Sweet n’ Smoky Candied Jalapeño BBQ Ribs

Low and slow. Sweet and smoky. Napkins mandatory.

These fall-apart tender ribs are finished with a sticky BBQ glaze made with Sweet n’ Smoky Candied Jalapeños and a splash of syrup straight from the jar.

Sweet, smoky, savoury and just spicy enough, these are the kind of ribs that make eating with your hands completely acceptable.

Ingredients

For the Ribs

2 racks pork back ribs
2 tbsp brown sugar
2 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp kosher salt
½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
½ tsp chili powder
½ tsp ground cumin
1 tbsp yellow mustard

For the Sweet n’ Smoky BBQ Glaze

1 cup your favourite BBQ sauce
½ cup Sweet n’ Smoky Candied Jalapeños, roughly chopped
3 tbsp syrup from the Candied Jalapeño jar
2 tbsp pure maple syrup
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
½ tsp smoked paprika

For Serving

Extra Sweet n’ Smoky Candied Jalapeños
Your favourite BBQ sides
Plenty of napkins. Seriously.

Directions

1. Prep the ribs.
Preheat your oven to 275°F (135°C).

Remove the membrane from the back of the ribs if it hasn't already been removed.

Rub a thin layer of yellow mustard over both sides of the ribs. Don't worry—you won't really taste the mustard. It simply helps all that seasoning stick.

2. Make the dry rub.
Combine the brown sugar, smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, black pepper, chili powder and cumin.

Generously season both sides of the ribs.

3. Go low and slow.
Place each rack on a large piece of aluminum foil, meat side up, and wrap tightly.

Place the wrapped ribs on a baking sheet and bake for approximately 2½–3 hours, or until the meat is tender and beginning to pull back from the bones.

Now comes the good part.

Make the Sweet n’ Smoky BBQ Glaze

While the ribs are cooking, combine the BBQ sauce, roughly chopped Sweet n’ Smoky Candied Jalapeños, syrup from the jar, maple syrup, apple cider vinegar, Worcestershire sauce and smoked paprika in a small saucepan.

Simmer over low heat for 8–10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

You can leave the glaze chunky or give it a quick blend if you'd prefer a smoother BBQ sauce.

Either way, you're going to want to put this stuff on everything.

4. Get 'em sticky.
Remove the ribs from the oven and carefully unwrap them.

Increase the oven temperature to 425°F (220°C).

Brush a generous layer of the Sweet n’ Smoky BBQ glaze over the ribs and return them to the oven, uncovered, for 8–10 minutes.

Brush them with another layer of glaze and cook for another 5 minutes, until the sauce is bubbling, sticky and beginning to caramelize around the edges.

If you want a little extra char, put them under the broiler for a minute or two at the very end—but keep an eye on them. There's plenty of sugar in that glaze, so it can go from caramelized to call the fire department pretty quickly.

5. Let them rest.
Remove the ribs from the oven and let them rest for about 10 minutes before slicing.

Brush with one last light coating of that Sweet n’ Smoky glaze before serving.

The Candied Jalapeño Company Tip

The secret here isn't piling Candied Jalapeños on top of the finished ribs.

It's putting them right into the BBQ glaze.

As the ribs finish cooking, the Candied Jalapeños, smoky BBQ sauce, maple syrup and that little bit of syrup from the jar caramelize into a sticky, sweet-and-smoky glaze that gets into every nook and cranny.

Serve some extra Sweet n’ Smoky Candied Jalapeños on the side for anyone who wants more.

And maybe make extra glaze.

Actually, definitely make extra glaze.

Low and slow. Sweet and smoky. Napkins mandatory.

Good on Everything. Especially ribs. 🌶️🔥