For those embracing a keto or low-carb lifestyle, the idea of enjoying flavorful, tender ribs might seem like a distant dream. Traditional BBQ recipes are often laden with sugar, making them unsuitable for ketogenic diets. However, with a few clever substitutions and the right cooking techniques, you can indulge in mouthwatering keto pork ribs that are both satisfying and compliant with your dietary goals. This guide will walk you through various methods for preparing keto ribs, ensuring a delicious and guilt-free BBQ experience.
Why Keto Ribs?
Embarking on a keto diet often means navigating the hidden carbs in everyday foods, especially BBQ sauces and rubs. Creating your own keto-friendly BBQ experience allows you to control the ingredients, ensuring a sugar-free and low-carb delight without compromising on taste or tenderness.
Key Ingredients for Keto Ribs
Making flavorful keto ribs doesn’t require a lot of ingredients. Here’s a breakdown of the essentials:
- Pork Ribs: About 2 racks of pork baby back ribs or St. Louis style spare ribs. Spare ribs have more meat and fat, so they come out more tender and juicy.
- Keto Rib Rub: A sugar-free dry rub is crucial for infusing the ribs with flavor.
- Keto BBQ Sauce: A sugar-free BBQ sauce is essential for achieving that classic BBQ taste without the carbs. Many bottled sugar-free BBQ sauces and homemade recipes are available.
- Liquid: Zevia (keto cola soda), chicken broth, or apple cider vinegar.
- Optional Ingredients: Olive oil, liquid smoke, Worcestershire sauce, butter, non-dairy butter, or ghee.
Crafting the Perfect Keto Rib Rub
The dry rub is key to developing a deep, rich taste and tenderizing the meat. Here's a versatile recipe:
- 1 ½ tsp Ground Mustard
- 1 tsp Garlic Powder
- ½ tsp Onion Powder
- 1 tsp Chipotle Chili Powder
- ½ tsp Smoked Paprika
- 1 tsp Coarse or Kosher Salt (reduce by half if using fine salt)
- ¼ tsp Cayenne Pepper
Combine all ingredients in a small bowl or shaker jar. This blend delivers flavor in every bite, and you can adjust the heat level to your liking.
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Selecting a Keto BBQ Sauce
The main difference between traditional ribs and keto ribs is the BBQ sauce. Traditional BBQ sauce is full of carbs and sugar. Opt for a sugar-free BBQ sauce or make your own. If you’re not concerned about carbs, just sauce your ribs with whatever your favorite sauce is and don’t worry about it!
Preparing the Ribs
- Remove the Membrane: Remove the thin membrane (if it's there) from the back of the rib racks. To remove the membrane, you can slide a knife under it, work it loose with your fingers, then pull to remove it. Sometimes it's easier to remove if you grip the membrane with a paper towel as you remove it. If needed, pat the meat dry so the ribs aren't too slippery when removing the membrane.
- Cut the Ribs: Cut each rack of ribs in half or in thirds so that they fit easily in your cooking pot.
- Season the Ribs: Coat the meat with a thin layer of water. Then, cover the ribs with the rub. Sprinkle the dry rub over each side of the ribs and use your hands to press it into the meat. Try and cover as much of the outside surface of the ribs as you can because it’s going to add a lot of good flavor!
- Marinate: Allow the ribs to marinate at least 4 hours (ideally, overnight). You can prep the dry rub ribs up to 24 hours in advance by adding the spice blend to both sides. Store in the refrigerator if you plan to do this. You can also cook the ribs immediately after rubbing with the spice blend.
Cooking Methods for Keto Ribs
This recipe includes directions for cooking ribs in a Ninja Foodi, Instant Pot, or slow cooker.
Method 1: Slow Cooker Keto Pork Ribs
Brown the Ribs: Heat a frying pan to medium heat. Drizzle Olive Oil in the pot and brown the ribs (about 3 minutes per side).
Slow Cook: Add the ribs and Zevia to the slow cooker pot. Cover and cook on High for 3-4 hours (or on Low for 6-8 hours).
- 360 Cookware Slow Cooker Base Directions: Heat the 4 QT Stainless Steel Stockpot to medium heat. Drizzle Olive Oil in the pot and brown the ribs (about 3 minutes per side). Add the Zevia or Chicken Broth to the stockpot. Use tongs to incorporate. Add the lid to the stockpot and set it on the Slow Cooker Base. Turn the Slow Cooker Base to 3 (medium-high) and cook for 3-4 hours.
Finish the Ribs: Top the ribs with the BBQ sauce. For a broiler: broil them in a broiler-safe dish on high for 5 minutes.
Read also: Keto Calorie Counting: A Detailed Guide
Method 2: Ninja Foodi or Instant Pot Keto Pork Ribs
- Pressure Cook: Add the ribs to the pressure cooker pot. Pour the Zevia or Chicken Broth into the bottom of the pot.
- Cook: Add the pressure cooker lid and cook on high for 25 minutes. Allow the pressure to release.
- Finish the Ribs: Top the ribs with the BBQ sauce. For the Ninja Foodi: Air Crisp the ribs (400 degrees) for 15-20 minutes (the longer you keep them them there, the crispier they get).
Method 3: Oven-Baked Keto BBQ Ribs
- Preheat Oven: Preheat oven to 425ºF.
- Prepare Ribs: Arrange the ribs in a large roasting pan (cut in half if you need to, to make them fit). Add the water and cover the whole pan tightly in foil.
- Bake: Bake one and a half hours, until meat is very tender. Check occasionally that the water has not evaporated away, as this can burn your ribs. If you are doing more than one rack in the same pan, you need to increase the cook time to 1 hour and 45 minutes.
- Grill or Broil: Preheat the grill or broiler. Grill or broil 4 minutes per side, watching carefully so that they don't burn. You can brush some of the BBQ sauce on before grilling or after if you wish.
Method 4: Smoked Keto Baby Back Ribs
- Prepare the Ribs: Remove the membrane, or silver skin, off the back of the ribs. Coat the meat with a thin layer of water. Then, cover the ribs with the rub. Wrap tightly in foil and place in the fridge for 1 to 2 hours.
- Preheat Smoker: Preheat the smoker to 225 degrees according to the manufacturer's directions.
- Smoke: Remove the foil and place meat side up in the smoker. Close the lid and smoke for 3 to 5 hours, basting or spritzing every hour or so with the apple cider vinegar mixture.
- Finish: Brush with about half of the BBQ sauce. Return the ribs to the smoker and smoke an additional 15 to 30 minutes, or until the BBQ sauce is nicely caramelized.
Tips for Perfect Keto Ribs
- Don’t skip the dry rub: Try and cover as much of the outside surface of the ribs as you can because it’s going to add a lot of good flavor!
- Low and Slow: The cooking method utilizes slow braising in the oven, which loosens all the tough, fibrous membranes and makes the meat unbelievably tender. But unlike most braised recipe, the cooking temperature is quite high. You need to trust the process.
- Check for Doneness: It’s easy to tell that ribs are done when the meat pulls back and the bones are poking out about 1/2 -3/4 an inch.
Serving Suggestions
These delicious keto bbq ribs work well with any of these keto side dishes for bbq.
- Collard Greens with bacon, pressure cooker collard greens, and crockpot collard greens
Storage Instructions
If you have any leftover juicy keto ribs, the best way to store them is in an airtight container for the next day (up to 5 days). Leftover ribs can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days. For longer storage, you can freeze them for up to 3 months. Reheat in the oven or on the grill for best results.
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