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Ribs and sauce

Raspberry Chipotle BBQ Pork Ribs

Raspberry Chipotle BBQ Pork Ribs are first oven roasted low and slow, then glazed with our homemade Roasted Raspberry Chipotle Sauce and finished on the BBQ grill. They are savory-sweet with a little heat, tender and incredibly flavorful
4.75 from 4 votes
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Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 2 hours 45 minutes
Total Time: 3 hours 15 minutes
Servings: 4 -6 Servings
Calories: 353kcal
Author: Pat Nyswonger

Ingredients

For the Ribs:

  • 1 rack pork spareribs about 2 1/2 pounds

For the Dry Rub:

  • 1 tablespoon Kosher salt
  • 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 1 teaspoon ground white pepper
  • 1 tablespoon garlic powder
  • 1 tablespoon onion powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon chipotle powder
  • 1 teaspoon ground mustard seed
  • 2 tablespoons brown sugar
  • 2 tablespoons smoked paprika

For the BBQ Sauce:

Instructions

Start the ribs in the oven or use a pellet grill (long and slow for tender ribs)

  • Preheat the oven or a pellet grill to 250°F. If you have a pellet grill, Apple pellets go great with pork, but we like just about any wood pellet.
  • Remove the silvery membrane from the underside of the ribs: At one end of the rack, slide a dinner knife between the membrane and a rib bone. Pry the membrane up, stretching until it tears. Holding one end of the membrane with a paper towel, peel off the membrane and discard.
  • In a small dish, add the dry rub ingredients and combine thoroughly. 
  • Pull off a sheet of foil twice the length of the ribs plus 3 extra inches. Place the foil on a rimmed baking sheet with 3-inches extending over one end. 
  • Lay the rack of ribs, bone side up, on the foil-lined baking sheet and sprinkle the surface with two tablespoons of dry rub, massage it into all the cracks and crevices. Repeat with the other side of the ribs.
  • Fold the foil up over the ribs and crimp all around to enclose the ribs in a foil package.
  • Transfer the baking sheet with the package of ribs to the center rack of the oven or the preheated pellet grill. Cook for 2-½ hours.
  • Partially unwrap the foil to check for doneness. If a 1/4-inch of bones show at the thin side of the rack, the ribs should be done. If not, re-cover with the foil and give them another 10-15 minutes more oven time.  
  • Remove the ribs from the oven or pellet grill and unwrap them from the foil.

Finish the Ribs on a Hot Grill

  • Increase the temperature on the pellet grill to 350°F or preheat a charcoal grill to medium heat. Allow time for the grill grates to heat up.
  • Brush the raspberry chipotle sauce on the meaty side of the pork ribs and transfer the ribs to the hot grill with the sauced side down.
  • Brush the exposed side with a coating of the sauce. Grill for 3-5 minutes and flip the ribs over and grill another 3-5 minutes. Repeat this process once more, saucing and grilling until the desired degree of color has been achieved.

To Serve:

  • Remove the ribs from the grill, cut between the ribs. Place the serving pieces on a platter. Serve with sides of your choice, and enjoy. 

Notes

  1. The ribs will release their juices while cooking and infuse their flavor into the meat.
  2. Turn the crimped edges of the foil upward to eliminate any juices from escaping the package.
  3. The ribs will be done when 1/4-inch of bone show on the thin side of the ribs. If the bones don’t show at least 1/4-inch of bone, re-cover them with the foil and pop the baking sheet back into the oven for a few more minutes. I have never had to do this step as the ribs have always been ready. 
  4. A larger size rack of pork ribs will take a longer oven time, just watch for the 1/4-inch of bone to show.
  5. Spray non-stick oil spray into a small dish and brush it onto the grill. This will keep the oil spray from flaming up as it hits the hot coals.
  6. Apply the raspberry chipotle sauce generously and watch closely that it does not begin to burn, remove the ribs from the grill when the sauce is glazed with a rich brown crust. 
  7. These ribs can be enjoyed in the dead of winter when the outdoor grill is covered with snow. Simply slather on the sauce and finish them under the broiler.

Nutrition

Serving: 3Ribs | Calories: 353kcal | Carbohydrates: 22g | Protein: 16g | Fat: 23g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 10g | Cholesterol: 73mg | Sodium: 2013mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 14g