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Apple Butter BBQ Ribs

Apple Butter BBQ Ribs pair tender, oven-baked pork with a glossy glaze that’s sweet from apple butter and tangy-smoky from barbecue sauce. A brief rest or overnight chill lets the flavors soak in, then the grill adds char and caramelization. Ideal for weekend cookouts or game-day gatherings when you want fall-apart ribs with a balanced sweet heat.

  • Prep20 mins
  • Cook1 hr 50 mins
  • Serves6
  • DifficultyMedium
Apple Butter BBQ Ribs

easyChef Pro health score

Calculated from USDA-referenced nutrient data for the ingredients in Apple Butter BBQ Ribs, not estimated by an AI model. The same recipe returns the same score every time.

27 Health Score
Glycemic ImpactPoor
30 / 100
Carb quality, not quantity. Higher is better.
Nutritional DensityPoor
0 / 100
Nutrients per calorie. Higher is better.
Energy DensityFair
52 / 100
Calories by weight. Higher means more food for fewer calories.
NOVA Processed Culinary Ingredients
2 / 4
Processing level, 1 (whole) to 4 (ultra-processed). Lower is better.

How it scores for each health goal

The same recipe scores differently against different goals, because the goal changes the calculation rather than filtering a list. Set your goal in easyChef Pro and every recipe is scored against it.

6
Heart Health
12
Metabolic
15
Digestive
20
Inflammatory
36
Performance
25
General Wellness
  1. 1

    Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

  2. 2

    Cut the spareribs into 6 portions. Coat them with the garlic, then sprinkle with the onion powder, cayenne, salt, and black pepper. Drizzle the lemon juice over the top. Wrap each portion in a double layer of foil.

  3. 3

    Bake in the preheated oven for 1 1/2 hours.

  4. 4

    Remove from the oven. Unwrap the ribs and drain the drippings; move the ribs to a baking dish. Generously spread on the apple butter and approximately 10 ounces barbecue sauce. Cover and let marinate at room temperature for 1 hour, or refrigerate for 8 hours or overnight.

  5. 5

    Preheat an outdoor grill to medium heat and brush the grate with oil.

  6. 6

    Place the ribs on the grill and cook, basting with the remaining 4 ounces barbecue sauce, until the meat pulls away easily from the bone, 20 to 25 minutes.

About This Recipe

Apple Butter BBQ Ribs is made with 9 ingredients and serves 6. It takes about 2 hrs 10 mins and is rated medium. Key ingredients include Apple Butter, Barbecue Sauce, Black Pepper, and Cayenne Pepper. Each serving provides about 851.41 kcal, and is a good source of protein.

Recipe Questions

What is Apple Butter BBQ Ribs made of?
The main ingredients are Apple Butter, Barbecue Sauce, Black Pepper, Cayenne Pepper, Garlic. The full list of 9 is above.
How long does it take to make Apple Butter BBQ Ribs?
About 2 hrs 10 mins in total: 20 mins to prepare and 1 hr 50 mins to cook.
How many calories are in one serving?
One serving provides about 851.41 kcal. The full nutrition breakdown is above.
Is Apple Butter BBQ Ribs easy to make?
This recipe is rated medium, with 9 ingredients and 6 steps.
Is Apple Butter BBQ Ribs healthy?
Apple Butter BBQ Ribs has an easyChef Pro health score of 27/100. Per serving, it provides 851.41 calories and 44.7 g of protein, or 89% of the Daily Value. Worth noting per serving: sodium at 1326.26 mg (58% of the Daily Value), saturated fat at 21.94 g (110% of the Daily Value) and added sugars at 20.3 g (41% of the Daily Value). It contains Citrus, Garlic and Onions, so it may not be suitable for people with those allergies or dietary restrictions. Whether it fits your goals depends on your complete meal plan and nutritional needs. Remix it in easyChef Pro to adjust the ingredients and generate fresh nutrition and scores.

How easyChef Pro scores recipes and products

easyChef Pro analyzes up to 41 nutrients using data sourced from USDA and other verified food databases. Its scoring method uses the nutrients relevant to nutrition quality, calorie density, processing level, and your selected health goal. Recipes and food products get a health score from 0 to 100, calculated using consistent rules instead of being estimated by AI. The same nutrition data, serving size and health goal will produce the same result.

The calculation evaluates nutrients, calorie density, processing level, and how well the food supports your selected health goal. Protein, fiber, vitamins, minerals and other beneficial nutrients can strengthen the score. High amounts of sodium, saturated fat, added sugar and other nutrients may lower it.

Your health goal also matters. easyChef Pro evaluates recipes and products across six health areas and adjusts their importance for your selected goal. This means the same food may be a better fit for one health goal than another.

For recipes, changing an ingredient, quantity or serving size changes the nutrition and may change the score. Remix the recipe in easyChef Pro to calculate fresh nutrition and scores for the version you actually make. Product scores are based on the nutrition and serving information associated with that specific product.

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