Hoisin Barbecue Ribs Recipe

Updated April 02, 2025

Ribs slow-smoked over cherry wood get a little Asian flair when finished with a hoisin barbecue sauce, creating a unique combination of sweet, salty, and smoky that's all around delicious.

To complement to flavor profile of the sauce, the rub brings together brown sugar, salt, 5-spice powder, Sichuan peppercorns, white pepper, and granulated garlic.

Recipe Details

Hoisin Barbecue Ribs Recipe

Prep 5 mins

Cook 6 hrs

Active 60 mins

Chilling Time 12 hrs

Total 18 hrs 5 mins

Serves 4 servings

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Ingredients

For the Rub:

1/4 cup dark brown sugar
2 tablespoons kosher salt
1 tablespoon Chinese 5-spice powder
2 teaspoons ground Sichuan peppercorns
1 teaspoon ground white pepper
1 teaspoon granulated garlic
2 racks St. Louis-cut pork ribs
2-3 fist size chunks of light smoking wood, such as cherry or apple
1 cup Hoisin barbecue sauce

Directions

To make the rub, mix together brown sugar, salt, 5-spice powder, Szechuan peppercorns, white pepper, and garlic in a small bowl.
Remove the membrane from the back of the rack, and trim the ribs of excess fat. Rub each rack liberally with the rub. Wrap ribs in foil or place in a large container and store in the refrigerator overnight (optional).
Remove the ribs from the fridge while preparing the smoker or grill. Fire up smoker or grill to 225°F, adding chunks of smoking wood chunks when at temperature. When the wood is ignited and producing smoke, place the ribs in the smoker or grill, meat side up, and smoke until the ribs have a slight bend when lifted from one end, 5 to 6 hours.
In the last 1/2 hour of cooking, baste the top of each rack with barbecue sauce and continue smoking to caramelize sauce. Remove from smoker, slice, and serve.

Special equipment

Smoker or Grill

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
240	Calories
6g	Fat
43g	Carbs
5g	Protein

Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4
Amount per serving
Calories	240
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 6g	8%
Saturated Fat 2g	8%
Cholesterol 18mg	6%
Sodium 2634mg	115%
Total Carbohydrate 43g	16%
Dietary Fiber 2g	6%
Total Sugars 35g
Protein 5g
Vitamin C 1mg	4%
Calcium 57mg	4%
Iron 1mg	7%
Potassium 269mg	6%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.