Grocery shopping is one of my favorite hobbies, nothing makes me happier than walking down the aisle taking mental note and images of what every store has to offer. Being self-quarantined and not being able to go out sucked, but the part that was the worst was that I couldn’t go grocery shopping! Therefore, the minute that we were cleared to go outside and join society – six ft away from everyone – I hopped on the chance.
Since I haven’t been out in so long I literally bought everything I saw. The tray of spare ribs was actually meant for my dad to use to make a carrot and potato soup, but days were going by and he hadn’t used it. Not wanting the meat to go bad, I took matters into my own hands and decided to air fry the ribs instead. I was worried about how they’d turn out since everything I read online seemed to require a 24-hour marinade and I wasn’t prepared like that – I wanted to make them for dinner and I had about an hour. Well fugit, I went on ahead with it anyway! It turned out great the first time and I ended up making it again a few days later!
I cooked the meat the same way each time, but the sauce coating was different. I’ll let you in on both recipes. The first time was a shortcut using a premade mix while the second time I whipped up something on my own.
Air Fried Spare Ribs
Description: Easy air fried pork spare ribs cooked to perfection in the air fryer.
I N G R E D I E N T S:
- 1 tray of Pork Spare Ribs (around 1-1.5 lbs)
- ½ Tsp Salt
- ½ Tsp Pepper
- 1 Tsp Paprika
- ½ Tsp Garlic Powder
I N S T R U C T I O N S:
- Wash your ribs and pat dry – put into a mixing bowl.
- Add all seasoning to the ribs and coat evenly
- Set and rest for 10 minutes.
- Place in the air fryer on 400 degrees and cook for 20 minutes. Flip half way. Make sure the ribs are placed in a single layer and not on top of each other. Ribs should be slightly crisped and have an internal temp of at least 145 degrees.
Sweet Baby Rays Rib Sauce
Description: Easiest, low maintenance sauce when you’re on a time or energy crunch. Tastes great and requires minimal effort.
I N G R E D I E N T S:
- ¼ cup of Sweet Baby Ray’s BBQ Sauce (feel free to sub with your favorite sauce, then just taste and adjust seasoning)
- 1 Tbsp Soy Sauce
- 1 Tsp Brown Sugar
- ½ Tsp Chili Flake
I N S T R U C T I O N S:
- Heat up a sauce pan and add in all the ingredients and stir until combined and thickened
- Add in the cooked ribs and mix until coated and edges are caramelized. Enjoy!
Spicy Lemongrass, Garlic Soy Marinade:
I N G R E D I E N T S:
- 1 Tbsp Lemongrass minced
- 1 Tbsp Garlic minced
- 1 Tsp Sesame Oil
- 1 Tbsp Liquid Seasoning
- 1 Tbsp Brown Sugar
- 1 Tbsp Mirin
- ½ Tsp Chili Flakes
- 3 Tbsp Water
I N S T R U C T I O N S:
- In a sauce pan over medium heat, add sesame oil, lemongrass and garlic. Cook until fragrant.
- Add in the remaining ingredients and mix until all combined and sugar has melted. Turn up the heat to high and watch the sauce very carefully as this is when it will thicken and burn if left unattended. Once sauce has thickened, do a taste test to confirm it is to your liking (ie: add more water if it is too salty/too reduced, or more sugar if too salty).
- Add in the ribs and coat until all is combined. Enjoy!
Here are some things to keep in mind when making these ribs, check out these #Nganstoptips:
- If you have time, season your ribs and leave them in the fridge for longer – up to 24 hours. Salt will tenderize the meat more. If you’re on a time crunch, it’s totally not necessary – the most I’ve seasoned was for 2 hours before cooking time. I also like the spare rib pieces with the bone! I find them more tender than when cooking with boneless pieces.
- Whenever air frying meat like spare ribs or even chicken wings, I like to air fry them with dry seasoning and then coat them with sauce afterwards. This way I can avoid having to marinade them for long and the flavor is unmatched. Also – it prevents the air fryer from burning sauces with sugar due to over exposure to heat.
- TSA Approved!: No need to wait in line for mediocre airport food when you can bring these babies in. Remember to grab some extra napkin!
