Sweet Chili Glazed Baby Back Ribs
Nothing says summer like grilling ribs in your backyard. These Sweet Chili Glazed Baby Back Ribs offer a fun twist on an American classic!
Servings: 2 servings
Calories: 579kcal
Ingredients
- 1 rack of Farmland/Smithfield Baby Back Ribs
- 2 Tbsp mustard
- 3-4 large chunks of wood I prefer apple wood for ribs
- aluminum foil
- 8 oz. dark beer or apple juice
For the Spice Rub:
- 1 Tbsp paprika
- 1 Tbsp onion powder
- ½ Tbsp chili powder
- ½ Tbsp garlic powder
- ½ Tbsp black pepper
- ½ Tbsp dry mustard
- 1 tsp kosher salt
For the Sweet Chili Glaze
- ½ cup water
- 1½ Tbsp corn starch
- ¼ cup + 2 Tbsp rice vinegar
- ¼ cup + 2 Tbsp sugar
- 2 Tbsp cooking sherry
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ Tbsp crushed red pepper flakes
Instructions
For the Sweet Chili Glaze
- Mix ¼ cup of the water with the corn starch until well combined. Set aside.
- Using a small sauce pan, combine the remaining ingredients (remaining 1/4 cup of water, rice vinegar, sugar, sherry, garlic, salt and crushed red pepper flakes) over medium-high heat. Bring mixture to a boil. Let mixture boil for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Reduce heat to low and stir in the cornstarch mixture. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, for 1-2 minutes or until the sauce thickens.
For the Ribs
- Combine all of the Spice Rub ingredients in a small bowl.
- Rinse ribs with water and pat dry with paper towels.
- Remove the whitish-colored membrane on the back of the ribs. (Tip: A butter knife is very helpful to begin separating the membrane from the ribs.)
- Trim off any large pieces of fat. Some fat is fine, but you don’t want large pieces.
- Spread a thin layer of mustard (or veggie oil) all over ribs and then coat with the dry rub. (I prefer to use mustard as it creates a better flavor once grilled.) Wrap ribs in plastic wrap and let rest in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours or up to overnight.
- Remove the ribs from the refrigerator about 30-45 minutes before cooking.
- Meanwhile, preheat your grill to 225°F.
- Once the grill has reached a stable 220-230°F, add 3-4 large wood chunks directly on top of the coals or right next to the burner.
- Put the ribs on the grill bone-side down, then close the lid and leave it closed! After about 2 hours, remove the ribs and wrap them tightly in aluminum foil. But before closing up the foil, add about 8 ounces of dark beer or apple juice. (This helps create those perfect fall-off-the-bone style ribs!)
- Return the ribs to the grill for another 2 hours at 220-230°F.
- Make sure the Sweet Chili Glaze is prepared and ready (see instructions above).
- Remove ribs from the foil and brush half of the Sweet Chili Glaze over both sides of the ribs. Continue cooking for another 20-25 minutes. Brush the ribs with the remaining Sweet Chili Glaze and cook for 20-25 more minutes.
- To test doneness, pick up one end of a rack with grill tongs. If the rack bends to almost 90 degrees, then it’s done. I know this isn’t scientific, but it’s difficult to use a meat thermometer on ribs due to the bones.
- Once the ribs are done, allow them to rest a few minutes and then enjoy!
Notes
This recipe can easily be doubled for 2 racks of ribs. Just make extra Spice Rub and Sweet Chili Glaze.
Nutrition
Calories: 579kcal | Carbohydrates: 56g | Protein: 31g | Fat: 26g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 98mg | Sodium: 2121mg | Potassium: 771mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 37g | Vitamin A: 2962IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 127mg | Iron: 4mg
