How Long Do You Cook Ribs On The Bbq

still life with bbq spare ribs and kitchen knife, overhead view

Danielle Wood Getty Images

Come rain or shine, we're a nation of barbecue lovers. In the UK, we spend approximately £42 on food and drink for a barbecue, which has increased by £15 over the last five years. It's not only burgers and sausages that guests want on the grill though, ribs are a crowd-pleasing option, too. That's why we've put them to our taste tests, and below are the ribs that won on flavour and value.

How we test

Our panel of testers blind-tasted 12 ribs from a variety of supermarket brands that had been cooked in the oven and on the barbecue. We were looking for ribs that melt in the mouth, have a good amount of meat on the bone, and had a rich, smoky yet sweet sauce.

1 WINNER: Aldi Slow Cooked Smoky BBQ Pork Ribs

Overall Score: 83/100

These ribs have a rich, sticky, caramelised glaze. We enjoyed the smoky flavour from the paprika and chilli powder, and the sweetness from the honey and molasses barbecue glaze. The meat was tender and fell off the bone, too.

In store only, Aldi, £2.99 for 600g

2 RUNNER-UP: M&S British BBQ Pork Rib Rack

Overall Score: 82/100

The juicy meat on these ribs fell off the bone during testing, and had a glossy glaze with a spiced barbecue sauce aroma. We enjoyed the savoury hit of chilli, as well as the smoky paprika and fragrant cumin in the meat, while the apple chilli glaze added a deliciously sweet element. These ribs are moreish, too.

In store only, M&S, £4.50 for 645g

3 Morrisons British Slow Cooked Chopstick Ribs with a Sticky Peking Sauce

Overall Score: 81/100

Our testing panel loved the sticky, caramelised peking-style glaze here, and the fragrant star anise aroma. The ribs have well-balanced sweet and savoury flavours, too. Some found the meat a little chewy though.

Morrisons, £3.50 for 425g (available in stores now)

4 Co-op Chinese Style Meaty Pork Ribs

Overall Score: 80/100

The Co-op's ribs are pleasingly meaty with a lovely rich, caramelised sauce. The Asian-inspired aroma is prominent with star anise, cinnamon and delicate peppery notes. The meat has a sweet honeyed flavour and a slightly spicy taste, but this unfortunately doesn't linger as you eat. Tender and soft, the meat does have a good bite to it.

In store only, Co-op, £4.10 for 440g

5 Farmison Lamb Riblets in Peri Peri Oil

Overall Score: 74/100

These glistening golden lamb ribs contain flecks of chilli and paprika, which is noticeable in their aroma too. Fresh and distinctively lamb-y in flavour, there's a lovely natural sweetness from the fat. Testers were unable to detect a peri peri flavour though, and some found the texture too fatty.

BUY NOW Farmison, £18.35 for 1kg

6 By Sainsbury's Slow Cooked British BBQ Pork Ribs

Overall Score: 74/100

These ribs come with a sticky, dark sauce that has a sweet and smoky caramelised aroma. The meat is also smoky in flavour, with a distinctively sweet barbecue sauce. The ribs are slightly fatty - testers wished for more meat on the bone - but they were deliciously smooth to eat.

BUY NOW Sainsbury's, £5 for 676g

7 Donald Russell Sticky Pork Ribs

Overall Score: 73/100

With beautifully charred edges, these ribs have a delicate spiced pork aroma. Testers picked up on sweet flavours from the honey and molasses marinade and a spicy note from the cumin and garlic. There is a hint of cayenne heat, too. The ribs have a nice texture but could have been a little more tender.

BUY NOW Donald Russell, £10 for 500g

8 ASDA Butcher's Selection BBQ Pork Rack of Ribs

Overall Score: 71/100

There's well-balanced smoky and sweet flavours from the sauce on these ribs, and a good amount of seasoning. The sticky, caramelised glaze has an appealing sweet honey and barbecue sauce aroma, too. Testers found it difficult to get the meat off the bone though, and found them a little dry in places to eat.

BUY NOW ASDA, £4.80 for 800g

9 Tesco Maple BBQ Pork Rib Rack

Overall Score: 70/100

These slow-cooked pork ribs are finished with a sticky maple glaze. The tender meat falls off the bone and has a spiced aroma, which testers likened to a Chinese-style marinade. The glaze is sweet and gently spiced with ground coriander, ginger and garlic powders, but testers would have liked a deeper barbecue flavour.

BUY NOW Tesco, £4 for 460g

10 Morrisons British Slow Cooked Crispy Ribs with Sweet Chipotle Dipping Sauce

Overall Score: 67/100

These ribs have a classic barbecue sauce aroma that our testers loved. The tangy, sweet flavour was also a hit with our panel who enjoyed the subtle spiced notes. Many testers felt the flavour didn't quite match the punchy aroma though, and wanted more meat on the bone.

Morrisons, £4 for 500g (available in stores now)

11 We also tested..

Waitrose & Partners Slow Cooked Chinese Five Spice Ribs: 66/100, £5 for 535g

Lidl Birchwood Sweet BBQ Pork Rib Rack: 64/100, £3.29 for 600g

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