Hey friends! Thanks so much for being here today—and if you’re coming back, welcome back! I’ve got a finger-lickin’, crowd-pleasin’, make-ahead miracle for you: Korean Sticky Ribs with Honey Gochujang Glaze. They’re sweet, spicy, saucy, and so easy, it feels like a weeknight cheat code.
🍖 Why You’ll Love These Korean Sticky Ribs
Here’s the big win: these ribs get roasted low and slow in the oven until tender—then they’re finished on the grill (or under the broiler) with a thick, spicy-sweet Honey Gochujang Glaze that clings and caramelizes in the best way.
The flavor is big and bold—salty, sticky, garlicky, and just enough heat to keep you coming back for more. Plus:
- You can roast the ribs ahead of time and stash them in the fridge for days
- The glaze? Goes on ribs, wings, grilled chicken, tofu—you name it
- Total weeknight winner + dinner party favorite
Adapted from Small Victories by Julia Turshen, this is one of those recipes you’ll want to make on repeat. Her recipes are simple, smart, and always deliver.
🌶️ What Is Gochujang — and Why It Makes These Ribs So Good?
Gochujang (say it like go-choo-jahng) is a thick, fermented Korean chili paste made with red chiles, glutinous rice, and soybeans. It’s spicy, savory, and just a little sweet—basically, flavor gold in a tub. I keep mine in the fridge and use it for glazes, noodle dishes, or to kick up soups and stir-fries.
Even better? It’s good for you! Gochujang is packed with probiotics from fermentation, which may support digestion and inflammation. Read a simple breakdown here.
🧄 The Gist of What You’ll Need
(Scroll to the bottom for the full recipe printout!)
- Baby back ribs
- Lager or any beer (or swap with chicken stock or water)
- Garlic, honey, fish sauce, low sodium soy sauce
- Gochujang
- Salt + pepper
👩🍳 How Korean Sticky Ribs with Honey Gochujang Glaze Come Together
Here’s how it goes:
- Roast the ribs low and slow in the oven with just beer, salt, and pepper.
- Cool and store if making ahead. (They keep in the fridge for up to 5 days!)
- Simmer the glaze using a portion of the cooking liquid—it thickens fast and coats beautifully.
- Grill or broil the ribs with the sticky honey gochujang glaze. Double coat for extra gloss and flavor.
- Slice and serve hot with extra sauce and plenty of napkins!
🔥 Pro tip: Many folks love their ribs fall-off-the-bone tender, but if you prefer a little chew, try roasting them for just 1½ hours instead of 2. My Southern husband swears ribs shouldn’t fall apart completely—so we usually make a double batch both ways to keep the peace.
🥄 Helpful Equipment
- Large roasting pan or 9×13 lasagna dish
- Saucepan
- Tongs
- Grill or broiler
- Basting brush
- Foil
💡 Tips & Tricks
- Use just 1¼ cups of the cooking liquid to help the glaze thicken quickly and coat the ribs perfectly.
- Roast the ribs a day or two ahead, then grill just before serving—it’s a dream for easy dinner parties.
- Sub beer with chicken broth or water if needed
- Sauce leftovers are amazing on chicken, pork chops, tofu, or even grilled veggies
🍽️ Serving Suggestions
We served these sticky ribs with:
- Jasmine rice or Japanese Sweet Onion Takikomi Gohan
- Smashed cucumber salad
- Kimchi on the side for crunch + contrast
Bonus: Leftover meat and sauce make ramen noodles ridiculously tasty! - Beer
- Dessert: Two Easy No-Churn Ice Cream Recipes: Vanilla-Biscoff Cookie Butter-Teddy Graham & Vietnamese Chocolate-Coffee.
📦 Make-Ahead + Storage Notes
- Roasted (un-sauced) ribs store well in the fridge for 5 days
- Leftover glazed ribs keep 3 days—reheat gently in foil or in the microwave
- Extra sauce? Drizzle it on rice bowls or keep it for later!
📚 Inspired by a Favorite
Recipe adapted from the wonderful Small Victories by Julia Turshen. Her recipes are approachable, delicious, and written with such care—they feel like they were made just for you. I can’t recommend the book enough!
📺 Watch the Video + Grab the Recipe Below
If Korean Sticky Ribs with Honey Gochujang Glaze made it to your table, I’d love to hear about it! And don’t forget to subscribe for more easy, crave-worthy dishes!
Korean Sticky Ribs with Honey Gochujang Glaze
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Preheat your oven to 300℉ (150℃)
- Season the ribs evenly with 2 teaspoons of salt and ½ teaspoon of pepper. Arrange them in a large roasting pan or pot in a single, comfortable layer. Pour the beer around the ribs (not over them), then cover the pan tightly with a lid or foil to seal in the moisture.
- Roast the ribs until they’re very tender—use a small knife to check. If you want fall-off-the-bone ribs, cook for about 2 hours. For chewier ribs with more bite, roast for 1½ hours.You can let the ribs cool in their cooking liquid, then cover and keep them in the fridge for up to 1 week.
- Move your oven rack so it’s about 6 inches (15 cm) below the broiler, then turn the broiler on high to preheat.Or, if you're grilling, heat the grill to high. You can also use a large grill pan on the stove over two burners. Make sure the grill or pan is very clean before you start cooking.
- Use tongs to move the ribs onto a baking sheet lined with foil.If you used a roasting pan, pour the liquid into a saucepan and place it on the stove over high heat. If it’s already in a pot, just turn the heat to high.Whisk in the garlic, gochujang, honey, fish sauce, and soy sauce. Let it boil strongly until the sauce gets a little thick and syrupy—this takes about 8 minutes.Taste the sauce and add salt and pepper if it needs more flavor.
- Brush the racks of ribs on both sides with some of the gochujang mixture. Broil or grill the racks, turning once, until the glaze is caramelized on both sides, about 2 minutes per side. Repeat the process one more time so that the ribs get a double layer of glaze. Transfer the racks to a cutting board and cut them into individual ribs,
- Place the ribs on a serving plate and spoon the rest of the sauce on top. Serve right away—with plenty of napkins because they’re deliciously messy!
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Hungry for more? I’ve got plenty of bold flavors coming your way 🍴
- Gochujang Buffalo Chicken Wraps
- Homemade Sesame Gochujang Sauce (For Buffalo Chicken Wraps and More!)
- Gochujang Ground Beef Gravy: A Weeknight Favorite
- Shanghai-Style Sweet & Sour Baby-Back Ribs
- Chinese Spiced Cola Chicken Wings
- NYT Gochujang Caramel Cookies with a Snickerdoodle Twist
If you enjoyed this recipe and would love to see more, join me on YouTube, X, and Instagram! You can follow James T. on Instagram, @WarpSpeedWags . Please comment, like, and share. It really helps! I would love to hear from you 🙂 And if you made this recipe, how did it go for you?
6 responses to “Korean Sticky Ribs with Honey Gochujang Glaze”
Love the flavor combinations!
So nice to read this. Thanks for writing, John!
Your dog is so well behaved to resist snatching the delicious-looking gochujang ribs from the platter. My granddog, a silver lab, has taken and eaten from my daughter’s counter a whole unpeeled cantaloupe, a block of butter, and eggs with the shells on. 🙂
Thanks, Nancy! James has swiped the butter dish and licked bacon grease from the pan—but a whole cantaloupe? Oh my!
Labs are insatiable. 🤣
Would love to try this someday ☺️