Y’all really loved my party ribs recipe — I’m honored! But I know there are some of you out there who like things with a little more kick to them. So, for you serious fire starters, you need to make these honey chili oil party ribs immediately. I tried out honey chili oil on in this wing recipe, and it blew my mind. I didn’t think the party ribs could get any better, but the chili oil’s bold flavor really takes things to the next level.
Table of Contents
- Why You’ll Love These Honey Chili Oil Party Ribs
- Honey Chili Oil Party Ribs Ingredients
- Why Use a Crutch
- HONEY INFUSED. FLAME PERFECTED.
- How to Make Honey Chili Oil Party Ribs
- What to Serve with Honey Chili Oil Party Ribs
- Leftovers and Reheating
- For More Ribs
- FAQs
- Flavor X Fire & FOOD X Fire
- Honey Chili Oil Party Ribs Recipe
Why You’ll Love These Honey Chili Oil Party Ribs
Party ribs are like smoked pork belly burnt ends, but made with individual baby back ribs instead. The party ribs trend went viral on TikTok a while back. And unlike most viral recipes, this one showed it was here to stay. You’re basically combining the freakin’ delicious meat candy that is burnt ends with the fall-off-the-bone tenderness and flavor that are baby back ribs. Truly a match made in barbecue heaven.
The sweet and spicy honey chili oil gives this recipe just the right amount of extra crave-worthy flavor and flair. We combine our base ingredients for the chili oil with BBQ sauce to bring out backyard barbecue flavor, creating just one of the most amazing meals I’ve had in a long time. I used my HNY FYR BBQ Sauce in this hot honey party ribs recipe, but grab any bottle of your favorite sauce to make a real winner!
Want more chili oil recipes? Check out Chili Oil Tacos, Chili Oil Steak Pinwheels, Steak and Chili Oil Eggs and Honey Chili Oil Chicken Wings
Honey Chili Oil Party Ribs Ingredients
- Ribs: We’ll use two racks of ribs, my Cowboy Candy Seasoning and yellow mustard as a binder.
- Crutch: Our epic honey chili oil flavor will come from this step in the smoke. To make our crutch, we’ll combine honey, unsalted butter, HNY FYR BBQ Sauce and chili oil.
Why Use a Crutch
When I’m making party ribs, I like to use a crutch. That means after the ribs have cooked for about 90 minutes, we place them in a covered foil pan with basting ingredients. By using the crutch, we’re accomplishing a few things:
- Speedier cooking: When we cover the ribs in foil, we create a sealed, moist environment that helps them power through the stall (when the meat stops rising in temperature due to evaporation).
- Tender, juicy meat: The crutch traps steam and moisture, preventing the ribs from drying out during the long cooking process. This is especially important for party ribs; they’re cut into individual pieces, so the rib singles have more exposed surface area than a full rack. Plus, the crutch helps break down the collagen and connective tissue, giving you that signature fall-off-the-bone texture that makes tender ribs so addictive.
- Extra flavor: By adding BBQ sauce, chili oil and honey to the crutch, we’re essentially braising the ribs in those flavors. The ribs absorb all that sweet, spicy, rich goodness. We’re also creating a built-in glaze, since all those ingredients in the crutch break down and meld together. When you uncover them for the final 30 minutes, that glaze caramelizes beautifully on the smoker for a serious umami flavor hit.
Get stoked for life
HONEY INFUSED. FLAME PERFECTED.
- HONEY SWEETENED
- CAYENNE KICK
- SMALL BATCH
How to Make Honey Chili Oil Party Ribs
Begin by removing the membrane on the back of the 2 racks of pork ribs. Cut the ribs into singles, then slather the individual ribs in 1/4 cup yellow mustard. Season generously with my Cowboy Candy Rub and set to the side.
Preheat your smoke for 250 degrees Fahrenheit to cook indirectly. Add wood chips or wood chunks if you want! Cherry wood works great here. Place your ribs to on the smoker to cook indirectly until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees F (about 1.5 hours).
Once they hit temperature, add the ribs to a foil bin with all the ingredients for the crutch: 6 tbsp of butter (unsalted), 1 cup HNY FYR BBQ Sauce, 1/2 cup chili oil and 1/4 cup honey. Cover the pan with foil and place foil bin back on the smoker for one more hour.
After your hour, uncover the ribs and let cook for another 30 minutes to caramelize. Once you’ve reached that gorgeous caramelization point, pull off and let cool for 10 minutes.
Serve and enjoy!
What to Serve with Honey Chili Oil Party Ribs
The flavors in these honey chili oil party ribs work with so many different side dishes. You could serve with cilantro lime rice, cornbread, a lime-forward slaw with lots of green onions (and maybe even some soy sauce in the dressing) or a cucumber salad. I bet some grilled corn on the cob would be so freakin’ delicious too. Also, if you want to be a little extra, sprinkle some toasted sesame seeds and green onions on the ribs when you serve them. It’ll look fancy and taste amazing!
Leftovers and Reheating
If you’ve got leftover honey chili oil party ribs, wrap them in foil or an airtight container and store in the fridge for 3-5 days. A low, slow oven is the best way to reheat these juicy ribs so they don’t dry out. Place your leftover ribs on a baking sheet, cover tightly with heavy duty foil and reheat at 200-205 degrees.
For More Ribs
FAQs
Up to you! I went with baby back ribs because they usually have more meat on the top of the ribs than on the sides of the ribs. The bones are more curved and they come from the upper part of the pig’s back. St. Louis style ribs (also called spare ribs) come from the belly of the pig. They have more meat between the bones and fat between the ribs. The meat on St. Louis style ribs isn’t always as tender as baby back ribs, but the flavor is awesome.
First, flip your ribs so the bones are curled toward you. Then, use your fingers or a paring knife to slide under the membrane (also known as the silver skin) and lift it to remove that first piece from the bones. Finally, grab a paper towel and pull slowly but firmly across until you’ve removed the whole thing.
You can definitely find a selection of chili oil at your local supermarket for these honey chili oil party ribs. If you want to make your own, check out my recipe for chili oil steak pinwheels. I’ve got ingredients and a process you can follow there.
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Honey Chili Oil Party Ribs
Ingredients
Ribs:
- 2 Racks of Ribs
- 1 cup Cowboy Candy Rub
- ¼ cup Yellow Mustard
Crutch:
- 6 tbsp Unsalted Butter
- 1 cup HNY FYR BBQ Sauce
- ½ cup Chili Oil
- ¼ cup Honey
Instructions
- Begin by removing the membrane on the back of the pork ribs. Cut the ribs into singles then slather in yellow mustard. Season generously with my Cowboy Candy Rub and set to the side.
- Preheat your smoke for 250F cooking indirectly. Add wood chips or wood chunks if you desire.
- Add the ribs to cook indirectly until 165F internal (about 1.5 hours). Once then hit temperature, add to a foil bin with all the ingredients for the crutch. Cover in foil and place back on the smoker for one more hour.
- After your hour, uncover the ribs and let cook for another 30 minutes to caramelize. Once good, pull off and let cool for 10 minutes.
- Serve and enjoy!
Notes
- Speedier cooking: When we cover the ribs in foil, we create a sealed, moist environment that helps them power through the stall (when the meat stops rising in temperature due to evaporation).
- Tender, juicy meat: The crutch traps steam and moisture, preventing the ribs from drying out during the long cooking process. This is especially important for party ribs; they’re cut into individual pieces, so the rib singles have more exposed surface area than a full rack. Plus, the crutch helps break down the collagen and connective tissue, giving you that signature fall-off-the-bone texture that makes tender ribs so addictive.
- Extra flavor: By adding BBQ sauce, chili oil and honey to the crutch, we’re essentially braising the ribs in those flavors. The ribs absorb all that sweet, spicy, rich goodness. We’re also creating a built-in glaze, since all those ingredients in the crutch break down and meld together. When you uncover them for the final 30 minutes, that glaze caramelizes beautifully on the smoker for a serious umami flavor hit.
