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Flavorful Honey Bourbon BBQ Ribs Recipe Easy Sweet Corn Slaw Included

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Tender pork baby back ribs glazed with a sticky honey bourbon BBQ sauce paired with a crisp, tangy sweet corn slaw. Perfect for summer gatherings and easy to prepare.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 2 racks pork baby back ribs (about 4 pounds / 1.8 kg)
  • 1 cup honey (preferably local or wildflower)
  • ½ cup bourbon (mid-range brand like Bulleit or Maker’s Mark)
  • ½ cup ketchup
  • 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon onion powder
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
  • 3 cups fresh sweet corn kernels (about 4 ears, or frozen if out of season)
  • 1 cup shredded green cabbage
  • ½ cup finely diced red bell pepper
  • ½ cup chopped fresh cilantro (optional)
  • ¼ cup mayonnaise (Duke’s or Hellmann’s recommended)
  • 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
  • 1 tablespoon honey
  • Salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions

  1. Prep the ribs (15 minutes): Remove the thin membrane from the back of the ribs using a paper towel to grip and peel it away. Pat ribs dry and season generously with salt, pepper, smoked paprika, garlic powder, and onion powder on both sides.
  2. Make the honey bourbon glaze (10 minutes): In a medium saucepan over medium heat, whisk together honey, bourbon, ketchup, apple cider vinegar, and Worcestershire sauce. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook for about 8 minutes until slightly thickened, stirring occasionally. Lower heat if it bubbles too hard.
  3. Cook the ribs (2 hours): Preheat oven to 300°F (150°C). Lay ribs meat side up on a rimmed baking sheet and cover tightly with aluminum foil. Bake for 2 hours until tender and juicy.
  4. Glaze and broil (15 minutes): Remove ribs from oven, discard foil, brush a thick layer of glaze on both sides. Broil for 5-7 minutes until glaze caramelizes, flip ribs, glaze again, and broil another 5-7 minutes. Watch carefully to avoid burning.
  5. Prepare the sweet corn slaw (10 minutes): In a large bowl, combine corn kernels, shredded cabbage, diced red bell pepper, and cilantro. In a small bowl, whisk mayonnaise, lime juice, honey, salt, and pepper. Pour dressing over veggies and toss gently. Chill until serving.
  6. Rest and serve (5 minutes): Let ribs rest a few minutes after broiling. Slice into individual ribs and serve with a generous scoop of sweet corn slaw.

Notes

Remove the membrane from ribs for tenderness. Keep glaze simmering temperature medium-low to avoid burning honey. Broil ribs in short bursts, flipping and glazing to build sticky layers. Rest ribs after broiling to keep juicy. Slaw is best fresh but can be made a few hours ahead and chilled. Leftover ribs keep well up to 3 days refrigerated; reheat wrapped in foil at 300°F. Slaw keeps up to 2 days refrigerated separately.

Nutrition

Keywords: honey bourbon BBQ ribs, sweet corn slaw, BBQ ribs recipe, summer grilling, easy ribs, backyard BBQ, pork ribs, bourbon glaze

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