This recipe features tender baby back ribs seasoned with honey, garlic, and chipotle flavors. The ribs are smoked on the Camp Chef Woodwind Pro 36, which infuses them with a balance of deep charcoal and wood flavors. The finishing touch is my homemade cranberry glaze, which combines the festive flavors of citrus and cranberry with a touch of habanero and brown sugar. 

The ribs are wrapped in the glaze, giving them an elegant braised effect. If you like ribs that combine traditional BBQ flavors with seasonal notes, you’ll be itching to try this recipe. Whether making them for a holiday dinner or just because competition-style ribs will bring plenty of compliments your way. Serve them alongside your favorite holiday dishes for a cozy meal that will become one of your fondest memories. 

Spicy Cranberry Glazed Ribs | Heath Riles BBQ

Whether you’re a seasoned pitmaster or just like experimenting with the hottest recipe, you’ll be delighted with my Spicy Cranberry Glazed Ribs. One of the best things about ribs is that they take on the flavor of any seasoning and rub. They’re also forgiving, allowing you to create endless flavor combinations. This recipe features everyone’s favorite holiday combination: oranges, spice, and cranberries. These flavors complement the ribs' meaty, savory texture while giving them a “Christmassy” feel. This recipe (similar to my Hot Toddy Turkey Breast) proves that holiday flavors aren’t just for drinks and dessert - they can be woven throughout the entire meal.

The Ingredients

Looking to make a platter of ribs that will leave you speechless? Here are the ingredients you need to make it happen. 

Baby back ribs. My favorite ribs come from Prairie Fresh, a brand you can find in most stores. These ribs are always high-quality and come ready to go..minimal trim work required!

Heath Riles BBQ Garlic Jalapeńo Rub. This AP rub is among my top sellers, replacing many salt and pepper shakers. It features multiple types of garlic, hot peppers, salt, and pepper. You can use it on steaks, ribs, roasts, vegetables, seafood, popcorn, and more!

Heath Riles BBQ Honey Chipotle Rub. If you love rubs that balance spicy and sweet, you’ll want to snag a bottle of this honey-inspired blend. It gives you all the flavors of honey with none of the char that comes from using the real deal. You can use it to add color to hams, roasts, burgers, french fries, and chicken wings. 

Cranberry Glaze. I made a custom, homemade cranberry glaze by combining whole berry cranberry sauce, Heath Riles BBQ Competition BBQ Sauce, honey, Heath Riles BBQ Brown Sugar Honey Habanero Glaze, and orange juice. This combination was the perfect tart-to-sweet ratio, with a hint of heat on the back end. 

The Smoker Setup

Here’s the main equipment I used for this recipe. More of my grilling favorites are in the Equipment and Tools section. 

• Pellet grill/smoker. I smoked these Spicy Cranberry Glazed Ribs on the Camp Chef Woodwind Pro 36. This handsome grill has a spacious interior that allows you to cook for a crowd. It also includes a smoke box, which is my favorite feature. You can fill the smoke box with pellets, wood, or charcoal to customize the flavors you infuse your meat with. You can also utilize the “Fan Only” mode to try cold smoking. This pit combines elegance and durability, giving you a fantastic grill that will last years. 
• Charcoal. My fuel of choice is Royal Oak Charcoal Hardwood Pellets. I use these pellets on the road and at home with excellent results. They burn hot and fast, giving ribs, steaks, burgers, and more a rich, earthy flavor. The company doesn’t cut corners and uses the best ingredients with no fillers. Grab a bag and see for yourself! These pellets are ideal for smoking steaks, casseroles, ribs, dips, hot dogs, and burgers. 

The Process for Making Spicy Cranberry Glazed Ribs

You’ll find a detailed demonstration of this recipe within the recipe card and video. For now, enjoy this brief rundown of how these sticky-sweet Spicy Cranberry Glazed Ribs came together. 

1. Fire up the grill. I stoked the Camp Chef Woodwind Pro 36 with Royal Oak Charcoal Hardwood Pellets and fired it up to 275℉.
2. Trim the ribs. I removed the ribs from their packaging and skinned the membrane off the back. Then, I trimmed any fat humps to even the meat, then squared the ends. This helps the ribs to cook evenly and makes them look beautiful. My ribs were in pretty good shape, but this is the point where you’d also want to trim any hard fat caps and scan the meat for stray pieces of bone and gristle. 
3. Add seasoning. I seasoned the ribs on both sides with Heath Riles BBQ Garlic Jalapeńo Rub and Heath Riles BBQ Honey Chipotle Rub. I patted the seasonings in with my hand to make them stick. Be sure to watch the video to learn how I use seasonings to create a gorgeous-colored rib every time. 
4. Start smoking. I laid the Spicy Cherry Glazed Ribs directly on the Camp Chef Woodwind Pro 36 and let them go for an hour untouched. At the one-hour mark, I added a chunk of wood to the Camp Chef’s smoke box to give the ribs a touch of flavor and spritzed the ribs with water. I noticed that the seasoning was rubbed off in some places as the fat rendered, so I touched up the ribs. 
5. Make the glaze. I created my cranberry glaze by combining whole berry cranberry sauce, Heath Riles BBQ Competition BBQ Sauce, honey, Heath Riles BBQ Brown Sugar Honey Habanero Glaze, and orange juice in a cast iron pan until smooth. I let the glaze come up to temp on the Camp Chef Woodwind Pro 36 while the ribs continued to cook. 
6. Wrap the ribs. At the two-hour mark, my ribs were at 170℉ internally. I took them off the pit and lined two baking trays with aluminum foil. I laid the ribs on top of the foil, then spooned on a layer of my homemade cranberry glaze. I brushed the glaze evenly over the meat to coat it on all sides, then wrapped it. This will create a braising effect that imparts beautiful flavor. 
7. Finish smoking. I laid the wrapped ribs back on the pit and let them cook for 45 more minutes, for a total cook time of 2 hours and 45 minutes. I took the Spicy Cranberry Glazed Ribs off the grill and let them rest for 20 minutes before unwrapping them. The only thing left was to dig in!

The Results

The ribs came off the pit tender and falling off the bone. The glaze infused every bite with a beautiful berry citrus flavor offset by a hint of heat. I guarantee these Spicy Cranberry Glazed Ribs could win the big bucks in any competition!

Serving Suggestions for Spicy Cranberry Glazed Ribs

These celebratory Spicy Cranberry Glazed Ribs would be delicious alongside my Creamy Coleslaw, Pit-Style BBQ Baked Beans, and Smoked Peach Cobbler. 

Storing Leftovers

You can store leftover Spicy Cranberry Glazed Ribs in the fridge for up to four days or freeze them for up to five months. If reheating from frozen, make an extra batch of glaze to keep the ribs feeling fresh. 

Equipment and Tools

Aluminum foil, Camp Chef Woodwind Pro 36, Royal Oak Charcoal Hardwood Pellets, ThermoWorks Thermapen ONE, Heath Riles BBQ Heat Resistant Gloves, disposable cutting board.