Bourbon Baby Back Ribs

Extra tender baby back pork ribs are glazed with a tangy, sweet, and spicy bourbon barbecue sauce.

By
Carrie Vasios Mullins
Carrie Vasios Mullins is a contributing writer at Serious Eats.
Carrie Vasios Mullins
Carrie Vasios Mullins is the former national editor at Serious Eats, with a focus on all things sweet.
Learn about Serious Eats' Editorial Process
Updated April 15, 2025
Bourbon baby back ribs, carved into individual ribs on a cutting board and ready to serve.

Serious Eats / Carrie Vasios Mullins

Why It Works

  • Wrapping the ribs in foil and baking them in a low oven for 1 1/2 hours starts the process of rendering fats and softening connective tissue without losing too much moisture.
  • Unwrapping the ribs and cooking them until tender in a low-temperature grill adds smoky flavors and allows a spicy crust to form.
  • Liberally brushing the rib racks with a bourbon-based sauce and finishing them directly over the coals adds a spicy, boozy caramelized glaze to the crust.

I moved to San Francisco at the same time that Jim Harbaugh came to town to take the helm at the 49ers. It would have been the perfect time to get behind that team, to don the red and gold. I'd have been supporting a fellow newbie to the city and though I think Harbaugh has a chip on his shoulder the size of Baltimore, I can respect his drive and we-can-do-it attitude.

Yeah, I could have got in when the 49ers were still underrated and my change of allegiance wasn't suspect as a blatant change of allegiance to winning. But I just wasn't ready to call myself anything but a New Yorker. And how could I know the 49ers would crush the NFC West? I mean I can eat more turnovers in one sitting than Alex Smith threw all season. I've come to think Frank Gore is pretty fun to watch, if your idea of fun is 1,211 rushing yards and 13 wins so far this season. It would have been a great parallel story to follow, a personal Mighty Ducksian tale of two SF transplants really knocking it out of the park. I could cheer for my new city and feel like I'd become a part of something great.

But no. Instead I desperately tried to TiVo every Jets game, continuing to root for a team that had already made me a pariah in my family of Giants fans. Well you know what makes Mark Sanchez less of a boob? Bourbon. Or Santonio Holmes less of an underachieving a-hole? Bourbon. What calms me down after I've lost my voice yelling at the TV that someone needs to pull the sweater vest up from over Rex Ryan's eyes? Bourbon.

Given the bourbon lying around my house this season, it seemed only natural to incorporate it into my other game-time tradition: ribs. In fact I'm obsessed with this bourbon-based sauce and I go as far as to dunk my ribs in a small bowl as I'm eating. In my opinion, it reaches the tangy-spicy-sweet trifecta and perfectly compliments the moist, smoky ribs.

The ribs themselves are fall off the bone tender thanks to a three-part cooking method. First they're put in a low-temperature oven for a few hours, then cooked over indirect heat on the grill for about three hours more. Finally, they get brushed with bourbon sauce and quickly seared over high heat.

Making these ribs are by far the most successful choice I've made all season. My new 49ers friends agree.

January 2012

Recipe Details

Bourbon Baby Back Ribs Recipe

Prep 15 mins
Cook 5 hrs 40 mins
Active 45 mins
Marinating Time 10 hrs
Total 15 hrs 55 mins
Serves 6 servings
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Ingredients

For Bourbon Sauce:

  • 1 tablespoon vegetable oil

  • 2 bunches scallions, white and light green sections finely chopped

  • 1 1/3 cups chopped white onion

  • 8 large garlic cloves, minced

  • 1 cup light brown sugar

  • 6 ounces tomato paste

  • 1 cup ketchup

  • 2/3 cup whole grain Dijon mustard

  • 2/3 cup water

  • 1/3 cup apple juice

  • 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar

  • 1/2 cup Worcestershire sauce

  • 1/2 tablespoon ancho chile powder

  • 1 tablespoon ground cumin

  • 1 cup bourbon, such as Knob Creek

For Ribs:

  • 2 teaspoons cayenne pepper

  • 1 tablespoon chili powder

  • 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

  • 1 tablespoon dry mustard

  • 2 1/2 tablespoons cumin

  • 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cardamom

  • 1 tablespoon coarse salt

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil

  • 6 pounds baby back pork ribs

Directions

  1. Make the Sauce: Heat vegetable oil in a large saucepan over medium high heat. Add scallions and onion and sauté until soft, about 6 minutes.

  2. Add garlic and continue to sauté until tender, about 8 minutes.

  3. Add brown sugar, tomato paste, ketchup, mustard, water, apple juice, apple cider vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, ancho chile powder, and cumin to pot. Whisk until combined.

  4. Add bourbon and whisk until combined. Cook, stirring occasionally, until reduced to a thick sauce, about 1 hour 15 minutes.

  5. Make the Ribs: In a small bowl, whisk together cayenne, chili powder, cinnamon, mustard, cumin, cardamom, and salt.

  6. Rub ribs all over with olive oil. Rub spice mixture over ribs to coat. Let rest in refrigerator, covered, overnight.

  7. Preheat oven to 225°F (105°C). Wrap ribs in foil and cook for 1 1/2 hours.

  8. Preheat a gas or charcoal grill to 225°F (105°C) using indirect heat. To heat only one side on a charcoal grill, simply push the coals to one side. On a gas grill, turn off all the burners except one or two. Use an oven thermometer to make sure that heat stays constant throughout cooking.

  9. Unwrap ribs and place on indirect heat side of the grill. Close the grill.

  10. Cook ribs on grill for 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 hours, until meat is tender. When picked up with tongs and lightly bounced against grill, the crust on the ribs should crack.

  11. Remove ribs to a platter and brush all over with sauce. Raise grill temperature to 400°F (205°C) and place ribs on heat. Cook each until browned and caramelized, about 4 minutes per side.

  12. Slice meat into individual ribs. Serve with extra sauce on the side.

Special Equipment

Charcoal or gas grill, chimney starter (optional)

Read More

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
693 Calories
39g Fat
48g Carbs
40g Protein
×
Nutrition Facts
Servings: 6
Amount per serving
Calories 693
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 39g 51%
Saturated Fat 13g 64%
Cholesterol 127mg 42%
Sodium 1692mg 74%
Total Carbohydrate 48g 18%
Dietary Fiber 5g 20%
Total Sugars 33g
Protein 40g
Vitamin C 23mg 113%
Calcium 213mg 16%
Iron 7mg 38%
Potassium 1143mg 24%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

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