Apples & Honey Baked BBQ Ribs cook up low & slow: Enjoy their sticky and just-sweet-enough BBQ goodness!
![Apples & Honey Baked BBQ Ribs](http://www.mashupmom.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/apples-and-honey-baked-bbq-ribs.jpg.webp)
I found a cheap pack of ribs at the store this week, so thought it might be fun to bake these up with some fall flavors to match the season. Hence: Today’s Apples & Honey Baked BBQ Ribs recipe! These have been cooking low and slow in my oven all day (and the aroma of slow-cooking ribs will drive you mad…), so I’ve been inordinately hungry and wanting to eat everything else in the house.
But a word to the wise: Resist, because these ribs are worth waiting for.
![cooked ribs with apples](https://www.mashupmom.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/apples-and-honey-ribs.jpg.webp)
It’s hard to go wrong with BBQ ribs, and the subtle apples & honey flavor here just enhances their natural goodness. I did feel like I needed to use honey here because Beekeeping MashupDad recently extracted the last of this summer’s honey, and real local honey makes so much of a difference in this (or any other) recipe. It’s one of those ingredients that’s worth the splurge, if you can swing it. (Don’t have local honey on hand, though? Don’t let that deter you — let me reiterate: It’s hard to go wrong with BBQ ribs!)
Apples & Honey Baked BBQ Ribs
Ingredients
3.5-4 lbs pork baby back or spare ribs
2 smallish apples (I used Granny Smith), cored and sliced into rings
1 yellow onion, sliced into rings
1 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp cayenne
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp seasoned salt
1 tsp black pepper
One bottle BBQ sauce
1 Tbsp honey
Directions
![cut off the membrane](https://www.mashupmom.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/remove-ribs-membrane.jpg.webp)
Preheat oven to 250 degrees. Remove the tough membrane from the underside of the ribs, if present (insert a butter knife between the ribs and membrane on one of the middle bones to loosen, then pull off with a paper towel).
![cut up granny smith apples](https://www.mashupmom.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/apples-on-foil.jpg.webp)
Line a rimmed cookie sheet with one long sheet of foil foil, and then place two additional pieces of foil crosswise (long enough to fold over ribs) and spray with cooking spray. Line foil with with apple and onion slices. Combine spices in a small bowl, rub both sides of ribs with the spice mix, and then place ribs meaty side up on top of the apples and onions. Fold foil over ribs to enclose them.
Bake ribs at 250 degrees for two hours. Mix 1 cup of BBQ sauce with 1 Tbsp of honey, then remove ribs from oven, open foil, and pour honey BBQ sauce mixture over them. Fold foil back over the ribs and bake for another 90 minutes at 250 degrees, or until meat is tender and easily pulls off the bone.
![BBQ sauce on ribs](https://www.mashupmom.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/ribs-on-foil.jpg.webp)
Brush ribs generously with additional BBQ sauce (mixed with a little more honey, if you prefer) and broil uncovered for five minutes, or until sauce is caramelized. Discard apples and onion and serve ribs with the rest of the BBQ sauce on the side (optional).
Note: Gala apples and similar also work nicely here, if you don’t have Granny Smith.
FALL into these ribs
![Apples & Honey Baked BBQ Ribs are sticky & just sweet enough](https://www.mashupmom.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/baked-bbq-ribs-with-apples-and-honey.jpg.webp)
Now, how can these be bad? Enjoy the sticky and just-sweet-enough BBQ goodness of Apples & Honey Baked BBQ Ribs; you’ve earned it after suffering through their enticing aromas all day. 😉 This is a great recipe for a lazy Sunday afternoon, since you can largely let it go in the oven while you’re attending to other things. (You could also finish on the grill instead of broiling in the oven, if you prefer.)
These ribs are naturally gluten free.
Apples & Honey Baked BBQ Ribs, printable recipe
Apples & Honey Baked BBQ Ribs
Ingredients
- 3.5-4 lbs pork baby back or spare ribs
- 2 smallish apples (I used Granny Smith) cored and sliced into rings
- 1 yellow onion sliced into rings
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1/4 tsp cayenne
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp seasoned salt
- 1 tsp black pepper
- One bottle BBQ sauce
- 1 Tbsp honey
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 250 degrees. Remove the tough membrane from the underside of the ribs, if present (insert a butter knife between the ribs and membrane on one of the middle bones to loosen, then pull off with a paper towel).
- Line a rimmed cookie sheet with one long sheet of foil foil, and then place two additional pieces of foil crosswise (long enough to fold over ribs) and spray with cooking spray. Line foil with with apple and onion slices. Combine spices in a small bowl, rub both sides of ribs with the spice mix, and then place ribs meaty side up on top of the apples and onions. Fold foil over ribs to enclose them.
- Bake ribs at 250 degrees for two hours. Mix 1 cup of BBQ sauce with 1 Tbsp of honey, then remove ribs from oven, open foil, and pour honey BBQ sauce mixture over them. Fold foil back over the ribs and bake for another 90 minutes at 250 degrees, or until meat is tender and easily pulls off the bone.
- Brush ribs generously with additional BBQ sauce (mixed with a little more honey, if you prefer) and broil uncovered for five minutes, or until sauce is caramelized. Discard apples and onion and serve ribs with the rest of the BBQ sauce on the side (optional).
Notes
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Robin
Sunday 29th of March 2020
What sides would go with delicious ribs?
rachel
Sunday 29th of March 2020
Most anything you want. Coleslaw and potatoes are most traditional. :)
60+ Family Favorite Fall Apple Recipes
Sunday 4th of November 2018
[…] Apple & Honey Baked BBQ Ribs […]
Julie
Saturday 27th of October 2018
Are you using just plain bbq sauce?
rachel
Saturday 27th of October 2018
Yup! Use your own favorite.
MaryCatherine Hurley
Tuesday 25th of September 2018
Total time says 2 hours and 45 minutes, then the directions say cook for two hours then an additional 90 minutes... I really dont want to over cook these. where is the typo?
rachel
Tuesday 25th of September 2018
Sorry -- the directions were correct, I'm not sure how that happened, but I've adjusted the total time now to match.
Shannon
Sunday 23rd of September 2018
Do you broil them on high or low at the end for five minutes?
rachel
Sunday 23rd of September 2018
I broiled on high.