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Smoked Baby Back Ribs with Hoisin-Honey Glaze

These smoked baby back ribs are a spectacular high-protein dish that brings deep, aromatic Eastern flavours to your garden barbecue. The marinade combines savoury soy and oyster sauces with the distinct warmth of Chinese five-spice and ginger, while the honey ensures a beautifully sticky, caramelised finish. By using an indirect smoking method, the pork remains incredibly moist and tender, absorbing a delicate charcoal aroma that perfectly complements the rich, dark glaze.

Ideal for weekend entertaining or a special family feast, this recipe relies on a slow-cooking technique to achieve that sought-after fall-away texture. While the preparation starts the day before to let the flavours penetrate the meat, the active cooking time is relatively short for a smoked dish. Serve these ribs alongside a fresh slaw or pickled cucumbers for a balanced, restaurant-quality meal at home.

Continue reading below

Ingredients for Smoked Baby Back Ribs with Hoisin-Honey Glaze

  • 120ml soy sauce

  • 120ml hoisin sauce*

  • 120ml oyster sauce*

  • 120ml honey

  • 120ml cream Sherry

  • 2 tablespoons finely grated peeled fresh ginger

  • 2 tablespoons black bean garlic sauce*

  • 6 garlic cloves, minced

  • 1/2 teaspoons Chinese five-spice powder

  • 3 675g racks baby back pork ribs

How to make Smoked Baby Back Ribs with Hoisin-Honey Glaze

Whisk first 9 ingredients in large roasting pan to blend. Add ribs to pan; turn to coat. Chill overnight, turning ribs occasionally. Remove ribs from marinade, reserving marinade.

Place handful of torn newspaper in bottom of charcoal chimney. Top with 30 charcoal briquettes. Remove top rack from barbecue. Place chimney on lower barbecue rack. Light newspaper; let charcoal burn until ash is gray, about 30 minutes.

Open bottom barbecue vent. Turn out hot charcoal onto 1 half of bottom rack. Using metal spatula, spread charcoal to cover approximately 1/3 of rack. Fill foil loaf pan halfway with water and place opposite charcoal on bottom rack.

Place top rack on barbecue. Arrange ribs on top rack above water in loaf pan. Cover barbecue with lid, positioning top vent directly over ribs. Place stem of candy thermometer through top vent, with gauge on outside and tip near ribs (thermometer should not touch meat or barbecue rack); leave in place during cooking. Use top and bottom vents to maintain temperature between 121°C and 149°C, opening vents wider to increase heat and closing to decrease heat. Leave any other vents closed. Check temperature every 10 minutes.

Cook ribs until meat is very tender when pierced with knife, turning ribs and basting with reserved marinade every 20 minutes, about 1 hour 30 minutes total. Open barbecue only when necessary (to baste meat, for instance) and close quickly to minimize loss of heat and smoke. After first 30 minutes of cooking, use technique described earlier to light additional 15 charcoal briquettes in same charcoal chimney set atop nonflammable surface.

If cooking temperature drops below 121°C, use oven mitts to lift off top rack with ribs and place on heatproof surface. Using tongs, add half of hot gray charcoal from chimney to bottom rack. Replace top rack on barbecue, placing ribs above water in loaf pan. Cover with lid.

Transfer ribs to baking sheet; let stand 10 minutes. Cut meat between bones to separate ribs and serve.

*Available at Asian markets and in the Asian foods section of many supermarkets.

Disclaimer

While every effort has been made to ensure the information is accurate and up to date, individual needs may vary and dietary requirements can differ based on personal health conditions. Always check food labels and allergen information before preparing or consuming any recipe. If you have specific health concerns, allergies, intolerances, or are following a medically prescribed diet, seek advice from your GP, pharmacist, or a registered dietitian before making significant changes to your diet or lifestyle.

Article history

The information on this page is peer reviewed by qualified clinicians.

  • 17 Jan 2026 | Originally published

    Authored by:

    UK recipe editors

    Peer reviewed by

    UK recipe editors
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