With the tropical fusion of fresh mango, soy sauce and sesame, you can’t let the summer go by without trying these Mango Barbecue Baby Back Ribs.

Brushing barbecue sauce on a rack of ribs

I have been on a rib kick lately (wait, that sounds painful). Anyway, I have been making ribs almost every weekend because, well, summer! Last weekend it was grilled barbecue spare ribs with homemade sauce (< click on text for recipe) and this week I finally perfected the mango BBQ sauce for this recipe.

The ribs from above on a cutting board with coleslaw and corn on the cob

Also delicious using puréed pineapple, this sauce is made with puréed mango. I won’t ask you to get messy and have to peel and wrestle getting the flesh cut from around the giant pit. Why? Because most (if not all) the grocery stores I go to have frozen mango. All you do is defrost and blend.

I like to dry marinade the ribs before roasting in the sauce. This means that they are rubbed with a spice blend, covered in plastic wrap and refrigerated for 1 hour to allow the flavors to penetrate the meat.

Grilled ribs dripping with mango barbecue sauce

The ribs are coated in the barbecue sauce, covered in foil and roasted. They can be finished in 2 different ways, broil to make the sauce brown and bubbly or on the grill. Both methods are in the recipe.

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Brushing mango bbq sauce over grilled ribs
5 from 20 reviews

Mango Barbecue Baby Back Ribs

Janette
Baby back ribs are smothered in mango barbecue sauce then slow roasted and grilled.
Prep Time: 1 hour
Cook Time: 2 hours
Total Time: 3 hours
Servings: 4 servings
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Video

Ingredients
 

For the spice rub:

  • 2 tablespoons light brown sugar
  • 1 ½ teaspoons salt
  • ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • 1 tablespoon chili powder
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 4 pounds (1.81 kg) baby back ribs

For the barbecue sauce:

  • 2 cups mango frozen mango chunks, defrosted (fresh can also be used)
  • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • ¾ cup (113 grams) onion, finely chopped
  • 1 garlic clove, peeled and finely chopped or grated
  • 1 ½ teaspoons smoked paprika
  • ½ teaspoon mustard powder
  • 1 cup (235 grams) ketchup
  • 2 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce
  • 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
  • 1 teaspoon sesame oil
  • 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
  • ½ cup (118 ml) water

Instructions
 

Make the rub:

  • To a bowl, add the brown sugar, salt, pepper, smoked paprika, chili powder, garlic powder. Mix well. Sprinkle evenly all over the ribs and rub in well. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate 1 hour (or overnight if making ahead).

Make the barbecue sauce:

  • Add the mango to a blender and blend until smooth, set aside.
  • Heat the vegetable oil over medium heat in a large pan. Add the onions and sauté the until softened, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, paprika and mustard powder and stir and cook for 1 minute. Add the ketchup, soy sauce, sugar, sesame oil and apple cider vinegar, mango puree and water, stir well to mix. Bring to a simmer and cook for 5 minutes or until thickened (the sauce will thicken as it cools). If the sauce gets too thick at any point, just add a little water.
  • Transfer the sauce to a blender and blend until smooth.

Oven method:

  • Preheat oven to 250°F/130°C.
  • Place the ribs on a large baking sheet and spread an even layer of barbecue sauce over them. Cover tightly with more foil and roast for 2 hours.
  • Preheat broiler with top shelf 6 inches from broiler.
  • Uncover the ribs and broil with the meat-side up until browned and bubbly.
  • Cut the ribs between the bones and serve with more sauce.

Grill method:

  • Follow the recipe for the sauce and ribs up to wrapping the ribs in plastic wrap for 1 hour.
  • Preheat the grill with heat only on 1 side.
  • Remove the ribs from the plastic wrap and spread an even layer of the sauce over the ribs on the meat side. Wrap the ribs well in foil. Place the ribs on the side without the heat. Close the lid and cook for 1 hour.
  • After 1 hour remove from the foil and brush with more sauce. Cook directly over high heat until the ribs get a little char.
Serving: 1, Calories: 462kcal, Carbohydrates: 50g, Protein: 19g, Fat: 23g, Saturated Fat: 5g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 14g, Cholesterol: 59mg, Sodium: 1064mg, Fiber: 5g, Sugar: 42g
Did you make this recipe?Please let us know by leaving a star rating and review!

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