Grilled Pork Ribs with Ponzu Sauce
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Fall-off-the-bone ponzu pork ribs, grilled and smothered in a sweet and tangy ponzu sauce, will be your next obsession. Slow-cooking the ribs makes these supremely tender, and if you’ve never cooked with ponzu sauce, you’re in for a finger-licking treat!
When you bring these ponzu pork ribs to a potluck or backyard BBQ, you’ll have everyone asking for the recipe. These are not your standard ribs.
The secret to these ponzu ribs is simmering them in vinegar to tenderize the meat, then marinating them in the sauce, and finally grilling them to finish.
What’s ponzu sauce?
If you’ve never cooked with ponzu sauce or aren’t familiar with it, it’s a Japanese condiment. For these ponzu ribs, you’ll be making your own ponzu sauce, which consists of soy sauce, citrus, and sugar.
The word ponzu means “juice squeezed from sour oranges” in Japanese, so you will include juices from both lemon and oranges for this recipe. It gives a nice sour-tart balance to the salty soy sauce.
Ingredients to make ponzu ribs
You can buy store-bought ponzu sauce if you’re in a pinch, however, this ponzu ribs recipe is so delicious and simple to bring together – promise, it’s worth making your own.
- Pork ribs: Pick up 5 lb of pork ribs from your local grocery store or butcher. You can have the butcher pre-cut them into pieces that will fit in a large pot.
- Cornstarch: The cornstarch will act as a thickener for the ponzu sauce.
- Cold water: The cold water and cornstarch will mixed together and added to the ponzu sauce.
- Soy sauce: For these ponzu ribs you’ll need 1 cup of soy sauce as the base of the sauce. You can sub gluten-free if needed.
- Brown sugar: Add 1 cup of brown sugar (light brown sugar or coconut sugar) to combine with the soy sauce and citrus juices. This will give a sweetness to the sauce, that combines well with the salty and sour tastes in the ponzu sauce. It will also help create that sticky texture we all love for ribs.
- Zest and juice from 1 lemon: Here comes the citrus! Use the zest and juice from an entire lemon for a real zing.
- Zest and juice from 1 orange: The orange and lemon combo makes for a real tangy pop, and is what makes this recipe unique.
- Sriracha: Add some heat to the sauce with a tablespoon of sriracha (or other hot sauce). If you aren’t keen on so much heat, you can add less.
- Ground cinnamon: Add 1 teaspoon of cinnamon for a warm spice and fragrance.
- Garnishes: You can garnish the ribs with toasted cashews, orange slices, sesame seeds, and/or sliced green onions.
Also, try these braised pork ribs and these oven baked ribs! And for another tasty pork recipe, try our baked pork chops!
What to serve with ponzu ribs
No doubt these ponzu ribs will be the centerpiece of your meal, but here are some ideas of what you can serve alongside this dish to put together one incredible table:
- Noodle stir fry with lemon sesame sauce, or opt for the veggie-forward carrot noodle stir fry with bok choy to balance the meat.
- This cauliflower fried rice would be nice with ponzu ribs or a simple garlic butter rice.
- Try this Asian salad with sesame ginger dressing or a creamy kale caesar salad.
Recipe FAQs
Can I use store-bought ponzu sauce?
You absolutely can if you’re fresh out of time; however, this homemade ponzu marinade is incredible. It’s worth the couple of extra steps.
What type of ribs are best for this recipe?
You can choose either pork side ribs or pork back ribs; both work equally well.
Can I use a different citrus?
Yes! Ponzu sauce is traditionally made with yuzu, a Japanese citrus that is difficult to find in North America. If you have access to it, you can use it instead. Lime can be substituted for lemon.
Ponzu Pork Ribs Recipe
Ingredients
- 5 lb pork ribs
- ¼ cup vinegar
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon cold water
- 1 cup soy sauce (can sub gluten-free)
- 1 cup brown sugar (can sub coconut sugar)
- Zest and juice from 1 lemon
- Zest and juice from 1 orange
- 1 tablespoon Sriracha
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ cup toasted cashews (chopped)
- Orange slices (to garnish)
Instructions
- Place the ribs in a large pot, fill it with water, and add the vinegar. Bring the pot to a boil then reduce the heat and simmer for 30 minutes.5 lb pork ribs
- While the ribs are cooking, make the ponzu sauce. In a small bowl, mix the cornstarch and water.1 tablespoon cornstarch, 1 tablespoon cold water
- Add the soy sauce, brown sugar, zest and juice from the lemon and orange, sriracha, and cinnamon to a small pot and bring it to a boil. Boil for 5 minutes or until it has thickened to a syrup. Add the cornstarch and water slurry and whisk until the sauce is thick. Set aside ½ cup of the sauce for serving1 cup soy sauce, 1 cup brown sugar, Zest and juice from 1 lemon, Zest and juice from 1 orange, 1 tablespoon Sriracha, ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- Drain the ribs and place them in a large non-metal baking dish. Pour the ponzu sauce over the top, making sure that the ribs are coated well. Cover and place it in your fridge for 1-2 hours to marinate.
- Remove the ribs from your fridge and preheat your BBQ to medium. Grill for 30 minutes, brushing the sauce on generously.
- Serve the grilled pork ribs with the cashews sprinkled over the top, a few orange slices on the side, and the extra sauce over the top.¼ cup toasted cashews, Orange slices
Nutrition
We have thoroughly tested this recipe for accuracy. However, individual results may vary. See our full recipe disclosure here.
More rib recipes
For more inspiration, check out all of our pork recipes!
Please tell how much vinegar to add to the pot of water.
¼ cup!
You just put the biggest smile on my face … thank you! I wish I could take credit for the recipe cause they really were delicious.
I love it too! All the creative genius goes to Ricardo Cuisine … I wish I had thought of it myself!
Thanks, Kelley! It really was amazing how easy they are to make. 🙂
Thanks, Ashley! They were rather ridiculously good. 🙂
Thanks, Jocelyn! It was crazy how many of them we devoured. A little embarrassing actually lol. 🙂