If you’re looking for a flavorful and easy-to-make dish that will satisfy your cravings, you can’t go wrong with Chinese Style Honey Garlic Ribs. This recipe combines tender pork back ribs with a delicious honey garlic sauce that is sure to impress your family and friends. Plus, by using an air fryer, you can achieve a crispy texture without the need for frying.

Ingredients

• Pork ribs (排骨): We used back ribs for this air fryer recipe. Another great substitute is pork baby back ribs which are even more tender.
• Honey: The main sweetener in the recipe. It’s an important ingredient that gives a sweet note to complement the savory. We used 1 tbsp honey in this recipe, but you can add up to 2 tbsps for a sweeter flavor.
• Garlic: Another key ingredient in the marinade. We used 2-3 garlic cloves for this recipe, which creates a pungent garlicky flavor. We do not recommend adding any more, as it might cover the honey flavor.
• Cooking wine (Shao Xing Wine): helps to tenderize the meat and balance out the other flavors
• Cornstarch: a staple in Chinese cooking. It helps to tenderize the meat and locks the moisture inside.
• Soy sauce (生抽) & dark soy sauce (老抽): These are used to add a salty, umami flavor to the marinade. The dark soy sauce also helps to deepen the color of the dish.
• Oyster sauce: It boasts umami, which is a savory, tangy flavor.

Preparation & Marinade

It is important to wash and soak the ribs to remove any impurities beforehand. This air fryer ribs recipe only takes 15 minutes to marinate, and they turned out tender and flavourful.

• First, wash the pork back ribs with tap water and soak them for 30 minutes. This helps to remove any impurities.
• Drain and pat dry. Place the ribs in a large bowl and add the soy sauce, dark soy sauce, cooking wine, oyster sauce, cornstarch, honey, and minced garlic, and stir well.
• Marinate for at least 15 minutes or up to overnight covered in the refrigerator.

Tips and Variations

• Before you start, line the air fryer basket with foil for easy cleanup. It helps prevent the honey garlic sauce from dripping and sticking to the basket. It also allows the sauce to caramelize onto the ribs as they cook, adding a delicious layer of sweetness and flavor. The result is juicy, tender, and crispy ribs that are coated in a mouth-watering honey garlic glaze.
• For a spicier version, add some chili flakes to the marinade.
• If you don’t have an air fryer, you can also bake the ribs in the oven at 400°F for 20-25 minutes, or until they are cooked through and crispy.
• This recipe can be easily doubled or tripled if you are cooking for a larger crowd.