Huli Huli Ribs are a Hawaiian-style barbecue recipe where the meat is marinated, brushed with a tangy sauce and grilled until fall-off-the-bone tender.
Huli Huli Pork Ribs
If you love tender baby back ribs slathered in tangy barbecue sauce, then you’ve got to try our Huli Huli ribs!
Huli Huli is a Hawaiian barbecue sauce that is a delicious combination of sweet, savory, tangy, and umami flavors. It starts with a soy sauce base and is blended with brown sugar, ginger, and garlic.
Huli is the Hawaiian word for “turn” — when talking about food, it usually refers to Huli Huli chicken, which is marinated, slow roasted and turned as it cooks, similar to rotisserie chicken.
Huli Huli Ribs have been marinated in that same sweet and tangy BBQ sauce, so they have all those bold flavors that make Huli Huli Chicken so special. We also turned them a few times during cooking, so they are cooked in that Huli Huli style. Though you don’t need any special equipment or a grill…you can prepare these Huli Huli pork ribs at home in the oven!
The idea of preparing baby back ribs at home may seem intimidating if you’ve never done it before, but trust me, this recipe couldn’t be easier!
Mix up your sauce, slather your ribs, and toss them in the oven. That’s it! You’ll have sweet, sticky, fall off the bone ribs in just a few hours! Seriously, these Hawaiian BBQ ribs are so tender you can practically cut them with a fork!
Related: Make it a meal with our Hawaiian Macaroni Salad!
Ingredients
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- 4 lbs pork spare ribs or baby back ribs
For the Rub
- Sesame Oil
- Coarse Salt
- Black Pepper
For the Glaze
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 cup ketchup
- 1/2 cup regular soy sauce
- 1/4 cup pineapple juice
- 1 teaspoon fresh ginger, minced or crushed
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic cloves
Kitchen Tools Used
- Baking Sheet (2 Large)
- Mixing Bowls
Instructions
To Prep: Preheat oven to 275°F and line to baking sheets with foil. Place one rack of ribs onto each the prepared pans and lightly coat both sides with sesame oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
- Add brown sugar, ketchup, pineapple juice, soy sauce, ginger, and garlic to a medium mixing bowl and whisk to combine until there are no large lumps.
- If the sauce seems too thick, add 1-2 Tablespoons chicken broth or chicken stock to thin it out so it will be spreadable.
- Use a basting brush apply the sauce to both sides of the ribs.
- Bake for 3-4 hours, rotating the pan every hour. The ribs are done when tender and at least 160°F internal temperature.
Prep Tips:
- After removing from the oven, allow the ribs to rest for 10 minutes before you slice into individual ribs. This helps them retain moisture and stay tender.
- Kick up the heat a notch by adding 1 Tablespoon sriracha or Thai chili sauce to the barbecue sauce.
- Garnish with chopped green onions or scallions.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can You Substitute Ground Ginger and/or Garlic Powder for Fresh?
In our recipe, we used both fresh ginger and garlic. However, if you don’t have those on hand, you can use ground ginger and/or powdered garlic in a pinch.
Use 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger for every 1 teaspoon of fresh ginger. You can use the same ratio for swapping out garlic powder for minced garlic: use 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder in place of 1 teaspoon minced garlic cloves.
What is the Difference Between Spare Ribs and Baby Back Ribs?
The main difference between baby back ribs and spare ribs is that they are taken from different parts of the pig. Baby back ribs are generally more tender and a little more delicate, so they are often more expensive.
Since they are similar, you can pretty much use baby back ribs and spare ribs interchangeably, such as in this recipe.
It is important to note that we used pork ribs for this recipe. So while you could theoretically substitute beef ribs, keep in mind that beef ribs are larger and take longer to cook. I have not personally tried that swap, so I don’t know the exact cooking time.
How Do You Reheat Baby Back Ribs with our Drying them Out?
On the off chance that there are leftovers, you may be wondering what is the best way to reheat them. While you can microwave leftover ribs, if you have time to reheat in the oven, this will give you the best results.
When I reheat already cooked food, what I do is to wrap in foil and place the pan in the oven while it preheats. When it reaches temperature, I give it maybe 2 minutes, then remove from oven. By that time, it’s usually warmed throughout.
Always keep leftovers in a sealed container in the refrigerator.
Huli Huli Ribs Recipe (printable copy)
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Huli Huli Ribs (Hawaiian BBQ)
Equipment
- 2 Baking Sheets
- Mixing bowl
- Basting Brush
Ingredients
- 4 lbs pork ribs baby back or spare ribs
- Salt & Pepper
- sesame oil as needed
For the BBQ Sauce
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 cup ketchup
- 1/2 cup soy sauce
- 1/4 cup pineapple juice
- 1 teaspoon fresh ginger minced or crushed
- 2 teaspoons garlic minced or crushed
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 275°F and line 2 baking sheets with foil.
- Lightly coat the ribs in sesame oil, then sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste.
- In a medium-sized bowl, mix together the brown sugar, ketchup, soy sauce, pineapple juice, ginger, and garlic.
- Use a basting brush to apply sauce to both sides of the ribs.
- Bake for 3-4 hours, rotating the pans every hour.
- Ribs are done when tender and at least 160°F internal temperature.
- After removing from the oven, let the ribs rest for 10 minutes before cutting into individual ribs.
Notes
Nutrition
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