Sticky Ribs with Teriyaki Sauce
If you ask me, “finger-lickin’ good” is a more suitable slogan for Chinese sticky ribs than fried chicken. I mean, really, who wants to lick hydrogenated soybean oil laced with TBHQ off of their fingers? Just sayin’.
Our sticky ribs recipe makes use of two delectable sauces to flavor pork spare ribs. We start with a sweet, salty, umami (from funky, fermented fish sauce) marinade with nuanced spice from chili sauce and the warm bite of fresh ginger, and let that seep into the ribs for a few hours. Then, we baste the slabs with Primal Kitchen No Soy Teriyaki—a fusion of coconut aminos, honeyed citrus notes, and distinctive sesame punctured with garlic, ginger, and tamarind—before and during grilling to ensure a caramelized crust on the exterior of the meat. Served with a reduction made from the marinade and topped with a riff on a gremolata—Asian-style—these fall-off-the-bone tender grilled sticky ribs pair beautifully with Sesame Ginger Slaw or this Egg Roll Bowl.
Sticky Ribs with Teriyaki Sauce
Time: 5 1/2 hours
Servings: 6–7 (3–4 ribs per serving)
Ingredients
For the ribs:
- 2 slabs pork spare ribs
- 1 ½ cups Primal Kitchen No Soy Teriyaki
- Primal Kitchen Avocado Oil Spray
For the marinade:
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon fresh ginger, grated
- ½ cup coconut aminos
- 3 tablespoons raw honey, optional
- 1 tablespoon chili sauce
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- ½ teaspoon fish sauce
For the garnish:
- ¼ cup raw cashews, soaked, drained, and roughly chopped
- 2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds
- ¼ cup cilantro, chopped 1 scallion, sliced
Instructions
- Remove the membrane from the back of the ribs by getting a butter knife under it, and then using a paper towel to grab hold and pull the membrane away.
- Place ribs in a large resealable plastic bag or large glass container with a lid.
- In a bowl or pyrex cup, whisk together all marinade ingredients.
- Pour marinade over the ribs. Seal tightly and then slosh the marinade around in the bag or container to ensure both rib slabs are equally coated.
- Place ribs in the refrigerator and marinate for at least one hour—ideally, four hours total.
- When you’re ready to cook the ribs, remove them from the refrigerator and place them on a baking sheet.
- Pour the marinade, plus ½ cup of water, into an InstantPot or saucepan on the stove.
- If using the InstantPot: Cook on manual high for 30 minutes. Release valve and let pressure release for 10 minutes.
- If using the stove: Bring marinade to a rolling boil over high heat (to ensure you kill any bacteria). Once the marinade has boiled, reduce the heat to medium-low to low and allow to simmer for about 20 minutes, or until the liquid has reduced by about half.
- In the meantime, heat the grill.
- Brush Primal Kitchen No Soy Teriyaki on both sides of the ribs.
- If using a charcoal grill: Lightly spray the grill rack with Primal Kitchen Avocado Oil Spray. Transfer ribs to area of rack with few coals underneath, and cook, covered with lid, basting generously with Teriyaki Sauce and turning over and rotating ribs every 10 minutes (keep ribs over indirect heat). Cook until tender and browned, 30 to 40 minutes total.
- If using a gas grill: Lightly spray grill rack with Primal Kitchen Avocado Oil Spray. Transfer ribs to rack above shut-off burner. Grill, covered with lid, basting generously with Teriyaki Sauce and turning over and rotating ribs every 10 minutes (keep ribs over shut-off burner), until ribs are tender and browned, 30 to 40 minutes total.
- Place ribs onto a cutting board and spoon reduced marinade on top.
- Sprinkle chopped cashews, seeds, cilantro and scallions on top.
- Allow to stand for 5–10 minutes before cutting into ribs.
- Serve with more sauce on the side.
Nutritional Info (per serving; about 4 ribs):
Calories: 633
Carbs: 28 grams
Fat: 40 grams
Protein: 36 grams
Nutritional information calculated using Cronometer.
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