Sweet & Sticky Greedy BBQ Ribs

May 5, 2026

Memorial Day is the starting gun for the best months of the year — backyard gatherings, long afternoons outside, and meals worth remembering. Few things bring people together like a grill loaded with ribs, cold drinks in hand, and nowhere else anyone needs to be. This season, set the tone early with Sweet & Sticky Greedy BBQ Ribs, a recipe worthy of the moment and the people sharing it.

It all starts with a St. Louis-style trim and a bold spice rub — paprika, garlic, sugar, salt, and pepper — massaged into every inch of the rack and left to absorb for up to 12 hours. Low, slow indirect heat does the rest, holding steady at 250°F for the first three hours before climbing to 300°F for the final stretch. The result is tender, deeply flavored meat that pulls clean from the bone.

The sauce is where things get genuinely greedy. Ketchup, brown sugar, apple cider vinegar, honey, Worcestershire, and a hit of lemon juice simmer down into a sticky, layered glaze that gets brushed on only in the last 30 minutes — protecting that caramelized finish without burning off the depth. Serve to a crowd of four to six, and plan for requests to make more.

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Serves 4-6

Sweet & Sticky Greedy BBQ Ribs Ingredients

• 1 slab of pork spare ribs (about 4 pounds)

Sauce

• 32 ounces of ketchup
• 16 ounces of water
• 8 ounces brown sugar
• 4 ounces white sugar
• 1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon onion powder
• 1 teaspoon dry mustard powder
• 2 ounces lemon juice
• 2 ounces Worcestershire sauce
• 8 ounces apple cider vinegar
• 2 ounces of honey
• 2 ounces Rub Mix, recipe follows

Rub Mix

• 3 ounces paprika
• 2 ounces garlic powder
• 2 ounces sugar
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon pepper

Sweet & Sticky Greedy BBQ Ribs Directions

Rib Prep

1. Combine Rub Mix ingredients in a medium mixing bowl. Trim the spare ribs, removing the upper brisket bone and any excess fat; this will produce a St. Louis-style rib.
2. Rinse the ribs, season with Rub Mix, and then cover and refrigerate for 4 to 12 hours.

Sauce

1. Combine all of the sauce ingredients in a stockpot or large Dutch oven.
2. Bring to a boil over high heat, frequently stirring to prevent sticking.
3. Reduce the temperature to low and simmer, uncovered, for at least 30 minutes.

Grilling

1. Indirect cooking in a barbecue pit is recommended to prevent burning.
2. Cook at 250 degrees F (curled side of ribs facing up) for the first 3 hours, then increase the temperature to 300 degrees F for the final 3 hours.
3. Baste the ribs only during the last 30 minutes of cooking to prevent the sauce from burning.
4. Remove from the grill and baste again with sauce. Cut between the bones and serve.

Taken from americanmadegrills.com