Irresistibly tender and loaded with sweet and savoury flavour, these sticky Asian pork ribs are oven baked, low and slow until falling off the bone. Marinated and glazed with a rich Asian style glaze, the meat is soft with just the right amount of chewy, sticky edges. And they’re surprisingly simple to make.
Serve them with a side of this Asian coleslaw and steamed rice. And, try these BBQ slow cooker pork ribs and honey garlic pork ribs next.
❤️ Why you’ll love them
- Meltingly tender meat – the bones just slip right out as the low and slow cook breaks down all the connective tissue.
- Robust Asian flavours – umami, richness and just enough sweetness.
- Minimal effort – just 10 minutes prep, and 20 minutes hands on, total.
- Braised and glazed – for maximum flavour and texture.
- Easy to scale – great for larger gatherings.
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Ingredients & substitutions
Jump to the recipe for full ingredients and instructions.
- Baby back ribs or pork spare ribs are the way to go here. They have varying names but you’re after the type with 12 or so bones/ribs and a line of meat between each one.
- Star anise is the secret ingredient that makes these sticky Asian ribs extra special.
- Brown sugar not only adds sweetness and the stickiness, it balances out the other flavours. If you cut it down or skip it, you may find the glaze saltier.
- Fresh garlic cloves cut into slices are best here.
- Ginger and chilli paste: I use both ginger and chilli paste from a jar. Feel free to use fresh ginger and fresh chilli if you prefer.
- Soy sauce: Use regular soy sauce, not light soy sauce. The latter is saltier.
- Oyster sauce: This adds another boost of umami and rounds out the flavour.
How to make sticky Asian pork ribs
The hands on time for this sticky Asian ribs is short – only about 20 minutes – however you will need to plan ahead since these take 2-3 hours to cook. They also have a marinating time which you can skip but it adds so much more flavour and tenderness if you take the time.
Jump to the recipe for full ingredients and instructions.
1. The marinade
Combine the marinade ingredients in a jug.
2. Marinate the ribs (optional but recommended)
Place the ribs and star anise into a large baking dish, then pour over half of the marinade. Give the ribs a move around so they’re coated all over and chill for 3-4 hours to marinate. You can skip this if you don’t have time but the flavour and texture is at it’s best if do marinate them.
Next, cover them tightly with foil and bake for 2-2 ½ hours, flipping them over after 1 hour. While they bake, they’ll release some moisture and they essentially braise in both the marinade and their own juices, making them extra succulent.
3. The glaze
More sugar is added to the remaining half of the marinade and that gets cooked to reduce by half.
4. Grill/broil
Brush some glaze over the baked ribs and place them under the oven grill / broiler for 5-6 minutes (brushing on more glaze every 2 minutes).
Tips and tricks
- Cover with foil while they bake: This is so the pork ribs essentially braise in the liquid (both the marinating liquid and the liquid they create), making them more tender and flavourful. It also stops them from burning.
- Cooking them low and slow helps the connective tissue break down which, in turn, makes the sticky pork ribs juicier.
- Take the time to reduce the glaze to make it thicker, hence stickier.
- Grilling/broiling the ribs at the end helps to get the outside extra sticky and caramelised.
- Slow cooker / crock pot: You can cook these in a slow cooker as well. Cook for 3-4 hours on high.
What to serve with sticky ribs
These sticky Asian pork ribs are lovely garnished simply with some sliced spring onions (green onions) and toasted sesame seeds.
As for sides, simple steamed rice is perfect. Then for veg, this Asian slaw is so good. This apple coleslaw would also be great, as would this spicy cucumber salad.
Storage
Leftover sticky Asian ribs should be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. They taste just as good reheated, either in the microwave or the oven.
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Ingredients
- 1 kg pork ribs
- 2 star anise
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar divided
- ½ cup soy sauce
- ½ cup water
- ¼ cup rice wine vinegar
- 2 tablespoons oyster sauce
- 1 ½ tablespoons minced ginger
- 3-4 cloves garlic thinly sliced
- 2 teaspoons chilli paste or to taste
For best results, always weigh ingredients where a weight is provided
Equipment
- Jug
- Large baking dish or tray
- Saucepan
Instructions
- Place pork ribs and star anise into a large baking dish and add half the marinade.
- In a jug, combine just 1 teaspoon of the sugar (reserve the rest) with all of the remaining ingredients and mix well.
- Pour half of the marinade over the ribs (reserve the rest). Turn the ribs a couple of times to coat in the marinade then leave them meat side down. Chill for 3-4 hours.
- Roast the ribs: Preheat the oven to 160C (140C fan forced) / 320F. Cover the ribs with aluminium foil. Roast for 2 – 2 ½ hours, flipping them after 1 hour so the meat side is up, until golden brown and tender.
- Remove the ribs from the oven and turn the oven grill or broiler to high.
- Make the glaze: Pour the reserved marinade and the remaining sugar into a saucepan over medium heat and bring to a simmer for 5 minutes until reduced by about half. Add 3-4 tablespoons of the pan juices from the ribs.
- Finish roasting: Brush the glaze all over the ribs and grill/broil for 5-6 minutes, brushing with more glaze every 2 minutes. They will be very dark and sticky by this point so be careful not to let them burn.
- Serve with any leftover sauce on the side to add a little drizzle at the table.
- Please take a moment to leave a comment & rating. It's appreciated and so helpful.
Notes
- Tablespoons: I use a standard Australian 20ml tablespoon (equal to 4 teaspoons). Check yours before measuring.
- Nutrition details are approximate only – scroll below the recipe to find the full nutritional information.
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