Xanthan Gum Free Honey & Ginger BBQ Pork Ribs
Sticky, caramelized, and deeply spiced, these oven-baked ribs deliver the kind of fall-off-the-bone tenderness that makes people go quiet at the dinner table. The spice rub layers smoked paprika, cumin, ground ginger, and turmeric into something genuinely complex, while the homemade BBQ sauce — built from tomato paste, honey, apple cider vinegar, coconut aminos, fresh ginger, and garlic — comes together in under ten minutes on the stovetop. Every single ingredient here is naturally free of xanthan gum, which is a real win since bottled sauces and spice blends are notorious for sneaking in thickeners and stabilizers you never asked for. Making the sauce from scratch means you control exactly what goes on those ribs, with zero guesswork. The two-stage oven method — low and slow in a sealed foil packet, then a high-heat blast to set the glaze — does all the heavy lifting without a grill in sight. That final caramelized crust, deep reddish-brown at the edges, is pure payoff for very little hands-on effort. Finish with a scatter of fresh parsley and the reserved sauce on the side, and this is a platter worth showing off.
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Learn more →Ingredients
4 servings
For the ribs
- 2 racks baby back pork ribs (about 4 lb total)
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp ground ginger
- ½ tsp ground turmeric
- ½ tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp salt
For the BBQ sauce
- 1 can (6 oz) tomato paste
- 3 tbsp honey
- 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 1 tbsp coconut aminos
- 1 tbsp fresh ginger, finely grated
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- ½ tsp smoked paprika
- ¼ tsp cayenne pepper (optional)
- ¼ cup water
For serving
- 2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped (optional)
Instructions
- 1
Heat the oven to 300°F (150°C). Line a large rimmed baking sheet with two layers of aluminum foil, leaving enough overhang on all sides to wrap the ribs into a sealed packet.
- 2
Flip each rack of ribs bone-side up. Slide a butter knife under the thin membrane at one end of the rack, grip it with a paper towel, and pull it off in one piece — removing it allows the rub to penetrate and the meat to become tender.
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