Sticky Vietnamese Air Fryer Pork Ribs
Make these delicious sticky Air Fryer Pork Ribs, Vietnamese- style! Only seven ingredients and super simple to make.
Gathering around the dinner table with my little family is a big priority for me. And this year, we’ve done it more than ever! Having more time together is one of the perks of an otherwise challenging year. Increasingly, I’ve been cooking food that we’ve enjoyed on vacation as a way to transport our taste buds out of Kansas City. These sticky Vietnamese Air Fryer Pork Ribs are a nod to some truly fantastic Vietnamese food I enjoyed during a recent trip to Portland, Oregon.
“So good this is now in the weekly rotation! I also added a marinated cucumber salad and some shredded red cabbage.” – Lisa
Being from Kansas City, barbecued pork ribs are part of our food culture, especially during the warm summer months! Grilling or smoking ribs is a challenge right now due to the cold temps, so I decided to try using the air fryer for these pork ribs.
It turns out that these Vietnamese Air Fryer Pork Ribs are SO GOOD that I barely missed my normal BBQed pork ribs. As I mentioned above, the inspiration for the flavors in these Vietnamese pork ribs came from a recent trip to Portland, Oregon. I ate at Pok Pok, a small Vietnamese restaurant that is famous for it’s sticky chicken wings.
The group I was with loved the sauce on their wings so much, we ordered a second round! It was sticky, tangy, and very garlicky. Honestly, I’ll never forget that meal. And, I think I’ve done a good job recreating that sauce for these crispy air fried ribs.
Recipe Substitutions and Additions
- Instead of mint or fresh cilantro, feel free to used chopped lemon grass or chives. I think it’s best to use the fresh herbs you already have, and all of these herbs will complement the sauce!
- I used baby back ribs, but of course, you can substitute spare ribs if that’s what you have. Just remember that spare ribs are a bit bigger and fattier, so you may need additional cook time.
- Adding diced shallots or scallions to the sauce is a welcome addition.
Serving Suggestions
I like to enjoy these sticky pork ribs with Coconut Rice or Lao crispy rice salad or a simple slaw like this Cilantro Lime Cole Slaw.
I hope that you and your family enjoy these Sticky Vietnamese Pork Ribs, made in the air fryer!
If you make the recipe, please let me know how it goes in the comments below.
Sticky Vietnamese Air Fryer Pork Ribs
Ingredients
- 1.5 pounds baby back pork ribs
- ½ cup fish sauce
- ½ cup sugar
- 5 cloves garlic, crushed with flat end of knife
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tbsp cilantro, fresh, minced
- 1 tbsp mint, fresh, minced
Instructions
- Cut the ribs into segments of 3-5 ribs. You may want to pre-measure to make sure each segment can fit into your air fryer.
- Peel the membrane from the back (less meaty) side of the ribs. This is a thin white and clear layer that can be discarded.
- In a small bowl, mix fish sauce, sugar, and smashed garlic cloves. Whisk until the sugar is dissolved.
- Place ribs in a casserole dish or large Ziploc bag and pour fish sauce marinade over the top.
- Place in the refrigerator and allow to marinate for at least 3 hours, up to overnight.
- Remove the ribs from the refrigerator to drain off marinade. Save marinade in a small, separate bowl. Allow ribs to rest on the counter to take the chill off.
- Preheat your air fryer to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Place the ribs in the air fryer, meaty side up, and air fry for 15 minutes. Flip, then air fryer for 15 additional minutes.
- While the ribs are cooking, place leftover marinade and minced garlic into small saucepan and boil for 5-10 minutes, whisking frequently until it’s a reduced, syrupy glaze.
- Baste ribs with glaze, flip, and air fry for an added 5-10 minutes, or until the pork measures 145 degrees Fahrenheit in the thickest part of the rib.
- Serve, drizzling with remaining glaze, cilantro, and mint.
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