Life In Pleasantville

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Nanny’s Famous Chicken and Ribs Recipe

by Candace Sampson
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My mother has been making this chicken and ribs recipe since before I knew what a BBQ was. One sauce. Both meats. Doubles without thinking about it and keeps in the fridge for two weeks. If you have ever stood at a backyard BBQ wondering why someone else’s ribs taste better than yours, this is probably why.

chicken & ribs

She pulled it out for the first BBQ of the season a few years back and I finally wrote it down. I’m glad I did.

Why the oven first for this chicken and ribs recipe

The step that most people skip is the oven. Low and slow in a covered pan for two and a half to three hours before the ribs ever see a flame. What that does is render the fat, break down the connective tissue, and leave you with something that falls apart in the best possible way. You are not cooking ribs on the BBQ from raw. You are finishing them.

You can do this part a full day ahead and refrigerate them. When it is time to eat, cut them into sections and grill over medium-high with the sauce. That is how you get ribs that are both tender inside and caramelized outside at the same time.

About the sauce

The sauce is not complicated and that is the point. Heinz chili sauce, ketchup, apple juice, brown sugar, and salt. The apple juice is the thing people ask about. It cuts the sweetness slightly and gives the sauce a bit of brightness that keeps it from tasting flat. Do not leave it out.

Bring everything to a boil, simmer for five minutes, and let it cool before you use it. My mother normally doubles the recipe when she is feeding a crowd and that is the quantity in the recipe card below. Doubled, it is enough for three racks of ribs, eight drumsticks, and eight thighs without running dry.

Cooking for a crowd

This recipe scales well, which is why it has survived this long. The ribs can be prepped the day before, the sauce keeps in the fridge for up to two weeks, and both the chicken and ribs use the same sauce so there is no juggling. You make one thing and it covers everything on the grill.

If you are doing a larger group, prep your ribs in batches in the oven and just stack the baking sheets. Rotate them halfway through if you are doing more than one sheet at a time.

Boozy sangria in a glass pitcher with fresh fruit

What to Drink With This

A backyard BBQ this good deserves a drink to match. This sangria is a crowd favourite and comes together in minutes. Make a big batch ahead of time and let it chill while the ribs do their thing in the oven. Get the sangria recipe.

Storage

Leftover sauce keeps in an airtight container in the fridge for up to two weeks. Cooked ribs reheat well in foil in a low oven. I would not tell you this is better the next day, but it is close.

I have tried many variations over the years but this chicken and ribs recipe is the one I come back to over and over again.

BBQ chicken and ribs recipe
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Nanny’s Famous Chicken and Ribs with BBQ Sauce

Nanny's backyard BBQ sauce works on both chicken and ribs, doubles easily for a crowd, and keeps in the fridge for two weeks. The only sauce recipe you will ever need.

Course Main Course
Cuisine American
Keyword bbq, chicken, homemade bbq sauce, ribs
Servings 10

Ingredients

For the Dry Rub

Chicken

  • 8 chicken drumsticks
  • 8 chicken thighs

BBQ Sauce for Chicken and Ribs

  • 1.5 cups chili sauce (I use Heinz)
  • 1 cup ketchup
  • 1 cup apple juice
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar
  • 1 tsp salt

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 300F. Combine dry rub ingredients and coat ribs thoroughly on all sides.

  2. Arrange ribs overlapping slightly on a rimmed baking sheet. Cover with parchment paper and wrap tightly with foil.

  3. Bake for 2.5 to 3 hours, rotating baking sheets halfway through if using more than one sheet. Ribs can be refrigerated at this point for up to one day ahead.

  4. Combine all sauce ingredients in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool.

  5. When ready to serve, cut ribs into 3-rib sections. Grill chicken and ribs over medium-high heat, basting generously with sauce until caramelized and cooked through.

Recipe Notes

Note 1 (sauce) The sauce recipe here is already doubled, which is what you need for this quantity. If you are making a smaller batch, halve everything. It keeps in an airtight container in the fridge for up to two weeks so there is no reason not to make the full amount.

Note 2 (make ahead) The ribs can be baked a full day ahead and refrigerated before grilling. This is actually the move for a party. Do all the oven work the day before, pull them out when your guests arrive, and finish on the grill. Nobody needs to know how easy that was.

Note 3 (chicken) The dry rub is for the ribs only. The chicken goes straight to the grill and gets the sauce. Drumsticks and thighs work best here because they can handle the heat without drying out. Breasts are not this recipe’s friend.

 
 
 
 
 
chicken & ribs
My dad claims he makes my mom look good by barbecuing. 🙂
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About Candace Sampson

Candace Sampson is the founder of Life in Pleasantville and has been writing about Canadian travel for over a decade. She only shares destinations she has personally visited and genuinely loved. Candace is also the creator of Girl Trips, a women-focused travel and retreat brand, and the host of What She Said, Canada’s longest-running women’s talk show turned podcast.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Erika

    That plate is way too heavy for your Dad to hold You or Bill should be helping him.

  2. Catherine

    Looks & sounds delicious. One question: Is it very spicy? Both recipes used chili and my boy may not like the heat

    Thanks.

  3. Jodi Martin

    Oh that Judy…I can attest she is the BEST cook EVER.  No, I mean EVER.  Most of my best recipes, dog-eared and stained with food, are your moms!  Yum.

  4. Judy Sampson

    Thanks Jodi for your nice comments.anytime you and your family are here come for a meal.
    Also Candace thanks for the compliments.you girls are also very,very good in the kitchen.

  5. Candace

    Hi Catherine, No it’s not spicy at all. I’m not a big fan of heat either 🙂

  6. Karen DiRienzo (former coworker @ TD)

    Candace, not sure how I stumbled on your blog, but I’m glad I did. Just tried this rib recipe and it was a huge hit with Marino and the boys. Can’t wait to try some more of your recipes. Love the pictures that accompany them too.

  7. Candace

    OMG Karen! How funny is this? You’re the first person who knew me in my “former” life who has found me in this space. I’m so glad you did. Those ribs are the best and I totally can’t take credit for them LOL. I can’t wait to hear what else you try, let me know what you think. Still at TD?

  8. Karen DiRienzo

    Still there. 31 years now….ugh!!!! I’m sure I will retire there. Oh well, it pays the bills. The boys are in post-secondary and just finished their first year. So expensive! Will let you know what other recipes we try. Both boys love to cook and the Food network is permanently on in our house. Ate our way through NYC last summer all based on different places we’ve seen on the the food network. It was a blast.
    Enjoying reading your past posts. Looks like life is good for you. Nice to see.
    Take care and we’ll be in touch.

  9. LEE

    Thanks for the recipe.. but when I try. I find the meat is too tender and falls apart slow cooking in the oven. AND THEN on the grill… so I now grill the meat first, AND then put it in the oven in foil, for the longer slower cooking time.. Have you tried this? And in the summer. I just grill.AND then. put everything in a foil wrapped roasting pan. with some water in the pan and let it go on low heat, until tender and to perfection………. definitly not trying to change your recipe. just my experience.. 🙂