These deep fried ribs are super tender with a thin crispy coating, smothered in a flavorful sticky BBQ sauce. They're simple to make and are an impressive appetizer or side dish for any occasion!
If you love ribs as much as I do, you're going to be obsessed with this crispy deep fried version. It's probably different than most rib recipes you've ever tried, and I guarantee it will become one of your favorites!
Table of Contents
Why You'll Love This Recipe
The texture. The pork ribs get an unbelievable crisp on the outside from the light frying, while the inside stays juicy and fall off the bone tender. Of course, they're smothered in BBQ sauce for a delicious finish.
It's a crowd favorite. I love making recipes when I'm hosting that I don't people have typically had before, and this one fits the bill. I've made these fried ribs on several occasions, and my friends and family always go crazy for them.
Foolproof. Even if you don't deep fry food often, I can assure you you'll have no trouble getting these ribs to turn out perfect on your very first go!
Ingredients You'll Need
- Ribs- two racks of baby back ribs. I used pork ribs but spare ribs or beef ribs work too.
- Oil- I like to use peanut oil, but vegetable oil or any other neutral frying oil will work.
- Flour- for the golden color and crispy texture. All-purpose flour will work best.
- Rice flour- for an extra crispy texture.
- Five spice- a combination of spices including star anise, cloves, cinnamon, Sichuan peppercorns, and fennel seeds. It adds an incredible flavor to this recipe, but you can use any spices you want.
- Salt- just a pinch.
- BBQ sauce- for brushing. Use your favorite one!
How To Make Fried Ribs
Step 1: Prep work. Add the oil to a large heavy pot, Dutch oven, or deep fryer. Heat the oil to 350°F (180°C). Use a sharp knife to cut the racks of ribs between the bones to create individual ribs. Then season each rib with half of the salt.
Step 2: Make the seasoning blend. In a shallow bowl, mix together the flour, rice flour, five spices, and remaining salt. Once the oil is hot, coat each rib in the flour mixture and coat it evenly on all sides. Shake off any excess flour.
Step 3: Fry the ribs. Now gently lower a few ribs into the oil and cook for 7 minutes or until they turn a deep golden brown color. Remove them using a spider or pair of tongs and transfer them to a paper towel to drain the excess oil.
Step 4: Serve. Immediately brush the ribs in the BBQ sauce of your choice and coat them well on each side. Serve with more sauce or sweet chili dipping sauce if you like some heat, and enjoy!
Tips To Make The Best Recipe
- Make sure the oil is hot before frying for the best results.
- Fry the ribs in batches to avoid overcrowding the pot and dropping the temperature of the oil.
- Keep the ribs warm on a wire rack in the oven at 250°F while you finish frying the rest.
- Broil the ribs for a minute after brushing with sauce if you want them to have an extra caramelized, sticky texture.
How To Store These Deep Fried Ribs
In the fridge: Store any leftovers in an airtight container and keep them in the fridge for up to 4 days.
In the freezer: Allow leftover ribs to cool completely, then transfer them to a freezer-safe container and freeze them for up to 3 months.
Reheating: I've found the best way to reheat the ribs in the oven. First, wrap them lightly in aluminum foil and then heat in the oven at 350°F for about 15 minutes. You can also air fry them at 400°F for about 4-6 minutes.
Serving Suggestions
The ribs are delicious alone, but they're even better with some barbecue-type sides. Some ideas are this cornbread pudding, baked bean casserole, Martha White cornbread, or sweet potato biscuits.
More Ribs Recipes To Try
- Oven baked beef ribs
- Crock pot country style pork ribs
- Beef back ribs
- Oven baked St. Louis ribs
- Boneless pork ribs
- Sous vide ribs
BBQ Fried Ribs
These deep fried ribs are super tender with a thin crispy coating, smothered in a flavorful sticky BBQ sauce. They're simple to make and are an impressive appetizer or side dish for any occasion!
Ingredients
- 2 racks of baby back ribs
- A few cups of frying oil (peanut oil is best)
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup rice flour
- 1 tbsp. five spice powder
- 4 tsp. salt
- BBQ sauce for brushing
Instructions
- Place the oil into a large heavy-based pot or deep fryer and heat to 350°F (180ºC).
- Use a sharp knife to cut the racks of ribs between the bones to create individual ribs. Season the ribs with half of the salt.
- In a shallow bowl, mix the flour and rice flour, along with the five spices and remaining salt.
- Once the oil is hot, coat each rib in the flour on all sides. Shake off any excess, then gently lower into the oil. Work in batches frying to avoid overcrowding the pot. Cook the ribs for 7 minutes until deep golden brown. Remove using a spider or tongs, and place on a paper towel to drain.
- Wait for oil to return to optimal temperature between batches. You can keep the ribs warm on a rack in the oven at 250°F while you keep frying the rest.
- After you fry the ribs, brush them on all sides with the BBQ sauce of your choice.
- Serve immediately with more BBQ sauce or sweet chili dipping sauce if you want a spice.
Nutrition Information:
Serving Size:
½ rackAmount Per Serving: Calories: 925Total Fat: 46gSaturated Fat: 16.5gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 0gCholesterol: 176mgSodium: 532mgCarbohydrates: 68gFiber: 2gSugar: 11gProtein: 54g
Mark Smith
I made these a week before Father's Day 2023. I marinated for 18hrs in Olive oil and Tajin(1st time for the spice an the cooking method). I opted for corn starch instead of rice flour. I made sauteed cabbage an fried potatoes. I ate leftovers a week later with burgers, potato skins, an something else. That was a great week of Good eats.