25 best rib recipes for summer cookouts
When the temperatures skyrocket during the warmest months of the year, you probably don’t want to be stuck inside your kitchen, oven on and windows closed, preparing dinner for your hungry guests. Any occasion becomes an excuse to get outside and enjoy the waning sunlight of a June evening with a cold drink in hand. The only thing missing? A rack of ribs. Fire up the grill as family and friends crowd around a table filled to the brim with salads, berry-centric desserts and enough potato salad to sustain the group for days.
If you’re already a pro at cooking ribs, you probably have a recipe and a method that you return to time and time again. Maybe you always use your mom’s classic rib rub, or perhaps you’re loyal to a specific brand of sauce. But following the same blueprint every time can get boring, especially if you find yourself grilling or smoking often. That’s where these rib recipes can come in handy — they offer a ton of room for creativity while guiding you through some key cooking techniques.
Whether you’re just looking for new ideas to switch up your standard rib recipe or you’re cooking them for the first time, consider these recipes your ultimate guidebook to summer cooking.
Oven-Barbecued Baby Back Ribs by Geoffrey Zakarian
You can forget about firing up the grill when you try this over-friendly recipe. They’re juicy, smokey and tender — and super simple to make at home. Worcestershire sauce, mustard powder and brown sugar come together to create a slightly sweet umami rub that transforms an average rack of ribs into an unforgettable dinner, regardless of the weather.
Hot Honey Baby Back Ribs by Matt Abdoo
Sweet and heat come together in the perfect symphony of flavors in this recipe for hot honey baby back ribs. These fiery ribs are essential for the ultimate backyard BBQ spread… if you don’t mind getting your fingers sticky, of course. If you can’t find baby back ribs, you can also use St. Louis ribs or spareribs.
Chef D's Grilled and Glazed Baby Back Ribs by Damon Stalworth
Want to infuse your ribs with as much flavor as possible? According to Chef “D” Damon Stalworth, using a wet glaze before grilling your ribs is the way to go. This recipe calls for two racks of ribs along with a simple marinade made with granulated garlic, onion powder, brown sugar, paprika, Worcestershire sauce, and cider vinegar.
Katie Lee's Fall-off-the-Bone Barbecue Ribs by Katie Lee
Get adventurous in the kitchen and make up your own barbecue sauce for this recipe from Katie Lee, or use the store-bought variety for an even faster dinner. Steam the ribs first to keep the meat moist and then grill ‘em quickly to achieve their signature crust that’ll have you going back for seconds.
Blue Ribbon Barbecue Spareribs by Megan Day
Dine in the winner’s circle tonight with these award-winning, Kansas City-style spareribs. Whether you choose to cook yours in a smoker or the oven, the combination of tender meat and sweet, tangy sauce makes for an unrivaled main course for your summer barbecue.
Marcus Samuelsson's Barbecue Ribs with Tomato-Watermelon Salad by Marcus Samuelsson
Spicy, paprika-seasoned ribs may be the star of the show in this recipe from Marcus Samuelsson, but the tomato-watermelon salad is a fresh accompaniment that balances the robust, meaty flavors. Make sure to use fresh herbs, not dried, for the best flavor.
Cranberry-Whiskey-Glazed Pork Ribs by Jernard Wells
Some rib recipes are all about simplicity, let’s be real — that gets boring. Here, The whiskey adds an incredible depth of flavor to this glaze, while the cranberry adds a touch of sweetness and acidity for an incredibly balanced, unexpected flavor.
St. Louis-Style Ribs by Phil Johnson
St. Louis is known for its legendary ribs, and there’s no reason to deviate from the classics when the classics are so, so good. Use a rib rub of your choice for this recipe, then make a glaze with store-bought barbecue sauce, apple juice and apple jelly for a sweet, sticky touch.
Smoked Greek Ribs by Matt Moore
Oftentimes, the best recipes are born from two cultures. That’s certainly the case with these Greek smoked ribs, which made their way to Alabama via Greek immigrants. Don’t skip the grated lemon zest, which adds a brightness you won’t find in every rib recipe.
Big Game Beef Ribs by Megan Day
These massive ribs are ultra-juicy with a salty, flavorful crust, and you can make them in the oven if you don’t feel like firing up the barbecue pit.
Honey Barbecue Oven Short Ribs by Sunny Anderson
Honey transforms this standard short rib dish into a sweet main course. You can make your own rib rub using ingredients like onion powder, oregano, sweet paprika, garlic powder and cumin, or you can opt for a store-bought rub if you’re pinched for time. After three hours in the oven, your short ribs will be ready for plating.
Slow-Cooker Spare Ribs by Casey Barber
You might assume that you have to fire up the grill or at least turn on the oven to make a rack of ribs, but this recipe allows you to cook them in a slow cooker while you prep other dishes for dinner. With only five ingredients and 15 minutes of prep, these slow-cooker spare ribs couldn’t be easier to make.
Peach-Glazed Barbecue Ribs by David Rose
Peach preserves are the not-so-secret ingredient in this show-stopping barbecue sauce. It offers a sweet contrast to the Worcestershire sauce, yellow mustard and apple cider vinegar, which lend a tangy umami character to the ribs.
Rodney Scott's Famous Carolina-Style Ribs by Rodney Scott
If there’s one thing you should take away from Rodney Scott’s famous Carolina-style rib recipe, it’s this: MSG is a game-changer. It adds a savory, umami quality to these ribs that you can’t achieve with salt alone. Don’t sleep on the sauce either: It brings everything together in one unforgettable taste.
Blackberry Barbecue Ribs by Myron Mixon
A summertime staple — blackberries — takes these ribs to a whole new level. Combine sweet, tart blackberry preserves with a generous splash of smokey BBQ sauce and a touch of corn syrup, and you’ll have a sticky-sweet to slather on these dry-rubbed ribs.
Grilled Garlic Pork Ribs by Ben Ford
This recipe for grilled garlic pork ribs is essential for backyard summer hangs. A homemade chili-garlic oil calls for anchovies, red pepper flakes and lemon zest for a spicy, zippy sauce that’s a sophisticated departure from your average ribs. Serve with flaky sea salt and lemon wedges.
Slow-Cooked Baby Back Ribs with Peach-Honey Nectar by Matt Abdoo
Peach, honey and butter come together to create a surprisingly complex baste for this summery recipe. You’ll have to baste the ribs repeatedly throughout the cooking process, but all that hard work will pay off when you finally taste them.
Giada's Baby Back Ribs with Spicy Plum Barbecue Sauce by Giada De Laurentiis
The perfect summer ribs have a hint of sweetness to them — and a whole lot of spice. That’s exactly what you’ll get when you follow this baby back ribs from Giada de Laurentiis. The sauce calls for plums, habanero peppers and ginger, which all mingle together to form the perfect summer sauce.
Mongolian Barbecue Lamb Ribs by Rhubarb
Ditch pork ribs in favor of lamb with this recipe for Mongolian barbecue lamb ribs. It’s based on a dish from the restaurant Rhubarb in Asheville, North Carolina, and it may just change the way you think about ribs. The lamb’s earthiness plays well with the distinct tang of the Mongolian-style barbecue sauce.
Sunny's Grilled Pork Ribs with Herbed Mustard Sauce by Sunny Anderson
Skip the popular Kansas City-style barbecue sauce in favor of this savory mustard sauce. It adds a punch of heat and acidity to the ribs, which are basted in beer.
Al Roker's Sticky Ginger Ale Ribs by Al Roker
The secret ingredient here? Ginger ale, which works its magic by tenderizing the meat, giving it that desirable fall-off-the-bone texture. It also helps form a caramelized char on the meat, which adds a crunchy texture and a hint of sweetness.
Spice-Rubbed Ribs by Robbie Shoults and Hunter Shoults
When you’re looking for a weeknight rib recipe, simplicity is key. That’s exactly what you’ll get when you make these easy spice-rubbed ribs. Massage the rack of ribs with a spice rub made from onion powder, garlic powder, smoked paprika, cayenne pepper and mustard powder. . Bake the ribs in the oven and then finish them off on the grill with a thin layer of barbecue sauce for subtle stickiness.
Spicy and Savory Barbecued Pork Ribs with Two Sauces by Eric Gabrynowicz
Why settle for one sauce when you can easily treat yourself to two? That’s just what you’ll get when you make this pork rib recipe. A blackberry-habanero barbecue sauce has a lot of spice and a touch of tartness from frozen blackberries, while the cranberry-chipotle version offers a subtler heat and welcome sweetness.
Spice-Roasted Ribs with Apricot Glaze by Food & Wine
Apricot preserves provide these ribs with an unexpected sweetness and tang that’s a pleasant surprise. The caraway seeds, smoked Spanish paprika, Dijon mustard and ground pepper add complexity to the otherwise bright flavor profile. Serve them alongside a duo of potluck-friendly potato and pasta salads in a breezy backyard.
This article was originally published on TODAY.com
