Air Fryer Fireball Glazed Ribs — Fireball whiskey was first created in the early ’80s when I first started to experiment with cooking. Since then, my love of ribs has only grown stronger.  Today, I’m sharing my favorite way to cook ribs in an air fryer! This recipe will be sure to please your friends and family.  Just make sure you don’t drink all of their fireballs before they get some!

AIR FRYER FIREBALL GLAZED RIBS
Save This Recipe Form

Want to save this recipe?

Enter your email below & I will send it straight to your inbox. Plus you’ll get more great recipes from me on occasion!

Air Fryer Fireball Glazed Ribs are amazing! If you have been looking for the perfect Air Fryer Rib Recipe with tons of flavor, this recipe is for you!

Made with a simple glaze, with the star ingredient being Fireball Whisky, this is a great recipe for tender, fall-off-the-bone ribs! And they are delicious!

If you love a great plate of ribs, this will soon be one of your favorites, and they are even served with more sauce, which you can dip these sweet ribs in.

For even more great and Easy Air Fryer Meal Recipes, some of my favorites are AIR FRYER MINI TACO BOWLS, AIR FRYER ITALIAN MEATLOAF, AIR FRYER COPYCAT TACO BELL CRUNCHWRAP SUPREME.

Ingredients Needed For Air Fryer Fireball Glazed Ribs

AIR FRYER FIREBALL GLAZED RIBS
  • Rack of St. Louis Style Spare Ribs
  • Brown Sugar
  • Ground Cumin
  • Smoked Paprika
  • Garlic Powder
  • Salt
  • Black Pepper 
  • BBQ Sauce
  • Fireball Whisky
  • Liquid Smoke

How To Make Air Fryer Fireball Glazed Ribs

First, start by preparing the ribs. To make the ribs more tender and “fall off the bone,” you must either get rid of the membrane on the back or score it. It’s easier to score it. 

To do so, flip the ribs over and make large cuts in the shape of an X across the back. 

Preheat the air fryer to 350 degrees F, air fryer setting.

Then, cut the ribs into individual pieces by cutting in between each bone.

AIR FRYER FIREBALL GLAZED RIBS

Flip the ribs back over and rub the brown sugar, cumin, smoked paprika, garlic powder, salt, and black pepper all over the tops.

In Air Fryer Basket, Air Fryer Fireball Glazed Ribs

Place the ribs in the air fryer basket.  Air fry for 25 minutes, flipping them over halfway through. 

Air Fryer Fireball Glazed Ribs

While the ribs are cooking, make the Fireball Bbq Glaze: In a medium saucepan, combine the bbq sauce, Fireball  Whisky, and liquid smoke. Mix well. 

Allow the sauce to come to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for about 8  minutes.  

Remove the ribs from the air fryer. Using a spoon, pour the glaze on top of the ribs. Serve while warm!

Air Fryer Fireball Glazed Ribs

Pro Tips:

  • Fireball Whisky is a cinnamon whisky, and the cinnamon flavor is subtle but perfect at complimenting the smoky sweetness of the bbq. You can also substitute any whisky or bourbon that you’d like!
  • By the way, this sauce is addicting, and it’s good on everything: burgers, pork, chicken, you name it! You can keep any leftover sauce in an air-tight container in the fridge for up to a week. 
  • Removing the membrane on the ribs,  or scoring it, is essential to the tenderness of the ribs! Please do not skip this step, or they will be a lot chewier.
  • I used St. Louis Style Ribs because it was readily available at the grocery store. Normally, I use baby back ribs, so either will work fine. With baby back ribs – they tend to be smaller, so if you use those, just be mindful about reducing the cooking time if necessary.

How to serve?

These are best when served the same day that you make them. Otherwise, as they get older, they will start to dry out.

YOu can serve them with anything from a traditional garden salad, mashed potatoes, sweet air fryer corn, or even a great old big scoop of Instant Pot Mashed potatoes. They are delicious.

Don’t forget the sauce can be used on anything from burgers, pork, chicken, and even a great lamb dish!

Air Fryer Fireball Glazed Ribs

How To Store Leftover Air Fryer Fireball Glazed Ribs

If you have any leftover ribs, you can always save them for another day. The key would be to reheat the ribs in the air fryer.

Place them into the air fryer basket, and brush them with some leftover BBQ sauce or any BBQ sauce you have on hand.

Set them into the air fryer basket and set the temperature to 350 degrees F air fryer setting for 5 to 8 minutes until the ribs are warmed through.

More Air Fryer Recipes

Don’t Forget To Pin:

Air Fryer Ribs
AIR FRYER FIREBALL GLAZED RIBS

Air Fryer Fireball Glazed Ribs

5 from 3 votes
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
0 minutes
Total Time: 35 minutes
Servings: 4 Servings

Description

Air Fryer Fireball Glazed Ribs are amazing! If you have been looking for the perfect Air Fryer Rib Recipe with tons of flavor, this is the recipe for you!

Ingredients 

  • 1 pound St. Louis Style Spare Ribs
  • 2 tablespoons Brown Sugar
  • 1/2 tablespoon Cumin
  • 1 tablespoon Smoked Paprika
  • 1 tablespoon Garlic Powder
  • 1/2 tablespoon Salt
  • 1/2 tablespoon Black Pepper
  • 1 cup BBQ sauce
  • 1 tablespoon Fireball Whisky
  • 1/2 tablespoon Liquid Smoke

Instructions

  • First, start by preparing the ribs. To make the ribs more tender and “fall off the bone,” you’ll need to either get rid of the membrane on the back or score it. It’s easier to score it. 
  • To do so, flip the ribs over and make large cuts in the shape of an X across the back. 
  • Preheat the air fryer to 350 degrees F, air fryer setting.
  • Then, cut the ribs into individual pieces by cutting in between each bone.
  • Flip the ribs back over and rub the brown sugar, cumin, smoked paprika, garlic powder, salt, and black pepper all over the tops.
  • Place the ribs in the air fryer basket. 
  • Air fry for 25 minutes, flipping them over halfway through. 
  • While the ribs are cooking, make the Fireball Bbq Glaze: In a medium saucepan, combine the bbq sauce, Fireball  Whisky, and liquid smoke. Mix well. 
  • Allow the sauce to come to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for about 8  minutes.  
  • Remove the ribs from the air fryer. Using a spoon, pour the glaze on top of the ribs.
  • Plate, serve and enjoy!

Equipment

  • Air Fryer

Notes

Fireball Whisky is a cinnamon whisky, and the cinnamon flavor is subtle but perfect at complimenting the smoky sweetness of the bbq. You can also substitute any whisky or bourbon that you’d like!
By the way, this sauce is addicting, and it’s good on everything: burgers, pork, chicken, you name it! You can keep any leftover sauce in an air-tight container in the fridge for up to a week. 
Removing the membrane on the ribs,  or scoring it, is essential to the tenderness of the ribs! Please do not skip this step, or they will be a lot chewier. I used St. Louis Style Ribs because it was readily available at the grocery store. Normally, I use baby back ribs, so either will work just fine. With baby back ribs – they tend to be smaller, so if you use those, just be mindful about reducing the cooking time if necessary.

Nutrition

Serving: 1ServingCalories: 171kcalCarbohydrates: 38gProtein: 1gFat: 1gSaturated Fat: 0.1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.2gMonounsaturated Fat: 0.2gSodium: 1618mgPotassium: 261mgFiber: 2gSugar: 30gVitamin A: 1036IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 45mgIron: 2mg

Share this recipe

We can’t wait to see what you’ve made! Mention @forktospoon or tag #forktospoon!