out of the oven, prepare the sauce. Heat the oil in a wok over medium low heat. Add the rock sugar, and let it melt, taking good care not to burn it. Next, add the water, honey, cider vinegar, and 1 tablespoon of light soy sauce. Turn up the heat slightly to bring the sauce to a low boil, and turn off the heat.
- Once the ribs are done, coat them in the hot (temperature-wise) sauce while the ribs are still hot. Only when the ribs are straight out of the oven will they properly absorb the sauce and get that coveted sheen. Sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds and serve.