Easy Hawaii-Style Sweet and Sour Spare Ribs Recipe
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An easy and quick recipe for a perfect mixture of pineapple, vinegar, and spare ribs.
My dad swears this is the closest recipe to his mom’s sweet and sour spare ribs. He remembers her cooking it in a big aluminum pot, pineapple and all, for family potlucks on Maui.
Sweet and sour spare ribs is a local Hawaii favorite, especially in my family. If you love the combination of sweet and sour, this dish delivers every time.
Why You’ll Love This Sweet & Sour Spareribs
- Built on pantry staples: shoyu, vinegar, brown sugar, and pineapple.
- Falls-off-the-bone tender ribs in every bite.
- Now with an Instant Pot method that cuts the cook time down significantly.
- A real local Hawaii recipe, passed down and tested across three generations of my family.
Cultural Background
Sweet and sour spare ribs were brought to Hawaii from China and later adopted as part of a local dish. Local Chinese families across Hawaii have their own version of this dish. This is my family’s version, and I think it will become yours too.
Ingredient Notes
What type of ribs to use
You can use either pork spare ribs or baby back ribs. Baby back ribs are the most common choice for this dish because the meat is leaner and more tender.
Spare ribs are more budget friendly and have more meat in between the bones. That meat in between the bones also has more marbling which means more flavor.
Either ribs are still an excellent choice to use for this Sweet and Sour Spare Ribs recipe. Just be sure to cut the ribs into 2×2 inch pieces. If you love ribs, try my Kalbi Ribs recipe next.
How to cut the ribs
There are two easy ways to do this:
- Ask your local butcher to cut the ribs in half lengthwise, then cut between the bones yourself at home to make 2×2 inch pieces. You don’t need to be precise, just close to that size.
- Cut the ribs yourself with a cleaver knife. A cleaver is heavier and more dull than other knives, which makes it the right tool for cutting through bone. Cut between the bones first, then cut each bone in half or in thirds depending on its length, until you have bite-size 2×2 inch pieces.
Asking your local butcher is the easiest! You could ask the butcher to cut the ribs in half lengthwise. Then take it home and cut between the bones to make those 2×2 inch pieces. You don’t have to be precise but that’s the general size you’d want the pieces to come out as.
The marinade and sauce
The ribs marinate in flour and shoyu, which helps them brown and tenderize before they simmer. Garlic and ginger build the aromatic base. Vinegar brings the sour side of the dish, and pineapple juice, pineapple chunks, and brown sugar bring the sweet side. Salt rounds out the balance.
Step-by-Step Instructions: Sweet and Sour Spare Ribs – Instant Pot Method
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1
Prep meat
Cut the spare ribs into 2×2 inch pieces. Marinate the ribs in flour and shoyu for 30 minutes.
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2
Saute meat
Select Saute on the Instant Pot. Once hot, drizzle in the oil, then add the garlic and ginger. Stir fry until fragrant. Add the ribs and saute until browned on all sides. It’s okay if some of the browned bits stick to the bottom of the pot. That fond adds more flavor once everything simmers.
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3
Instant Pot settings
Add the vinegar, pineapple juice, brown sugar, and salt. Close the lid and set the Instant Pot to Manual, High Pressure, for 20 minutes. When the timer goes off, let the pressure release naturally for 10 minutes, then quick release the rest.
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4
Second round
Add the pineapple chunks. Close the lid and set to Manual, High Pressure, for 5 minutes to cook the pineapple.
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5
Serve and enjoy!
Quick release the pressure. Serve over rice and enjoy!
Serving Suggestions for Sweet and Sour Spare Ribs
Sweet and Sour Spare Ribs are commonly eaten with rice. Another great side dish to eat with this would be a scoop of mac salad.
FAQs for Sweet and Sour Spareribs
No. Pineapple is a sweet and tangy addition, not a symbol of Hawaii. This dish is local Hawaii food, shaped by Chinese immigrant cooking, not traditional Hawaiian food.
Baby back ribs are leaner and more tender. Spare ribs are more budget friendly and have more marbling, which means more flavor. Both work well in this recipe.
The first batch of pineapple chunks cooks down into the sauce during the 20 minute pressure cook. The second batch goes in for a quick 5 minute pressure cook afterward, so you still get pineapple chunks with texture in the final dish.
Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 3 to 4 days. Reheat on the stovetop or in the microwave until warmed through.
This recipe means a lot to my family, and I hope it earns a spot in your rotation too. If you make it, let me know how it turned out in the comments below.
Sweet and Sour Spare Ribs
Video
Ingredients
- 3 lbs pork spare ribs
- 1/3 cup flour
- 1/3 cup shoyu soy sauce
- 1 tsp oil
- 1 clove garlic smashed
- 1 inch ginger root smashed
- 3/4 cup vinegar (adjust to your taste)
- 1 cup pineapple juice
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 2 tsp salt
- 1 can pineapple chunks
Instructions
- Prepare the pork spare ribs by cutting it into 2×2 inch pieces. Marinate the ribs in the flour and shoyu for 30 minutes.
- Drizzle some oil in a large pot. Over medium heat, add in the garlic and ginger. Quickly fry until fragrant. Add in the ribs and brown all sides.
- Add in the rest of the ingredients except the pineapple chunks to the pot; vinegar, pineapple juice, brown sugar, and salt.
- Cover the pot and let it simmer for an hour and a half. Then add in the pineapple chunks and let it simmer for another 30 minutes or until the ribs are fork tender.
- Serve with rice and enjoy!
Do you have a crockpot version? Can I just transfer everything in a crockpot and let it cook for a few hours?
Aloha! Yes, this works great in the crock pot. A few tips: brown the ribs first (or at least sear them) before adding to the crock pot, it really boosts the flavor, though you can skip it if you’re short on time. Layer the ribs, then pour the sweet and sour sauce over the top so everything’s coated. Cook on low for 6-7 hours or high for 3-4 hours, until the ribs are fork-tender. If the sauce seems thin, thicken it with a cornstarch slurry (1 tbsp cornstarch + 1 tbsp water) stirred in during the last 30 minutes on high, then add the pineapple in for that final 30 minutes so it heats through without turning mushy. Enjoy!
What size can of pineapple chunks do you mean? It comes in so many sizes, but no clarity about which one to use.
You can use pineapple chunks
30 minutes in the instantpot seems excessive considering the pork pieces are already cooked during the daute/browning phase.
Maui Carpenter, ’78-’91. I have tried my own, but I am so ready for and official insta-sweet-sour-ribs. Thanks for sharing for this (now) Hawaiian stuck in Salt Lake City.
I get it! I’m also stuck in Utah haha
Can a crock pot be used with this recipe?
This EASY HAWAIIAN STYLE SWEET AND SOUR SPARE RIBS RECIPEis gread, thanks for sharing.
I will try it.
🤙🏽🤙🏽🤙🏽🤙🏽🤙🏽
Five Shakas means this is darn good Ribs.
I love, love, love this recipe! It is so yummy! I did use a tad more brown sugar and used rice vinegar!
I like the simplicity of this recipe. The shoyu & flour marinade provides a good flavor base. I used unsweetened pineapple juice along with the juice from canned pineapple, and increased the brown sugar to taste. As I simmered the ribs, I used chicken broth to add to the sauce as it became thick. Overall I agree this recipe is a keeper!