Baby back ribs glazed with a delicious Tequila-Lime BBQ sauce.
Sweet heat, sticky, tender, melt-in-your mouth deliciousness. Ribs so good your guests will think you ordered them from the best BBQ joint in town. Yet, they are made on your gas grill, in the comfort of your backyard.
The ribs are generously seasoned with a creole spice rub, then cooked low and slow. Wrapped with butter, brown sugar, and a splash of beer from a local craft beer spot. Then cooked until tender and juicy.
Before serving, the ribs are lightly charred on the grill, then slathered with a delicious Tequila-Lime BBQ sauce. Grilled a few minutes more for the sauce to get nice and tacky. Served with a pot of warm sauce for drizzling. These are finger-lickin' good and super simple to make on a gas grill.
Ingredients
- Baby back ribs
- Creole seasoning
- Butter
- Brown sugar
- Beer, hard cider, or apple juice
- Tequila-Lime BBQ sauce
Creole Seasoning
- Paprika
- Salt
- Granulated garlic
- Black pepper
- Granulated onion
- Cayenne pepper
- Dried oregano
- Dried thyme
Tequila-Lime BBQ Sauce
- ketchup
- Brown sugar
- Hot honey
- Worcestershire sauce
- Hot sauce
- Black pepper
- Garlic powder
- Dry mustard
- Hot & Smokey paprika
- Tequila
- Lime juice
Instructions
Preheat your grill to approximately 300°F, with a section for indirect cooking large enough to accommodate a half sheet pan.
If you have a smoker box, fill it with apple or cherry wood (soak the chips in water for at least 30 minutes before) and place it over the direct heat.
Prepare the ribs
Place the ribs, meat side down, and using a paper towel to grip the membrane, remove it from the back of the rack.
Season both sides of the ribs with the creole seasoning.
Place the two racks of ribs, meat side up, on a half sheet pan with a rack.
Let the ribs sit at room temperature for 30 minutes. Place the sheet pan onto the preheated grill over the indirect heat section of the grill. Close the lid and cook for two hours, rotating the racks or the sheet pan every 30 minutes.
Make the Tequila-Lime BBQ Sauce
Combine ketchup, brown sugar, honey, Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, pepper, garlic, mustard, and paprika in a saucepan. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, add tequila, lime juice and simmer for 10 minutes. Store in the refrigerator up to one week.
Wrap the Ribs
After the two hours have elapsed, wrap the ribs in aluminum foil to finish the cook. Lay out 2 long pieces of aluminum foil (double thickness highly recommended). Then spread out 5 pats of butter down the centre of the foil the length of a rack of ribs. Add a sprinkle of brown sugar (3 tablespoons/rack) over the butter and then drizzle the flavoured beer, hard cider or apple juice (3 tablespoons/rack). Lay the ribs meat side down on the butter mixture. Close the foil tightly to avoid leaks.
Place the wrap ribs directly on the grill grates over very low heat the ribs to continue to cook until meat has started to pull back from the bone.
Cook for 60 to 70 minutes more until the ribs are tender and have reached an internal temp of 200°F.
Finish the Ribs
Remove the ribs from the grill and place them on a sheet pan. Carefully open the foil packages as they are full of steaming hot liquid.
Return the ribs to the grill and cook over medium-low heat until a light char begins to form. 3 to 4 minutes per side.
Apply the Tequila-Lime BBQ sauce.
Let the ribs cook over low heat just long enough for the sauce to get tacky. Careful not to leave them on too long as the sugar in the sauce will burn.
Slice and Serve the Tequila-Lime BBQ Ribs
Remove the ribs to a cutting board. Rest for a few minutes before slicing. Serve with more BBQ and enjoy!
Watch how these ribs were made here
FAQ
You can wrap wood chips tightly in aluminum foil, poking a few holes on the top to allow the smoke to escape or you can skip this step completely.
Equipment
These Tequila-Lime BBQ Ribs were prepared using the Hestan Culinary Provisions OvenBond Half Sheet Pan with Rack, the Provisions Stainless Steel Mixing Bowl, the NanoBond Titanium 2-Quart Saucepan and the NanoBond Titanium Butter Warmer. Cooked on the Hestan Home Gas Grill with the smoker box and the Hestan Cue Smart Cooktop. Hestan and Hestan Culinary Ambassador. Opinions in this post are my own.
Pairing
These are my favorite side dishes to serve with Tequila-Lime BBQ Ribs
Tried this recipe?
If you get the chance to try this recipe, please drop back and leave us a comment and rating. We would love to know what you think.
Cheers! James & Elaine
📖 Recipe
Tequila-Lime BBQ Ribs
Ingredients
- 2 racks baby back ribs
- Creole seasoning 4-6 tablespoons based on your preference
- 10 pats of butter about ¼cup
- 6 tablespoons of brown sugar
- 6 tablespoons flavoured beer hard cider, or apple juice
- ½ cup Tequila-Lime BBQ sauce plus more for serving
Creole Seasoning
- 4 teaspoons paprika
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 2 teaspoons granulated garlic
- 2 teaspoons black pepper
- 2 teaspoons granulated onion
- 2 teaspoons cayenne pepper
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 2 teaspoons dried thyme
Tequila-Lime BBQ Sauce
- 2 cups ketchup
- ¾ cup brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons hot honey
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 2 tablespoons hot sauce we used a flavourful Pineapple-Habanero Sauce
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon dry mustard
- ½ teaspoon hot & Smokey paprika
- 4 ounces Tequila
- 2 tablespoons lime juice
Instructions
- Preheat your grill to approximately 300°F, with a section for indirect cooking large enough to accommodate a half sheet pan.
- If you have a smoker box, fill it with apple or cherry wood (soak the chips in water for at least 30 minutes before) and place it over the direct heat.
- Prepare the Ribs. Place the ribs, meat side down, and using a paper towel to grip the membrane, remove it from the back of the rack.
- Season both sides of the ribs with the creole seasoning.
- Place the two racks of ribs, meat side up, on a half sheet pan with a rack. Let the ribs sit at room temperature for 30 minutes.
- Place the sheet pan onto the preheated grill over the indirect heat section of the grill. Close the lid and cook for two hours, rotating the racks or the sheet pan every 30 minutes.
- Make the Tequila-Lime BBQ Sauce. Combine ketchup, brown sugar, honey, Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, pepper, garlic, mustard, and paprika in a saucepan. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, add tequila, lime juice and simmer for 10 minutes. Store in the refrigerator up to one week.
- Wrap the Ribs. After the two hours have elapsed, wrap the ribs in aluminum foil to finish the cook. Lay out 2 long pieces of aluminum foil (double thickness highly recommended). Then spread out 5 pats of butter down the centre of the foil the length of a rack of ribs. Add a sprinkle of brown sugar (3 tablespoons/rack) over the butter and then drizzle the flavoured beer, hard cider or apple juice (3 tablespoons/rack). Lay the ribs meat side down on the butter mixture. Close the foil tightly to avoid leaks.
- Place the wrap ribs directly on the grill grates over very low heat the ribs to continue to cook until meat has started to pull back from the bone.
- Cook for 60 to 70 minutes more until the ribs are tender and have reached an internal temp of 200°F.
- Finish the Ribs. Remove the ribs from the grill and place them on a sheet pan. Carefully open the foil packages as they are full of steaming hot liquid.
- Return the ribs to the grill and cook over medium-low heat until a light char begins to form. 3 to 4 minutes per side.
- Apply the Tequila-Lime BBQ sauce with a brush.
- Let the ribs cook over low heat just long enough for the sauce to get tacky. Careful not to leave them on too long as the sugar in the sauce will burn.
- Slice and Serve. Remove the ribs to a cutting board. Rest for a few minutes before slicing. Serve with more BBQ and enjoy!
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