This deep fried pork rib recipe is quickly going to become one of your favorite meals. This dish has the elements of a restaurant-quality meal but is actually very simple to put together at home.

The depth of flavor here is extremely unique. You’ll definitely please a crowd with this dish. The recipe features crispy fried St. Louis style ribs that are glazed with a sweet and salty soy glaze. Then we’ll bring the heat with our very own lacto-fermented hot sauce (this time using mangos) and that heat is balanced out with a tangy crema.

Delicious Deep Fried Pork Ribs

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Prep Time: 2 30

Cook Time: 2 30

Total Time: 2 3

Servings:

Calories: 1702kcal

Ingredients

½ cup Lacto-fermented hot sauce substitute the peaches with mangos

Rub:

1 tablespoon brown sugar
¼ teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
½ teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
1 rack of St. Louis style pork ribs

Rib Glaze:

¼ cup soy sauce
¼ cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons lacto-fermented hot sauce

Lime Crema:

¼ cup sour cream
¼ cup heavy cream
1 pinch kosher salt
1 lime juiced

For Frying:

¼ cup cornstarch
¼ cup all purpose flour

Optional Garnish:

Chopped fresh cilantro chives, and/or green onions

Instructions

All ingredients ready? Let's begin!
Prepare the hot sauce ahead of time. You are going to need to make the hot sauce a few days ahead of time so that it has time to ferment. Follow the instructions to this recipe and use mangos instead of peaches. Puree the hot sauce right before you’re ready to use it.
Preheat the oven to 350F. Place a baking rack on a sheet tray and set aside.
Make the rub by combining all the ingredients together in a small bowl.
Score the back of the ribs with a sharp knife. Do this by making diagonal lines across the bones of the ribs. It does not need to be deep, but you should be able to see the cut. This will help break down the membrane of the ribs once they are cooked.
Using your hands, rub the spice mixture on the ribs to cover them completely.
Wrap the ribs into aluminum foil tightly.
Cook the ribs in the 350F oven for about two hours or until you notice that the meat is very tender.
Remove the ribs from the oven and let them cool to room temperature. Once they are cool enough, you’ll need to put them in the refrigerator for about 30-45 minutes. The chilling of the ribs will help them stay intact when you deep fry them.
To make the glaze for the ribs, combine the soy sauce and sugar in a small saucepan. Dissolve the sugar and let the mixture come to a boil. Remove from the heat and allow it to cool.
Once it has cooled, stir in two tablespoons of the hot sauce.
To make the crema, combine the sour cream, heavy cream, salt, and lime juice in a small bowl. You can store this in a mason jar or a squeeze bottle in the refrigerator until you’re ready to use it.
Once the ribs have cooled, remove them from the refrigerator and cut them into the individual ribs.
Combine the cornstarch and the flour in a large bowl.
Toss the ribs in the flour mixture and remove any excess. This will help the ribs crisp up when they are deep fried.
Heat a dutch oven with canola or vegetable oil (or deep fryer) to 375F. Working in small batches, fry the dredged pork ribs. You won’t need to fry them for very long because they are already cooked. Remove the ribs after they are crispy and golden brown. Place the fried ribs on a plate lined with paper towels to remove any excess oil.
Once all the ribs are cooked, Place them on a large serving dish.
Using a barbecue brush, brush a small amount of the rib glaze on to each rib.
Next, drizzle a generous amount of the mango hot sauce and crema over the ribs.
Garnish with the fresh herbs, if desired.

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Nutrition

Notes & Tips

Adjust the mango hot sauce according to your spice level. If you dislike spicy things, omit the drizzle at the end. If you like things more spicy, then you can add more to the glaze.
The fermented hot sauce also has some health benefits! This is why we don’t add the hot sauce to the soy glaze while it’s cooking. We would lose all of that good bacteria that provides digestive support. If you’re looking to create more fermented elements in the dish, you could chop up some of the hot sauce ingredients (the mango and peppers) and add the chopped pieces to the soy glaze for a chunkier sauce.
Another way to up the health benefits and use more of the hot sauce ingredients would be to julienne them and mix with some fresh julienne cabbage for a quick, refreshing slaw.
You can use baby back ribs instead of St. Louis style ribs, but they cook faster because they are smaller. Check the baby back ribs after about 60-70 minutes for tenderness. Curious about different cuts of ribs? Here is a helpful article that you can refer to.
You can cook the ribs and make all the sauces ahead of time. You can store the ribs in the refrigerator for up to two days.

Other Ways To Make Deep Fried Pork Ribs

Another cooking option would be to grill these ribs instead of deep frying them. While deep frying will give you the desired crispiness for this recipe, grilling them is a cooking method without additional fat from the oil. The sugar in the glaze will help the ribs get a little crispy. Omit dredging in the flour and cornstarch if you are going to grill the ribs.

You could also try this recipe in your air fryer. Spray the ribs lightly with cooking oil before putting them in the air fryer to maximize crispiness.