Super Easy Grilled Ribs

These super easy grilled ribs are a departure from your typical rib recipe. Why? You cut your ribs into individual pieces before marinating and grilling. The result is an extra juicy, all-around crispy, charred rib that’s like getting that coveted end piece every time! 

I call them my Super Easy Grilled Ribs. Since developing this recipe, we’ve made it three or four times this summer for parties or weeknight dinners. With Labor Day weekend coming up, these juicy ribs on the grill are here just in time!  

One of Our Best Rib Recipes

Over the years we have posted plenty of rib recipes, like Sarah’s Char Siu Ribs, Bill’s Chinese Fried Ribs, and Kaitlin’s Instant Pot Ribs, but I think this one may be my favorite. 

A few years ago, we were at a family friend’s BBQ, and instead of grilling/baking a whole rack of ribs, he did individual ribs on the grill like this. 

I thought it was a brilliant technique, and this is the only way I do grilled ribs now! I only apologize that it has taken us so long to share it with you all. 

Why Grilling Individual Pork Ribs Is A Great (Better?) Method

When most people think of pork ribs, they think of a whole rack, falling off the bone, with lots of barbecue sauce. We’re not knocking that version (see Kaitlin’s Instant Pot rendition), but these juicy individual grilled ribs are something different, and in my humble opinion, even better! 

When you cut the ribs into individual pieces before instead of after cooking, there are multiple important benefits: 

• The marinade penetrates the meat more thoroughly 
• They have more tasty surface area for the marinade and crispy grilled bits 
• They cook faster
• They’re easier to handle (just pile up the ribs in a mixing bowl, marinate, and grill! No need for sheet pans, parchment paper or foil, sous vide machines, or ovens. 
• They’re JUICY. Falling-off-the-bone ribs are tasty and all, but they tend to be so “cooked” that they’ve lost that juiciness when you bite into them. The meat on these individual grilled ribs is more firm, but also a lot juicier! 

How to Get Even Juicier Ribs: Add Water to Your Marinade!

Besides cutting your ribs before cooking, another one of my favorite techniques is to add water to the rib marinade. 

You can see that my recipe calls for ½ cup, which seems like a lot. But trust me—water is a key addition that will make any protein juicier and less tough. 

If you’re familiar with Chinese velveting techniques (see here our guides for chicken, pork, and beef) or our dumpling filling recipes, you know that water does so much to improve the texture of meat during the cooking process.  

Because we are adding liquid, the seasoning on these ribs is technically a marinade rather than a dry rub, but it is definitely a lighter marinade than most!

How to Grill Individual Pork Ribs 

Grilling individual pork ribs isn’t unlike grilling steak or chicken. The pieces go onto a nice hot grill, and you turn them until they have a nice even crispness and a little bit of char. We include tips in the recipe. 

We cooked these on our gas grill for convenience, but if you have a grill with hardwood lump charcoal, you’ll get more of a smoky flavor! 

---

So far this summer, these ribs made their first appearance at a small family reunion of 19 people. Then for my mother’s outdoor birthday party, a group of 37 people. 

And then I froze the leftover uncooked ribs from my mother’s party (we overshot our estimates) and served them for Bill’s sister’s family who was visiting a few weeks later—everyone loved them!

Grilled Ribs Recipe Instructions

Using a sharp chef’s knife or cleaver, cut the ribs into individual pieces between each rib bone. If you hit thicker bits at the ends of the ribs, just maneuver your blade until you hit soft meat or cartilage to avoid damaging your knife on the hard bones. 

Place the ribs in to a large mixing bowl, and add the salt, sugar, garlic powder, onion powder, Sichuan peppercorn powder, cumin, Shaoxing wine, and water.

Using your hands, mix the ribs together until every rib is well-coated, and there is no visible standing liquid. This will take a few minutes of mixing. Cover with an overturned plate and marinate in the refrigerator overnight.

1 hour before you grill the ribs, take them out of the refrigerator and let them come up to room temperature. 

Preheat your grill over high heat (we used gas here for convenience, so adjust cooking settings and times for your own personal grill setup). Right before grilling, pour the oil over the ribs, and mix well. 

When the grill is hot, use tongs to space the ribs a couple inches (about 5 cm) apart (depending on whether you have the luxury of space relative to other items you may be cooking). Flip them every 3-5 minutes or so, making sure to brown each side of the rib. 

This part can feel a little fussy, and at first there will be pale bits, but make sure to move the ribs around to get that even crispy char on all sides.

Reduce the heat as needed to avoid burning, and don’t step away from the grill for more than a few minutes. If you do need to step away, reduce the heat to medium or medium-high first.

You know your own grill, so use visual cues to gauge the cooking times and heat levels. After about 20-30 minutes, the ribs should be crisp and golden on all sides.

Serve immediately—no need for them to rest!