Brown Sugar Honey Party Ribs

Brown Sugar Honey Party Ribs

These Brown Sugar Honey Party Ribs are bite-sized ribs smoked at 225°F then glazed with brown sugar, honey, and butter. Sticky BBQ candy finish perfect for parties in 3 hours on pellet smoker.

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Servings people

Calories 425 kcal

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Prep Time 20

Cook Time 3

Total Time 3 20

Equipment

Ingredients

For the Party Ribs

2 racks St. Louis style ribs or baby back ribs
2 tablespoons yellow mustard binder
1/4 cup BBQ rub sweet style preferred

For the Brown Sugar Honey Glaze

1/2 cup brown sugar light or dark
1/3 cup honey
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/4 cup BBQ sauce sweet style
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Optional Sweet Heat

1/2-1 teaspoon cayenne pepper or use hot honey or red pepper flakes

Instructions

Preheat pellet smoker to 225°F for 10 to 15 minutes. Fill hopper with hickory, apple, cherry, or maple pellets.
Remove membrane from back of ribs if present. Cut racks into individual bones by slicing between each bone. You'll have 20 to 24 party ribs total.
Coat ribs with yellow mustard and season generously with BBQ rub on all sides. Let sit 10 to 15 minutes.
Place ribs on smoker grates with space between each piece. Smoke at 225°F for 1.5 to 2 hours until ribs develop mahogany color and bark looks set.
Make glaze: Combine brown sugar, honey, butter, BBQ sauce, vinegar, garlic powder, black pepper, and cayenne in saucepan. Heat until smooth and butter melts. Keep warm.
Transfer smoked ribs to foil pan. Pour glaze over ribs and toss to coat. Cover tightly with foil. Increase smoker to 250°F. Cook covered 45 to 60 minutes (50-55 minutes recommended).
Remove foil and toss ribs in glaze. Increase smoker to 275°F. Cook uncovered 15 to 25 minutes, stirring every 5 to 7 minutes, until glaze thickens and becomes glossy. Optional: brush with extra BBQ sauce last 5 minutes.
Rest 10 minutes. Serve hot from pan or transfer to platter. Drizzle remaining glaze over top.

Video

Notes

Critical Tips: Don't skip foil-covered braising which tenderizes ribs and prevents honey from burning. Individual ribs cook 30-45 minutes faster than full racks. Use sweet-style BBQ rub and sauce for best flavor. Hickory pellets provide boldest smoke, apple for mild, cherry for color. Internal temp should reach 195-205°F for tenderness. Meat pulls back from bones when done. Add cayenne or hot honey to prevent glaze from tasting too sweet.

Timing: For firmer ribs, braise 45 minutes. For fall-off-bone, braise 60 minutes. 50-55 minutes is sweet spot. Cold weather may require 250°F throughout for temp stability. Baby back ribs cook 20-30 minutes faster than St. Louis ribs.

Pellet Options: Hickory (bold BBQ smoke), Apple (mild sweet), Cherry (color and moderate flavor), Maple (nutty sweet). Avoid mesquite which is too strong for sweet ribs.

Make-Ahead: Can smoke ribs through initial 1.5-2 hour phase, refrigerate, then finish with glaze next day. Store finished ribs in glaze to prevent drying.

Storage: Refrigerate in airtight container up to 4 days. Reheat covered in 300°F oven for 15-20 minutes. Brush with glaze and uncover last 5 minutes. Freeze up to 3 months.

Nutrition

Calories: 425kcalCarbohydrates: 28gProtein: 28gFat: 24gSaturated Fat: 10gCholesterol: 95mgSodium: 680mgSugar: 25g

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