There’s something so satisfying and yummy about a pan of glossy, caramelized ribs emerging from the oven—especially when they’re lacquered in a sticky, spicy and citrus-infused glaze that caramelizes onto every curve. These orange and hoisin ribs strike the perfect balance between sweet, savory, with just a touch of spice, and with depth of flavor that tastes like they took hours longer to prepare than they did.
This oven-baked pork rib recipe leans into bold, Asian-inspired flavors—flavor-packed hoisin sauce, fresh orange juice and zest, and a hint of garlic and soy—creating a glaze that’s equal parts bright and umami-packed. The ribs that were baked low and slow bathed in orange juice (in a quick foil wrap to keep things tender), are finished with a sauce that reduces to a mouth-watering caramelized glaze that turns irresistibly sticky under a final broil.
The result? Fall-off-the bone baked ribs with a lacquered finish that will have you and your family and guests licking their fingers for more!
Why You’ll Love These Orange and Hoisin Glazed Ribs
These sweet, fiery and sticky hoisin and orange glazed ribs are designed for everyday ease of preparation -- perfect for a weeknight, but impressive enough to serve at a gathering as an entree or a tasty appetizer.
- Oven-baked, no grill required – perfect for year-round cooking
- Tender, juicy texture thanks to a foil-wrapped bake
- Citrus-infused glaze that’s both sweet and tangy with a bit of "fire"
- A deeply umami-rich sauce with minimal effort
- Ideal as a weeknight family dinner or cut into smaller portions as a party appetizer
If you’ve ever wanted BBQ-style ribs in the oven with a fresh, unexpected twist, this is your recipe.
Ingredients
Baby Back Pork Ribs
Orange Hoisin Sauce
- baby back pork ribs (substitute St. Louis Style)
- fresh orange juice
- orange zest
- hoisin sauce
- Chinese chili garlic sauce
- oyster sauce
- brown sugar
- sriracha chili sauce
- fresh ginger root
- soy sauce
- scallions
See recipe card for quantities.
Jump to RecipeInstructions
Preheat oven to 350°F.
Place a long sheet of heavy-duty foil on each of 2 large-rimmed baking sheets extending foil over the short edges. Salt and pepper both sides of the ribs and place rack of ribs centered on foil concave side up.
Pour ½ cup orange juice over each rib rack.
Fold up foil to seal packets.
For fall-off-the-bone tender, bake 1.5 hours for baby back ribs and 2 hours for St. Louis style. (The temperature should register between 190°F and 205°F.)
Meanwhile, whisk together the next eight ingredients along with the orange zest in a small saucepan.
Bring sauce to a boil, reduce heat and simmer until sauce is thickened, about 15 minutes.
Prepare baking sheets: Line two large-rimmed baking sheets with parchment or aluminum foil and place a baking rack in each.
When the ribs have finished cooking, remove the foil and arrange each rack of ribs on the racks on the baking sheets.
Set the oven heat to broil.
Brush one side of the ribs generously with the hoisin orange sauce and transfer on backing sheet to the oven and broil on the top oven rack for 5 to 7 minutes until the sauce is caramelized and browned. (Make sure to keep an eye on them so that they don't burn.)
Remove from the oven and flip each rack over. Brush with more sauce and return to the oven for 5 to 7 minutes.
Recommendation: Turn rib racks over and repeat again if desired.
Transfer ribs to a cutting board to cool.
Use a large knife to cut between the ribs.
Mound on a platter and sprinkle with green onions. Serve immediately.
Baby Back Ribs vs. St. Louis-Style Ribs
Baby Back Ribs are leaner than St. Louis-style. They have less meat between the bones, but carry more meat on top.
This type of rib rack might be what you first think of when someone mentions “ribs.” They are typically leaner than St. Louis-style ribs. While they have less meat between the bones, there is more meat on top. Baby Back Ribs also have more curvature, which is the best way to tell the difference between the two cuts.
The only reason they are called "baby backs" is simply because of their smaller size. The average weight of a rack is between 1.5 and 2 pounds with anywhere from 8 to 13 ribs per rack.
Perhaps the more common name for St. Louis-Style Ribs is “spareribs.” Compared to baby back ribs, spareribs have more meat -- and fat -- between the bones, making them a flavorful choice.
That said, the meat on St. Louis-Style Ribs is typically not as tender as baby back ribs and they require a longer cooking time to get them "fall-off-the-bone" tender. A slab weights between 2-½ and 3 pounds with bones that tend to be straighter.
(To note, the ribs I used in this recipe were baby backs with 13 ribs/rack and weighed closer to 2-¾ lbs. They were on the larger side and kept them in the oven for a bit longer given their size.)
Substitutions & Variations
- Pineapple Juice - instead of orange juice, substitute pineapple juice
- Sambal Oelek - substitute Chili Garlic Paste with a few cloves of minced garlic
- Gochujang - Korean Gochujang with a few cloves of minced garlic is also an excellent substitution for Chili Garlic Paste
- Gluten Free -- hoisin sauce is typically not gluten free, however there are some brands that are showing up in grocery stores, such as Wok Mei Gluten Free Hoisin Sauce. Substitute soy sauce with GF Japanese Tamari.
- Maple Syrup -- use equal amounts maple syrup instead of brown sugar
- Chili Crisp -- I'm a HUGE fan of chili crisp; whisk in a few teaspoons instead of the Sriracha sauce to taste
Equipment
- aluminum foil
- parchment paper
- rimmed baking sheet (s)
- baking racks
- small saucepan
I used a parchment-lined baking sheet with a wire rack insert to allow the air to circulate around the ribs. You can broil the ribs directly on a baking sheet with parchment or aluminum foil that has been coated with oil or cooking spray. Or, if you have a broiler pan, that will work, as well.
Using parchment and aluminum foil make clean-up a breeze!
Storage
Reheat in the oven: After broiling, cool the ribs and wrap in foil. Store in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 day. If freezing, vacuum seal or wrap in foil and place in an airtight bag and freeze for up to 3 months.
Reheat the ribs low and slow in a 250°F oven wrapped in foil with a good splash of orange juice, broth or water. (This will keep them from drying out.) Warm them for 20 to 30 minutes. To re-caramelize the glaze, unwrap the ribs and finish under the broiler for two or three minutes.
If you have leftover orange hoisin glaze, brush the ribs with glaze and place under the broiler for three to four minutes until caramelized.
Reheat on a grill: These can also be reheated on a grill over indirect heat. Wrap in foil and warm over indirect heat, 250°F to 300°F.
If you have leftover orange hoisin glaze, increase the heat on the grill to 450°F, brush the ribs with glaze and place back on the grill covered for two to three minutes until caramelized, keeping an eye so as not to burn.
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Orange and Hoisin Baby Back Pork Ribs
Equipment
- aluminum foil
- parchment paper
- baking sheet
- baking rack
- small saucepan
Ingredients
- 2 2 to 3-pound racks baby back pork ribs
- 1 cup fresh squeezed orange juice
Orange and Hoisin Sauce
- ½ cup hoisin sauce
- ½ cup fresh orange juice, plus zest from one orange
- ¼ cup Chinese chili garlic sauce
- ¼ cup oyster sauce
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon Sriracha chili sauce
- 1 tablespoon fresh grated ginger
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 3 to 4 scallions, thinly sliced
Instructions
- Advance Preparation: Orange and Hoisin sauce can be made 1 day in advance. Cover and refrigerate.
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Place a long sheet of heavy-duty foil on each of 2 large-rimmed baking sheets extending foil over the short edges. Salt and pepper both sides of the ribs and place rack of ribs centered on foil concave side up.
- Pour ½ cup orange juice over each rib rack. Fold up foil to seal packets. Bake until ribs are tender, about 1.5 to 2 hours.
- Meanwhile, whisk together the next eight ingredients along with the orange zest in a small saucepan. Bring sauce to a boil, reduce heat and simmer until sauce is thickened, about 15 minutes.
- Prepare baking sheets: Line two large-rimmed baking sheets with parchment or aluminum foil and place a baking rack in each.
- When the ribs have finished cooking, remove the foil and arrange each rack of ribs on the racks on the baking sheets.
- Set the oven heat to broil.
- Brush one side of the ribs generously with the hoisin orange sauce and transfer on backing sheet to the oven and broil on the top oven rack for 5 to 7 minutes until the sauce is caramelized and browned. Remove from the oven and flip each rack over. Brush with more sauce and return to the oven for 5 to 7 minutes. (Turn rib racks over and repeat again if desired.)
- Use a large knife to cut between the ribs. Mound on a platter and sprinkle with green onions. Serve immediately.
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