Sweet Honey BBQ Ribs

These sweet ribs come with a Spanish twist and are officially known as costillas de cerdo a la miel. Sounds like something you’d order on holiday with a cold beer on the side, and that’s precisely the idea.

We smoked them first on the barbecue and then braised them until the meat was so tender it almost fell off the bone. And yes, I said “almost,” because we still like a bit of bite to our ribs.

You can serve these sweet honey ribs as part of a tapas platter with other small dishes, but they also work great as a snack or a side at a summer barbecue. Just throw a big plate on the table and watch how fast they disappear.

For this recipe, we prefer thick and meaty baby back ribs. They’ve plenty of meat without being too fatty, cook evenly, and are perfect for this kind of preparation.

We slice the ribs right along the bone so all the meat ends up on one side. That gives you lovely, chunky pieces that are easy to hold and even easier to gnaw on.

Once the ribs are portioned, we generously coat them with our dry rub. It’s a blend of paprika, coriander, lemon zest, and a hint of chilli. The result is a smoky, aromatic base with a fresh citrus edge and a gentle heat in the background.

We let the dry rub sit on the meat for at least 30 minutes, which is long enough for the salt to penetrate the ribs and for the rest of the spices to form a flavorful crust on the surface. Meanwhile, you can fire up the smoker.

We add a chunk of cherry wood to the charcoal. Cherry gives off a mild, sweet smoke that pairs beautifully with the honey and tomato in the sauce. It also helps give the meat a deep reddish colour.

We place the ribs on the grates and let them smoke for a couple of hours. After two hours of smoking, the ribs are already looking dangerously good. They’ve picked up a rich colour, and you might be tempted to take a bite already. But the meat still needs time to soften. Right now, they’re still a little too tough.

After smoking, we move the ribs into a tray with the honey-tomato sauce and a few knobs of butter. We don’t drown the meat because the idea is to add just enough sauce to boost the flavour while gently braising the ribs.

That way, the meat stays firm enough to bite cleanly off the bone, without falling apart like pulled pork. It’s all about that sweet spot between tender and toothsome.

We cover the tray tightly with aluminium foil so the ribs can gently steam in their little sauna. Seal the tray well, or you’ll lose too much heat and moisture. We crank up the heat to around 200ºC (392ºF) to speed things up a bit.

After about an hour, the ribs are beautifully tender. We finish them off by placing them back on the grill and brushing them with the reduced sauce from the tray. It’s thick, sticky, and packed with flavour, caramelizing on the surface.

We serve these sweet honey ribs with chopped fresh coriander, lemon wedges, and a bottle of sriracha on the side for those who like to add a bit of heat.

Planning to give our sweet honey ribs a go? Let us know in the comments below. Or better yet, snap a photo and post it on Instagram. Tag @bbqhelden so we can see how yours turned out.