Packed full of amazing flavors like fish sauce, soy sauce, peanuts, cilantro among other awesome ingredients, these Thai BBQ Pork Spare Ribs are also so incredibly easy to make! Marinated and then slow cooked, these pork spare ribs are perfectly juicy and tender.
I am #TeamSlow all the way when it comes to grilling ribs. I love a rack of BBQ pork spare ribs slow cooked over indirect heat for hours until they are just perfectly tender. And juicy. And delicious.
And forget that regular old BBQ sauce (nothing against it, but sometimes you want a little flair in your BBQ!), this Thai BBQ sauce is so incredible. SO INCREDIBLE.
Made with a mixture of peanut butter, fish sauce, soy sauce, vinegar, chili sauce and cilantro, it really packs a punch. It's got awesome flavor. We spent the rest of the weekend finding things we could dip in the leftover sauce. Yes, there will be a little leftover sauce and you will LOVE it.
**if you like pork ribs, you may also like these sous vide pork ribs.
Why This Recipe Works
- We use Fresh Pork Ribs, which come out perfectly tender and juicy.
- While the cooking takes several hours, the process is incredibly easy, plus there are step-by-step instructions below.
- Wrapping the ribs in foil while grilling helps to keep them juicy and avoids grill flareups.
- Slow cooking over low heat allows a larger margin of error than cooking quickly over high heat. We are less likely to overcook our ribs this way!
- Placing the ribs over higher heat after they have cooked low and slow allows the crust to caramelize (Maillard reaction) and develops a deep wonderful flavor.
Ingredients
The full list of ingredients and amounts is included in the recipe card at the bottom of the post.
Step By Step Instructions
Combine all the marinade ingredients in a bowl and add the ribs, flipping to make sure the surface of the meat is covered. Let sit in the fridge for at least 6 hours, or overnight (preferred).
Combine all the sauce ingredients in a bowl and mix well to combine. Store in the fridge until ready to use.
Heat the grill to 250 degrees. Wrap the marinated ribs tightly with aluminum foil (use several layers of foil to prevent leakage) and place on the grill.
Cook for 2 ½ hours at about 250 degrees, flipping every 30 minutes to keep the ribs juicy. Remove the ribs from the grill and take the foil off. Turn the grill up to 400 degrees.
Brush the Thai BBQ sauce over the ribs and place them directly on the grill. Cook for about 7-10 minutes per side, or until sauce has caramelized.
Remove from the grill, slice with a cleaver or kitchen shears, and serve brushed with additional BBQ sauce and crushed peanuts.
Grilling Instructions and Times
To slow cook spare ribs on the grill, you do need to commit some time (think about 3- 3 ½ hours). But don't worry, it's not hard at all.
The temperature needs to be low, about 250 degrees, for your ribs to cook to perfection. I turn my gas grill on pretty much as low as it goes.
I prefer to wrap the ribs in foil so when I flip them on the grill, the juices can redistribute back through the ribs instead of dripping into the fire. Plus, it helps to avoid flareups which can burn the ribs.
Every 30 minutes or so, flip the ribs over. Once they've cooked for about 2 ½ hours, remove them from the grill and let them sit for about 20 minutes. While the ribs are resting, turn up the grill to about 400 degrees.
Remove the foil and baste the ribs with BBQ sauce. Place the ribs back on the grill and let the sauce caramelize for about 5-10 minutes, being careful not to let it burn. Flip and repeat. Remove from the grill, let cool enough the cut them and enjoy!
Want to Save This Recipe?
Enter your email & I'll send it to your inbox. Plus, get great new recipes from me every week!
By submitting this form, you consent to receive emails from Went Here 8 This.
Expert Tips
- When slow cooking, always grill with the lid down;
- Ribs should be grilled on indirect heat, i.e. place the ribs on the side of the grill opposite from the burner (or coals) that are on;
- Check the grill periodically to ensure it is staying around 250 degrees. Cooking the ribs low and slow is the key to tender, juicy, perfect ribs.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is the difference between spare ribs and baby back ribs? Spare ribs are longer than baby back ribs, and are cut from the belly of the animal. They have a higher percentage of fat, which tends to make them more flavorful than baby back ribs.
- How long does it take to BBQ ribs? To slow cook ribs on the grill, it takes about 2 ½ hours on low heat to cook the ribs until they are tender and juicy. Then an additional 10-15 minutes to place directly on the grill with BBQ sauce to let them caramelize.
- How do you know when ribs are done? You can take a toothpick and insert between the bones. If it slides in relatively easily, they are done. The meat is fully cooked when it reaches 145 degrees, but that doesn't always mean they are tender. Typically, the meat becomes tender enough when it reaches about 190-200 degrees. That means the collagen has had time to break down.
Did you make these BBQ Pork Spare Ribs? Rate the recipe and leave a comment to let me know how they turned out!
Recipe
Thai BBQ Pork Spare Ribs
Ingredients
- 5-6 pounds Pork Spare Ribs
- Crushed peanuts optional for garnish
Marinade
- 1 tablespoon Thai red curry paste
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 2 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 2 tablespoon fish sauce
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon coconut sugar
Thai BBQ Sauce
- 3 tablespoon soy sauce
- 2 tablespoon fish sauce
- 2 tablespoon cilantro minced
- 4 tablespoon peanut butter
- 4 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1 ½ tablespoon tomato paste
- 2 teaspoon rice vinegar
- 2 tablespoon chili garlic sauce
Instructions
- Combine all the marinade ingredients in a bowl and add the ribs, flipping to make sure the surface of the meat is covered. Let sit in the fridge for at least 6 hours, or overnight (preferred).
- Combine all the BBQ sauce ingredients in a bowl and mix well to combine. Store in the fridge until ready to use.
- Heat the grill to 250 degrees. Wrap the marinated ribs tightly with aluminum foil (use several layers of foil to prevent leakage) and place on the grill.
- Cook for 2 ½ hours at about 250 degrees, flipping every 30 minutes to keep the ribs juicy.
- Remove the ribs from the grill and take the foil off. Turn the grill up to 400 degrees.
- Brush the Thai BBQ sauce over the ribs and place them directly on the grill. Cook for about 7-10 minutes per side, or until sauce has caramelized.
- Remove from the grill, slice with a cleaver or kitchen shears, and serve brushed with additional BBQ sauce and crushed peanuts.
Expert Tips:
- When slow cooking, always grill with the lid down;
- Ribs should be grilled on indirect heat, i.e. place the ribs on the side of the grill opposite from the burner (or coals) that are on;
- Check the grill periodically to ensure it is staying around 250 degrees. Cooking the ribs low and slow is the key to tender, juicy, perfect ribs.
kylie says
Can I make these in the oven
Tara says
Hello Kylie, you can cook them in the oven. However, keep in mind that you will need to cook on a sheet pan. Additionally, you will lose the smoke flavor in step 5, and you will not achieve a nice sear to retain the juices.
Claire says
Your recipe looks fantastic! Can I do this in a slow cooker? Thank you.
Tara says
Yes, you can absolutely make this Thai-style pork spare ribs recipe in a slow cooker, and it will turn out tender, juicy, and flavorful. The slow cooker is perfect for low-and-slow cooking, and it allows the marinade and sauce to really penetrate the meat.
Here’s how to adapt the recipe for the slow cooker:
Slow Cooker Thai BBQ Pork Ribs
Prep:
Marinate the ribs as the original recipe states — combine all marinade ingredients and let the ribs soak in the fridge for at least 6 hours or overnight.
Slow Cooker Instructions:
Cut the Ribs: For easier handling and even cooking, cut the slab into 3-4 rib sections.
Add to Slow Cooker: Place the marinated ribs in the slow cooker in layers. You can add a few spoonfuls of the marinade over the ribs if you like extra flavor, but don’t flood the pot.
Cook:
Low: 7–8 hours
High: 4–5 hours
(Until the meat is tender and nearly falling off the bone)
Naila says
When I use the slow cooker, do I add the BBQ sauce into the slow cooker at the beginning as well?
Thanks!
Excited to try this!
Tara says
After mixing up the marinade and letting the ribs soak in the fridge for at least 6 hours (or overnight for max flavor), toss the marinated ribs with BBQ sauce before placing them in the slow cooker.
Mark F says
Some of the best ribs I have ever eaten! I let it marinade for 48 hrs. The peanut butter BBQ sauce was awesome!!! Wrapped leftovers in foil and heated in oven, even better than the previous night!
Thanks for the recipe that I will be making regularly!!!
Danielle says
I'm so happy you liked them!
Tate says
Way too salty. Three of us tried this dish. We had to throw it away and go get takeout. Very disappointed and wasted a lot of meat.
Tara says
I’m really sorry to hear that this didn’t work out for you—that’s definitely frustrating, especially when ingredients go to waste. Fish sauce can be quite salty, and salt tolerance can vary a lot from person to person. For a less salty result, the fish sauce can be reduced from 4 tablespoons to 2 tablespoons, and adding a bit more brown sugar can help balance the flavors. I’ve gone ahead and updated the recipe to reduce the amount of fish sauce to help prevent this issue in the future. Thank you for the feedback—I appreciate you taking the time to share your experience.
Haydn Richardson says
Didn't need 2.5 hrs. Would try 2hrs
Danielle says
Thanks for your feedback!
Chris says
I prepared this dish for friends and family and everyone loved it! I used baby back ribs instead of spare ribs. The bbq sauce was a bit salty so I added more brown sugar to lessen the saltiness. All in all it was delicious!
Danielle says
I'm so glad you enjoyed it!!!
who has the best bbq says
The most delicious American food is barbecue. It comes with a variety of regional flavorings, like the Memphis-style sticky barbecue ribs, the Central Texas-style barbecue brisket and Memphis-style sticky ribs, as well as the Kansas City-style burned ends. The famous cuisine is more than what you see on the surface.
Danielle says
I love American BBQ, but am a huge fan of Asian style BBQ as well!
PB says
Thank you for the recipe. While the marinade was absolutely delicious and balanced, the BBQ sauce was really weird to our taste. We didn’t take a risk of putting it on the ribs and ended up mixing regular BBQ sauce with red curry paste which ended up good.
Danielle says
I'm so sorry you didn't like the BBQ sauce - was there something specific about it so I can take a look at it? I am glad you enjoyed the marinade though!
Tracy says
Is the nutritional information correct? Are 2 ribs really 1175 calories? Seems awfully high.
Danielle says
It does seem high. I use a nutrition calculator that automatically calculates it, so I'll have to take a look at it.
Kyle says
Delicious, was worried about the peanut butter overpowering the other ingredients, but it was perfectly mild in the BBQ sauce. Only problem was the final cook burnt the sauce very quickly, less time on the high heat. Thank you for the recipe!
Danielle says
I'm glad you enjoyed it! Sorry the sauce burned at the end, it can happen fast due to all the sugar!
Stephen Warren says
I tried your Thai BBQ sauce. I didn't modify the ingredients, but I did triple the recipe. The flavour of the sauce was exceptional, but it was really salty. It was so salty that my wife and kids won't eat it. I'm not sure where all that salt came from, obviously the soy sauce has salt in it. Maybe it was the fish sauce? Anyway, I'll try the recipe with low sodium soy sauce next time. I may try this batch of sauce on Jasmine rice to balance it out instead of discarding it. In the meantime, I guess I'll be eating all of these leftover ribs myself.
Danielle says
I'm sorry it turned out too salty for you! The fish sauce does have a lot of salt in it. You could reduce the amount of fish sauce as well to 2 tablespoon instead of 4 which should help the saltiness.
Cathy says
Danielle, you always make delicious and yummy dishes and these thai bbq pork ribs are no exception!! So making these this weekend! Omgosh I could go through the screen to simply taste these!
Danielle says
Awww thanks Cathy! I hope you get to make them 🙂
Michelle says
I can't wait to try this recipe! Alway looking for new rib recipes to try this time of year
Danielle says
Hope you love it Michelle!
Abigail S. Raines says
Of course this is very tasty! How can it not be with fish sauce and soy sauce as the seasoning, you simply can't go wrong. I can eat this everyday!
Danielle says
Thanks Abigail! Fish sauce really is just the best seasoning!
Jennifer says
Oh my, we love grilling some ribs during the summertime. This Thai barbecue sauce really hits the spot too! YUM
Danielle says
Thanks Jennifer!
Liz says
I'm going to make a double batch of that sauce! It looks so good!
Danielle says
Thanks Liz! It is really good - hope you enjoy 🙂
Tawnie Kroll says
Now I want ribs! Will make these for the 4th - thank you!
Danielle says
You're welcome Tawnie - hope you enjoy 🙂
Mikayla says
#Teamslow here too! I LOVE this recipe, because I really do get bored with traditional bbq sauce but my husband loves to grill ribs in the summer! It's a ritual of the season, and we'll be adding these flavors to the rotation! Thanks!
Danielle says
Slow is the way to go! It's nice to have a change sometimes. Hope you enjoy the sauce!
Bintu | Recipes From A Pantry says
These ribs have my mouth watering! That sauce sounds absolutely incredible.
Danielle says
Thanks so much 🙂
Kate says
Wow these photos are mouth-watering! This looks like the perfect summer recipe, making this tonight for sure!!
Danielle says
Thanks Kate! Hope you love it 🙂
Toni says
This was really amazing! I love how tasty and juicy it is!
Danielle says
Thanks Toni!
Lisa | Garlic & Zest says
I am ready for these ribs! I completely agree -- low and slow is the only way to go and your flavorings have taken this in a completely different direction. These ribs are perfection.
Danielle says
Low and slow is definitely key! Thanks Lisa 🙂
Emmeline says
OK this needs to happen very soon in my house! Ribs & thai flavors - two of my main obsessions, and you brought them together in such a beautiful way! Thank your for this!
Danielle says
Thanks Emmeline! I really hope you get the chance to try them 🙂
Demeter says
These sound so flavorful. Thanks for all your tips and tricks to getting it right.
Danielle says
Thanks Demeter!
kim says
Yum! What a great recipe with such fabulous flavor. This one will be on repeat!
Danielle says
Thanks Kim!