American Chinese / Cantonese Recipe

Chinese BBQ Spare Ribs

Roast meat · Serves 3–4 · 1 hour plus marinating

Chinese BBQ spare ribs are sweet-savory roasted pork ribs with char siu-style seasoning.

Recipe at a glance

PurposeHigh-frequency Chinese restaurant menu dish
Cuisine or formatAmerican Chinese / Cantonese
Menu variation ruleProtein may be adjusted without creating a separate recipe family.

Ingredients

  • 2 lb pork spare ribs
  • 2 tablespoons hoisin sauce
  • 2 tablespoons light soy sauce
  • 1 tablespoon honey or maltose
  • 1 tablespoon oyster sauce, optional
  • 1 tablespoon Shaoxing wine, optional
  • 1 teaspoon five-spice powder
  • Garlic
  • Red fermented bean curd or red color, optional

Method

  1. Mix marinade ingredients.
  2. Marinate ribs at least 4 hours.
  3. Roast on a rack until cooked and browned.
  4. Brush with honey or maltose near the end.
  5. Rest briefly.
  6. Cut and serve.

Menu-literacy notes

  • BBQ spare ribs and roast pork share Cantonese roast-meat logic.
  • They contain pork and often soy, hoisin, and oyster sauce.
  • Restaurant color may come from red bean curd or food coloring.

Variations and substitutions

  • For chicken, beef, shrimp, pork, tofu, or mixed seafood variants, keep the same sauce logic and adjust the cooking time for the protein.
  • For allergies or religious dietary needs, check sauces, broth, wrappers, cooking wine, and shared wok or fryer use.
  • For takeout-style dishes, sauce texture matters: the sauce should coat the food rather than become a thin soup.

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