Sticky Char Siu Pork Ribs
Pork ribs baked slowly until tender, then roasted hot with a sweet five spice glaze until dark and sticky.
Made with Char siu marinade. Make a batch of the base first, then this takes minutes. Skip to the method
- Time2 hr 30 + marinating
- LevelEasy
- Costabout £5.49 a head
- Oven160°C (140°C fan)
Cost is worked out from Aldi and Tesco shelf prices in October 2026. Your shop and brands will differ.
Ingredients
Tick what you need to buy. It goes on your shopping list.
Method
- 1
Use your ready made char siu marinade (see the base recipe). Put 40 ml into a clean dish and keep it covered in the fridge for basting.
- 2
Rub the remaining 80 ml all over the ribs, put them in a dish, cover and chill for at least 6 hours or overnight.
- 3
Heat the oven to 160°C (140°C fan). Wrap each rack tightly in foil with the marinade, sit them on a tray and bake for 1 hour 45 minutes, until the meat is very tender and has pulled back from the bones.
105 min - 4
Raise the oven to 200°C (180°C fan). Open the foil, lift the racks on to a rack over a lined tin and brush with the reserved marinade.
- 5
Roast for 15 minutes, brush again, then roast for 5 to 10 minutes more until dark, sticky and slightly charred at the edges.
20 min - 6
Toss the cucumber with the rice vinegar, sesame oil and spring onions. Rest the ribs for 5 minutes, cut between the bones and serve with the cucumber.
Tips
- Cooking in tight foil first steams the ribs until tender. The high heat at the end is only for the glaze.
- Do not skip the reserved basting portion. Marinade that touched raw ribs must not go back on once the meat is cooked.
- Watch the final roast closely. The sugars go from glossy to burnt in a couple of minutes.
Storing and freezing
Keeps up to 3 days in the fridge once cooled within 1 hour. Reheat wrapped in foil at 180C for 20 minutes until steaming hot, or freeze cooked ribs for up to 2 months.
Questions
Can I use baby back ribs?
Yes. They are smaller and leaner, so bake them for about 1 hour 15 minutes at 160C before the glazing stage.
Can I cook these on a barbecue?
Yes. Finish the foil baked ribs over medium direct heat for 8 to 10 minutes, basting and turning often until charred and sticky.
What are the ribs done when?
The meat should feel soft when pressed and pull away from the bone ends by about 1 cm. Internal temperature will be well past 90C by then.
More made with char siu marinade
Double check before you cook. Recipes can contain mistakes. Any diet labels come from the ingredients as written in this recipe and are a guide, not a guarantee. Always check every ingredient and the packet label for allergens and cross contamination, and ask your doctor or dietitian what is right for you, especially with coeliac disease, diabetes or a serious allergy. This is not medical advice.