Cranberry BBQ Saucy Ribs
- By Amy Dong
- Published Dec. 3, 2020
- Updated Aug. 17, 2022
Cranberry BBQ Saucy Ribs will have your eaters raving over your skills. You don’t have to tell how easy it was. Perfect for the holidays or anytime you want to liven things up.
Cranberry BBS Ribs are Tender and Saucy
Sometimes we shake things up for the holidays and take old winners like our BBQ Baked Ribs and throw in some festivity.
Thankfully, it’s pretty easy to mix up the fun with holiday classics like cranberries and pomegranates. We love pomegranates for this pear and blue cheese salad.
But today, it’s all about the cranberries. And ribs. Sticky, saucy ribs. People love the flavors in this rib recipe, and you’ll love how easy these ribs are to prepare ahead of time.
Smart Way to Use Your Cranberry Sauce
The cranberries get star treatment in these Cranberry BBQ Saucy Ribs. We use leftover homemade cranberry sauce so nothing goes to waste. Note that cranberry sauce can be kept airtight in fridge for up to a week. It can also be frozen for much longer.If we aren’t using leftover cranberry sauce for these festive Cranberry Brie Bites, then we’re using it for these succulent ribs.
These ribs are sticky, saucy, savory, sweet, and soooo tender. Fall-off-the-bone tender. Kids and grownups alike devour these ribs; we think you’ll fall for them, too.
Bonus: These cranberry BBQ saucy ribs are baked. No need to freeze your fingers handling outdoor grills at this time of year. You can completely bake these ribs ahead of time. Simply broil them a few minutes right before serving.
Here’s to all things saucy, sticky, sweet, and savory this season. Utensils not needed. 🙂
Try this Tender Beef Barbacoa, Too:
Did you make this?
Please give us a rating and comment below. We love hearing from you!
Cranberry BBQ Saucy Ribs
Ingredients
- 2 racks uncooked ribs, Baby Back or St. Louis both work well
Dry Rub:
- ½ cup brown sugar, packed
- 1½ tsp paprika
- 1 TB kosher salt
- 1½ TB freshly ground black pepepr
- ½ tsp cayenne
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp onion powder
Sauce:
- 9 oz your favorite honey BBQ sauce, I used Sweet Baby Ray's
- ¼ cupcranberry sauce
- 1-2 TB liquid smoke, depending on desired level of smoky flavor
Instructions
- Dry the racks of ribs with paper towels. Using a sharp knife, make a slit down the middle of the rib membranes (thin layer of skin on bottom sides.) Carefully pull and remove the membranes.
- In a bowl, combine all dry rub ingredients and whisk to combine well. Pat and press dry rub onto both sides of rib racks. Tightly wrap each rack of ribs in foil, individually. Place in a single layer on a large baking sheet and let sit in fridge overnight.
- Preheat oven to 300F. Bake foil-wrapped ribs, on baking sheet, for 2 hours.
- Remove ribs, let cool enough to handle, and remove foil. Discard juices. Combine BBQ sauce, cranberry sauce, and desired amount of liquid smoke. Brush ribs generously with sauce. Broil for 5 minutes or just until tops are nicely browned. Watch carefully. (Alternatively, you can grill for 5-10 minutes per side, in lieu of broiling.) Slice and serve warm.
Notes
Nutrition (per serving)
More Roasts & Ribs for Dinner…
- Tender Braised Beef Brisket – this recipe makes a wonderfully savory, tender beef roast. It’s fork-tender and packed with flavor.
2. BBQ Sriracha Ribs – These ribs have a tasty kick to them, thanks to the addition of Sriracha. This one is savory, sweet, and spicy all in one.
3. Tender Slow Cooker Roast Chicken – dare we reveal that this homemade roast chicken is way better than store-bought rotisserie chicken? Let your slow cooker do the work, while you go about your day.
