Hearty and bursting with flavor, my Italian-Style Sticky Ribs with Crispy Potatoes is a dish you’ll make on repeat. The sticky vinegar sauce is the perfect complement to the baby back ribs, and the addition of cherry peppers brings just the right amount of heat to this simple but delicious dish!
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Scarpariello-inspired ribs
If you’ve been following my recipes for a while, you know that chicken scarpariello is one of my favorite dishes of all time, so it was only a matter of time before I used those flavors to inspire another recipe: Stick Ribs with Crispy Potatoes!
The combination of the pork ribs, garlic, potatoes, and cherry peppers tossed together in the sticky vinegar sauce is pure magic and most definitely reminiscent of the sauce I use for scarpariello – so if you like that dish, you’ll love this one!
While this is dish is hearty enough to have by itself, I always like to serve it with a green side like roasted broccoli or garlic sauteed spinach.
Recipe Ingredients
All ingredients for this recipe are shown in the pic below and special notes are made in this bulleted list to assist you.
- Ribs. This recipe calls for 4 pounds, or 2 racks, of pork baby back ribs. You can use spare ribs or St. Louis ribs, though they will take a bit longer to cook.
- Potatoes. Yukon Golds are my go-to for this recipe because they hold up well during the roasting process.
- Sauce ingredients. The sauce for the sticky ribs and potatoes combines vinegar, chicken stock, dry white wine, and honey. It also includes garlic, olive oil, all-purpose flour to thicken, and sliced cherry peppers.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
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How to make Italian-Style Sticky Ribs with Crispy Potatoes
Each number corresponds to the numbered written steps below.
- Dry off the ribs with paper towels and if the membrane hasn’t already been removed, use a paper towel to grab and pull it off. Season the ribs with salt, pepper, and garlic powder on all sides.
- Wrap the ribs in foil, place on a baking sheet, and bake in a 300°F oven for 90 minutes.
- Pat dry the sliced potatoes and season with olive oil, salt, pepper, and oregano and place on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet with some overlap.
- Check the ribs for tenderness. If almost fork-tender, remove and slice into individual ribs. If they’re too hard, wrap them back up and return to the oven for 20-30 more minutes. After the ribs are cut, cover them with tented foil and set aside.
- Turn the oven heat up to 450°F and roast the potatoes for 15 minutes, then flip them with a spatula and return to the oven for another 15-20 minutes or until crispy.
- Heat a large oven-safe/broiler-safe pan to medium heat and add the olive oil and the garlic. Once the garlic is golden, add the flour and cook for 1-2 minutes.
- Add the cherry peppers, vinegar, white wine, and honey, raise the heat to high, and boil until the sauce reduces by half. Add the stock, boil again, and reduce again by half. Turn the heat off, taste test, and adjust salt if needed.
- Add the ribs to the sauce and mix well to coat, then turn the broiler on and set the rack to the second-highest level.
- Broil the ribs, turning every minute or so until browned on all sides, but watch carefully to prevent burning, then remove from the oven.
- Place the potatoes in a large platter and arrange the ribs on top. Drizzle any remaining sauce onto the sticky ribs and crispy potatoes, sprinkle with parsley, and serve immediately.
Top tips
- Slicing the potatoes. I like to use a mandoline to slice the potatoes. It makes the job easier. If you choose to use one, be sure to use the safety guard and follow the manufacturer’s instructions. You can also use a good sharp knife.
- Heat level. Some cherry peppers are spicier than others so it’s important to taste test them to determine the heat level.
- Using the right pan. I strongly suggest using a large 14-inch stainless steel pan for making the sauce, and for broiling the ribs. This type of pan transfers well from stovetop to oven making it easier for you. If you don’t have a large enough pan, you can make the sauce in one pan, then transfer to a baking sheet with the ribs to place under the broiler.
More recipes you’ll love
If you enjoyed this recipe, give these others a try!
- Pork chops with potatoes and peppadew peppers
- Oven-baked ribs with homemade BBQ sauce
- Tuscan-style balsamic-glazed ribs
If you’ve enjoyed this Italian-Style Sticky Ribs with Crispy Potatoes recipe, give it a 5-star rating.
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Sticky Ribs with Crispy Thin Potatoes
Ingredients
For the ribs
- 4 pounds baby back ribs or 2 racks
- 4 teaspoons Diamond Crystal Kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon granulated garlic
For the potatoes
- 2 1/2 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- salt and pepper to taste
For the sauce
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 10 cloves garlic sliced
- 2 tablespoons flour
- 1/4 cup sliced cherry peppers stems and seeds removed
- 1/2 cup dry white wine
- 1/2 cup red wine vinegar
- 3 tablespoons honey
- 2 cups low-sodium chicken stock
- 1/4 cup minced flat-leaf Italian parsley
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Instructions
For the ribs
- Preheat oven to 300°F and set the rack to the middle level.
- Dry off the ribs with paper towels. If the membrane has not already been removed, use a paper towel to grab and pull it off. Season the ribs with salt, pepper, and garlic powder on all sides. Wrap the ribs in foil and place them on top of a foil lined baking sheet.
- Bake for 90 minutes then check for tenderness. The ribs should be almost fork tender. If they are too hard, wrap and return to the oven for another 20-30 minutes.
- Remove the racks from the foil and cut into individual ribs. Pat dry to remove excess moisture. Tent the ribs with foil and set aside.
For the potatoes
- Turn the oven heat up to 450°F
- Slice the potatoes into 1/4" or thinner rounds. A mandoline works best for this step. Pat the potatoes dry and toss with olive oil, salt, pepper, and oregano. Arrange the potatoes on a parchment paper lined baking sheet, allowing some overlap.
- Roast for 15 minutes, then turn the potatoes with a spatula. Return to the oven, and roast for another 15-20 minutes or until the potatoes are crispy.
For the sauce
- Heat a large broiler safe pan to medium heat and add the olive oil along with the garlic. Once the garlic turns lightly golden add the flour and cook for 1-2 minutes or until golden.
- Add the cherry peppers, vinegar, white wine, and honey, and turn the heat to high. Boil until reduced by half.
- Add the chicken stock, bring to a boil once more, and again reduce by half. The sauce should be sticky and coat the back of a wooden spoon. Turn the heat off. Taste the sauce and if required, season with salt to taste.
- Add the ribs to the sauce and mix well to coat. Turn on the broiler and set the rack to the second highest level. Broil the ribs, turning them every minute or so until they are browned on all sides. Watch carefully so they don't burn. Remove from the oven.
- Place the potatoes in a large platter and arrange the ribs on top. Drizzle any remaining sauce onto the potatoes. Sprinkle with parsley and and serve immediately. Enjoy!
Notes
- Ribs. Either baby back or spare ribs can be used for this recipe. Spare ribs or St. Louis (trimmed spare ribs) will take a bit longer to cook.
- Pan size. You will need a 14-inch stainless steel pan for broiling the ribs. If you don’t have a 14-inch pan, add the sauced ribs to a large baking pan and sheet before broiling.
- Spice level. Test the cherry peppers for spice level. Adjust to personal taste.
- Leftovers. Sticky ribs with potatoes can be refrigerated for up to 3 days and can be reheated in the oven or microwave.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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I’m allergic to bell peppers. How can I substitute for them. Also what is cherry peppers?
There are no bell peppers in this recipe, just cherry peppers. Cherry peppers are a type of chili pepper and are on the spicier side.