These Chinese Red Braised Pork Ribs 紅燒排骨 are fall-off-the-bone tender, and incredibly satisfying. Simmered in a sweet and savory sauce with hints of Sichuan peppercorn, whole garlic, and green onion, they taste like Chinese home cooking combined with barbecue ribs. The slow braising process makes the meat soft and flavorful without needing a grill or oven. If you’re after something different to bring for your next potluck, or you just want ribs without the sticky mess, give these Chinese-style braised pork ribs a try!

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Chinese Red Braised Spareribs plated with mashed potato and asparagus

Braised Pork Spareribs

Super Flavorful No Oven Pork Spareribs
Red Braised Spare Rib Ingredients
How To Make Fall Off The Bone Red Braised Pork Ribs
Super Easy Side Dishes To Make With Braised Pork Ribs

Super Flavorful No Oven Pork Spareribs

These Chinese-style braised pork ribs are a fun change from the classic barbecue baby back ribs. Instead of smoky or grilled flavors, they’re gently simmered in a sweet and savory braising sauce with Sichuan peppercorn, whole garlic, and green onion, giving them a deeper, more layered savory aroma. The ribs turn out tender, juicy, and comforting, with classic Chinese home-cooking flavors. And, you don’t even need a grill or oven to make them. It’s an easy way to switch up your rib routine with something just as satisfying.

Red Braised Spare Rib Ingredients

2 lbs Pork Ribs 900 g, sliced into individual ribs
3 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp dark soy sauce for color
2 tbsp oyster sauce
3 tbsp honey
8 cloves garlic whole (not smashed)
2-3 stalks green onion cut into large pieces
1 tsp Sichuan peppercorns
2-2.5 cups Water 500–600 ml, enough to mostly cover the ribs

US Customary – Metric

Showing whole garlic, green onion, and sichuan peppercorn used as spices for Chinese Red Braised Pork Ribs

Pork Spare Ribs

I’m using a rack of pork spare ribs today for braising. You usually see spare ribs cut into chunks, but I’m cutting them into individual ribs for a big satisfying bite of meat. You can also use baby back ribs for this recipe as well!

Before cooking, blanch the ribs in cold water to draw out impurities. Make sure to rinse with cold water after to wash off all the gunk. This extra steps makes sure that your ribs tastes cleaner, without the gaminess that pork can sometimes have.

Blanching Whole Pork Ribs before cooking for Chinese Red Braised pork Ribs

What Is In Chinese Red Braising Sauce?

The Chinese red braising liquid, made from soy sauce, dark soy sauce, oyster sauce, and honey, adds most of the flavor in this braise. These condiments are all Asian pantry ingredients I love using in my recipes! As the ribs simmer, it soaks that sweet and savory flavor right into the meat while keeping everything moist and tender. The dark soy sauce and honey reduces down, giving the ribs a glossy, caramelized color.

Once you finish cooking, drizzle the extra liquids over the ribs, or add them on top of your sides for a super flavorful meal.

Simmering Chinese Red Braised Pork Ribs in a braising liquid

Spices Used For Chinese Red Braising

Adding whole garlic cloves, green onion stalks, and Sichuan peppercorns to the braising liquid gives the dish a deeper, layered flavor. The mix brings a subtle warmth, a light numbing tingle, and just enough brightness to balance out the sweet, sticky sauce.

Keeping these aromatics whole, instead of using powders or minced versions, lets you draw out their flavor gently, and also make them easy to remove later. Once the ribs are tender, you can pull out the peppercorns, garlic, and green onion, so the sauce stays smooth and the ribs don’t end up covered in bits of spice.

Adding Whole Garlic, Green Onion, and Sichuan Peppercorn into the pot for Chinese Red Braised Pork Ribs

How To Make Fall Off The Bone Red Braised Pork Ribs

Place the sliced ribs into a pot of cold water.
Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Boil for 3–5 minutes, until impurities rise to the top.
Drain and rinse ribs under cold running water.
In a clean pot, add the blanched ribs. Pour in soy sauce, dark soy sauce, oyster sauce, and honey. Add whole garlic cloves, green onion, Sichuan peppercorns, and enough water to mostly cover the ribs. Bring to a simmer over medium heat.
Once simmering, reduce to medium-low heat, cover, and cook gently for about 1 hour. Stir once or twice during cooking to prevent sticking.
Plate and spoon some of the rich braising sauce over the top.

Super Easy Side Dishes To Make With Braised Pork Ribs