Sticky Sous Vide Barbecue Ribs
on Oct 12, 2023, Updated Nov 21, 2023
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Sous Vide Barbecue Ribs are the most tender and juicy ribs ever! Cooked low and slow to the perfection in the sous vide water bath with a homemade spice rub, then finished on the grill or in the oven with a seasoned BBQ sauce mixture that’s so addictive. Finger licking delicious and sticky ribs right here!
Why this recipe works?
These sous vide pork barbecue ribs are a no fuss, no-fail recipe with the guaranteed success. There’s nothing better than letting your sous vide do all the work for you. It cooks the ribs to the perfection with the incredible aroma all around the house. This sous vide pork ribs recipe allows you to cook the meat the way you like, and you can tailor the texture to your liking by setting them at different temperatures.
Get ready for the best ribs of your life!
What is sous vide?
Sous vide is a French cooking technique where the food is vacuum-sealed in a bag, and then cooked for a long time to a precise temperature in a warm water bath. If you are a beginner, you can find everything you need to know on this post.
How to remove membrane/skin from baby back ribs?
This is a personal choice when cooking ribs. The membrane doesn’t have to be removed (and sometimes the ribs come with the skin removed by the butcher already), but cooking the ribs without the membrane will make them more tender and flavorful. It takes a few minutes and is really easy:
First flip the ribs with rack-side facing up. Then carefully slide a knife under the silverskin. Lift and loosen the membrane off the bone, and then you can peel it off the back of the ribs easily.
How to cook sous vide baby back ribs
- Start by preparing the ribs as the above, and then pat them dry with paper towels.
- Drizzle with olive oil and then season with a homemade dry rub (see recipe below). This will give the ribs amazing flavor.
- Place them in a vacuum bag or zip-lock bags (use multiple bags if needed), and vacuum-seal the bag. If you don’t have a vacuum-sealer, you can use “water displacement” method to seal the zip-lock bag (see recipe).
- Next, place the bag in the sous vide warm water bath to cook.
- When the timer goes off, take the ribs out and make the BBQ sauce mixture. Brush the sauce evenly around the ribs.
- Broil in the oven (or grill) for about 3-5 minutes to get crispy and charred edges.
Temperature for sous vide ribs
A special thing about this recipe is that sous vide allows you to cook your pork ribs at a wide range of time and temperature combinations. The textures will also be different as a result. You can follow the chart below:
| Temperature | Cooking Time | Texture |
| 167°F / 75°C | 6 hours | Fall-off-the bone and shreds easily |
| 150 °F / 66 °C | 24 hours | Tender but much more juicy than oven baked ribs |
| 145 °F / 63 °C | 36 hours | Very tender with a hint of pink in the meat |
Note: You’ll need to cover the container or pot to minimize water evaporation. Use the lid that comes with the sous vide container. If you don’t have one, you can use a few pieces of aluminum foil to cover it up.
BBQ sauce
This BBQ rib sauce is deeply flavored and completely addictive. It’s made with only a few simple ingredients and will take the taste of your ribs to the next level!
All you need is BBQ sauce, garlic, olive oil, and optional Worcestershrie sauce. Use a high quality BBQ sauce for this recipe, and you can also use a smoky flavored sauce.
Side dish ideas for sous vide ribs:
Recipe Tools:
Sous Vide Barbecue Ribs Recipe
Ingredients
Ribs and dry rub:
- 3 pounds baby back pork ribs
- 3 teaspoons garlic powder
- 2 teaspoons paprika
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
Sauce:
- 1 cup barbecue sauce
- 2 tablespoons minced garlic
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/4 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
Instructions
- Preheat the sous vide water bath: add water to the sous vide container or a large pot, and set the Sous Vide Precision Cooker to 150°F (66°C). This is my recommended temperature, and if you’d like to cook at other temperatures, follow the guide in the post above.
- Remove the membrane that covers the underside of the ribs.
- Drizzle the ribs with olive oil and spread it around around the ribs evenly.
- In a small bowl whisk together garlic powder, paprika, cumin, salt, and pepper.
- Rub the seasoning on all side with the seasoning.
- Place the seasoned ribs into a large vacuum bag or zip-lock bag. If you use zip-lock bags, you will need to use two or three, and seal them using the “water displacement” technique. (Seal all but one corner of the bag, and slowly place it in the water bath. Make sure everything below the zip-line is covered by water. Then seal the rest of the bag.)
- When the water has reached the set temperature, lower the bags into the water bath. Make sure the ribs are fully submerged in the water with the seams above the water.
- Cover the pot with aluminum foil to reduce the water evaporation.
- Sous vide cook for 24 hours. (Check the water level half way through and add more if needed)
- When the timer goes off, remove the bag from the water bath. At this point, you can store the ribs in the fridge for up to 4 days or serve it immediately.
- Place the ribs on a baking sheet lined with foil.
- Mix together sauce ingredients, and brush it around the ribs.
- Turn on your broiler, and place your ribs in the oven. Cook for 3-5 minutes until the edges are caramelized. (Or cook on grill for about 2-3 minutes each side).
- Remove the ribs from the heat and serve immediately.
Nutrition
Nutrition information provided is an estimate only and will vary based on ingredient brands and cooking methods used.
Hello Izzy,
I’ve been doing your sous vide recipes for some time now and love them for their simplicity and great taste. I obviously do some variations given sous vide cooking has opened up a world of possibilities in the way to cook and/or give flavor to food. Thank you for sharing.