Pineapple Upside Down Ribs? Absolutely! These ribs were inspired by easy-breezy pineapple, sweet cherries, and deep notes of brown sugar. Don’t think this rib recipe is all sugar; it has a savory undertone and a hint of heat. I held nothing back with this Pineapple Upside Down Ribs recipe, including adding wrap and glaze for maximum results.
If you’re looking for ribs with gorgeous color and even better flavor, give this recipe a shot. It’s the perfect way to wow your game day pals or cookout buddies. They’ll want the recipe for themselves, so be sure to bookmark it!
Pineapple Upside Down Ribs | Heath Riles BBQ
My Pineapple Upside Down Ribs recipe uses a great combination of Heath Riles BBQ signature rubs, sauces, and glazes. Each ingredient listed has a unique flavor profile yet complements the other components to a tee. You’d be surprised what can happen when you invest in a few good seasonings!
This rib recipe cooks low and slow, giving the sweet, savory, and zesty flavors time to marinate. Add a kiss of smoke from the Traeger Ironwood XL, and you have the ultimate ribs - fit for a king! Give this recipe a try, and let me know what you think.
The Ingredients
Here are just a few of the ingredients I used to make my mouthwatering Pineapple Upside Down Ribs.
- Heath Riles BBQ Garlic Jalapeńo Rub. This delicious AP rub is our all-time bestseller. It features a mix of garlic, jalepeńo, salt, and pepper. Its neutral flavor makes it a great addition to popcorn, veggies, burgers, ribs, and more.
- Heath Riles BBQ Honey Chipotle Rub. If you love sweet heat, you’ll adore this honey chipotle rub. It gives ribs, roasts, burgers, and steaks a brilliant color and an even better flavor.
- Heath Riles BBQ Butter Bath & Wrap. My butter bath doubles as a wrap, giving you more bang for your buck. This is the ultimate way to infuse every bite of ribs with moisture.
- Heath Riles BBQ Brown Sugar Honey Habenero BBQ Glaze. This tasty glaze features sweet, deep notes of brown sugar and zesty habanero peppers. You can use it straight from the bottle or blend it with BBQ sauce for a unique twist.
- Heath Riles BBQ Cherry Apple Habanero BBQ Glaze. My cherry apple glaze is excellent for pitmasters who love adding fruit notes to barbecue. I worked on refining this glaze for over six years and am beyond happy to share it with the world!
- Heath Riles BBQ Competition BBQ Sauce. I created my latest BBQ sauce with my buddies from Checkered Pig. This unique blend of spices was the cherry on top that helped us win ribs in the 2022 Memphis in May World Championship BBQ Cooking Contest. I know it’ll help you score big, too!
- Heath Riles BBQ Sweet BBQ Sauce. If you like ketchup-based sauces, you’ll love this one. It took me 10 years to perfect this BBQ sauce, which was worth every minute. Use it as a condiment or pair it with a vinegar-based sauce for a tangy flavor profile.
- Heath Riles BBQ Pineapple Habanero BBQ Glaze. My newest glaze tastes like summer in a bottle. Who can beat the combination of tropical pineapple and hot peppers? Use it to top hams or ribs, or add a drizzle to your salads or seafood. The sky’s the limit.
The Smoker Setup
Here’s the main equipment I used for this recipe. More of my grilling favorites can be found in the Equipment and Tools section.
- Pellet grill/smoker. I cooked these Pineapple Upside Down Ribs on the Traeger Ironwood XL. This pit is incredible because you can use it to grill or smoke. The Traeger Ironwood XL has many excellent features, like a pellet sensor, a super smoke button, and easy transportation. If you cook large quantities of food, you can’t go wrong with the Traeger Ironwood XL. It’s roomy without taking up your entire patio, and it’s ultra-durable, lasting for years!
- Charcoal. I stoked the pit with Royal Oak Charcoal Hardwood Pellets. I love this brand because you get clean smoke with no fillers. It gives the steak a rich, deep flavor that tastes authentic. This charcoal burns hot and fast!
The Process for Making Pineapple Upside Down Ribs
The recipe card and video give you a visual demonstration of this recipe. For now, here’s a quick rundown of how I pulled these Pineapple Upside Down Ribs together.
- Fire up the pit. I stoked the Traeger Ironwood XL with Royal Oak Charcoal Hardwood Pellets and fired it up to 275℉.
- Trim the ribs. I trimmed the ribs to my liking, removing fat pockets, membranes, stray pieces of bone, and gristle. To learn more about my foolproof method for trimming ribs, check out this post.
- Add seasoning. I didn’t use a binder for this recipe, moving straight to the seasoning phase. I dusted the ribs with a layer of Heath Riles BBQ Garlic Jalapeńo Rub and Heath Riles BBQ Honey Chipotle Rub, patting the seasoning with my gloved hand. I let the ribs sweat in for 4-5 minutes, flipped them, and repeated the process on the other side.
- Start smoking. I laid the Pineapple Upside Down Ribs on the Traeger Ironwood XL and bunched them up. Then, I shut the lid to the grill and let the ribs cook for two hours and twenty minutes, spritzing them at the one-hour mark.
- Wrap the ribs. I double-lined a baking tray with aluminum foil and added ¼ cup of crushed pineapple. Then, I set the ribs over the top. To make the wrap, I combined the pineapple juice with Heath Riles BBQ Butter Bath & Wrap and Heath Riles BBQ Brown Sugar Honey Habenero BBQ Glaze until smooth. Keep in mind this butter bath is enough for TWO slabs of ribs, so you’ll need to adjust the quantity if you have less or more meat. I poured the butter bath over the ribs and tightly wrapped them.
- Continue cooking. I placed the wrapped ribs back on the Traeger Ironwood XL and let them cook until they hit 190℉.
- Make the glaze. While the ribs cooked, I made a glaze by combining crushed pineapple, Heath Riles BBQ Cherry Apple Habanero BBQ Glaze, Heath Riles BBQ Competition BBQ Sauce, Heath Riles BBQ Sweet BBQ Sauce, and Heath Riles BBQ Pineapple Habanero BBQ Glaze. I warmed the glaze on the Traeger Ironwood XL while the ribs got tender.
- Glaze the ribs. Once the ribs reached 190℉, I removed them from the pit and let them rest for 15-20 minutes. My ribs took about 1 ½ hours to get to temperature. I laid a cooling rack over a baking tray and gently placed the ribs on top. Then, I brushed them with glaze, ensuring that every bit was covered.
- Finish cooking. I set the cooling tray holding the Pineapple Upside Down Ribs directly on the Traeger Ironwood XL and dusted them with Heath Riles BBQ Honey Chipotle Rub. I let the ribs tack up for 20 minutes, then took them off the pit. The only thing left was to let them cool before digging in!
The Results
My Pineapple Upside Down Ribs came off the grill with the most beautiful color. They really tasted just like pineapple upside down cake! The ribs fell off the bone and were infused with the perfect amount of spice.
Serving Suggestions for Pineapple Upside Down Ribs
These ribs would go great with a large side salad, a cold beer, and baked potato wedges.
Storing Leftovers
Leftover pineapple Upside-down Ribs can be stored in the fridge for up to four days or frozen for up to four months.
Equipment and Tools
Traeger Ironwood XL, Royal Oak Charcoal Hardwood pellets, disposable cutting board, Heath Riles Heat Resistant BBQ Gloves, aluminum foil, cast iron pan, spray bottle, metal sheet pan, ThermoWorks Hi-Temp Silicone Brush, Victorinox Fribrox Pro Chef’s Knife, metal tongs.
