Air Fryer Korean Sweet Spicy Pork Spare Ribs

Use the Air Fryer to make delicious Korean Sweet and Spicy Pork Spare Ribs, or Dwaeji Galbi tonight! This marinated pork spare rib recipe gets its sweetness and tenderness from onion and apples, but don’t let that fool you! With gochugaru and gochujang, it’s got quite a kick! You’ll be addicted to the spicy-sweet fattiness of these ribs!


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@tiffycooks

Air fryer KOREAN SWEET AND SPICY SHORT RIBS 10/10 highly reocmmend!! #ribs #airfryer #easyrecipe

♬ La vie en rose (Cover Edith Piaf) – 田东昱

Air Fryer Dwaeji Galbi

Dwaeji Galbi, or Korean Sweet and Spicy Pork, is typically cooked on a grill. Spicy, sweet, and super meaty, these spicy grilled ribs disappear fast. This recipe’s marinade honestly goes with any other cut of pork, or any other meat, but you may have to adjust the cooking time. Today, we’re making A TON of spare ribs, because Costco had a huge sale!

Using the Air Fryer, you can make this spicy pork recipe at home without needing a grill! But if you do have a grill or an oven, they’re also great options for cooking these spicy ribs.

Tenderize with Sweet and Spicy Marinade

To make sure your pork comes out juicy, tender, and super spicy, start with a marinade. The onion and apples inside give the meat a naturally fruity sweetness. The enzymes and acids in the juices tenderizes while marinating, and it comes out perfect every time. The ribs should marinate for at least 30 minutes, I like to let them soak overnight for even better flavor.

Korean chili flakes and Korean chili paste gives it the kick that we all love. If you’re not a fan of spicy, you can adjust the amount of Korean red chili flakes to decrease the spice level. Or, try my other savory-sweet Korean BBQ Marinade!

Dwaeji Galbi Ingredients

  • 4 lb pork spare ribs, membrane removed, cut into individual pieces  

Marinade: 

  • 1 apple 
  • ½ large onion 
  • 6 garlic 
  • 1-inch ginger 
  • 2 tbsp soy sauce 
  • 5 tbsp sweetener of your choice, I like honey or plum extract 
  • 1.5 tbsp sesame oil 
  • ⅔ cup korean red chili paste, gochujang 
  • 2.5 tbsp korean red chili flakes gochugaru, adjust to your own spice level 
  • A pinch of black pepper (optional) 

How To Make Korean Sweet Spicy Pork Ribs

  1. While we prepare the marinade, rest the ribs in water; this will help remove the blood from the bones, allowing the pork to soak up the marinade. 
  2. In a blender, add in apple, onion, garlic, and ginger, and blend until smooth; once smooth, strain through a cheesecloth to get only the liquid; this will allow the ribs to have a “cleaner” taste and prevent the ribs from burning during the cooking process  
  3. Add the rest of the seasoning and mix well. Taste to see if you want the flavor spicer to sweeter (gochugaru for spicy, sweetener for sweet, soy sauce for salt) 
  4. Drain the ribs, and pat dry with paper towel, make sure to pat the ribs super super dry. Add in the marinade and massage well, let it rest for 30 minutes up to over night. 
  5. Pre-heat the air fryer to 380 for 5 minutes, then add in the ribs. Make sure to not over crowd the air fryer, and air fry for 30 minutes. Flipping every 10 minutes, and adding more sauce to the ribs. 
  6. Optional, heat up the leftover marinade in a stove top for 5 minutes or until bubbly and simmering, and brush the marinade on the ribs for a nice glaze. 
  7. Serve on top of soften onion, and garnish with sesame seeds and green onion and enjoy!

Making Korean Restaurant Dishes at Home is Super Easy!

Air Fryer Korean Sweet Spicy Short Ribs

By Tiffy Cooks

5 from 1 vote
Use the Air Fryer to make delicious Korean Sweet and Spicy Pork Spare Ribs, or Dwaeji Galbi tonight! This marinated pork spare rib recipe gets its sweetness and tenderness from onion and apples, but don't let that fool you! With gochugaru and gochujang, it's got quite a kick! You'll be addicted to the spicy-sweet fattiness of these ribs!
Cook Time:35 minutes
Marinating Time:30 minutes
Total Time:1 hour 5 minutes
Course: Dinner, Main Course
Cuisine: Korean
Keyword: Air Fryer, Asian Recipes for Dinner, korean bbq, Korean Food, korean recipe, Pork, Pork Recipe, short ribs, Spicy, spicy food, spicy pork, spicy recipe
Servings: 6 servings
Calories: 992kcal

Equipment

Ingredients

  • 4 lb pork spare ribs membrane removed, cut into individual pieces

Marinade:

Instructions

  • While we prepare the marinade, rest the short ribs in water; this will help remove the blood from the bones, allowing the pork to soak up the marinade.
  • In a blender, add in apple, onion, garlic, and ginger, and blend until smooth; once smooth, strain through a cheesecloth to get only the liquid; this will allow the ribs to have a “cleaner” taste and prevent the ribs from burning during the cooking process
  • Add the rest of the seasoning and mix well. Taste to see if you want it spicer to sweeter (gochugaru for spicy, sweetener for sweet, soy sauce for salt)
  • Drain the ribs, and pat dry with paper towel, make sure to pat the ribs super super dry. Add in the marinade and massage well, let it rest for 30 minutes up to over night.
  • Pre-heat the air fryer to 380 for 5 minutes, then add in the ribs. Make sure to not over crowd the air fryer, and air fry for 30 minutes. Flipping every 10 minutes, and adding more sauce to the ribs.
  • Optional, heat up the leftover marinade in a stove top for 5 minutes or until bubbly and simmering, and brush the marinade on the ribs for a nice glaze.
  • Serve on top of softened onion, and garnish with sesame seeds and green onion and enjoy!

Video

@tiffycooks

Air fryer KOREAN SWEET AND SPICY SHORT RIBS 10/10 highly reocmmend!! #ribs #airfryer #easyrecipe

♬ La vie en rose (Cover Edith Piaf) – 田东昱

Nutrition

Calories: 992kcalCarbohydrates: 31gProtein: 49gFat: 75gSaturated Fat: 23gPolyunsaturated Fat: 14gMonounsaturated Fat: 27gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 242mgSodium: 643mgPotassium: 996mgFiber: 2gSugar: 21gVitamin A: 1066IUVitamin C: 8mgCalcium: 75mgIron: 4mg

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One Comment

  1. 5 stars
    These were sooo good, added more plum extract. Surprisingly not that hot at all will make again . Thank you for a great recipe .

5 from 1 vote

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