Name: Honey Mustard Glazed Ribs
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 35 min
Ingredients: 1 rack pork spare ribs ((2-3 lbs)); ¼ cup dijon mustard ((or wholegrain mustard)); ¼ cup brown sugar; 1 tablespoon honey; 2 tablespoon Balsamic vinegar

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Why You’ll Love My Recipe

While you could ease into the BBQ season slowly with a pack of sausage and burgers, why not celebrate the warmer weather by going the extra mile with a delicious batch of honey mustard glazed ribs and grill up a real feast? A little effort goes a long way towards making an unforgettably delicious dish!

Great BBQ ribs take effort, time, and a really amazing glaze. This recipe for honey mustard glazed ribs provides the method and one of the best glazes you’ll ever try, so all that’s remaining is for you to add the time and elbow grease!

These ribs go great with a side of Grilled Broccoli or Grilled Zucchini, but baked potatoes and coleslaw are also delicious sides that go great with any barbecue dish!

Reader Review

Karlynn👍👍 This is easy delicious and fast Friends thought I cooked for hours On grill I did five racks one hour forty minute’s boil Thank you so very much for sharing your recipes Five stars two thumbs up for easy, delicious, awesome I’ll use this recipe all summer long Thanks again 😎😎 Have a awesome summer✌️

– Aeil

Karlynn’s Recipe Notes

Skill Level: These ribs are easy to make and perfect for a dinner with friends and family!
Total Time: With my boil-first method, you can have these ribs on the table in just 50 minutes!
Variations: If it isn’t grilling season, you can finish these ribs off in the oven at 400°F for 20-25 minutes to brown them! If you want to change up the flavor, you can jazz up this glaze by adding smoked paprika, garlic powder and onion powder. You can even switch the glaze out for your favorite brand of barbecue sauce to make things even simpler!
Tools For This Recipe: You will need a large pot to boil your ribs, a whisk to mix the glaze ingredients, and a basting brush to make this recipe! If you’d prefer to finish these ribs off in the oven to putting them on the grill, you’ll also need a large baking sheet!

A wooden cutting board with sliced, grilled barbecue ribs sits on a white surface beside a red-striped towel, a bowl of coleslaw, a salt shaker, and a small dish of chopped herbs.

What You’ll Need for Ingredients

Pork Ribs: I call for a rack of spare ribs in this recipe! Spareribs are cut from the bottom portion of the ribs—with longer bones, they have less meat than the cut known as ‘baby back ribs’, but general consensus agrees that they have more flavor! If you have a hard time finding spareribs at your local grocery store, you can ask your butcher for St. Louis-style ribs, which are more or less spare ribs with the rib tips and brisket flap omitted. This makes the shape more uniform and (to some) more attractive!

Mustard: I prefer to use dijon or wholegrain mustard in this recipe because they add a special depth of flavor to the glaze! If you find dijon a little spicy, don’t worry! The balsamic vinegar and honey add plenty of sweetness to counterbalance the zing!

A slab of raw pork ribs on a white rectangular plate, surrounded by small bowls containing brown sugar, mustard, honey, and soy sauce, all arranged on a white marble surface.

Honey: Honey gives this glaze that great sticky, caramelized sweetness that’s just a must whenever you think ‘barbecue’! Since it’s not the star of the show, reach for whatever brand’s the most affordable while still being as pure as possible! Try to avoid brands that incorporate additional sweeteners for the best flavor.

Balsamic Vinegar: Balsamic vinegar is an excellent way to add depth, a little tang of acidity, and a beautiful rich sweetness to glazes. While you should definitely reach for a nicer balsamic vinegar for salad dressings and an olive oil and vinegar dip for a nice, crusty bread, the heat of the grill (or oven) would destroy the complex notes of a super high-quality product. Just reach whatever balsamic vinegar is in your preferred price range!

How To Make Honey Mustard Glazed Ribs

This is a quick overview of the recipe. The full list of ingredients & complete step-by-step instructions are in the recipe card below.

A glass bowl with brown sugar, mustard, and soy sauce sits on a marble counter next to a whisk, a red striped towel, a bowl of coleslaw, and a plate with raw pork.

A large piece of raw pork is simmering in a white Dutch oven on a marble countertop, with a jar of sauce, a bowl of coleslaw, and a red-striped kitchen towel nearby.

Add your glaze ingredients to a mixing bowl and combine well, then set aside.
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the spare ribs and turn the heat down to medium, then let the ribs simmer for 20-25 minutes. Drain and set aside.
Put the ribs on a plate and pour about 1/2 of the glaze onto them, spreading it over both sides with a basting brush.
Grill your glazed ribs for 20-25 minutes, turning every 5 minutes while basting with a clean brush and the remaining glaze. Serve alongside your favorite sides!

A plate with barbecue ribs and creamy coleslaw sits on a marble surface. Nearby are a bowl of coleslaw, more ribs, a glass of water, utensils, a red-striped napkin, and a small bowl of sauce.

Karlynn’s Tips and Tricks for the Perfect Honey Mustard Glazed Ribs

Flippin’ Good: It might seem tempting to put your ribs on the grill, slather on the sauce, and walk away, especially if you’re entertaining, but you’ll notice a difference if you take the time to turn them every five minutes! It’ll make sure that they cook evenly, and frequent basting will keep the glaze from sticking to the grate and burning, giving it a chance to penetrate deep into the meat for maximum flavor!
Big Batch Beauty: Scaling up this recipe is easy, the only limit’s the size of your grill! You can choose to double the recipe using two racks of spare ribs, all you need to do is double the glaze recipe! Don’t double up the cook time, though—even though the additional meat on the grill will make everything cook a little slower, you won’t need to add more than a few minutes to end up with perfectly tender, fall-off-the-bone ribs. Shoot for an internal temperature of 190-203°F for perfectly tender meat!

Three pieces of barbecued ribs garnished with herbs are served with a side of creamy coleslaw on a white plate, with extra coleslaw and chopped herbs in the background.

Storage Instructions

Refrigerator: Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Make sure that you keep as much of the glaze as possible to keep them from drying out when you reheat them in your oven wrapped in foil for 20-25 minutes at 250°F.

Freezer: Once completely cooled down to room temperature, transfer your ribs to an airtight container or sealable freezer bag with as much of the glaze as you can save; they’ll keep for up to 3 months. To reheat, allow the ribs to thaw overnight in the fridge, then bake them for 20-25 minutes in a 250°F oven, wrapped in foil as above to keep them from drying out.

More Delicious BBQ Recipes

Looking for something delicious and easy to prep ahead? Give my Sweet & Sour Chicken Shish Kabobs a try!
If you love a moist and delicious chicken, you’ve got to try my BBQ Five-Spice Rotisserie Chicken!
Looking for a barbecue dish that’s more traditionally cooked low and slow? Give my Sweet & Smoky Whisky Smoked Ribs a try!

Nothing quite says “summer” like getting the grill out, cleaning off the winter cobwebs, and cooking a BBQ feast. While these ribs will definitely require a bit of effort with glazing and temp watching to ensure tenderness, the flavor of these honey mustard ribs makes all of the work worthwhile!

Give this recipe a try and tell me all about your favorite barbecue side dishes in the comments below!

Happy Cooking!

Karlynn