BBQ Spareribs
⏱ 5 min prep · 🍳 20 min · 🍽 4
Spare ribs are one of those dinners that look like more effort than they actually are — as long as you buy the right cut. Check the pack in the meat aisle for "fully cooked" or "oven-ready": that's the difference between 20 minutes under the lid and closer to two hours starting from raw.
Once they're on the grill or in the oven, the ribs barely need you. Set a timer, swing by two or three times to brush on more barbecue sauce, and spend the rest of the time on sides or setting the table. Serve straight off the cutting board, sliced between the bones — this is a hands dinner, not a knife-and-fork one.
Because the active time is so short, ribs aren't just a weekend thing. Slot them into a Tuesday you're home from mid-afternoon, and dinner is basically done by the time the sauce goes on.
Ingredients
- 2000.000 g spareribs
- 0.500 flaske BBQ-saus
Instructions
Tenn grillen. Pakk ut spareribs, og legg på indirekte varme på grillen. Ta ned lokket.
Varm opp kjøttet i ca. 20 minutter til det er gjennomvarmt. Pensle kjøttet med barbecuesaus under grilling om ønskelig - enten bruk saus fra pakken eller din foretrukne sort. Påfør ett til to strøk.
Ta kjøttet av grillen og legg det på et skjærebrett. Skjær mellom ribbeina og server.
Server med coleslaw.
This is the dinner for households where nobody sits down at the same time. The ribs are already portioned by the bone, so it doesn't matter if one kid is ten minutes late or slips away from the table before dessert is served. Because the meat holds up fine sitting a few extra minutes on the grill, it's a safe bet for the nights you don't know the headcount until 6pm. The sauce makes hands sticky fast, so either move dinner onto the porch or keep wipes on the table if part of the crew eats indoors anyway. It's also one of the rare meals where a five-year-old's portion and a teenager's portion need zero separate cooking — everyone pulls from the same platter at their own pace.
FAQ
Are spareribs pre-cooked, or do I need to cook the meat from raw myself?
Most marinated spare rib packs in the meat aisle are already fully cooked or sous-vide by the producer — you're just reheating and building a crust. Check the label: if it says fully cooked or ready to reheat, 20 minutes under the lid on the grill is enough. If the ribs are raw, plan on 1.5-2 hours in the oven before they're tender.
Can I make these in the oven instead of on the grill?
Yes. If the ribs are pre-cooked, put them in an oven dish, brush with barbecue sauce, and run them under the broiler at 425°F (220°C) for 15-20 minutes until the sauce caramelize. If you're starting from raw, cover the dish with foil and bake at 300°F (150°C) for 1.5-2 hours first, then uncover and finish the same way for the last 15-20 minutes.
How long do leftovers keep, and can I freeze them?
In a sealed container in the fridge, leftover ribs keep for 2-3 days. If you're freezing them, portion the meat out before it goes in the freezer — that way you thaw and reheat exactly what the kids will actually eat on a weeknight, instead of wasting a big batch. Reheat covered under 325°F (160°C) so the meat doesn't dry out.
One of my kids won't touch barbecue sauce at all — how do I fix that without cooking two dinners?
Split the rack in two before you start brushing, and leave one half plain. Serve the sauce in a small bowl on the side instead of coating everything upfront — that way each kid decides for themselves whether to dip, and how much. It saves you from making a separate kids' dinner the same night.
What sides work, and can I plan this into the week ahead of time?
Coleslaw, grilled corn, or a simple potato salad all hold up well against the sweet sauce. Because the actual cooking takes under half an hour once the ribs are pre-cooked, you can slot spareribs in as a weeknight dinner the same week you shop for them — prep the sides the day before so nothing's sitting around waiting.
How much should I buy, and where do I find pre-marinated spareribs?
Plan on roughly 1 pound (450g) per adult and a bit less per child — this recipe uses about 4.5 pounds (2kg) for four servings. Pre-marinated spare ribs are usually stocked in the meat aisle at any regular supermarket; check the pack weight against how many you're feeding when you shop so you're not stuck freezing extra.