This Pineapple Wrapped Ribs Recipe features fall-off-the-bone tender barbecue ribs and sweet, caramelized pineapple. Seasoned to perfection, and wrapped around fresh pineapple, the pork ribs turn out unbelievably juicy and infuse the pineapple with savory flavor for a crowd-pleasing dish!
What Are Pineapple Wrapped Ribs?
This viral pineapple wrapped ribs recipe comes together by seasoning pork ribs with a dry rub, wrapping them around a fresh pineapple, and smoking them on the grill. Cooked long and slow and basted with sweet and tangy barbecue sauce, the ribs come out full of flavor and perfectly cooked. And the pineapple caramelizes beautifully, creating a sweet, tangy taste that compliments the meat.
A unique cooking method, this recipe went viral on the internet, and for good reason! With minimal prep time, it’s simple to prepare and great for feeding a crowd. Friends and family love to gather around the grill as the meat and pineapple cook, letting the aroma tantalize their senses.
It’s a fun way to bring people together, and the end result never disappoints. If you enjoy recipes like double smoked ham with pineapple ginger glaze or rum pineapple pork ribs, you’re going to love pineapple wrapped with ribs!
Recipe Ingredients
- Ribs – Use one large rack of pork ribs. Baby back ribs, St. Louis ribs, or spare ribs all work fine.
- Pineapple – Look for a large, fresh pineapple that is mostly yellow in color, fairly firm but gives light when squeezed, and has a sweet scent.
- BBQ Rub seasoning – I use Sunshine State of Mind Craft BBQ Rub, the citrus honey base pairs perfectly with the pineapple and citrus based bbq sauce.
- BBQ sauce – I recommend using a low-sugar, minimal ingredients sauce like this Happy Prairie Carribbean BBQ Sauce – use code GRILLGIRL15 for 15% off – but feel free to experiment with whatever you have on hand.
Tools Needed
How to Make Pineapple Wrapped with Ribs
** Full printable instructions at the recipe card at the end
Prepare the Grill
- Light your firestarter, and place it on the grate of a kick ash basket. Then, fill your grill with charcoal, and place bourbon barrel chunks on the fire for smoke. You want to set up your grill for indirect smoking at 250 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Trim any excess fat from your ribs, and remove the flap on the back. Pull the membrane off with paper towels, if needed. Then, use a boning or filet knife to score the back of the ribs in a diamond pattern.
Trim Spare Ribs into St. Louis Style Ribs
- Arrange the rack of ribs bone side down.
- Find the longest bone on the rack (usually the fourth bone from the end), and insert the knife tip in the soft spot at the end. Slice the rack parallel to the bottom of your cutting board or prep tub.
- Remove the trimmed portion. Next, find the end of the rack and slice off the end at the first bone. You should now have a perfectly rectangular rack of ribs!
- Season the ribs on all sides with the spice rub, and set aside.
Wrap the Pineapple
- Use a boning or filet knife to remove the crown of your pineapple.
- Cut the base straight across so that the pineapple will sit flat and straight up on the grill.
- Next, slice off the rind using straight downward cuts. Do not follow the natural shape of the pineapple!
- Wrap the seasoned ribs around the pineapple with the bone side against the fruit. Use skewers or toothpicks to hold the ribs in place. You want as much surface area on the ribs in contact with the pineapple as possible!
Smoke the Pineapple Wrapped Ribs
- Place the ribs in the center of the cooking grate of the grill, and smoke them for two hours.
- After two hours, carefully wrap the ribs and pineapple in foil, and continue to cook for another two hours.
- Remove the foil, and coat both the ribs and the pineapple with barbecue sauce. Use a basting brush to spread it around evenly!
- Continue to cook for one more hour.
- Carefully unwrap the ribs from the pineapple, and lay the rack meat side down.
- Cut in between each rib. Then, slice a piece off the side of the pineapple, and dice it up. Save the rest to snack on later!
- Sprinkle the diced pineapple over the ribs to serve, and enjoy!
Frequently Asked Questions
Serve your ribs topped with the grilled pineapple with whatever sides you like best. Rice, grilled romaine lettuce, or cheesy smoked scalloped potatoes all make great options.
This recipe is best served right away while it’s still warm. However, you can store leftover ribs and pineapple in separate airtight containers. The ribs will stay fresh in the fridge for up to 3-5 days, and the pineapple will stay fresh for 1-2 days.
I haven’t tested this recipe with any other method but the grill and can’t say for sure. However, I wouldn’t recommend it. You’re not likely to get the same caramelized effect and smokey flavor with an oven.
More Rib Recipes to Try
- Perfectly Smoked Pork Ribs
- Better Than Takeout Chinese Char Siu Pork Ribs
- Asian-Style BBQ Beef Back Ribs
- Gochujang Baby Back Ribs
Pineapple Wrapped Ribs
Ingredients
- 1 Rack of Pork Ribs baby backs, St Louis or Spare Ribs will work fine
- Sunshine State of Mind Craft BBQ Rub
- 1 Pineapple
- Your favorite BBQ Sauce- GrillGirl.com recommends clean ingredient sauce like
Prairie’s Caribbean BBQ Sauce to complement the flavor of the pineapple and pork. Use code GRILLGIRL15 for 15% off.
Instructions
- Place your charcoal in the grill and light it with your Grill torch. Once the charcoal is lit, add your wood for smoke flavor. Set up the grill for indirect smoking at 250°.
- Trim your ribs of any excess fat and remove the flap on the back. If there is a membrane on the ribs, use a paper towel to pull the membrane off. Use the boning knife to score the back of the ribs in a diamond pattern.1 Rack of Pork Ribs
HOW TO TRIM SPARE RIBS INTO ST LOUIS STYLE RIBS:
- Place the rack of spare ribs on a cutting board bone side down. Line them up on the board so that the bottom of the rack is straight and lined up with the bottom of the cutting board.
- Find the longest bone on the rack. It is usually the 4th bone from the end. There will be a soft sot at the end of it. Insert the knife tip in that soft spot and slice the rack parallel to the bottom of the board. Remove the trimmed-off portion. This is the rib tip section or brisket end.
- Find the thin end of the rack and slice off the end at the first bone. You should now have a perfectly rectangular rack of ribs.
- Season the ribs on all sides with the 2 BBQ rubs. I used about even amounts of each. Set aside while finishing the prep.Sunshine State of Mind Craft BBQ Rub
- Place the pineapple on the cutting board and using the boning knife, remove the crown and cut the base straight across so that the pineapple will sit flat and straight up on the grill. Now, slice the rind off of the pineapple using straight down cuts. Do not follow the natural shape of the pineapple.1 Pineapple
- Wrap the rack of ribs around the pineapple with the bone side against the fruit. Use skewers or toothpicks to hold the ribs to the pineapple. You want as much surface area on the ribs in contact with the pineapple as possible.
- Place the pineapple ribs in the center of the cooking grate and smoke them for 2 hours.
- After 2 hours, carefully wrap the entire thing in foil. Place it back on and cook for 2 more hours.
- After 2 hours have gone by, remove the foil and coat the ribs and pineapple with the BBQ Sauce. Use the basting brush to spread it around for even coverage. Continue to cook this for one more hour. This will allow the ribs to finish and the sauce to set.Your favorite BBQ Sauce- GrillGirl.com recommends clean ingredient sauce like Prairie’s Caribbean BBQ Sauce to complement the flavor of the pineapple and pork. Use code GRILLGIRL15 for 15% off.
- Remove, carefully unwrap the ribs from the pineapple. Lay the rack meat side down on the board and cut in between each rib. Now cut a piece off of the side of the pineapple and dice it. Sprinkle the diced pineapple on the ribs and devour them. We did!
